Do you love digital music? Is downloading music from the internet one of your favorite pastimes? Do you have a huge media library in your hard drive from copying all your CD? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you might want to check out this new gadget that lets you play your music in a new way – the digital audio receiver or DAR.
The DAR uses your home wi-fi network to wirelessly transmit audio signals from your PC to your speakers. Instead of just playing the MP3s directly on the PC or on an MP3 player, now you can listen to it in any room in your house, assuming that you already have a wi-fi router and sound system at home. The DAR receives the audio signal from music files played on your computer and processes the sound so it can be played on your speakers. The DAR is directly connected to an audio input port on your amplifier while the DAR connects wirelessly to your computer.
A special program is normally bundled with the DAR to install in your computer so you can play the audio files on it although some models will allow you to use Apple iTunes or Windows Media Player. Some can even be used with music subscription services.
For those who do not use wi-fi, there are also models that use your phone wires to transmit sound and will work in any room that has a phone jack.
In essence, a digital audio receiver turns your PC music library into a jukebox or home music station that streams music to any room in your house.
This is the perfect solution for those who have an excellent sound system at home and want to play their digital music files without moving the PC to the same room.
The DAR is in the same place where you listen to the sound so you are able to use a remote control to change the music, increase volume, chose playlists, etc. You do not have to go to the room where your PC is to control the music playback.
As with most electronic gadgets, the consumer is spoiled for choice when it comes to choosing the right DAR model or brand. There are cheap and expensive kinds and they come in all sizes, shapes and colors imaginable.
Apart from price and looks, the most important considerations the buyer should have when choosing which one to bring home are display, digital file formats and sound quality.
Of course, sound quality needs no explanation but even the best DAR will not produce the best sound if the digital audio track itself is not of good quality.
Regarding file formats, MP3 is the universal format that all DARs can play. There is also the WMA format as well as AAC. Some DARs will also be able to play streamed broadcast and Internet-only radio stations. However, you should know what some music files are protected by DRM (digital rights management) so you may not be able to play these types of files freely.
Display is yet another consideration for potential buyers. The remote control is a must but how can you see what you are controlling? How big is the display and can you easily read it from where you are? These are important considerations to take into account since you probably wouldn’t want to get up just to change the music on your player.
Then again, no matter how basic or fancy your digital audio receiver is, the main thing is to have good music, then you can always relax and unwind properly.