Pioneer Electronics introduced the N-30 and N-50 Elite branded networked audio players for audiophiles, both of which are equipped with AirPlay and DLNA 1.5 wireless technologies, offering music lovers access to their music stored in a variety of different sources. Additional features include vTuner Internet radio, iPhone and Android control apps and a 2.5-inch full-color LCD display. Both models look the same, but the N-50 adds three digital inputs along with better build quality.
Built with a focus on quick and easy access to digital music files, the N-30 and N-50 systems share a number of today's popular network-enabled music programs. Both players are AirPlay-compatible, enabling consumers to listen to music saved in their iTunes library as well as access to music available on AirPlay-enabled apps like PANDORA Internet radio, iHeartRadio and other music streaming services. The N-30 and N-50 are both “Made for iPad, iPhone and iPod” for music playback and charging. Their DLNA 1.5 Certification enables consumers to stream music from a computer or other DLNA 1.5 server via a home network.
To connect either system to a wireless network when a direct Ethernet connection is not available, Pioneer offers the AS-WL300 optional wireless LAN converter (sold separately). The networked audio players also feature wireless Bluetooth (optional Bluetooth adapter AS-BT200 required) transfer of audio content from any A2DP Bluetooth wireless enabled mobile device or personal computer. When users want an alternative from their own music library, both systems are equipped with vTuner Internet radio to access the more than 16,000 Internet radio stations around the world. Users can choose from different genres, station locations or have the ability to simply search for specific stations.
N-30
N-50
These systems enable playback of standard compressed audio formats including MP3, WMA and AAC. Through DLNA 1.5, both units feature high-resolution audio playback which can support 192kHz/24-Bit FLAC and WAV files that are now available from a number of Internet sites. AirPlay functionality provides Apple's Lossless audio with no degradation in sound quality when listening to music encoded in its native high-resolution format. A full-color 2.5″ LCD screen built into both systems provides a convenient way to display the album art and song information of currently playing music. For added convenience, consumers can control their music via ControlApp, a free app that is available for the iPod touch, iPhone and iPad as well as select Android devices.
In the upper model N-50, Pioneer included an armored chassis to resist noise and gold RCA jacks for better audio connections. The N-50 also comes with additional audio features including Advanced Sound Retriever and Sound Retriever AIR that enhance the audio quality of compressed audio files, delivering near-CD quality from portable media players, Internet radio and Bluetooth audio transmissions.
For higher quality audio output, the N-50 features twin EL transformers to reduce interference and a Hi-Bit 32-Bit conversion processor for an elevated audio experience. Consumers with electronics devices with older or inefficient DACs can take advantage of the N-50's DAC Only Mode.
Comparison
| N-30 | N-50 | |
| MSRP | $499 | $699 |
| Supported Sampling fs/bit | 192kH/24bit | 192kHz/24bit |
| USB DAC | Yes(192/32) | |
| Digital input | Yes (USB,Optical, Coaxial) | |
| Digital Output | Yes (Optical, Coaxial) | Yes (Optical, Coaxial) |
| WiFi | Wireless LAN Ready (Requires AS-WL300) | Wireless LAN Ready (Requires AS-WL300) |
| iPod Digital | Yes | Yes |
| AirPlay | Yes | Yes |
| Internet Radio | Yes | Yes |
| Album cover display | Yes | Yes |
| Twin Transformer | Yes | |
| Smart Phone App | Yes | Yes |
* USB cable not included with Elite Networked Audio Players.
