MAN301

The Weiss MAN301 is a music archive manager and network player for music stored on an external hard disk or streamed from the Internet. It combines music archiving, library maintenance, playback, CD ripping, direct CD playback and Internet radio streaming, with control through an Apple iPad running the Weiss MAN app.

The MAN301 uses the professionally maintained Gracenote database to retrieve CD metadata and cover art. A complete system comprises the MAN301 Base Station, an external NAS device such as a hard disk or hard disk array, an iPad for remote control, and an Internet connection for fetching CD cover art and metadata or streaming music. External storage provides virtually unlimited capacity for music files.

The latest version includes a gold plated finish to mark the company’s 30 year anniversary, together with new D/A circuitry using a discrete output stage.

Software features

• Multiple MAN301 devices can be controlled from a single iPad.
• Multiple users are supported for each MAN301, with separate music libraries, playlists and searches.
• Playback and ripping support all common uncompressed, lossless compressed and lossy compressed audio file formats.
• The music library can be viewed by album name, artist name, genre, recently played or recently added.
• Searches can be saved and used to create dynamic playlists.
• Playlists can be added, edited and saved.
• Volume control is provided through 4 coarse analogue steps and a high-resolution, dithered digital fader.
• Start, stop and skip controls.
• Repeat single track or repeat whole playlist function.
• Cover art can be searched across multiple databases, including Gracenote and Google.
• CD ripping in all common audio file formats.
• Direct CD playback without the need to rip the CD.
• Metadata fetching from various databases, including Gracenote. Gracenote provides CD metadata and cover art.
• The iPad user interface is comprehensive and can be handled by computer novices.
• Software can be upgraded via the Internet.
• Internet radio streaming.
• Future software upgrades will include various signal processing facilities.

Music files are stored on an external NAS, or on a DAS such as a USB hard disk. The MAN301 has no internal storage for music files. Recommendations for suitable NAS devices are supplied in the MAN301 manual, and multiple NAS units can be added for unlimited storage.

The Ethernet socket connects the MAN301 to a NAS and the local network. Its WiFi implementation supports an Access Point and an Uplink at the same time, allowing an iPad to connect directly to the MAN301 or enabling the MAN301 to connect to the local WiFi network.

Clocking for the audio section is provided by an internal high-precision, low-jitter clock generator. Its sampling frequency switches automatically to match the sampling frequency of the track being played. BNC word-clock inputs and outputs are also provided for external synchronisation. The MAN301 supports all standard sampling frequencies up to 192 kHz, as well as DSD64 and DSD128.

External digital audio sources can be connected using AES/EBU or S/PDIF through XLR, RCA or TOSLINK inputs.