Where do I start to describe the Hermstedt Hifidelio? Nominally a music server, this DIN-sized component can play a number of roles.
These include playing back CDs, burning CD-Rs, archiving up to 80 GB of music in a variety of formats from either digital or analogue sources, and delivering the contents of that hard disc to one or more audio systems.
The Hifidelio provides wired Ethernet and wireless 802.11g connectivity, and can update it internal software and music information database via the Internet.
Do you really need it? Well, if the concept of centralising all your music, and having the potential to access it from anywhere in your home appeals to you, then definitely!
But let's start from the top.The Hifidelio is a handsomely finished standalone component that looks like a fancy CD player. It has no transport tray, relying instead on a disc loading slot, much like an in-car CD receiver.
The disc receiving mechanism is clunky and noisy, even when skipping from track to track, which is a little disconcerting: a conventional tray would have been preferable. However, I'm told that the new version has solved this problem, making such operations inaudible.
The usual transport controls are arranged below the slot.
There's a huge backlit LCD display and a novel rotary controller, with an inner and outer ring, to navigate the Hifidelio's menu-based control interface.
The rear panel provides further clues to this innovative component's capabilities. It features a set of RCA analogue input and output sets, as well as a choice of SPDIF coaxial and Toslink optical digital outputs. Nothing unusual about that.
However, you'll also find a pair of USB ports, and four 10/100 Ethernet sockets. Finally, a WLAN antenna confirms the Hifidelio's compatibility with the 802.11g wireless standard.
All this indicates that the Hifidelio can indeed fulfil a number of different roles, starting with the playback of music CDs. Strangely enough, it won't play back MP3-encoded CD-Rs or CD-RWs, nor burn MP3-encoded discs. But it can burn copies of music CDs, just like a conventional CD-R/RW deck.
However, there's more.The Hifidelio boasts an internal 80 GB hard disc, on which it can store music files in a variety of formats: WAV, MP3, AIFF and FLAC. In the case of MP3, the quality level/compression ratio can be selected.
You can either copy music from a CD onto the hard disc, or import music files from another source, such as a PC, onto the Hifidelio's disc, although the latter presupposes that the Hifidelio is linked to a network on which the PC is also resident, and that the two recognise each other.
All the music stored on the Hifidelio is searchable via parameters such as artist or album name, genre or even song title. In addition, iTunes-style playlists can be created, as well as so-called searchlists, which are dynamically updated according to userdetermined parameters.
The USB ports on the Hifidelio allow an Apple iPod to be connected to it, and for the songs and playlists on the iPod to be accessed for playback via the Hifidelio's interface.
However, songs on the iPod can't be imported by the Hifidelio.
On the other hand, the Hifidelio is compatible with iTunes music libraries, and can play back all the material stored in an iTunes library on a PC resident on the same network as the Hifidelio.The opposite is also true: music on the Hifidelio is available on the PC via its iTunes library.
Of course, you can also record music from analogue sources, such as a turntable or a cassette deck, onto the Hifidelio's hard disc via the latter's own analogue-to-digital converters. Once digitised, metadata such as track name, artist and album name can be inserted.
Usefully, if the Hifidelio is linked to a home network, the metadata can be accessed via a browser window on a PC and edited, which is much more convenient han manually editing it using the rotary controller on the Hifidelio itself.
Okay, so the Hifidelio has a broad range of talents. But how does it actually fit into the home entertainment environment? That depends on the role it's required to play.
For instance, the Hifidelio can be considered as a central music server, with all the music required by the end-user stored on its hard drive. It can be linked to an existing audio system via its analogue or digital audio outputs, and act as a music source in that system.
However, it can also serve music to satellite systems, employing its Ethernet and WLAN ports.These satellites are effectively receivers which are able to access the music on the Hifidelio, and distribute the signal to either separate audio systems, or active speakers.
The Roku Soundbridge M1000 is one such satellite device compatible with the Hifidelio. It too offers both Ethernet and WLAN connectivity, and once configured, will Ôsee' the Hifidelio, and have access to its music library, via a similar interface.
The Soundbridge will be reviewed separately in a future issue of AVSA, but suffice to say that it offers line-level analogue outputs, as well as digital outputs, and provides variable output levels, which means that it can be directly linked to a pair of active speakers, or a power amp and speakers, without the need for an additional pre-amp.
You can take all of this a step further by linking the Hifidelio itself to an existing wired or wireless home network.This has several advantages: as mentioned, all PCs with music libraries such as iTunes will be able to access material stored on the Hifidelio.
By the same token, the Hifidelio will have access to compatible music libraries on the PCs resident on the network, thus greatly extending the spectrum of music it is able to serve.
Satellite devices such as the Soundbridge also have access to this extended array of music, thus allowing the complete collection of music available on the network to be accessed and heard where that satellite system is operational.
Even better, individual satellites can access different albums, artists or playlists from the Hifidelio simultaneously, thus allowing different material to be served to different parts of a home in real time. Fantastic!
So, what does it sound like? Well, judged purely as a CD player, it's not bad: rich tonality, open staging, focused imaging, loads of detail.
The bass is boisterous, but a little on the fat side, and the treble tends towards the lean end of the spectrum, but the overall performance is more than acceptable.
The quality of material played back on hard disc is determined mainly by the encoding method chosen. It's my guess that most would opt for MP3, and with the quality at medium, the results were good, if not great. Opt for the highest setting, and the improvement is certainly worth the extra disc space.
I particularly liked the results achieved with FLAC, a lossless, open-source decoder that's not nearly as popular as MP3 or Apple's AAC, but delivers better sonic results than either.
However, there's no doubt that MP3 is likely to remain the most compatible all-round choice.
Put it this way: the Hifidelio sounds miles better than any PC, and virtually all MP3 players with the exception of the iPod. It's not as good as some dedicated hard drive/CD-R recorders, notably Yamaha's CDR-1000, but then, it also has many, many more talents and far greater versatility.
CD copies made with the Hifidelio were pretty good, although I found that some digital glare had been introduced. But I really liked the way it interfaced with my iPod Mini, making playing music on the iPod through a decent system as easy as plugging it into the back.
One negative: network set-up is not as easy as one would expect, especially when needing to operate within a secure wireless network, or one utilising a mix of wired and wireless protocols.
The Hifidelio will only accept hex-based security keys, as opposed to ASCII, which might require some significant changes to your existing network settings. And it isn't WPA compatible. Having said that, a simpler network is unlikely to pose a similar challenge - most will find that it's as simple as plugging in and playing.
Also, access to the built-in metadata takes a long, long time after having inserted a disc - typically 1 min 50 sec. Even worse, playback doesn't commence until the disc has been identified. Be prepared to have your patience tested to the limit! In similar vein, it also takes a long time for the Hifidelio to boot up from standby, or indeed to shut down.
Despite these niggles, the Hermstedt Hifidelio is one of the first serious music servers with real sonic potential we've come across. It's versatile, has a huge hard disc and is easy to operate once properly installed.
The transport mechanism needs attention, and there's still room for improvement in sonic terms, although it did exceed my expectations in this regard. Given its digital outputs, it could be linked to an off-board DAC, with commensurate improvements in sound.
Most of all, the Hifidelio points the way to serving music in the home of the future. It will allow exceptional multi-room functionality without the complex installations and high costs associated with them.A great user interface and exceptional inter-device compatibility are the cherries on top.
HomeVision 06/2005, pages 34+35
Excellent
Original version from Mr. Michael Ausserbauer (German language)
Hermstedt Hifidelio is a prime example of how a problem solving product concept can look like in the audio business. A simple network connection accesses all music from your PC, and while doing that the device also looks good. If you now think of problems with music compression and computer-like audio device then think again! Audiophiles will love this device! Even more when they notice that they now can also copy their music and burn it to CD. On top of that add an internal hard drive, which acts as a huge music library.
[...]
All your music on one device. Burn, store, access. The Hifidelio is a music device made out of dreams. In addition to the extensive functionality the device offers great design and quality.
[...]
The Hifidelio is an all-in-one solution that helps you to get over your MP3- and networking-phobia.
[...]
About the device: It is well-crafted and as an audio-player by itself already an incredible choice. MP3, OGG, WAV or WMA the Hifidelio plays it all. And like the audio CDs all these files sound clean and natural.
[...]
Conclusion
The perfect solution for all sound enthusiasts. A great feature is the burning of playlists to CD.
Hermstedt Hifidelio
Okay, the name sounds like a German rocker's greatest hits album, but we urge you to listen without prejudice to this great device for multiroom audio Wireless Music Center
We don't suspect there are many readers of Digital Home who still doubt the delights of multiroom streaming audio, but if so, this is the product to convince the last remaining nay-sayers. Don't be deterred by the naff name, the Hifidelio is an extremely elegant solution for playing and managing a large digital music collection.
[...]
Happily, the Hifidelio looks like a proper piece of audiophile kit, rather than an ugly PC/hi-fi hybrid, and the sleek case certainly won't shame the rest of your audio equipment.
Starting with the simple stuff, we were immediately impressed by the Hifidelio's ability to recognise CD information - song, track, and artist information - without it even needing to go online. [...] and the kit's ability to recognise your music is impressive.
[...]
Is something burning?
We were also struck by the speed with which the Hifidelio burns CDs on to its 80GB internal drive [...] Playback quality is good for the money, especially if you record in the lossless option [...] Other non-digital-savvy members of your family may appreciate the Hifidelio's ability to record from analogue sources, such as vinyl and tape, such is the wide array of connectivity options. And of course, the Hifidelio is perfect for making quick and easy CD compilations of your favourite digital music.
On to the wireless functionality. The auto-configuration works pretty well, depending on the complexity of your network, and should be fine for most home set-ups. [...]
Creating playlists is another real strength of the Hifidelio [...]
The playlist creation options are impressive, especially if you use the Searchlist feature, with the kind of sophisticated parameters that will be
overkill for the typical home user.
Another core strength of the Hifidelio is its connectivity. As well as Wi-Fi and Ethernet, there are two USB 2 ports, for plugging in everything from an MP3
player to a proper keyboard (the latter making the editing of playlists somewhat easier). [...]
Despite its complexity, the Hifidelio is pretty straightforward, though its more advanced options will challenge anyone not used to home networks. The large, bright LCD screen is self explanatory, and a nifty wheel is employed to scroll through options and playlists.
Without wanting to sound like a press release, it's hard to find any real drawbacks with the Hifidelio, other than the price. But as an all-in-one streaming solution, it's still great value. Rivals such as the Philips Streamium range may be cheaper and more slickly packaged, but the Hifidelio offers the style, flexibility and ease of use to satisfy two distinct segments - the Wi-Fi fan with an unruly music collection on the one hand, and the hi-fi fan making their first foray into multiroom music streaming on the other.
GH
Verdict: Both existing home networkers and more adventurous hi-fi fans will enjoy this elegant, one-stop solution.
AUDIO magazine, from page 146
High-end classification, price/performance: superior
Original version from Mrs. Christine Tantschinez (German language)
Indeed, the Hifidelio is a music server. With hard drive, networking capabilities and processor. However, it is in perfect disguise as it works, sounds and looks like a high-end HiFi component.
Probably even Q would be amazed. The lead engineer responsible for perfectly disguised gadgets for James Bond would have bowed to the Hifidelio. Not only to him it is a sheer mystery that there is a music server behind this elegant design.
If the word "server" is mentioned, most audiophiles will look the other way. Too complicated, too much computer, too little sound. Indeed, the combination of PC and stereo system has up to today been a flawed compromise. And when a solution finally combines high fidelity with intelligent computer technology, it usually is well above $2,000. Hifidelio changes the game. With the $899 price tag it is in a amazingly low price category for complete music servers that play, archive and burn CDs. Its superior sound as CD player however makes the Sympony a true bargain. It reaches fidelity levels that compete with an audiophile player like the Marntz CD-7300. With fine nuances even in chaotic music tracks and considerable depth it brings music to life: Chrissie Hynde's voice sounds nicely velvety, Sting sounds expectedly exotic-melodious, S-sounds do not end up in fizzling. Even the usual chaos of a Depeche Mode remix can be distinguished.
[...]
Appropriate for PC skeptics
Not only with regard to sound - coming from the CD or the hard drive - the Hifidelio convinces. The intuitive navigation does not bring up fear of PC crashes or confusing application. The two-level jog-shuttle makes navigating through the concise menu a snap. The outer wheel changes a level up or down, the inner wheel browses the selection, the four buttons next to the screen activate the item.
Even the recording of a CD onto the hard drive is easy. After you insert the CD, the album and track title appears in a few seconds. The internal CD-database does not need any internet connection, it is fed with so much data that Hifidelio even recognizes the most exceptional CDs. To get updates the Hifidelio goes automatically online.
On the 80GB hard drive fit about 120 hours of uncompressed music. This should be enough room for all your favorite tracks. From now on you won’t have to dig through your CD-shelve any more, just access them in one central place. An extra feature will make the heart of vinyl-lovers jump higher: LPs can be recorded via the analog input directly onto the hard drive and are so digitally conserved. In addition, the Hifidelio works also as a CD burner. Select the playlist you want to burn, insert blank CD and the recording starts automatically. It won't get any easier than that.
The Copyright laws only allow Symphny to burn audio CDs, not MP3 CDs. For the same reason you can only copy music from your PC to the Hifidelio, but not the other way around.
[...]
The Hifidelio is not only a toy for computer novices. Even PC freaks will enjoy Hifidelio to the fullest. Hook up an iPod via the USB port for example, and update your music. The Hifidelio also acts as a center (hub or router) for your network, wired or wireless. The network components used are of first-class quality.
[...]
Conclusion
Mission completed! Hermstedt successfully tackles the high-end audio market. The Hifidelio marks a milestone, even for a category that is so new to the market: excellent sound, simple navigation and ease of use at an amazingly low price. That is the right signal to the market: you can have both, high quality and low price!
