Audio Plus Services introduced the Cambridge Audio Sonata NP30, a network music player, enabling premium quality 24-bit playback through any hi-fi or home entertainment system. The NP30 unleashes the potential of digital music stored on computers and home networks by offering fast and easy access to a wide range of streaming music services and over 20,000 Internet radio stations via its built-in UuVol Radio internet radio service.
Simple network connectivity is critical in this fast-evolving sector, and the NP30 leads the way. Using UPnP, the NP30 instantly connects to any home network via either Ethernet or wireless 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi.
For the ultimate in control, UuVol Remote, an App for the iPhone, iPod touch or iPad enables access to all of the NP30 features and functions including network stored media, streaming services, podcasts etc. from anywhere within the home network. Housed in a compact, low resonance all-metal chassis, the NP30 is just as intuitive to use from its clear, four-line LCD display or the supplied IR remote control.
The NP30 is part of a new organic digital platform from Cambridge Audio called UuVol, designed to provide all that’s required to enjoy your favorite music from multiple digital sources in the highest quality.
The NP30 network music player, together with its supporting UuVol Website/Portal, UuVol Radio and UuVol Remote, offer today’s discerning music lover an easy, versatile and affordable way to unleash the full potential of their digital music, whether stored on their computer or streamed over the internet.
Enhanced network music playback and simple connectivity
Among the rich features of this versatile network music player, Cambridge Audio believes that most customers will first and foremost benefit from the NP30’s ability to playback their hard-drive centric music collection in amazing quality.
The adoption of home networks has grown exponentially in recent years and more and more people are now looking to experience their burgeoning digital music collections in higher quality. The NP30 effectively unites media choice and hi-fi quality by allowing users to enjoy music and podcasts stored on any UPnP equipped netbook / laptop / PC, Mac or NAS hard drive through their home entertainment system.
The NP30 supports a huge array of audio formats including MP3, AAC, WAV, and OGG Vorbis. What’s more, NP30 customers can experience “Better than CD” 24-bit/96kHz playback quality thanks to its ability to support uncompressed WAV and FLAC CODECs. This amazing advance makes the NP30 truly unique amongst its peers.
Of course audio performance is at the heart of everything Cambridge Audio believes in and bit-perfect signal path and jitter suppression guarantee outstanding sound quality.
Simple sharing of centrally stored music collections is a breeze; either wirelessly or by Ethernet and the NP30’s ability to connect wirelessly to home networks adds huge advantages since multiple NP30 devices can be used across the home with virtually no set-up required. Furthermore, the NP30 is compatible with Wi-Fi 802.11 ‘b’, ‘g’, and critically, the latest ‘n’ wireless standard which guarantees interruption-free wireless streaming of music files.
And just as importantly, the NP30’s compact form factor (just 8″/27cm wide!) makes it perfect for any room in the home. The NP30 has been designed with all family members in mind and its quick, logical control guarantees the easiest possible set-up and daily operation.
Internet radio
In the past, navigating the world of Internet radio has been at times frustrating and sometimes impossible. UuVol Radio and the NP30 vastly simplify the process with a 20,000 tried-and-tested roster of stations from around the planet which are searchable by title, genre and region. Before inclusion on UuVol Radio, all stations are thoroughly tested for reliability and quality.
Favorite stations, preferences etc. can be managed via the UuVol website and from here, users can also suggest new stations which, once validated, are added to UuVol Radio for all NP30 customers to enjoy.
Uuvol Remote App
UuVol Remote seamlessly brings together the NP30’s full functionality from any iPhone or iPad. Rather than using a traditional control point (which would only control the UPnP functionality of the NP30), UuVol Remote allows full control of the NP30 including streaming services, UuVol Radio, favorites etc.
The customisable layout allows instant switching between each source and displays album art plus full album and track information. Presets can also be added, and a queue of favourite tracks can be set which will even continue to play if the iPhone is switched off or loses its network connection.
Streaming services support…
Music streaming services have grown at a staggering pace and one of the NP30’s key strengths lies with its ability to provide direct connection to a range of the world’s most popular streaming services without the need for a PC. With subscription and set-up management accessible from the UuVol website, subscribed services can be quickly accessed using the UuVol Remote App or the NP30’s ergonomic front panel or remote.
In North America, the NP30 ships with a range of the most popular services onboard. These include Pandora, Rhapsody, MP3Tunes and Aupeo! Additional services will continue to be added via UuVol and registered users notified. And taking note of the exponential growth of podcasts, the NP30 also allows PC-free connection to some of the world’s leading services including Podcast.com, Blog TalkRadio, Mediafly and BBC Podcasts.
From launch, the NP30 will allow users across the world access to a wide range of free and subscription based services depending on their location.
“The NP30 and its UuVol platform represent a breakthrough in the enjoyment of computer music. Whether playing back a download from a laptop, streaming from one of the increasingly popular music services, or listening to an internet radio station on the other side of the globe, the NP30 will unleash the full potential of your favourite tracks, transcending your digital music into the full realm of hi-fi.”
— Daniel Jacques, President of Audio Plus Services
Key features and benefits of NP30 network music player and UuVol:
- Simple, no-hassle playback from any UPnP equipped laptop, notebook, PC, Mac or NAS hard drive
- “Better than CD” 24-bit/96kHz playback allowing the streaming of studio quality 24-bit WAV, and FLAC downloads for an incredibly detailed musical experience
- Wireless 802.11 b/g and n plus Ethernet network connectivity built in
UuVol platform enables:
- Over 20,000 internet radio stations via UuVol Radio
- Seamlessly manages favorite streaming services like Pandora, Rhapsody, Aupeo and more for instant access without a PC
- UuVol remote App offers the ultimate in wireless control for all NP30 functions
- UuVol website/portal is the gateway to a world of studio master quality content
Price and Availability
The Cambridge Audio NP30 ($649 MSRP) will be shipping from Audio Plus Services in October 2010.
