The new Top Line 151 Musiccenter is a high-end music server that not only excels in its outstanding sound quality but also in its ability to process even very large volumes of data extremely quickly. It can read all common audio formats and render them – gapless, of course – with up to 24 bit and 192 kilohertz. The logical and intuitive operation guarantees an easygoing listening pleasure. Owing to the clear lines and the typical chrome front, this product highlight incorporates the timeless design vocabulary which Burmester devices are known for. Thus the 151 Musiccenter blends in perfectly with the range of Burmester components, both visually and soundwise.
The 151 Musiccenter has a fully DC-coupled signal path without capacitors resulting in a precise bass reproduction due to the nonexistence of phase shift in the audible range. The sophisticated analogue output stages receive their signal from a reference class converter section, ensuring a finely resolved, musical sound image. Sampling rate for D/A conversion can be selected from either 96 kHz/24 bit or 192 kHz/24 bit, according to personal preference. An integrated slot drive is available to allow users to rip their CD collection in optimum quality. To ensure the safety of your valuable music files, the unit contains two mirrored hard drives (HDD), each with a capacity of at least 2 TB. The first drive is used for storing your music library while the second stores the same information in parallel, to ensure that your files are secure, in the event that a hard drive becomes defective. The system drive is a Solid State Disc (SSD).
The optionally selectable level control allows the direct connection to a power amp and therefore enables to use it without an extra preamp. The 151 Musiccenter can be operated on the device itself by front panel controls, via the web browser and also by means of the custom-designed Burmester app via the iPad®. The key functions are also controllable with the Burmester remote control. The music data on the server are also available to other UPnP players within the local network.
Any album covers and title information not entered is automatically obtained by matching with the database. Since audio CD drives only have a forward error correction (FEC) of a few seconds, it can happen that the data streams outputted by old or scratched CDs suffer from dropouts during playback. If no appropriate countermeasures are applied, this can seriously impair enjoyment of the music. However, when a CD is ripped (and not simply played back in real time) it is possible to read the audio data several times over if necessary, until the data is completely recovered. In this way, the Burmester Musiccenter is able to process audio data in maximum resolution and quality and reconstruct a data stream free of the deficiencies described above.
Sudden jumps in volume of songs compiled in playlists are reduced by means of sophisticated analog circuitry. Hence no dynamic compression or any other changes are made to the music.