Naim offers up HDD-based HDX network audio player

Naim Audio, a name synonymous with high-end, has recently launched its very own hard drive-based music server, and on paper, it's a fairly mesmerizing piece of kit. The HDX packs a pair of 400GB hard drives (one primary and a back-up) and claims to be a "fully integrated CD ripping and data storage system." Aside from giving users a way to catalog their gargantuan CD collection in digital form, it'll also play tracks back in the finest of detail. Packed within is a Burr-Brown PCM1791A DAC, 24 bit/192kHz internal architecture, ultra-low jitter re-clocking circuits and a built-in touch panel, too. Best of all, any tunes stored on network / USB drives can also be played through the device, and it can send up to six different streams of music simultaneously over a home network. The rub? At £4,500 ($8,772), you're probably better off hiring Daft Punk to just play at your house.

[Via CNET]

[merritt @ Apr 30th 2008 1:37PM]

HAHAHA

nice LCD Soundsystem reference!

[maxharlan @ Apr 30th 2008 11:16PM]

haha. Once i read that last line, i was hoping someone would say something about it.

LCD soundsystem ftw.

[jorvay @ Apr 30th 2008 4:05PM]

and all the furniture, is in the garage.

[V1k1ng1337 @ Apr 30th 2008 1:46PM]

What extensions can be played? Im assuming .mp3 and MPEG but what else?

[Gene @ Apr 30th 2008 1:54PM]

Perhaps you should try reading the article:

Audio Files supported: WAV, MP3, AAC (m4a only), FLAC, WMA

[V1k1ng1337 @ Apr 30th 2008 2:30PM]

My school computers have cnet blocked for some reason, so I actually couldn't read the article. I apologize for what I now see to be a stupid question.

[George @ Apr 30th 2008 1:57PM]

burned.

[Idlemind @ Apr 30th 2008 2:01PM]

This will be GREAT for me.

I hope it comes with a tent and an adapter to tap into the light pole in the park where I'm likely to be living if I blow my hard earned $$ on one.

[torqueo @ Apr 30th 2008 2:04PM]

A "gargantuan CD collection" does not fit on 400GB. I'm already up to 1.4TB. Nobody who actually buys this will rip to MP3's, or any other crappy lossy format, heh.

[aardvark sandwich @ Apr 30th 2008 3:10PM]

HD swap? ^_^

[phanbouy @ Apr 30th 2008 3:37PM]

am I the only one who can't hear the difference between FLAC and 128k AAC on PC or HTIB speakers?

[torqueo @ Apr 30th 2008 4:04PM]

@phanbouy: Probably not. But those who would consider buying this rig are not using PC/HTIB speakers. Nor am I. ;)

@aardvark sandwich: Sure one could swap the HDD's, but damn, this thing is near $9k, why are they cheaping out on the HDD's when it'd only add less than $200~300 in cost?

[aardvark sandwich @ Apr 30th 2008 7:45PM]

No, no, no...

I was joking that we should swap HDs :)

[Dax @ Apr 30th 2008 2:30PM]

Got to love the weak US Dollar!!!

[ddub @ Apr 30th 2008 3:09PM]

Am I missing something? Seems like the pound and dollar exchange rate hasn't really changed in the last couple of years.

Is it only the euro that is going up?

[DungeonMaster @ Apr 30th 2008 2:32PM]

Anyone know of an OEM source for that case?

[phanbouy @ Apr 30th 2008 3:58PM]

sure, you can reach one at EmptyMyWallet.info

[fanthem @ Apr 30th 2008 2:59PM]

No. It will not play Doom. But it will play a Doom soundtrack.

[bugmenot @ Apr 30th 2008 3:05PM]

why can't you just add an old whitebox to the network with a couple of big drives and rip with your own lossless ripper? Isn't this substantially less than $8000+ and better than living in a tent in the park?

[Evan @ Apr 30th 2008 3:44PM]

Wait... my CD collection wasn't already in digital form? I feel so cheated.

[phanbouy @ Apr 30th 2008 3:57PM]

it wasn't _cataloged_ in digital form. last i checked CDs have to be put on your shelf the old fashioned way =D

[Chris Wilson @ May 1st 2008 8:28AM]

torqueo:

By quality I mean that larger capacity drives are closer to bleeding edge tech... that's where the smokin is at ;-) Not a great idea to use less proven parts in a high-end device, and anyways NAS storage can be added remotely without noise intrusion for listening room for those with bigger CD collections. In comparison with other HiFi HDD units, capacity is above the norm, and (unusually) there is back-up. How about Linn DS stream renderer costs more with NO drives at all? At least the Naim unit will work out of the box with no kludgey interface etc.and without hogging your PC system that is possibly employed by many other tasks/people.

[Wontoncookie @ May 1st 2008 11:47PM]

Looks like they just took a Creative Labs Zen and attached it to a box .

[newmiracle @ May 2nd 2008 12:15AM]

"...you're probably better off hiring Daft Punk to just play at your house"

But you've still got to set them up, set them up, set them up. So make sure to figure that into your cost analysis... (sorry, couldn't let it die)

[Chris Wilson @ Apr 30th 2008 9:39PM]

Quality of the toys separates the men from the boys ...

Not everyone wants to lash up computer bits and get off on the DIY aspect of it all.

Plays off NAS too for storage expansion ... bigger capacity internal drives would use up valuable case space or compromise drive quality. Heat and mechanical noise supression would also be a problem.

[torqueo @ May 1st 2008 2:55AM]

@Chris: What are you smoking? This thing uses 3.5" 400GB Seagate drives. It could just as easily use 3.5" 1TB Seagate drives, and in fact the "quality" would be higher. More cache, more data per platter (faster), etc. From what I read on their white sheet, it seems like they use internal enclosures/dampeners for the HDD's, so even if bigger drives were louder or hotter, which they aren't, it wouldn't matter.

[Kevin @ May 3rd 2008 3:55AM]

I was thinking of making something like this the other day:
Take one 5G iPod, and perform the Red Wine audio hack, so that it sounds awesome:
http://www.redwineaudio.com/iMod.html
Swap the 1.8" hard drive for a very big desktop or laptop drive (have to build a custom adapter for this, but they are pin compatible)
http://www.command-tab.com/2005/03/13/ipod-super/

Get a nice looking audio case and cut a square and circular hole in the front, mount the ipod behind it (so the front of the unit just contains a small screen and the scroll-wheel). Route the audio and usb cables to the back.
The result? an awesome hifi muc player based on a proven, familiar interface. The cost? I reckon you could do it for less than $500. Certainly not the $9k they are asking for this! And the red wine audio hack on the Wolfson DACs are supposed to sound awesome.
I just need to find an audio case with a blank front plate, and somewhere to cut two holes in it. And an ipod. And to re-rip all my stuff in lossless.