AudioRequest ARQ1 - circa £100

The AudioRequest ARQ1 was one of the first stand-alone units available

This unit is basically a computer inside a hifi-style case (not as attractive as others though) and as such, it is quite loud

Now discontinued, this can still be picked up on ebay for around £100 which is excellent value for money

Upgrading the hard disk and memory is possible and it supports MP3 and FLAC files

The large remote makes searching for tracks easy and along with the on-board LCD screen, there are also sockets for a monitor, or television

By default, only wired networks are supported, but as with the Cambridge Audio, an adaptor can be used

This would make an excellent first player for those on a budget, it can't really compete with the newer and more expensive players, but does what is required of it very well.

	Rating	Notes
Price		Now replaced by newer models means the old ARQ1 can be picked up at a low price second hand.
Sound Quality		Acceptable sound quality, but not as good as the Squeezebox/Soundbridge/Sonos.
Ease of Use		Supplied remote makes navigating very easy, but ripping CD's is less straight forward.
Compatibility		Rips CD's in the unit, but they can also be transferred very easily without any additonal software. Can add further units.
Looks		Looks very industrial and computer like, but it is hifi component size.
Audio Formats		WAV, MP3 & FLAC No support for AAC, AIFF or purchased itunes music, not one for itunes fans!
Reliability		Inside, it is a computer, so hard disk, memory etc. can be upgraded, parts can be repaired and OS can be re-installed.
Networking Support		Wired network port which works well, but no wireless support
Overall		A good option for those looking for a cheap stand-alone unit, but it is loud and lacks support for some key formats. Newer versions are available, but hard to find in the UK.

Pro's

• Price
• Ease of use
• Upgradability

Con's

• Quite loud
• Industrial looking
• Supplied hard disk is small (20Gb)
• Lack of support for Apple formats

Supported hardware/software

Name	Compatible
Twonkyvision
Slimserver
Musicmatch Jukebox
Windows Media Connect
iTunes
Netgear
Philips MediaManager
Sonos
Any Network Share

Name	Compatible	Instructions
Qnap TS-101	N/A
Buffalo Linkstation	N/A
Buffalo Terrastation	N/A
Infrant ReadyNAS	N/A
Linksys NSLU2	N/A
Lacie Ethernet Disk	N/A
Maxtor Shared Storage Plus	N/A
Kuro Box	N/A
Freecom FSG-3	N/A

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