Turtle Beach AudioTron

Get the most out of your digital music collection with this simple hi-fi add-on.

Price: £295

Manufacturer: Turtle

Ratings

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Verdict

Pros:

Can play as many MP3s as your PC has stored. Easy to set up. Multiple players can run off a single PC.

Cons:
Only works when your PC is turned on. The screen is a little small.

Verdict:

Ease of use: Intuitive interface and you don't need specialist software on your PC.
Build quality: Nicely put together and it fits in perfectly with other hi-fi separates.
Features: Well designed and there are lots of options for track selection.
Value for money: Fairly expensive but worth every penny for the MP3 connoisseur.
Overall: A simple way to get your music away from the PC and onto your hi-fi.

David Ludlow, Computeract!ve 03 Nov 2003

If you have built yourself a healthy MP3 collection then the odds are it only gets used when you are near your PC. With Turtle Beach's AudioTron, you can make the most of your collection and play all your music using your hi-fi.

Connected via phono cables or a digital optical lead, the AudioTron looks like other hi-fi components but look a little closer and you'll also find a network port. Just hook this into your home network or wireless bridge (try the NetGear ME101 reviewed in issue 138) if you don't want cables everywhere, and the unit scours your network looking for MP3s to play.

Provided you have shared your music folder on your PC, the AudioTron can immediately play all of your music and thanks to the ID3 tags, you can access all of it by title, genre, artist or album using the two-screen display and the remote control. Our only complaint is that the screen is a little small and it can be difficult to see what's going on from a distance.

The remote control also gives access to your standard playback controls including repeats and programmed play. You can also add tracks to the built-in group, which acts like a favourites play list and is really simple to use.

For even more control, you need to switch to your PC. The bundled software gives you the option to create play lists that the AudioTron understands, just by dragging and dropping files. Without the software, you can use a web browser to directly control every function on the AudioTron. This makes it very easy to queue up your favourite tracks quickly.

If you get bored of your own music collection then you can switch the AudioTron into internet radio mode, although you will need to have a broadband connection to get the most out of it. The player then automatically connects to the internet and downloads a list of available stations for you to browse through.

With a price just shy of £300, it might seem like an expensive add-on but if you want to make the most of your MP3s, the AudioTron will seamlessly fit in with your hi-fi.

Contact: Invision UK 01449 677233
www.invisionuk.com

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