MP3 seeps into hi-fi
Sholto Macpherson
NOVEMBER 25, 2003
THE convenience of memory cards that can hold hundreds or thousands of songs is changing the way we view music storage.
Light, high-capacity MP3 players have revolutionised portable music, and will affect the home stereo in a similar way.
But there are few home stereo products that play MP3 files directly from a storage device.
The audio industry has turned up its nose at the prospect of introducing MP3 playback into high-end products, as MP3s fall short in sound quality, and convenience is not a selling point when an amplifier alone costs several thousand dollars.
The digital file format also has negative associations because of the debate over file sharing.
Manufacturers have been uneasy about introducing the technology for fear of putting the recording industry offside.
One product manager says the implications of music piracy were considered during the design stages and the company has worked carefully to "make sure we're not stepping on anyone's toes".
As with airbags and power steering in the motor car industry, new technology normally filters down from high-end to budget products.
MP3 playback capability is bucking the trend, however, as mini and micro systems are leading the way.
Philips and Sony have units capable of streaming audio from a PC using a USB connection, but in the format stakes Sony's CMTM333NT one-ups Philips' MCM570 with its ability to also play minidiscs.
Of course, any home stereo can play music files from a PC over a simple auxiliary port connection, but the software with these two systems allows playlists to be chosen using the stereo's remote control.
The quality of PC soundcard and speaker packages now rivals that of low-end micro systems. Both models need a PC to drive the software, and at this stage it is not possible to play songs from an MP3 player or a single-purpose storage device such as a USB key drive.
The more expensive home theatre systems, such as the Philips MX5700D, can also play MP3 files through a PCMCIA slot that uses popular flash standards, such as Memory Stick, MMD and Compact Flash.
An interesting development in home audio that has crossed over to car stereos is systems built around a hard disk.
Sony's wall-mounted CMTL7HD comes with a 20GB hard drive that records tracks through optical input, USB or by loading a regular or MP3-carrying CD.
Pioneer sells a stereo based on a 10GB hard drive (the DEH-P900HDD), which slots into a car's dashboard, loading MP3s through CD or Memory Stick slots.
But hard drives may become an unnecessary addition and Philips Australia DVD audio senior product manager Scott Housely says the home stereo market will move in two different directions.
The most obvious step is to enable portable devices such as MP3 players to plug and play through a stereo using a USB connection. The alternative is to equip stereos with wireless receivers so they can play music files sent from a laptop or desktop PC in another part of the house.
Philips and its competitors expect to have models capable of performing both tasks next year.
Regardless of how it ends up on your system, digital MP3 files are destined to replace the racks of CDs stacked on your shelves. It's only a matter of time.
