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Sony's NAC-HD1 audio-server

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lacobo

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Maybe not entirely on-topic, but still... As many of you I am still waiting for a (Sony 43 cm) HiMD deck. But I don't think Sony ever will create it. But a few days ago I discovered the Sony NAC-HD1. It is relatively new (april 2007 in Japan, july in Europe) and there's hardly any (English) information on the web about it. But what is it:

nac-hd1.jpg

It's a CD-Player, AM and FM radio and an audio-server (with a 250 GB harddrive) in one.

It has a 4 inch display which shows the machines activities and an USB-port to hook up an MP3 or Atrac player to send music to it. It's able to record from the radio and from external sources. It can also store +300 CD's on the harddrive in lossless PCM format or even more in Atrac or MP3 format. It can retrieve CD-track titles from the internet (wired- or (optional) wireless). It sounds like a fine machine to me.

I like the idea so much that I ordered one, which I can collect next friday. I will create a review when I have it. The price was another surprise: The listprice is 999 Euro's, but I can buy one for 691 Euro's! I'll keep you informed.

Bert.

Edited by lacobo
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Thanks for that Bert - I think I remember reading about this unit somewhere in the media over here. Where did you acquire the unit?

* Moved to Off-Topic section

I first spotted the machine in a store in amsterdam, but the price was 899 overthere. Then I started searching the internet and found bestekeus.nl. More then 200 Euro's in price difference! I'm curious if the transfer function also works with my HiMD unit(s). I have to wait until friday...

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I have really been interested in getting this for some time, now at last somebody here can review the unit. Please could you confirm the following things,

1) Does the unit's digital out really only allow for connection to sony digital amplifiers, and specifically not for the purpose of digital output recording? This is exactly what it states in the pdf manual, but I find it incredible.

2) Does audio transferred through the usb connection to an Atrac audio device then become inaccessible by Sonicstage on a PC? And can you also transfer the transferred material back to the unit again? I read that it adds track marks and keeps records of all transfers made.

3) Does the unit really prevent you from restoring your audio from a PC folder more than 4 times?

4) How is the track titling and general moving around the screen (making playlists, groups etc) without a keyboard or mouse?

The sound quality I have little to worry about as Sony rarely fail to please here. It is the new interface and restrictions that concern me.

Much appreciated.

Edited by kino170878
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I have really been interested in getting this for some time, now at last somebody here can review the unit. Please could you confirm the following things...

I will get the unit friday or saturday and then I need some time to set it up etc. So it will take some time to answer these in-dept questions. But by then I'll see what I can do to answer them...

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For that kind of money, you could simply build a PC (that thing is pretty much a heavily customized PC anyway) and get more flexibility, and probably still have money left to buy some CDs. :)

Yes and no. Yes, you can build a PC for this money, but do you then get the same build- and sound quality? I doubt it. I also compare its features more with the never brought out Sony HiMD Deck then with a media-server. It "speaks" Atrac, lossless, has a 24bits, 196 KHz soundprocessor etc.

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Yes and no. Yes, you can build a PC for this money, but do you then get the same build- and sound quality? I doubt it. I also compare its features more with the never brought out Sony HiMD Deck then with a media-server. It "speaks" Atrac, lossless, has a 24bits, 196 KHz soundprocessor etc.

Here's a ~US$30 sound card that can do 24bit 192khz: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16829120103 It has optical out too.

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I like the idea so much that I ordered one, which I can collect next friday. I will create a review when I have it.

Cool. Hi-Fi is going PC :)

FLAC makes me wet, though, and I saw a similar Denon device linked from http://flac.sourceforge.net :

http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/denon-line-show...ions-281952.php

Not that I'm in the market for a device like this, but nice to keep up to date.

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Ok, I have it "in tha house" now and I'm quite happy with the first results. It's a very silent machine. CD's are copied to the harddisk at a high speed. Textediting is a bit of a nightmare, you can't connect a keyboard, so it's in SMS style. After 5 CD's I'm getting handy :pleasantry:

Titles are retreived from the internet (using a wifi-usb-stick (used an ASUS stick and it was accepted without any problems)) and I can add CD-sleeve pics from a USB stick, but that's a very slow process. But after the pain of editing every title, the playback is very nice. When it's in standby it analyses all music and sorts it in "moods" like morning, evening, slow, fast etc. Then you can play it using x-DJ. Cool! I've hooked the machine to my TV and it looks awesome! A more serious review will follow in a few weeks, after I've looked at all bells and whissles.

NAC-TV.jpg

Edited by lacobo
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Strange news: Sony stops producing the NAC-HD1. Two days after I bought it the price dropped from 691 to 342 Euro's at the same shop! :shok: I'm now trying to get back at least a part of the money. My guess is that Sony-music didn't like the "endless (but limitted) copy-possibilities". That's the disadvantage of a company with such a strong connection to the music-industry.

Edited by lacobo
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Sony centre in Tottenham Court Road have never displayed the deck version in-store, only the hi-fi version. The other few suppliers who have the unit are selling it for £600, so the huge price reduction has not yet happened in the UK.

I fail to understand why a company would invest in their products and then not want you to buy them.

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