Introduction
Inthe two decades since the Compact Disc (CD) was released, few can argue
about the significant ways in which it has changed our habits in
accessing and listening to music. Its durability, diminutive size and
capability to be played universally in our homes, automobiles and
portable players gave consumers the opportunity to take their tunes
virtually anywhere. This had a phenomenal plus side over the previous
dominant format, the vinyl LP, with its limited durability and
restricted playback options. Unfortunately, the CD’s additional
flexibility created the potential problem of having your music
scattered throughout a multitude of listening environments and devices.
Personally, I’ve struggled for years to keep all of my CDs organized
and easily accessible. My collection has had a large amount of
attrition due to lost and loaned discs, not to mention the mysteriously
disappearing CDs that I keep buying repeatedly.
As
mentioned in a previous review, I have used computers to archive my
music in one location in order to have access without rummaging through
every drawer, storage box, vehicle, etc. to find a desired disc. This
has worked well to a certain degree, but requires a lot of attention
and effort to create an effective playback option. Fortunately, in the
last several years, many companies have taken on the effort of creating
music servers that perform this task with far greater finesse and
functionality.
Qsonix,a new AV company based in Agoura, California, has taken the typical
music server application to a new level of global function, creating
one of the most entertaining, effective, user-friendly music management
devices available. Their current offering, the Q100 Digital Music
System, incorporates a standard component-sized server with a 15-inch
LCD touchscreen controller, capable of supplying two zones of music. It
is this touchscreen controller and Graphical User Interface (GUI) that
really separates the Q100 from any previous music server that I have
experienced. Retail price for the basic Q100-160GB model reviewed here
is $5,495, but it can be upgraded for more storage capacity and
accessorized to fit various applications. This reviewed unit allowed
approximately 500 CDs to be stored using a proprietary lossless
compression scheme, and up to 3000 using the highest level of
compression.
Description
The Q100 is cleanly designed, with enough architectural features to make it
interesting, yet capable of blending in with a broad array of other
manufacturers’ components. The front panel is functionally simplistic,
with a centered, lighted power button and a single-slot CD drawer
positioned above an open/close button. On the rear panel, the Q100
provides a coaxial S/PDIF digital audio output (24 bit, 192 kHz) and
two high-quality stereo analog (RCA) output jacks. There is also a VGA
video output with a resolution of 1024 by 768 and an RS232 serial
connection for integrating the touchscreen panel to the main chassis.
Additionally, a second RS232 port is provided for remote control or
combination with a home automation system. For future upgrades, Qsonix
has also included two USB 2.0 ports. Finally, there is a 10/100Mb
Ethernet connection for connecting the server to a high-speed Internet
service.
Physically, the main server chassis occupies approximately two bays in
a conventional system rack and is quite substantial in both its
construction quality and weight (21 pounds) for a relatively compact
component. Its overall dimensions are 17 inches wide by 14 inches deep
by four inches high (including the feet).
The12-pound touch-screen controller measures 17 inches wide by 16 inches
high and six-and-a-half inches deep with its tabletop base. Rear panel
connectors are complementary to the connectivity of the Q100 server
chassis. The monitor is powered via a 12-volt external supply (similar
in size to a laptop power supply). For custom installations, the
touch-screen can be remotely located up to 600 feet away by utilizing
an optional CAT5 extension kit.
Audio performance and specifications for the server are on par with other state-of-the-art
digital components. Qsonix claims a typical signal-to-noise ratio of
107dB, and a frequency response of +/- 0.6dB from 22 Hz to 20 kHz.{mospagebreak}
Functionality and Use
Philosophically, Qsonix set out todesign a product that would be easy to operate by even the least
sophisticated user, while providing an unparalleled feature set and
level of music management. The design team consisted of individuals who
collectively had extensive experience in both the audio and computer
industries, amalgamating their expertise into the Q100.
Thecenterpiece of the Qsonix system is the intuitive, visually attractive
and highly informative GUI used to navigate and access your music
library. Functionally, I have yet to experience anything even remotely
close to the simple drag-and-drop interface used by the Q100, which
allows you to manipulate your music by the touch of a fingertip.
Because of this simplicity, you spend far more time enjoying your
listening experience and less time manipulating and navigating the
data.
It’samazing how, through the years, album artwork has become less important
then it was during the days of vinyl. I remember listening to music for
hours while gazing at the incredible detail that was available on a
full-sized album cover. This experience often intensified my
appreciation and emotional connection to the music and performer.
Navigating this artwork on the Qsonix’s touch-screen brought back many
of those sensations that were lost when I started storing my CDs in
carrying cases, becoming completely detached from the artwork that had
previously adorned the disc. Merely browsing through the Qsonix’s menus
was a pleasure in itself.
Qsonix offers a plethora of unique operational and navigational options, such
as the ability to aggregate your CD collection into one focal device
and manage the data in a multitude of ways. Creating your music library
is easily accomplished by loading a selected disc, automatically
accessing an Internet CD database, and having it compile a detailed
album database. This database includes cover art, artist, track and
other useful information. Actual loading process for a 70-minute CD
typically takes three to four minutes, though the recognition of all
CDs is not flawless. Compilation CDs occasionally were recognized as
incorrect albums, requiring manual cataloging. If you have a custom
compilation CD that cannot be found on any database, the Q100 has a
built in onscreen data entry wizard that will allow you to enter
information about your CD quickly by using just the touch-screen.
TheQsonix server also supports a range of recording qualities, which
include a Microsoft based lossless compression scheme (without
compromising original sound quality) and two high bit-rate modes, 320
kilobits/second (kbs) for high-quality compressed music and 192 kbs for
what Qsonix designates as a normal-quality compression scheme. By
utilizing all three modes, you can customize your music collection to
optimize your storage space, deploying the lossless mode for your more
critical listening sources, while compressing your general listening
music to save space on your storage drive.
Once the library is compiled, the Q100 offers an almost infinite ability to
navigate your music collection. Browsing is quick and easy using the
onscreen menus, which allow you to filter your music based on various
criteria such as artist, album, genre, music style, year of release or
CD cover. As a plus, if you forget some of this information, you can
search via an onscreen keyboard.
Playback is achieved by creating playlists that can be configured in a
variety of ways. You can drag-and-drop whole albums, individual tracks,
complete artist and genre libraries, and even your previously
configured playlists. It is also easy to make on-the-fly modifications
to your current playlist, even while a track is playing.
Along with the custom ability to manipulate your music, you also have
the option of integrating the Q100 to provide music for two different
zones. More complex features include fast preview auditioning of
different tracks, which allows the first few seconds of any song to be
played without stopping the playback of your current playlist. Another
feature that I really enjoyed was the SoftFade function, which allows
you to smoothly transition from one song to the next by providing a
user-defined cross-fade between tracks. This utility provides a time
overlap for the volume of one song to fade out and another to fade in,
creating a DJ style of track transition and playback.{mospagebreak}
Set-up
Setup of the Q100 was extremely easy, especially with the help of Mike
Weaver, president and co-founder of Qsonix. Qsonix’s main headquarters
is roughly an hour away from my home and Weaver offered to assist in
the set-up. Less than a half-hour after he had arrived, the unit was
unboxed, assembled, playing music and acquiring pertinent data from the
Internet. Since setting up the Qsonix system requires only basic
technical knowledge, there was nothing in the assembly process that
should cause any consumer to experience a significantly longer time
frame for duplicating the same set-up and integrating it with their
existing audio system. The Qsonix can be used as a stand-alone source
or be integrated into an automated system with relative ease. If you
are still technically challenged, you can acquire the services of an
authorized Qsonix dealer to assist you in the installation and guide
you through the operational features.
Once physicallyconnected, the Qsonix onscreen set-up wizard will navigate you to
configure the server for items such as your Internet connection and
various setting preferences. The extremely easy to negotiate GUI allows
access to these functions and to a considerable amount of additional
features with simple taps and touches.
Qsonix’s Q100 connects to your audio system with standard analog and
digital audio connections. Throughout the review, the digital coaxial
output was the primary source feeding my preamp/processor, though a
sufficient amount of time was allocated to assess the analog outputs as
well. An insignificant difference may have existed, though during most
of our listening experience, a preference for either connection was not
established.
Music
During my time with the Qsonix, I had the opportunity to listening to a wide
variety of different musical material, as well as comparing the
different compression ratios. I’ve had a complex about using any type
of compression schemes for music that I wanted to use as reference
material, but this is based mostly on emotional perspective rather than
scientific fact. To assess the ultimate sonic quality of the Q100, I
used Qsonix’s lossless compression mode to load a compilation disc of
well-recorded favorites that I commonly use to demo equipment and
systems. The lossless compression utilized by Q100 appeared transparent
to me, relative to the uncompressed original source; I could discern no
relative differences between them. Mary Black’s “Columbus” from Looking
Back (Curb Records) stresses the entire range of dynamics and
micro-dynamics of high-resolution playback systems, as well as the
ability to accurately portray the female voice. Black’s vocals were
extremely smooth yet capable of being quite expansive. Any substantial
alteration to the original recording would be easily discernible. In
the case of the Q100’s lossless mode, it was not. “Into My Arms,” from
the Best of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (Reprise), successfully
recreated the interesting juxtaposition of Cave’s delicate piano and
the evocation of his tender yet gravelly vocals. Similarly, the Q100’s
lossless mode provided no substantial hints of varying sonically from
the original track.
Listeningto Santana’s Abraxas (Columbia) using the 320 kbs compression mode
proved to be more than satisfying. Songs such as “Black Magic Woman”
and “Oye Como Va” reproduced Carlos Santana’s atmospheric guitar licks
with great ease and sounded comparatively unaltered from the original
CD. Though this disc is relatively dynamic and multidimensional, it
would seem reasonable that this higher-bit compression scheme should
work quite well.
Creatingmore of a torture test, I created a 192 kbs recording of Metallica’s
diabolical “Enter Sandman.” Having previously experienced limitations
of lower-bit recordings, I wanted to see what would happen to the
bombastic bass introduction of this track. There was definitely a loss
of bass extension, impact and definition from the original recording,
as well as increased high-frequency hardness over the somewhat strident
original CD. More complimentary to this compression scheme was Anthony
Kiedis’ poem turned ballad “Under the Bridge,” performed by the Red Hot
Chili Peppers. This cut does not have the same dynamic extension as the
previous track, yet at the 192 kbs setting was capable of capturing the
heartfelt vocals and accompanying instrumentals with very little loss
of musical and emotional connection. There is definitely a discernable
difference between the 192 kbs and higher bit-rate schemes, so users
will have to assess for themselves whether this is appropriate or not
for specific source material.
The Downside
Althoughthe Q100 proved to be an extremely flexible and intuitive device, there
was one major component missing: a hand-held remote control. Even
though everyone marveled at the touch-panel and its user interface,
there were times when it would have been convenient to modify the
playlist from our seating location. Qsonix’s Mike Weaver discussed the
progress that the company has been making in addressing this issue and,
by the time this review goes to print, there may be a solution
available.
Mechanically, the Q100 functioned flawlessly,
yet its fan was quite audible during quiet passages, as well as during
times when no music was playing. Again, I was informed that
modifications to the unit are in the works to reduce the noise level
significantly.
Oneinconvenience was the inability to load one or multiple tracks from an
album without ripping the complete disc. Quite often, there are only a
few tracks on a given disc that are desirable for storing on the Q100.
There is currently no function for removing individual tracks.
Conclusion
Universally, the Qsonix Q100 Digital Music System received more
enthusiastic interest from my guests and associates than any other
piece of audio equipment I’ve owned or auditioned. The “wow” factor was
immeasurable, especially while I demonstrated the Qsonix’s
drag-and-drop functions on the bright, colorful display panel. The user
interface is undeniably fun to play with and a breeze to use, avoiding
certain limitations found on other more conventional servers’ displays.
Add this to the plethora of useful data that becomes available to the
user, and you end up with one of the most recreational pieces of
equipment ever to have graced my music system.
Fortunately, Qsonix is capable of backing up all the glitz and glamour
with outstanding performance and functionality. Its lossless processing
mode worked extremely well. With the material that I auditioned, I was
unable to detect any discernable difference between the original CD and
the lossless encoded copy.
Excellent performance was achieved recording files at the 320 kbs
setting, and for the most part, this proved emotionally and
intellectually satisfying during a majority of listening situations.
While using the 192 kbs mode, the Q100 was more than adequate for
recreational and non-critical listening, though it did seem to reduce
overall resolution, bass content and extension by a slight but
noticeable margin. Admittedly, I did not spend equal time critically
auditioning the lower-resolution compression schemes, preferring the
higher-resolution options. Though I chose minimal compression for my
music selections, many users will be adequately served by storing their
complete collection at 192 kbs, and therefore maximizing the storage
capacity of the Q100.
Qsonix has redefined what a music server should be and how it should
function. Though not flawless, the device offers more functionality,
ease-of-use, performance and sheer unadulterated pleasure than any
other music server I’ve experienced to date. Qsonix is dedicated to
addressing certain outstanding issues and committed to improving the
Q100 as the product matures and technology progresses. For the serious
and even moderate music enthusiast or collector, the Q100 will provide
access and enjoyment to your entire music collection at the touch of
your finger. The Q100 Digital Music System is unequivocally is in a
league of its own.
Reviewer: Tom Garcia
