SLIMP3 Network MP3 Player

Gadgeteer Hands On Review by Julie

March 27, 2003

Update 03/28/03

Here's a confession: I'm an MP3 junkie! I listen to them through my desktop PC while I'm surfing or writing reviews and I listen to them through my Tungsten|T while I'm at work or on the go. The thing is that I've been wishing that I could listen to my MP3 collection while in my living room, where my actual stereo system is. Well, now I can, with the Slim Devices SLIMP3 Network MP3 Player.

Although I set up my own home network and wireless network, I really don't consider myself a guru on the subject. As a result, I was a tiny bit worried about what the setup of this device might involve. Once it arrived though, I was anxious to give it a try as soon as possible. Upon opening the box, I first unpacked the main unit. The SLIMP3 is a rectangular black plastic box with a fluorescent display and Lucite face plate on the front. On the back of the device is an AC adapter connector, Ethernet port and RCA jacks. Also included in the box were RCA patch cords, an AC adapter, a 10ft CAT5 Ethernet cable, printed manual and a remote with batteries.

Due to the fact that my stereo and my computer are located in different rooms and are more than 10 ft apart, I knew my first step in reviewing this device would be to go buy a longer Ethernet cable. So, I headed to Radio Shack and plunked down $35 for a 50ft length of flat CAT5 cable. Kinda ouchy, but it's all in the name of product reviewing right?

My next step was to set aside a couple hours to set things up. Networking has always been a big pain in the butt for me. It seems like there's always something that just doesn't work the first time, or takes me awhile to figure out. I was all set to pull my hair out. I also have a bad habit of not reading manuals, which could be a reason why it takes me longer to figure things out ;o) Anyway, at 4pm I spread out the components and by 4:05pm, I had placed the SLIMP3 on top of my entertainment center, plugged the AC adapter into the outlet, hooked the RCA patch cables into the back of the player and into a pair of open inputs on the back of my Denon receiver. As soon as the SLIMP3 was powered on (it has no physical on/off switch), the bright aqua fluorescent display greeted me with a Welcome message.

4:12pm, I opened the 50ft Ethernet cable package, plugged one end into my 5 port switch and proceeded to unroll it (by the way, it is still laying across the room in what looks like an unraveled Slinky) into the living room. At this point, I decided to remove power from the SLIMP3, plug the other Ethernet end into the back of the device, and then power it on again. This time, a Searching for DHCP server message appeared on the display shortly after the Welcome message. Then a second or so later, a Searching for SLIMP3 server message appeared. I didn't remember seeing a CD in the box that the unit had shipped in, so I had to reference the manual... It instructed me to go to the Slim Devices website and download the server software for my platform. I guess this is a good time to mention that the SLIMP3 is compatible with Windows, Linux and Mac computers. I quickly downloaded the 3.4mb Windows application, installed it and at 4:20pm, I launched it.

The SLIMP3 Server application is really easy to figure out and use. The only setting that I had to make was to tell it where my music folder was. I was a little annoyed that I had to either type it in manually, or cut and paste the path from Windows Explorer. It would be nice to add a simple Browse button for that field so that people could just navigate to the folder and select it. Once that was done, it was simple to navigate thru the music files with the web browser style interface. By 4:27pm, I was streaming MP3 files from my PC into my living room through my stereo! Very cool and way easier than I ever thought it was going to be!

Of course, the reason why it was so easy is the fact that my network uses DHCP. DHCP isn't mandatory though, you can manually configure the IP address for the SLIMP3 using the handheld remote and following the onscreen prompts. But since I didn't have to screw with that, I was happy!

Using the PC application, you can browse by Genre, Artist, Album, Music Folder and Playlist. You can also search for Artist, Album or Song Title. You can easily create, modify, rename and delete playlists through this software. You can also control volume level, repeat, and shuffle in the application.

After putting the software through its paces, I went into the living room to actually listen to the music. At first, I was really disappointed in the sound quality of the MP3s coming through my stereo. In a word, it was horrible. It sounded too bassy, and muddy. On some songs, I could even hear clicking and static. I took a few minutes to adjust the volume on both the receiver and the SLIMP3 till I was finally able to get the sound quality to be pretty good. Unfortunately, I was never able to quite get the sound quality to match the quality when playing the same exact songs on their respective CDs through the same stereo.

Update: I was given the suggestion that I try an input on the back of my receiver other than the Phono input (which is what I had used). So, I switched to the VCR inputs and OMIGOD, the sound is a billion times better! I'm totally happy with it now!

I can overlook the slight degradation in sound quality though because having the ability to control MP3 playback thru my stereo with a remote control is great! The display on the SLIMP3 is bright and easy to read. It can be set to a 2 line or 1 line display mode. 1 line allows you to view the display from over 10 feet away. Words that are wider than the display's length scroll across it.

The remote is also easy to use. With it, you can navigate thru your play lists and search criteria. You can also control the volume level, display brightness and size modes. When you're finished listening to music, pressing the power button puts the SLIMP3 in standby mode and changes the display to the current date and time of your desktop computer.

The SLIMP3 is a well made and easy to setup device. It is fun to use and gives you the opportunity to enjoy your music collection through your stereo, and not just your computer. Although the sound quality is not as good as when I do play the MP3's through my PC, I still find the convenience and features of this device to be compelling. I really wish I didn't have to send it back to Slim Devices.

Price: $229.00

Pros:
Easy setup
Good interface
Compatible with Windows, Linux and Mac OS machines

Cons:
WMA files not supported
Sound quality could be better Update: Sound is terrific if you DON'T make the mistake of using the Phono inputs on your receiver like I did.