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CNET editors' rating:
3.5 stars
Very good
Detailed editors' rating - Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 8 reviews
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Product summary
The good: Compatible with DRM WMA files purchased from online music stores; supports Rhapsody; works with Windows Media Connect and iTunes servers; includes 802.11b wireless card; front-panel text display; optical and coaxial digital audio outputs; works with Windows and Mac.
The bad: Low-res, 2-line LCD; can't stream secure AAC files purchased from iTunes store; no headphone jack; cramped side-mounted jacks; basic remote control.
The bottom line: Cutting-edge features and striking looks put Roku's SoundBridge at the forefront of the digital audio receiver category.
Specifications: Product type: Network audio player; Sound output mode: Stereo; Network player: WMA, Network audio player - AAC, WAV, AIFF, MP3; ; See full specs
CNET editors' review
- Reviewed on: 02/17/2005
- Updated on:03/27/2006
- Released on: 08/27/2004
With its unique tubular design, its easy-to-read front-panel displays, and its attractive brushed-chrome finish, Roku's SoundBridge series of digital audio receivers turned a lot of heads when it first appeared in 2004. The line has since been updated to include a third, more affordable model (the M500) and support for Windows Media DRM downloads and Rhapsody's subscription-based, on-demand streaming music service. All three SoundBridge models--the $199 M500, the $249 M1000, and the larger, $499 M2000--wirelessly stream audio from a networked computer or the Internet to your home stereo system and automatically interface with iTunes software. However, the SoundBridge line shares the same Achilles' heel as all other non-Apple digital audio receivers: it can't stream music purchased from the iTunes Music Store. If you can live with that caveat--and with paying a premium for the slick looks--any one of the three SoundBridge models is a great choice for streaming digital audio.
The Roku SoundBridge M500 and M1000 share the same physical dimensions and basic design, measuring 9.75 wide with a diameter of 2.5 inches and weighing 1.5 pounds; the M2000 is nearly twice the size and weight (17 by 2.75 inches, 2.75 pounds). Its artfully styled chassis is a silver, pipe-shaped metal segment with an embedded text display and two removable, black plastic end caps. Under one of the end caps, you'll find an Ethernet port for wired networks plus a CompactFlash card slot for adding the included 802.11b Wi-Fi wireless networking adapter. Under the other end cap resides a power jack and an impressive assortment of audio jacks: along with the standard analog stereo outputs, the SoundBridge packs optical and coaxial digital outputs. After making the necessary connections, you reattach the end caps, fishing the wires through holes located on the caps' backsides. The end caps give the SoundBridge a tidy appearance but complicate accessing the jacks hidden underneath. The unit comes with a low-profile rubber stand that allows tilting the unit to optimize display readability. An optional wall-mounting kit ($29.99) is also available.Because the SoundBridge doesn't have front-panel controls, you must operate the unit with its basic 18-key remote. Although its four-way keypad and Select button make menu navigation intuitive, the remote could use a few more buttons. For instance, it lacks common conveniences such as artist, title, and genre shortcut keys. You can use the remote for text-based music searches, but entering titles is a chore because of the lack of an alphanumeric keypad. Fortunately, the Fast Browse feature lets you skip through long track lists with relative ease.
The M500's bright yellow, two-line, 40-character text LCD proved legible from a maximum distance of approximately eight feet. Unlike the M1000 and M2000, the M500 doesn't have a single-line, large text mode to make the display readable from longer distances. Furthermore, the M1000 and M2000 use a vacuum fluorescent display (VFD) that delivers a brighter, sharper image--resolutions are 280x16 and 512x32, respectively. Visualization modes on all models are limited to a couple of basic-level meters.
All three SoundBridge models include 802.11b wireless networking rather than the faster 802.11g standard. Although 802.11b is perfectly capable for audio applications, adding an 802.11b device to your 802.11g network may slow all the wireless devices on the network down to 802.11b speeds.
To enable streaming audio files to the SoundBridge from your computer's hard drive, the computer must be running a compatible server application. Roku strongly recommends using either Windows Media Connect (Windows XP only; supports WMA, DRM WMA, MP3, and WAV files) or Apple iTunes (PC/Mac; supports MP3, AAC, WAV, and AIFF files). The applications' respective playlist formats are supported as well. Other compatible server applications include Musicmatch Jukebox, Slim Devices' Slim Server, and Winamp. Roku doesn't supply a software CD-ROM, but all of the aforementioned applications are free downloads.Windows Media Connect is the only server application that enables streaming protected WMA files from your computer's hard drive to the SoundBridge. (To clarify, the SoundBridge's Plays For Sure certification covers both sides of the DRM fence: you can stream individual songs purchased from online retailers, as well as those "rented" on all-you-can-eat subscription plans, such as Napster To Go.) Like every other digital media receiver, with the exception of Apple's AirPort Express, the SoundBridge cannot play protected AAC files, such as those purchased from the iTunes Music Store.
The SoundBridge provides robust access to free and fee-based Internet music. For around 10 bucks a month, Rhapsody subscribers can stream any of the service's more than 850,000 on-demand tracks and approximately 80 Internet radio stations. Rhapsody (Windows only) must be running on your computer to enable streaming audio from the service. The SoundBridge can also tune hundreds of free Internet radio stations listed in the iTunes interface. The unit can stream any MP3/Shoutcast stream, and Roku is pledging to add WMA radio compatibility in the future. Impressively, up to 10 Internet radio station presets can be programmed into the SoundBridge's memory to facilitate playing the stations without powering up the computer.
Setting up the SoundBridge is exceptionally straightforward. After downloading, configuring, and installing the server application(s) of your choice, you connect the unit to your home stereo, power it on, then follow onscreen prompts to complete device configuration and connection with your wireless network (or simply plug in an Ethernet cable for a wired connection). The printed user guide that shipped with my review sample was significantly outdated, but Roku's Web site contains an up-to-date version.During testing, I was able to simultaneously run the Apple iTunes, Windows Media Connect, and Rhapsody server applications on my 2.1GHz Pentium 4 PC. The SoundBridge displayed respectable stability when used with all three of the aforementioned server applications, though I did once have to reboot the server PC and the SoundBridge to reactivate a dead iTunes communication link. Although switching server sources with the Roku's remote control is straightforward, you have to dig down a couple menu levels to make a selection.
With the SoundBridge passing digital bits to my A/V receiver's coaxial input, the sound was every bit as good as the source material. Even when an analog audio connection was used instead, tracks such as Buena Vista Social Club's "Chan Chan" sounded crisp and clear.
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User reviews
- Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 8 reviews
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"Nicely extends (most) computer music /Inet Radio to home stereo"
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