Pioneer recently launched their first entries into this category. ThatвЂ™s why I think these types of devices are important. In short, they want the benefits of having their entire library at hand, including hi-res downloads, while retaining the simplicity and ease of use that a regular CD player would have. They just want something simple that can act as a relatively foolproof front-end, that will sit next to their pre-amp and other gear and not look out of place. They donвЂ™t want to bother with playback software, configuration, and the inevitable troubleshooting that computers bring. They donвЂ™t want the noise associated with the computer, nor do they want a monitor in their system. The system is probably in a dedicated area, away from their desktop computer. Why spend extra on a stand-alone device to accomplish what your computer will already do? In my Streaming Audio Devices review and information thread, I lay out the reasons like so: some people donвЂ™t want to mess with having a computer in their playback system. So IвЂ™d say we have a pretty good demand for devices that help tap in to those files.Д«ut isnвЂ™t it easier to just play them straight from your computer? There is already a plethora of excellent choices in the realm of USB DACs, spanning all price points.

But I do see a large percentage of folks around here who completely rely on lossless audio files instead of spinning their original CDs. Or at least thatвЂ™s my assumption I could be wrong. I think HeadFi is a great audience for these types of devices вЂ“ we are generally younger and more knowledgeable about computers than your average вЂњThe Absolute SoundвЂќ reader.

IвЂ™ve been covering media streamers, network audio players, or whatever you want to call them, as often as I can around here.

Pioner n50