As a product category, the music server is definitely on the ascendant, but as a group, they tend to under perform musically, for a variety of reasons. Internally, they look like computers, which is not always a good thing where audio sound quality is a major issue. They're also inherently complex, and tend to be pricey. But there is hope in the T+A Music Player.

On one level, the new server introduction from T+A elektroakustik (recently voted Manufacturer of the Year in Germany) looks like many others, in principle anyway, but there are important differences. Called Music Player and nestling amongst T+A's E Series line up, the unit is unusually flexible and very well-priced.

It comes with the promise of better-than-usual sound quality, for reasons that will become clear later. It is partnered, for this review, with the Power Plant: T+A's matching Class D stereo power amplifier, which was reviewed a while back, except that some shortcomings have now been addressed.

Home PC network friendly

But it's the Music Player that's of interest here and while it's not a computer, it does have the ability to talk to a computer network. The Music Player is an audio-first component, no matter how you look at it. On one level it is a processor, which will address an arbitrarily large library of music from a number of sources. These sources include compact disc, which it can play using an internal CD player and it also has an FM tuner with RDS and 60 presets.

There is a possibility that DAB will eventually become available in the form of a bolt-in module as the DAB aerial input has already been installed. Your iPod can also be connected directly to the server, and controlled by it. Unfortunately, other compressed audio players like the Sony MP3 range are not handled because of the different control protocols involved.

But this is not all. The Music Player will act as an internet radio when connected to a computer network, with access to thousands of stations and with data rates that currently extend to 320kbps, which for many ears, will be pretty close to CD.

Finally, and this is absolutely central to the Music Player's role as a music server, it will also collaborate with your computer's disc burner to provide disc-ripping facilities and the music stored by the hard disc or discs attached to the computer can be accessed by the Music Player.

Essentially then, the Music Server acts as just another network client with some unusual qualities that suit it to its role. First of all computer data storage is now very cheap, much cheaper than anything similar with an audio manufacturer's name on the bonnet. It's also much more flexible.

Easy upgrades

Add extra storage, a RAID array, for example, (RAID is an acronym for Redundant Array of Inexpensive or, according to some, Independent, Discs) and/or any other backup software/hardware options you prefer to provide redundancy if a hard disc goes down. This way you'll have the basis for a fully customised server solution which can be readily upgraded or extended when the occasion demands.

The matching Power Plant is an integrated class D stereo amplifier and is of wholly T+A design. Even the class D circuitry was developed by T+A in-house, the only digital part being the PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) output stage. The preamp (with its attendant ALPs volume control) can be switched on or off independently of the power stages and is automatically disabled when connected to the Music Player.