The Request S4.2500 is a tank that costs as much as a small car: a massive 60lb enclosure with brushed aluminum finish holds advanced audio circuitry for professional level digital and analog signal paths. With up to 1.5 terabytes, the S.Series stores more than 2500 CDs in full fidelity WAV format (or more than 150,000 songs in MP3.)

It's basically a tank driven by a Linux computer linked to a Lynx Studio Technology sound card (like pro recording studios.) Dont let the 24-karat gold connectors fool you: those are tank-grade fasteners holding it together.

The S4.2500 can deliver four different streams simultaneously. Also, ReQuest will synchronize over the internet using NetSync so a ReQuest server can share music with iPods and computers running iTunes. NetSync also enables you to tap into your ReQuest server via the Internet.

The twentieth edition of  Top Audio & Video Show in Milan featured more than 140 exhibitors; our correspondent Cristiano Cameroni selected a few higlights:

Roth’s Music Cocoon MC4 stereo amplifier captured everyone’s eye with its unusual design that matches four valves, a MosFet stereo power amp and an iPod docking station. The clever design puts together old style, red-light valves, and a satin, black & white aluminium chassis that fits with iPod style, but there’s a larger point to be made:

So many people assume everybody uses a compressed audio format when storing music. This just isn’t the case, argues Roth (and we agree) so they designed the Music Cocoon for use not only with iPod but also for any portable audio device (that’s why there is a 3.5mm socket on the back of the amp), any device which outputs audio to a 3.5mm jack (e.g., a laptop), or any CD player (that’ll be why there’s a pair of RCA sockets on the back as well).

Regardless of the source unit, the MC4 can handle it, so it is far more useful than a simple iPod dock.

With two 12-AX7 and two 12-AU7 valves, Roth’s amp grants 13 watts per channel at 8 ohms, and is equipped with a remote control that allows users to select inputs, set levels and navigate through iPod interface.

Go MC4, Valves for All Sources

Maybe you’re familiar with the Slim Device’s Squeezebox, an affordable hi-fi player that enables web-radio and remote audio file reproduction thanks to the integrated wireless 802.11g connectivity. Slim Devices, now part of Logitech, has a high end Big Brother for the family-budget Squeezebox: the Transporter, a network music player. Transporter's DAC and output amplifiers are powered by Super Regulators, based on the legendary design by Walt Jung. These regulators offer lower output impedance, faster response, and better noise rejection than standard three-terminal regulators.

Transporter, designed to appeal to audiophiles and music lovers, streams digital music and competes with exotic compact disc players.

Go Transporter

Small design earned big success at the show, where HiDiamond unveiled their new miniCOLIBRY omni-directional speakers. The hi-end compact reflex speakers from Italy measure only 150 x 600mm won the Best-of-Show Award in their category..

Salvatore Filippelli, HiDiamond managing director, says, miniCOLIBRY speakers would be best positioned typically 1.5 meters away from a sidewall, and 0.65 meters from a back wall.

Go miniColibri

C.T.E. brought to the show their new DS2 power amplifier. With 50 watts per channel and a broad frequency response from 10Hz-50MHz, the real buzz starts when you stop looking at spectrograms and simply start watching the unit.

Like a fine piece of furniture, DS2 chassis is made of Alabaster and polished walnut.

Go Alabaster amplifiers

Up 52.2 % in sales after buying Thomson's accessory business (and other acquisitions), Audiovox now says it will look to acquire new companies, especially a custom home installation business.

Audiovox is reported to be examining two companies and one is “in the CEDIA channel, in home installation type products."

LCD-panel shortages may have hurt Audiovox's LCD TV sales by as much as 20% and its portable DVD player business by 30%, but Audiovox, once known solely for car audio, may become America’s largest aftermarket supplier of XM Satellite Radio by year end.

Go Audiovox Wants In

Soundmatters Europe, a division of Dahl Audio Electronic GmbH, is showing off the SLIMstage all-in-one speaker consoles that complement flat panel plasma and LCD TVs from 32” to 62”.

Of three models (SLIMstage 30, 40 and 50 at 785mm, 990mm, and 1230mm respectively), the SLIMstage 40 is hitting Europe first. Measuring 39” W x 3.3” H x 3.4” D, it features four class-D power amplifiers. Deep bass extension comes from nine bass drivers including three down firing Extreme Energy subwoofers assisted by six mass radiators so low frequencies can reach 45MHz.

But the real star of the system is Euphony HD, a new virtual surround technology that creates 5.1-channel while recreating Dolby Digital and DTS imaging or even plain old stereo sound.

Go SLIMstage