Sony's new HDD-based NetJuke Hi-Fis

I remember the times when we would all go gaga over integrated stereo systems with gimmicks such as 'DJ sound effects' and the like. The audience for such extremely consumer audio systems may have reduced slightly as more and more people become aware of the benefits of component systems, but it’s still a huge market and any innovation in that space is sure to catch the consumers attention. Take for example, the new NetJuke line of Hi-Fis from Sony. These do your regular CD playback, MD playback and pretty fancy lights, but they also integrate a hard drive into which you can rip music from your CDs into MP3 or ATRAC on the HDD, so you don’t have to be too old school with the discs. They also support AnyMusic, so you can download tracks directly from the online service if you’re in Japan.

The NetJukes also come with a 4.3-inch color display, an optional WiFi adapter that connects via USB and around a massive 3,50,000 pre-loaded CD infos from Gracenote CDDB. The NAS-M90HD with a 250GB drive will sell for around Rs. 37,500, the NAS-M70HD with an 80GB drive will sell for around Rs. Rs. 30,000 and the MiniDisc-deprived NAS-D50HD will go for around Rs. 24,500. Ah, what I wouldn’t have done to get my hands on one of these if I was in school right now.