Brenan JB7

Nothing trumps the sound of a decent record player. And by decent, I mean good quality (well engineered), and those things don’t come cheap. When CD turned up in 1982 it changed the game. The sound quality was shockingly bad but the level of convenience it brought to music listening was revolutionary. No more having to get up midway through an LP to flip it over, instant track access, repeat etc. Over the years standard CD (red book), quality improved immeasurably but the advent of MP3 brought a new level of convenience, albeit centred around distribution, that wrung the death bell for CD. I’ve always liked the idea of MP3 but not actual MP3. I have plenty of MP3s but it isn’t my chosen file format, in fact, if pressed I will always opt for a WAV File above anything else. Regardless, MP3 has completely reshaped the audio industry (for better or for worse is another debate). Like CD when it first began the sound quality is abysmal but I’m sure newer formats will improve upon that.

The new generation of Hi-Fi centred around wireless connectivity and huge MP3 libraries that are instantly accessible is a very tempting proposition, and it was one that seduced me. Sadly, the price for doing this well is pretty steep, and for a fellow such as myself who doesn’t have the opportunity to while away every evening indulging his music obsession, the price is too high.

Enter the ‘Brenan JB7’. I saw the advert in a magazine and I was intrigued. It is the intermediate between a conventional CD player and a network player. The device is fairly straight forward and very utilitarian in design. You can store your music collection on the internal hard drive as either MP3 or WAV files – no other formats are possible. These files are stored by ripping CDs and then using the onboard database to add the relevant disk information. Obviously, CDs released after the JB7 is purchased will not be on the database but this can be modified with a software update (sadly via CDROM). I’m being churlish complaining about this as the price of the top of the range model (500GB harddrive), is only £480 and expecting it to have wireless connectivity on top of everything else is asking a bit much.

The device has a built in amplifier of 30W+30W which is reasonable in terms of its fidelity. There is a separate headphones out and line out via 3.5mm jack sockets. My JB7 is connected via the line out into my amplifier rig  for better sound quality. Sadly, the device doesn’t have a digital output and this is what would have made it ‘killer-bee’ for me. The onboard DAC is ok, but given the opportunity to decode off board would have meant that it would have been possible to really ramp the sound quality up. A USB socket on the front allows access to other storage devices (and consequently playback of the files stored therein), and a 3.5mm jack for ‘line in’ allows other devices to use the onboard amplifier.

One of the most horrible remote controls ever made allows every function to be accessed remotely, and the blue LED screen is highly visible in low light. I have no issues with the display, but for the iphone generation it does look awfully hair-shirt. 8-bit hair shirt.

So what’s so good then?

I have hundreds of CDs stored as WAV files and I can access individual tracks or albums with relative ease. Various playlists can be made and readily accessed. If you choose you can record direct to the HD via the ‘line in’. The JB7 is easy enough to use, it is small and if you should lose the remote, practically every function can be accessed via the front controls. Speakers can be connected direct to the JB7 so it can be used pretty much straight out of the box (I must add I have never heard the accompanying speakers that are bought separately but are part of the JB7 package so I can not comment on their quality).

The sound quality is mostly good. It trumps an ipod or equivalent and when compared to a CD player of equal cost, it mostly holds its own. Unlike a CD player it has thousand of tracks onboard and one can skip and jump between them more or less instantly.

So where does it fall down?

The display and interface are very utilitarian and clearly mark Martin Brenan out as an engineer rather than a designer. I have always been an advocate of ‘form after function’ in terms of my consumer goods, but nobody is going to find this device alluring. It’s a box. A very dull box.
The amplifier is fine but nothing to write home about. The digital to analogue conversion is likewise fine, but again, this has to be considered against the price. The top of the range model has 500GB of storage which is massive if using MP3s, but is limited when it comes to WAV files. The CD drive is dreadfully noisy, but was only ever intended for ripping, not playback. And on the subject of ripping, expect to spend hours and hours feeding CDs into this thing. It is a slow process, and doubly so if you intend to convert to MP3.

Would I recommend it?  
Yes – if you are someone who wants all the convenience of a network player but doesn’t demand super hi-fi performance. Yes - if you have loads of CDs you want ready access to but don’t want to pay the price premium for a network player. Yes – if you want a stand alone music player to play all your CDs in small space with minimal fuss. It is the ideal solution for those who want the positives of network audio but without the price tag or technical know-how. And yes, if you want most of the benefits of a network player but lack the technical savvy (or inclination), to go this route.

Would I recommend it? 

No – if you are a hi-fi purist and demand the utmost fidelity, or the ability to connect an outboard DAC; you will be disappointed. No - if you need to deal with formats other than WAV/MP3. No if your home is only graced with the most beautiful and elegant of furniture.

If I were you, I’d make up my own mind. Find out more here: http://www.brennan.co.uk/