Sony NAS-CZ1 review

Primarily sold as an Ethernet system, those kindly guys at Advanced MP3 Players bundle this Sony with a D-Link Wi-Fi adapter and charge just £30 for the pleasure.

Either way, though, the NAS-CZ1 stands out: it plays good old compact disc. It might have been around almost as long as that hollow-eyed bloke who should have given up clubbing when Underworld’s Born Slippy slipped out of the charts but, until the highway men who run online music stores drop their prices, CD still (just) rules the music sales roost.

The NAS-CZ1 also receives streamed MP3, WAV and WMA files, while its 20-watt amp powers a curvy speaker system. This design means that, whether playing CD or MP3, music spreads around your habitat, and though treble can get spiky, overall results impress.

The system certainly looks more than it costs, too, and if you happen to have a pile of Atrac files, this is the device for you. Add the supplied, bearable, M-Crew server software, and this meeting of old and new makes a compelling and shapely case.