Cambridge Audio seeks Beta testers for its forthcoming NP30 network music player

Cambridge Audio NP30 network music player

It's due on sale this autumn, and connects to your existing amplifier, just like a CD player. Once it's hooked up, the device has four main functions:

1) It's a 24bit UPnP network client. The NP30 can connect to UPnP servers on a network and browse and playback up to 24bit/96kHz (plus MP3, AAC , FLAC, WMA and other popular formats) music content stored on a computer or NAS drive.

2) It's an internet radio, allowing playback of over 15,000 internet radio stations through your hi-fi.

3) It's a way to play your favourite streaming services through your hi-fi. Rather than having to play the streaming service through your computer and then rig up an audio connection to your hi-fi, you can play it directly through the NP30.

4) It's a local media player. The NP30 supports local media from USB Flash disks or USB hard-drives and has two USB2.0 ports for this purpose, allowing you to play up to 24bit/96kHz audio files from an attached USB drive.

Before Cambridge Audio launches the NP30 it's assembling a Beta test group to help evaluate it in real world conditions. The company would like to invite What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision visitors and readers to join the panel.

If you are invited to join the Beta test panel – based on a carefully considered criterion – you'll be asked to thoroughly evaluate the NP30 in your own home, using your own hi-fi system. A simple questionnaire will be provided for you to give CA your thoughts and feedback – good or bad!

If this sounds interesting to you and you'd like to get to grips with a piece of hot new technology before it goes on sale, please take two minutes to complete the preliminary survey by clicking here.

Testing will take place in late July/early August and Cambridge Audio will get in touch with the people it chooses to join the Beta test panel by mid July to make the necessary arrangements.

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