Digital Trends

Nitro Pro Music Server

August 25th, 2004 | by Jeff Fila

Features and Design

ReQuest's approach to a networked media player is a bit different from the other products we have reviewed. In fact, the Nitro Audio Server doesn't even need to be networked since all of its music is stored on an internal hard drive. The network comes into play when you want to upload music to the server, download song and album information from the internet, and even sync your music between different devices.

The AudioRequest Nitro is a 19-inch rack-mountable digital audio player that can store hundreds of CDs worth of music and play it all through your stereo or home-theater system. Its unassuming black metal enclosure makes the Nitro look at home in your audio rack, or free-standing with the rack-ears removed and included rubber feet applied. The aluminum front faceplate features a four-line by 20-character yellow-on-black LCD display, a CD tray, power and eject buttons, and two LED lights; one for power and one that indicates status.

While the front of the Nitro presents a minimalist look, it's the inside and back where all the magic happens. Inside the Nitro is a specialized Pentium III computer with 128MB of RAM which provides plenty of horsepower for the system. It also has a standard CD ROM drive and a removable hard drive, which helps simplify upgrades and installs, and makes transporting the device safer. There are actually two versions of the Nitro, a “Pro” version, which is the subject of this review, and a “Zone” version, which also has a hard drive but does not have a CD ROM. Zones can be used to mirror the music on the Pro units, and extend your Nitro network to different locations in your home, or even to remote locations over the internet.

The rear panel of the Nitro includes all of the connectors you would need for your home theater or stereo system. For audio connections, the Nitro has a left and right analog RCA output, a digital coax and a digital optical output. Like other networked media devices we've reviewed, the Nitro also connects to your TV so you can utilize an on-screen interface. Video connections include a VGA out, composite out, component video, and S-Video. Since the Nitro is based on a computer, it also has the normal PC interfaces such as two USB ports, a 10/100 Ethernet port, an IEEE 1394/Firewire port, a PS2 keyboard port, and a serial port. Most of these interfaces are not used, but a PS2 or USB keyboard can be used to edit music information.

The Nitro's rear panel has all of the analog and digital connections you could need.

ReQuest includes two IR remote controls with the Nitro Pro — one a full-sized remote with an alphanumeric keypad, function buttons, and complete audio controls; and one credit card-sized remote that can be used only to control the playback of music.

Besides interfacing with PCs, Macintosh and Linux computers on your network, AudioReQuest units are also designed to work with home control systems from manufacturers such as Crestron and AMX. According to ReQuest Multimedia, many dealers sell entire home systems with the AudioRequest and the company's VideoRequest video servers as the centerpiece.