OTHER TECH

Yamaha MusicCAST

Although Yamaha's MusicCAST depends on Wi-Fi to do its job, you wouldn't know it by looking at the all-in-one system. No PC or Internet connection is required, and you don't need to buy any additional gear. The $2,800 system consists of the MCX-1000, an 80-gigabyte (GB) server that holds up to 1,000 CDs using MP3 compression, and an MPX-1 client - essentially a mini stereo system with a built-in Wi-Fi receiver. Audio is shared between the server and client using 802.11b wireless technology. Up to five wireless MPX-1s can independently tap into the server at any one time, which means that the MusicCAST can accommodate the diverse music needs of an entire family. (For more details, see Ken Pohlmann's test report.)

You load up the server with your CD collection by inserting discs in the tray and ripping them to its hard disk - a built-in Gracenote CDDB database automatically tags the files with artist names and album/song titles. You can use the remote control and either the server's LCD window or its onscreen display on a TV set to search through your music library and sort songs into playlists. The server also lets you burn CDs from lists of songs stored on its hard drive.

With no wires connecting the MPX-1 to the server, the compact client is like an island of audio floating around your home. It has a 20-watt amp and can be hooked up to either Yamaha's optional set of speakers or a pair of your own choosing. There are also audio and video line outputs if you want to use it as a source in a separate A/V system. But the MPX-1's most useful feature is probably the LCD window and credit-card-size remote control you use to select songs from the server, which can be almost 200 feet away.

The MusicCAST isn't designed to handle video, and you can't transfer music files to it from your computer. But if you're seeking a simple, cutting-edge way to move music from one room to another, its appeal is undeniable.