
I still use my good ol’ Turtle Beach Audiotron as a source for my whole house audio system (12 zones), but I’m always keeping an eye out for something new since Turtle Beach discontinued the Audiotron over a year ago. The Olive Musica might be the replacement device for some. This $1100 device doesn’t really compare in price or features to the Audiotron, since it’s bascially a full blown computer with a IBM PowerPC 32-bit processor, 160gb HD, and CD-R drive, but where it is similar is that is doesn’t require any server software running on any machines to get it to work. Another plus is that the Musica was designed for the audiophile so you will get the best possible encodings and playback. The Musica can rip and burn your cds, as well as record music from your analog devices (LP & tape). Sounds good, but don’t have a Cat5 connection behind your AV rack? Don’t you fret, the Musica also features 802.11g and supports protocols such as UPnP A/V and Apple Bonjour (Rendezvous) so it can play your iTunes remotely — I also like that is has a web based interface so you can edit and control the unit. To see all the supported formats and other specs visit the Olive Website.