Japan's
Onkyo has this new HDC-1.0 media PC in the chute and ready for launch next month in hopes of wooing the audiophile crowd. Set to replace the
HDC-7, the HDC-1.0 measures in at 205 x 240 x92.5-mm and brings a Vista pre-load as you'd expect. However, the "wow" is limited to just Home Basic... this ain't no Vista Media Center friends. Instead, Onkyo loads up their own CarryOn Music 10 software to make the most of Onkyo's SE-90PCI PCI card which touts a 2-channel, audiophile grade 110dB SNR and 24bit/192kHz -- yeah, that exceeds CD sound quality. The software also ties back neatly to Onkyo's own "e-onkyo music" 24bit/96kHz download service. At the heart you'll find a 1.66GHz Core 2 Duo T5500 CPU, Intel 945GM integrated graphics, 1GB of memory, 120GB of 2.5-inch SATA disk, gigabit Ethernet, DVI and optical digital output, 6x USB 2.0 (2x in front) and 1x Firewire, and a slot-loading DVD super multi-drive. Onkyo attempts to keep the environment at bay by using an external power source to minimize EMI and by using a single, 8-cm fan and lots of rubber damping to keep things quiet inside the box. The result, according to Onkyo, is a true "HD audio PC." Of course, they could have packed in an SSD and ULV processor to ace the fan and cut the vibration completely, right? Sure, but then we'd be looking at a price much higher than the HDC-1.0's already expensive ¥210,000 (about $1,739) or ¥248,000 (about $2,054) after tossing in the matching digital amplifier. Check the amp and PC splayed after the break.
[Via
Impress]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Frankenstein Black @ Feb 1st 2007 9:16AM
Wow, that front slot is huge! "Slot-loading DVD super multi-drive" does that include Laser Discs? ;^)...
disciple83 @ Feb 1st 2007 9:45AM
I don't thik you're seeing just how small this thing is. The slot may look huge, but the machine itself is only a couple inches taller than shuttle x100 chassis. That is definitely an 80mm fan in the back,so that slot isn't close to a laser disc size.
Maetu @ Feb 1st 2007 9:46AM
The case is 205mm wide, so it's a normal size slot.
Clinton @ Feb 1st 2007 10:00AM
So, basically they wrapped a PC around a great sound card and software? The PC is nice, but I would much rather buy the sound card separately and build an actual HTPC.
Mike Cerm @ Feb 1st 2007 10:25AM
This this is totally ridiculous. It looks good, but it's really just a Mac Mini with a soundcard. For the price, you'd be better off with the Mini and a much higher quality external USB or Firewire soundcard.
That wouldn't be quite as sexy though.
Quality Not Quanity Boys @ Feb 1st 2007 3:17PM
@Mike Cern: Uh, it is NOT totally ridiculous and you would not be "better off" with a mini and external sound card. These specs don't come from an Audigy:
110dB SNR and 24bit/192kHz -- yeah, that exceeds CD sound quality. The software also ties back neatly to Onkyo's own "e-onkyo music" 24bit/96kHz download service.
If you did buy a mini ($600 only 60 GB Harddrive- my 80 gig powerbook is full now) you would have to buy an audiophile DAC (Benchmark DAC1 - $1000). That is $1600 and you don't get access to the 24bit/96kHz download service--- only 128 kbit compressed (mp4) from a 16bit/44.1kHz download service (iTunes). Even if you have high resolution discs, iTunes doesn't support them, so you would have to find ANOTHER piece of software to handle them.
GT fan @ Feb 1st 2007 3:18PM
Test
Xenoterranos @ Feb 7th 2007 7:35PM
Screw the mini-pc, how much is that digital amp!
nbcalderon @ Mar 1st 2007 7:04PM
audiophiles will not let inter connectors touch the ground, and for this reason is the same why computer are not a good source of audio and nothing close to audiophile standards. there is simply too many electric currents running through a computer, even if you had a sound card that was capable of producing such high quality you will still pick up interferences from nearby electrical devices (graphics card, power source, cd player and so on). the headline of this post is a joke, and really upsets me for the people it may fool.
if you want awesome sound quality from your computer buy a good sound card, onkyo makes two wonderful sound cards. then buy yourself some NHT M-00 monitors. this will cost you 700$ but you will have some of the greatest audio that is capable of coming out of a computer.
if you are interested in audiophile sound, hi-fi sound quality and are like me (dont have alot of money). Buy yourself a nice pair of headphones, a headphone amplifier, and hook your ipod up with a oxygen free copper IT or a 99.9999 pure silver IT.
cost for a decent audiophile setup through Headphones will cost you around 1-2k. cost for a speaker audiophile setup... lets just say speakers range from 10-70 thousand dollars, a piece.
don't get fooled by these marketing techniques.
---------------------------------
ATH-W1000 (for home) Grado sr-225 (for school) Esure E2c (for running)
AKG 999 Audiosphere
Ipod no less than 256kbs recordings
99.9999 silver IT custom made by (http://www.aloaudio.com/)