SongCube 80GB bookshelf stereo with CD ripper
By Evan Blass 
posted Nov 23rd 2005 1:30PM
posted Nov 23rd 2005 1:30PM
Brookstone is featuring a small 80GB bookshelf stereo that loads music either from a PC via USB 2.0 or rips/encodes
tracks directly off of a CD (and even stores and updates CDDB info). The SongCube Digital Music Center consists of a
small, squarish receiver/hard drive/CD drive, two stereo speakers, and a subwoofer, and can hold up to 20,000 MP3s or
1500 CD tracks. RCA and 3.5-millimeter ins and outs and an optical out are nice, but the 4X ripping speed and $700
pricetag might make us think twice about purchasing such a rather low-power system.
[Thanks, Ross]
Just get a Mac Mini or a mini PC?
i've always wanted to be the first post, thank you all.
Is this network or mac compatible
and can it be used as an external hard drive
Come on Apple! Why for the love of God haven't you done something like this. I know a Mac mini would be almost equivalent but without Front Row and a real(RF) remote it just isn't quite there.
I can't wait for MacWorld in January. I'm hoping we will see some entirely new products not just updates of the same old stuff.
Does this get around the technology that recently got Sony in such trouble?
At $700 bucks I think I'd just save up and buy one of those Sonos packs. They don't have the cd-burning and stuff, but it'd be a lot more powerful software wise and stuff.
$700?! Are they stupid? You can get a decent computer for that much and do a ton more with it.
Yeah, but can it rip Sony's Rootkit-infected CDs? Does it rip in Sony's proprietary format?
#6
Why do you think it would rip in Sony's format? This is not a Sony product. It is being sold by Brookstone, which certainly didn't manufacture it. I agree, way too much money for what it does. Most people already have a computer and stereo system, just need an inexpensive method to connect to two.
This was cool until the $700 part. If it was a more reasonable price I'd think it would be a good little stereo for my parents or grandparents.
I am desperately on the hunt for something like this for exactly what #9 said, grandparents for whom "just get a computer" is not an option. The key is "put the cd into the thing and it rips it for you", no computer involved. Ideally I'd like something with wireless speakers to boot so that he can leave the hub in one room and take a speaker with him out to the pool.
Sonos is nice, but needs that PC aspect.
If $700 is too much for this "low powered" system, can somebody point me in the direction of a similarly powered one (noting key bits above) for less?