plastic penguin said:Has anyone heard the Rotel RT-09 or 1520? If so are they any good?
MUSICRAFT said:plastic penguin said:Has anyone heard the Rotel RT-09 or 1520? If so are they any good?
Hi plastic penguin
No, not yet. Are you looking to buy?
All the best
Rick @ Musicraft
Andrew Everard said:
the record spot said:Hey PP, check out Cocktail Audio's X10 server system as well - £279 for the non-hard drive option. 1TB and 2TB HDD options exist for a higher price. Looks neat, nice interface, not tried it yet, but comes with an onboard 60w amp, or you can go through your own stereo or AV amp instead. Good connectivity too - USB, optical, ethernet, speaker connections are via spring clip terminals only, but that's needn't be an issue (for me anyway). Could be worth investigating.
http://www.cocktailaudio.com/overview.html
http://en.iamm.es/tabs/X10/tab-conexiones?id=X10
![]()
In common with many such devices, that screen/display looks dreadful. 3.5" LCDs are woefully inadequate for displaying meaningful info, especially from across a room. And what's with the musical symbol taking up nearly half the screen space?the record spot said:Hey PP, check out Cocktail Audio's X10 server system as well
Crocodile said:And what's with the musical symbol taking up nearly half the screen space?
Crocodile said:Does it play MP3 gapless?
How easy is it to build a playlist?
Is searching/scrolling fast?
What's the browsing experience like?
Is album art supported?
If it is, can it be switched off to give more screen space to text?
How easy is it for party guests to get to grips with?
Is there a protected mode so they can't do any damage to the current playlist?
Etc.
Crocodile said:In common with many such devices, that screen/display looks dreadful. 3.5" LCDs are woefully inadequate for displaying meaningful info, especially from across a room. And what's with the musical symbol taking up nearly half the screen space?the record spot said:Hey PP, check out Cocktail Audio's X10 server system as well
As I've said before (& Andrews link to his review of the Rotel illustrates), reviews of these products really need to take a step forward. It's no longer enough to just give an impression of how a streamer sounds. The user interface is almost as important. IMO, it's little use having access to thousands of tracks from the comfort of your chair if the reality means you've got to physically go to the unit to see what it's doing with tiny text on a tiny screen.
Does it play MP3 gapless?
How easy is it to build a playlist?
Is searching/scrolling fast?
What's the browsing experience like?
Is album art supported?
If it is, can it be switched off to give more screen space to text?
How easy is it for party guests to get to grips with?
Is there a protected mode so they can't do any damage to the current playlist?
Etc.
I did wonder but surely no manufacturer would be daft enough to organise a photo shoot of their product without checking the file was tagged first?John Duncan said:Missing album art...
I'm afraid you've completely missed the point I was making. Pretty much every review I've read of every streaming device completely ignores the user interface/experience. These devices go way beyond "Just press play" & how well or otherwise they do that will be a huge part of how the product is perceived in daily use. After all, if it wasn't for the interace, the iPod would be just another MP3 player with sales to match.the record spot said:you might want to cut and paste those questions and email Cocktail Audio directly, then you can come back and tell us.
Gareth82 said:Hey PP, be sure to check out the Squeezebox Touch as well.
If you are just after a music streamer then you can't go wrong IMO,It's a bargin for the price and has got a very good interface and displays album art etc, plus it would be alot smaller than the streamers you have mentioned. The built in DAC is also ment to be pritty good.
If you are after a streamer with more features then i would go with the marantz myself, along with being a streamer and having internet radio it has also got DAB and has a built in DAC so you could get rid of the DacMagic and use the Marantz as a streamer and a DAC if needed.
And to confuse you even more, don't forget the Cambridge Audio NP30 and that NAD and Denon also have new streamers out.
Hop that has helped and keep us updated on which one you choose.
Gareth82 said:Yes i think whichever you choose would need a home demo first.
I have been thinking of getting a streamer for a while now but the problem is, which one to choose? I think it is important to have a hands on with whichever one you choose as they all will have pros and cons and some will be easier to use than others while some are overpriced for what features they have etc.
I think once you find the right balance between features and user interface and can sit back and enjoy it you will look back in a few years and think it was maybe the best addition to your Hi Fi that you have made.