Developing replacement for AT

Hope will still have an analogue output preferably better than the AT but at
least no worse!

John


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Date:    Sat, 5 Mar 2005 12:15:46 +0000
From:    Glenn Richards <[email protected]>
Subject: Developing replacement for AT

Right... the project is a bit tentative at this stage, but a group of us
are looking at developing a replacement for the Audiotron. We're
currently building a prototype on an embedded development board, and
aiming to have the following features:

  * Support for MP3 (obviously), WAV, OGG and FLAC files
  * Extensible architecture allowing new features/formats to be added
  * USB interface for eg 802.11g interface
  * Similar UI, front panel controls/display

Additionally we're looking to possibly include the following options:

  * Ability to plug in a USB hard disk and CD-ROM. The unit would then
    function as "master", with other units on the same network operating
    as "slave". CD-ROM would enable ripping to FLAC format.

  * Web interface, as on the Audiotron

Currently we are experimenting with an embedded development board, and I
have a number of samples of a high quality Burr-Brown DAC with SPDIF
capability.

I have not included WMA or internet radio support in the above spec, as
we're aiming this at the high quality audio market and 56Kbit/sec MP3
streaming isn't quite up to audiophile standards! WMA is lossy (and
proprietary!), and the intention here is to use FLAC as the primary
format for reasons of quality.

So, anyone have any comments? Any features of the AT that you can't live
without? Or any features you've always desperately wanted on the AT?

--
  Glenn Richards                                     Tel: (01453) 845735
  Squirrel Solutions                 http://www.squirrelsolutions.co.uk/

  IT consultancy, hardware and software support, broadband installation

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