Olive Musica Redux

Reviewed in The Perfect Vision's May 2006 issue, this sleek device is a combination audiophile-quality CD player/CD burner and 160-gigabyte hard-disk recorder, with Ethernet and wireless capability. As a stand-alone component, it's hampered somewhat by a labyrinthine operating system, small front-panel display, and lack of keyboard/mouse connectivity.

These drawbacks completely vanish when the Musica is coupled to a notebook computer running iTunes, simplifying both playlist assembly and production of compilation CDs. The Musica offers direct access to many Internet radio stations through the Shoutcast portal, enables three-way music streaming within a local area network, and provides several levels of recording quality, from bare-bones MP3 to compression-free RAW files.

Disc duplication is literally a one-button, ten-minute operation. Song capacity in the lossless FLAC format is 4000-5000 individual tracks.

The Musica bundles plenty of performance in a compact package, at a very attractive price of $1099.
-Barry Willis

NaimNet: Distributed Music for Audiophiles

Just before deadline, we learned that the British firm Naim Audio has teamed with Austin, Texas-based NetStreams to create NaimNet—a network-based, distributed audio system that promises to make serious, audiophile-grade sound quality its highest priority.

Naim’s high-end audio components enjoy a hard-won reputation for delivering consistently superb sound, while NetStreams is best known for its StreamNet distibuted audio/video technologies, which can send uncompressed digital audio via TCP/IP-based networks to any room in the house (or to remote locations). Interestingly, NetStreams technology also supports synchronized audio playback across multiple locations.

NaimNet components are manufactured by Naim and incorporate Naim-designed audio circuits, but embed network interface, data transport, and system-control technologies from NetStreams. Initial NaimNet offerings include four NaimNet music servers (including the two-box, audiophile-oriented NS REF server), the NNT01 DAB/FM four-zone tuner, the NNC01 multi-input preamplifier and room player, the NNP01 room amplifier, and the NNP01 concealed room amplifier. Prices have not yet been finalized.
-Chris Martens

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