Onkyo NC-500

Onkyo's NC-500 is a digital audio receiver (DAR) designed for hi-fi. This little component connects to your home theater system with two-channel analogue cables and then to your home network router or hub. It's designed specifically for digital music playback but it's not a full-blown media player like the Prismiq.

NC-500's slick indigo LCD display and silver face

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You can use the NC-500 to read music files (MP3, WMA or WAV) off your PC. You can also use it to access the Net-Tune software on your PC, which connects the NC-500 to Internet radio.

All reports speak of exceptional sound quality, which isn't hard to imagine given Onkyo's pedigree. The NC-500 is a separate component that offers the Net-Tune feature that comes with Onkyo's high-end receivers. As good as it might sound for two channel audio, there are no digital outputs and the unit will set you back $400.