AudioRequest ARQ1 - £100


Our Rating: 3.5star.gif

Your Rating:

Rating: 2.4/5 (54 votes cast)


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Review By:
Andrew Taylor

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AudioRequest ARQ1

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.

  RatingNotes
Price 4.5star.gif Now replaced by newer models means the old ARQ1 can be picked up at a low price second hand.
Sound Quality 3.5star.gif Acceptable sound quality, but not as good as the Squeezebox/Soundbridge/Sonos.
Ease of Use 3star.gif Supplied remote makes navigating very easy, but ripping CD's is less straight forward.
Compatibility 3.5star.gif Rips CD's in the unit, but they can also be transferred very easily without any additonal software. Can add further units.
Looks 3star.gif Looks very industrial and computer like, but it is hifi component size.
Audio Formats 3.5star.gif
  • WAV, MP3 & FLAC
  • No support for AAC, AIFF or purchased itunes music, not one for itunes fans!
Reliability 4.5star.gif 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 3star.gif Wired network port which works well, but no wireless support
Overall 3.5star.gif 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.

Advantages

  • Price
  • Ease of use
  • Upgradability

Disadvantages

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

Supported hardware/software

Top

Compatibility

Top
Music Format (Info) Compatible
WAV
yes
AIFF
No
FLAC
yes
MP3
yes
AAC
No
OGG
No
WMA
No
Wireless Method (Info) Compatible
Wireless B
No
Wireless G
No
WEP 64
No
WEP 128
No
WPA
No
Top
Internet Radio Options Compatible
Operate Without PC
No
Custom Presets
No
IPv6
No
HTTP Proxy
No
Multicast
No
Clock Radio
No

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