Jan 27 Podcast #515: Pioneer Elite N-30 Networked Audio Player
The HT Guys love music and when a product comes along that lets us enjoy it, we want to take a look. The Pioneer N-30 is just such a device. It's a networked device that lets you listen to your favorite music whether it's on a computer, iPad, or on one of over a thousand Internet radio stations from around the world. The N-30 will have a MSRP of $499 when it becomes available. At the time of this writing we could not find it available from the usual outlets.
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News:
- Hitachi to stop domestic television manufacture in October
- Comcast commercial interruptions during Giants-49ers game
- Wi-Fi 802.11ac to drive wireless HD video in the home
- Logitech confirms Revue sold out, Harmony remote refresh coming
Other:
- Wacky Wall Street Analyst Proposes $25 Movies
- For standalone ATSC tuners, check out the brite-View BV-980H Digital Antenna HD DVR. It goes for about $200 but has mediocre reviews. Another option is to use a PC and an HD Homerun.
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Pioneer Elite N-30 Networked Audio Player
The HT Guys love music and when a product comes along that let’s us enjoy it we want to take a look. The Pioneer N-30 is just such a device. Its a networked device that lets you listen to your favorite music whether its on a computer, iPad, or on one of over a thousand Internet radio stations from around the world. The N-30 will have a MSRP of $499 when it becomes available. At the time of this writing we could not find available from the usual outlets.
Setup
Setup is super simple but you do need network access. In our case we have a physical Ethernet port but don’t worry if you don’t. Pioneer has a wireless adapter (AS-WL300) that plugs into the back of the unit. We found setting up the wifi kind of convoluted. You have to connect the wifi adapter to a PC and connect it to the wireless network then connect it to the N-30. The setup screens on the N-30 are very basic. Our testing was done with a hard wired Ethernet connection.;)
The unit has Optical and Coaxial outputs for digital audio as well as left and right RCA connections. You can connect the N-30 to an amplifier/receiver or a set of powered speakers.
Performance
Since the N-30 supports a digital output we wanted to listen to the highest quality music we had. In our case that was 256Kbps AAC, which to most is indistinguishable to the original CD. There are a couple of ways to stream the music over to the N-30. First the N-30 is DLNA 1.5 certified so if you have a computer that supports DLNA you are good to go. Second the unit supports Apple’s Airplay so you can send your music over from your iPad, iPhone, or iTunes. The front of the unit has a 2.5 inch color display that shows album art and other information about what’s playing. Its a nice touch, but in reality, unless you are close to the screen you really can’t see what’s on it.
The listening results were pretty amazing. But to be fair, we were listening to the music on some pretty nice KEF Speakers. Regardless, the music sounded fantastic! The N-30 recreated every nuance of the classical music we listened to as well hard pounding sound of Van Halen. We even listened to some techno music with a heavy bass track that allowed us to FEEL the music. In all we were quite pleased with the sound.
;)
The N30 also allows you to listen to Internet radio stations. Here the quality of the music is dependent on how much data is in the stream. A station that sends out its stream at 64Kbps is never going to sound as good as even 128Kbps mp3s. There are literaly thousands of stations out from all over the world. If you can’t find something you like, its because you stopped looking.
Odds and Ends
;)
Pioneer has an iOS and Android app for control of the player. You can use the app to see what’s on your server and make your music selections. If you are using Airplay, there is no real reason for the App. There is also a Bluetooth adapter that allows you to send music to the device from your smartphone.
Conclusion
The N-30 is a nice device that bridges your digital library and online radio stations with your home theater. But with many companies, Pioneer included, making much of this functionality available on mid-range receivers, one wonders if people would rather spend the $500 on upgrading their receiver instead of buying this device.
Reader Comments (9)
"But with many companies, Pioneer included, making much of this functionality available on mid-range receivers, one wonders if people would rather spend the $500 on upgrading their receiver instead of buying this device."
Or buying a Squeezebox Touch for half the price that seems to do just about everything this does.
What is Pioneer thinking? My last year Yamaha does all this already and I get a receiver too! You'd think they would have at least put wifi in. The yradio vtuner site is the most amazing thing about Yamaha's offering. I don't think many people know about it.
$25 for a first run movie day-and-date with the theatrical release?! Where can I sign up???
Seriously, I'd be ALL OVER that if it existed! Of course, it never will. The Studios value their movies at a much higher price than the public does. And the theater owners will NEVER agree to such a deal.
As much as the Studios could probably make more money with a Direct-to-Home release of some sort that is day-and-date with the theatrical release, there is still too much value in having a theatrical release for them to do something that would have the theater owners boycotting them and refusing to play their movies.
Theaters survive solely on being the only place where you can watch a movie when it first comes out. The experience and the price has gotten so bad that the absolute only thing they have left is exclusivity. And they know it.
The only thing crazy about the analyst's idea is not just the LOW $25 price tag, but also the mere idea that Direct-to-Home day-and-date releases will ever happen. Saying that the price is too HIGH is just insane. I wouldn't be able to hand over my credit card number fast enough at that price!
Is the contest drawing open to folks outside of the USA? I'd love to enter, but I'm in Canada ;)
Anyone can enter. If you live outside the USA it may tai a bit longer to receive the disc if you win.
Ara
Re: the Harmony remotes and what more could you ask for? I say give me a remote with a mini keyboard/keypad. Would be great for use with my HTPC and probably many of the other newer network-connected devices out there.
Also, Braden -- your broken Harmony One can probably get you a 50% off discount code at Logitech.com for a new remote. Contact their customer service for the deets.
does the N-30 support 24/192 and 24/96 FLAC from a DLNA server? Looks like it is usable for navigation with the TV off - unlike many AV receivers.
Hey guys, about the post at HighDefJunkies. Im a mod over there and posted that CES link since it spoke of the VT50, and many of us are awaiting it's arrival. The guy that posted a response to you, avjunkie, is actually a Panasonic employee who frequents the site and gives us good info, as he is allowed.
I would have rather seen the demo between at least a GT30 vs VT50 with both in THX mode. I have to think vivid was chosen to make them look brighter, because a lot of people seem to only care about how "WOW" is looks.
Listen to you guys as much as I can, keep it up.
re $25 day&date movie releases: you Guys & I have typed about this before. We come from two different worlds. Yours is one in which folks talk & text at the cinema, leave their phones on "eclectic ringtone" & sometimes answer them during movies; mine isn't. Nobody I've gone to movies with has ever bought junk food at a cinema concession stand (unless you count Starbucks [a reasonable attitude], but cinema markup is about the same as their own stores), not even when I go with friends & their kids, or just with their kids & without the parents. We go to a restaurant to eat, but I don't count that as a cost of going to the movies; it's the cost of going out to dinner. Popcorn & a refresco are not an integral part of the movie-going experience. There's nothing to keep you from coming home for dinner
I saw John Carter (bored) in IMAX 3D for $18.50 I go out to big movies for better seats, screens, & sound and, as a bonus, it makes going out to dinner more convenient