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CNET editors' rating:
3.5
stars
Very good
Detailed editors' rating - Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 57 reviews
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Product summary
The
good: The Roku SoundBridge M1001 is a network audio receiver that offers a sleek attractive design, bright front-panel display, and excellent compatibility with digital music files, including DRM WMA files purchased from online music stores and premium subscription services such as Rhapsody. Digital and analog outputs provide connectivity to any stereo or speaker system, and it will work with any wireless or Ethernet home network. Setup and navigation are simple and straightforward, and it can stream music from Windows or Mac systems.
The
bad: While it seamlessly interfaces with iTunes software running on a networked PC, the Roku SoundBridge can't stream DRM AAC files purchased from iTunes store. Also, its screen can be hard to read at a distance.
The
bottom
line: Striking looks, easy setup, and great file compatibility make the Roku SoundBridge M1001 a solid option for streaming digital audio and Internet radio to your home stereo.
Specifications: Product type: Network audio player ; Sound output mode: Stereo ; Network player: WMA , Network audio player - AAC , FLAC , WAV , Ogg Vorbis , AIFF , MP3 ; ; ; See full specs
CNET editors' review
- Reviewed on: 03/27/2006
- Updated on: 08/06/2008
- Released on: 08/27/2004
Editors' note: Due to changes in the competitive marketplace, the rating on this product has been lowered from 8.3 to 7.7.
With its unique tubular design, easy-to-read front-panel displays, and attractive brushed-chrome finish, Roku's SoundBridge series of digital audio receivers turned a lot of heads when it first appeared in 2004. At one point, the line encompassed three models, but Roku has since discontinued the M500 and the larger M2000, though you may be able to get a good deal on either one as retailers liquidate the remaining supplies. Only the M1000 remains, but Roku has improved the chassis (fixing just about every complaint we had with the original version), integrated the wireless networking function, and expanded its compatibility via several firmware upgrades--all while lowering the list price to an affordable $200. Setting aside a couple of remaining caveats--such as its inability to stream DRM music files purchased from the iTunes Music Store--the Roku SoundBridge M1001 is an easy recommendation for anyone looking to stream Internet radio or computer-based digital music files to a home stereo.In a world of drab or purely functional consumer electronics, the Roku SoundBridge M1001 is something of a revelation. Its artfully styled chassis is a silver, pipe-shaped metal segment with an embedded text display and two black plastic end caps. In the previous iteration of the SoundBridge, those end caps were removable and covered the audio outputs, the network ports, and the power jack. In addition to the cramped access and tight cable management, the plastic tabs keeping those end caps in place sometimes snapped off. Thankfully, the upgraded M1001 (the older M1000 version had connection jacks under the left and right endcaps, and couldn't be upgraded to WPA wireless encryption) moves all the connectivity jacks to the rear, leaving the end caps strictly for cosmetic flair. 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.
The M1001 uses a vacuum fluorescent display (VFD) that delivers bright, sharp text. The 280x16 screen can be toggled from a two-line mode (40 characters per line) to a single-line mode with larger text that makes it easier to read from longer distances. The larger option still won't be visible from, say, across the room. For that, you'll have to step up to something like the Logitech Squeezebox Duet, which has a nifty iPod-like remote with a color screen--and costs twice as much. Still, the front panel display is a step up from older network audio devices that provided no visual feedback whatsoever--and required you to run back to your computer whenever you wanted to access a specific song or playlist. By comparison, the Roku SoundBridge provides you with a remote window into your music collection, even if it's on the other side of the house.
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 Roku SoundBridge M1001 packs a full degree of audio and network connections into its tiny frame. A stereo analog minijack provides connectivity to virtually any stereo system, boombox, headphones, or even powered PC-style speakers--just use the included Y-cable (which breaks out to standard RCA red-and-white jacks) or provide your own minijack extension cable, depending upon your needs. Alternately, the two digital outputs (one coaxial, one optical) provide an interface to more upscale A/V receivers. To get music to the SoundBridge, connect it to your home network with the included Ethernet cable or wirelessly. The previous version of the M1000 needed a snap-in wireless card, but Wi-Fi capability is built into the current model. With the latest firmware, the SoundBridge can login to nearly any Wi-Fi accessp point, including those that are encrypted with WEP, WPA, or WPA2.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.
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User reviews
- Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 57 reviews
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16 out of 16 people found this review helpful
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7 out of 7 people found this review helpful
"Astonishing must-have piece of technology for the music lover"
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7 out of 7 people found this review helpful
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