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My computer is not in the same room where I would notmally play CDs when entertaining anyway.

That's why you need a networked stereo receiver.

(or an iPod and a free input on your existing receiver).

And the Onkyo high-end line, Integra, has had this on several models since at least last year...

What the article doesn't mention, but you can find by digging around for screenshots, is that the back panel has not only ethernet outputs, but a VGA, USB and modem connections.

Dunno how useful the modem would be, but it sounds like you could probably hook-up a USB keyboard and monitor, and get a shell on this device.

Look at the picture . It has Ethernet, along with:

Modem
USB
VGA

I really doubt that they would go through the trouble of designing this thing and making it one-way only. There has go to be a way to copy mp3s to it. since it has VGA and USB, maybe you can even login to console and set up SSH, etc.

i think he/she means the nas2.3

Onkyo also sells a line of high-end gear targeted towards custom installations under its Integra brand. Onkyo offers products similar to the NC500 and TX-NR900, but with additional capabilities. What's most interesting, though, is the Integra NAS-2.3 Net-Tune Server

And the rear panel seems to confirm it

your right, i dont see any speaker sockets here
http://www.integrahometheater.com/images/products/ nettune/large/nas23r.jpg

And the client product, which does have an amplifier (although at only 15W a channel, and only two channels), is significantly smaller. Less than half the size...

Of course half the size in the wrong dimension if you want to stack it with your other audio components...

The best possible thing you can ever do for your hard earned money when purchasing audio equiptment is to get yourself out of your house and into a store that will let you audition every piece of equiptment in your price range in any configuration.

Have your sales person hook up their most sonically neutral sounding receiver to the speakers you want to hear. You will then be able to determine how the speakers perform. If you leave the volume at the same level for all speakers, you will hear which spekers are more efficient (they will be louder), which ones are brighter (they will have more treble), which ones are warmer (they will have more midrange and bass), and which ones are more neutral (no augmentation of either high, mid or low). Now you can make a speaker decision based on *your* preferences. And since you are the one spending the money, you being happy with your purchase is all that matters!

Now, as for my tastes, I prefer very neutral sounding speakers and receivers. My latest home theater purchase included all Paradigm speakers. Monitor 7's in the front, Mini-Monitor's in the rear, the CC-350 center channel and the PW-2200 subwoofer. Paradigm is a well respeced brand in the home theater arena for their incredible price/performance.

My receiver choice was the Integra DTR-7.1. Integra is Onkyo's mid-end line of equiptment. This receiver was chosen for its very neutral sounding output, its ability to decode DTS, DTS ES (new 6.1 encoding format)Dolby Digital, and Dolby Digital EX (new 6.1 encoding format).

If you are interested in reading other consumers revies on equiptment, check out Audio Review. You will find many reviews on nearly every piece of equiptment you are looking at.

Happy Home Theater Hunting!

Sincerely,
Robert J. Casey Jr.