Home Stereo MP3 Players
At this point, it practically goes without saying that MP3 playback hardware is bound to become a fixture of the consumer home stereo setup. Because most stereo component MP3 players will be linked to a computer somewhere in the home, these devices fit perfectly into the “convergence” scenario you’ve been hearing about for so long; the boundaries between computers, networks, and home entertainment systems eroding one piece at a time.
At bottom, these dedicated players aren’t all that much different from portable devices, though they’re packaged in standard home-stereo-size component cases and typically offer more flexibility and playback options than you get with portable players. Not to mention storage space up the yin-yang.
There are essentially four types of home stereo MP3 players:
Devices similar in concept to a portable: Load it up from your PC via parallel, serial, Ethernet, or USB and treat it much as you would a home stereo CD player.
Full-on miniature computers in a home stereo form factor and modified with LCD or LED readouts and remote control units.
Modified CD players designed to handle MP3 data CDs as well as standard audio CDs.
Noncomputer-based home stereo components dedicated to handling MP3 and other audio file formats.
... and of course we’ll be seeing myriad variations and hybrids of these concepts.
Choosing the Best External Player
While the market for external MP3 players is still young, this is clearly going to become a huge field before ...
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