The great popularity of MP3 players means that most households now have a computer filled with music that has either been copied from CDs or downloaded from the internet.

What the householders may not know is that once it’s in a digital form this music can be used in ways other than loading onto MP3 players. One is to transmit it wirelessly from the computer via a wi-fi link (many people have this already set up for a broadband service) to a digital audio receiver, commonly known as a Dar. These gadgets cleverly use a wi-fi network to play music elsewhere in the home. Put simply, they release the sounds from your computer.

You select which of your albums to play using an ordinary remote control, or you can enjoy internet-based radio stations. Some Dars, including the Sonos and Pinnacle boxes reviewed here, can also beam music-subscription services such as Napster wirelessly from room to room.

Assuming you already have a computer-based music library and a wireless router, setting up a Dar is a straightforward two-part process. First, you install some software onto your computer and tell it to transmit a wi-fi music signal. Nearly all Dars come supplied with software, but it can be simpler to use Windows Media Player or Apple’s iTunes, and one or other will work with most models. Then you connect the receiver to a spare audio input on your amplifier, wait a few moments for the two devices to connect wirelessly, and you’re away.

Although each of the five devices we reviewed worked in essentially the same way, there were profound differences in performance and style. The models ranged from the entry-level Philips with its plasticky feel and limited features through to the sophisticated Sonos multiroom system that offers the option of an integrated amplifier and was capable of playing different songs in different rooms simultaneously.

As a customer you have plenty of choice. For example, you may want a receiver that has a display that remains legible at a distance of several feet. This was true only of the Pinnacle and Squeezebox models, though the Apple uses your TV’s screen and the Sonos has a lavish touchscreen remote control instead.

A select few models, such as the Sonos and Pinnacle, played music stored on a special external hard disk known as a Nas drive (see jargon buster). This acts as a kind of garage in which you can park a large music collection, and it’s a cost-effective way to house a giant media library without needing a computer permanently switched on. The Apple TV unit, uniquely, has a small hard drive built in. Another alternative is to buy a newer gaming console such as a PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360, which are both passable music receivers.

Cheap Dars are often shoddy and have poor connections and only an analogue output rather than digital. Investing more usually yields a better made and more flexible product with vastly improved sound. Despite these differences, sound quality greatly depends on the calibre of music on your computer.

So when choosing, do consider the type of music files you have. All the models reviewed will play MP3, which is by far the most common digital music format. Apart from the Philips, they will also handle unrestricted AAC files too. The Apple TV is the only model unable to play music in Microsoft’s WMA format.

If you own many paid-for music downloads or have signed up to a subscription service, the picture changes.

For example, only the Sonos, Pinnacle and Philips models coped with the kind of rights-protected WMA tracks that are purchased from most online vendors (this doesn’t include the iTunes Music Store, which uses AAC format and favours different rights protection).

You can buy similar receiver gadgets able to beam video around the home, but these are more fiddly to set up and more prone to problems. All the models tested today are music-only, apart from the Apple TV, which handled video well, despite some limitations.

With the right setup the better music receivers delivered surprisingly good sound quality. If convenience is king in your home, this could well be the jewel in your home entertainment crown.

JARGON BUSTER

Codec Types of compression, of which the commonest is MP3. Microsoft offers WMA while Apple uses a variant of AAC

Nas drive (network attached storage) External hard drive that doesn’t require a computer. Acts as a repository for media files

DRM (digital rights management) Usage restrictions added to music downloads Reviews by David Price. Prices inc Vat & delivery

POWER PLAYER

Apple TV – typically £199 from www.apple.com/uk

Do-it-all conduit for music and movies, despite some limitations

This well designed receiver boasts several unusual features. It’s the only model on test that shows videos and it also has a built-in 40GB hard drive. This is handy if, say, the laptop that holds your music is out of the house. Setup was simple on Mac or PC and within minutes Apple TV had synchronised wirelessly with a nearby computer. It employs the faster draft-n wi-fi standard – unnecessary for music and requiring Apple’s latest router, but fortunately it’s backwards compatible. There’s no screen, so the box must connect to a TV (to navigate your library) as well as to a hi-fi. The slick menus gave access to music, HD videos or photos using a basic remote control. Sound quality from the analogue socket was bettered only by the Sonos, and the digital output was audiophile grade. Home movies looked great and the box boosted the quality of the low-calibre videos that Apple sells online, even though the box does not currently output surround sound. Unfortunately, Apple TV plays few digital formats and it’s not cheap. That said, this stand-out product is solid value.

MULTIROOM MAESTRO

Sonos BU130 music system – typically £699 from www.sonos.com

Flexible music system with superb sonics and top quality design

Owners of larger homes will love Sonos. The basic £699 bundle comprises two receivers – dubbed ZonePlayers – and an excellent colour touchscreen remote control. Better still, one of these ZonePlayers features a decent 50W amplifier and hence needs only to be connected to speakers. You can enjoy different music on each ZonePlayer simultaneously, all marshalled from a single Sonos remote. So you can have Stan Getz on the patio, say, as Bob Marley livens up your living room. The snag is that one ZonePlayer must remain attached to your wi-fi router, but you can add up to 30 more. Despite its sophistication, the package was child’s play to set up and operate. The supplied software was so straightforward, there was no need to consider alternatives. If fed with high-calibre music files, sound quality matched a decent CD player. Sonos will play most file formats but not the majority of iTunes purchases – or videos. And if you lose that remote, you’re in trouble. Nevertheless, it’s a superb system that justifies the meaty price.

FLEXIBLE FRIEND

Pinnacle SoundBridge M1001 – typically £150, or £149 fromwww.amazon.co.uk

Distinctive looking tubular belle. Fine value

This stylish metal music receiver has a highly legible 8in-long display. It’s not supplied with software, but will work with either of the two main music jukeboxes, iTunes or Windows Media Player (WMP). You must download an extra tool, called Firefly (free at www.fireflymediaserver.org) to run iTunes 7, but WMP is a better bet in any case as the box will then play music services such as Napster that employ Microsoft’s copy-protection system. Setup was complex, though once completed performance was impressive for the money. Even the analogue outputs sounded far better than the Philips’s, but there were occasional dropouts and it didn’t match the most expensive models overall. With no buttons on the unit itself, you are reliant on a small clunky remote, and this proved sluggish. Despite these gripes, the SoundBridge is well made and flexible. Recommended.

HEAD TURNER

Slim Devices Squeezebox 3 – typically £220, or £207 from www.broadbandstuff.co.uk

Swanky looker with performance to match

The premium-priced Squeezebox is better made than most music receivers, with a superb aluminium and gloss-plastic finish, plus a swish chrome stand. It’s a similar size to a VHS-video cassette and the superb fluorescent screen remained legible from across a living room. The screen can display song or artist information, the sound levels, or just pretty patterns. Setup wasn’t too arduous but additional (free) software must first be downloaded from the Slim Devices website. Once done, the gadget worked seamlessly on a PC or Mac. The suave Squeezebox proved responsive, easy to navigate and great fun. There’s a good range of sockets and the punchy sound quality was only bettered noticeably by the Sonos. However, the remote control felt cheap and the unit won’t play rights-protected music, which was disappointing. Otherwise, it’s a decent bit of kit.

CHEAP AS CHIPS

Philips Streamium SLA5520 – typically £89, or £87 from www.datakits.co.uk

Basically competent, but a false economy

The Philips’s compact shiny silver case and backlit LCD look cool at a distance, but up close you realise that this is a low-rent plastic package with a fiddly remote control. In fact, there are only two sockets: a power-in and a basic 3.5mm mini-jack audio output. Setup was hobbled by the bundled Philips software, which proved fussy to operate. We dumped it and ran Windows Media Player 11 instead, after which music management was more flexible and easier to enjoy. The Philips sounded surprisingly good at the price, with no nasty noises. It won’t play AAC or rights-protected WMA files, which limits its versatility. However, the biggest problem is the weeny display size, which felt like trying to read a newspaper through a letterbox. It’s a respectable entry-level Dar, but a modest extra investment would pay dividends.

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