How cd3o Network MP3 Players Work

1. Music is stored on your PC 2. Your PC connects to a standard home network

Digital music is stored on your PC (1), which is connected to a standard home network (2).

3. The cd3o Network MP3 Player 4. Connects to your stereo 5. Control playback with the Voice-Guide remote control

The cd3o Network MP3 Player (3) connects to your stereo (4).

Digital audio streams over your home network from the cd3o Music Server software on your PC to the cd3o player on your stereo.

You can browse your music library and control playback using the Voice-Guide™ remote control (5), or with the cd3o Control Center at your PC.

Click on the images above, or read on for more details.

back to topKeep your music on your PC

With the cd3o system, digital music is stored on your computer. And that's a pretty good place for it:

Store your music on your computer
  • If you've been downloading music or ripping your own CDs, your music is already on your computer.
  • Your computer probably has a really big hard drive, which makes it the best place to build a large digital music library.

The cd3o Music Server software runs on your Windows XP or Windows 2000 PC, and makes your music library available to your home network. The server streams music to the player as needed, meaning that your collection can grow as large as your PC's hard drive.

back to topPure digital audio—MP3, WMA, and WAV

cd3o Network MP3 Players keep your music in its original digital form as it's transmitted over the network, so you won't get squealing and static like you would with a chintzy FM tranceiver. And with cd3o's audiophile-quality components playing through your stereo, your digital music will sound better than you ever thought it could.

Although the name says "MP3," the cd3o Network MP3 Player natively supports a number of popular audio formats:

  • MP3 - the net's most popular compressed audio format
  • Windows Media Audio (WMA) - the format created by Windows Media Player (which comes with most PCs)
  • Uncompressed WAV (PCM) - true CD quality audio, with no compression loss

back to topStandard home networking—wired or wireless

cd3o Network MP3 Players use standard home computer networking. You can use either:

Connect to a standard 802.11b wireless network access point
  • Wired Ethernet networking (all cd3o models)
  • Wireless 802.11b (Wi-Fi) networking (models c200 and c300 only)

If you don't have a home network yet, they're more affordable and easier to set up than ever before. Wireless network routers are now available for under $80, and wired routers for under $30. You'll find the necessary equipment at nearly any electronics, computer, or office supply store—or look online.

Since the cd3o players are true networked devices, they'll peaceably co-exist with other wireless network equipment like printers and laptops.

back to topThe cd3o player connects to your stereo(s)

The cd3o Network MP3 Player hooks up to the AUX input on the back of your stereo receiver. (Or any other input—other than phono.) To listen to your digital music, just turn on your stereo, switch to AUX, and hit the Play button on the cd3o remote. It's that easy.

c300 rear view
click to enlarge

For the ultimate in high-quality digital audio, pair a cd3o c300 player with a digital stereo receiver. The c300 has digital outputs (both coax and TOSLink optical) that connect to the digital input on your receiver.

And since cd3o players are network devices, you can have more than one, all operating with a single PC music server. Add a Network MP3 Player to each of your stereos, and listen to different music in every room, at the same time.

back to topVoice-Guide™ Remote Control

Voice-Guide remote control
click to enlarge

With cd3o's Voice-Guide remote control, it's easy to pick music to play, right from the room where you're listening.

The Voice-Guide lets you browse your music library by genres, artists, albums, individual track titles, and playlists. You can even create ten quick-access favorites, just like the presets on a car radio.

Simple voice prompts walk you through the process. With the Voice-Guide, you don't have to worry about squinting at a tiny display or fussing with your TV just to start some music playing. If you can hear your music, you can hear the Voice-Guide.

The Voice-Guide is great for large music collections. You can jump directly to any item in your library by spelling the first few letters of the name using the number buttons, without having to repeatedly scroll through several thousand other entries.

back to topPC Control Center

You can also browse your music library and control your cd3o Network MP3 Player from your computer, using the cd3o Control Center.

cd3o Control Center screenshot
click to enlarge

The Control Center works together with your existing PC music player or jukebox software: Windows Media Player, Music Match, WinAMP, and others. Use your current player to manage your music library and play music on your computer, and use the cd3o Control Center to play music on your Network MP3 Players.

The cd3o system lets you keep your music files organized the way you like. You won't have to rearrange files, create special directories, or make disk-wasting copies. The cd3o software even supports reading and writing standard m3u playlist files, so that you can create and listen to your favorite mixes wherever you are.

Ready to listen to your music where you want to? Check out the available cd3o Network MP3 Player models and choose the one that's right for you. Or find out more about cd3o products by following the links at the top of this page.