Tom Andry said:
I agree that building your own is a better solution... but isn't it always?
Tom: sorry about giving credit to the wrong party above...but do you
really believe that. Then why aren't most of your reviews of diy projects?
I'm not taking issue with the 3k-5k price tag that comes with the Escient, because you could really buy an awful lot of computer parts for that amount.
I am intersted in Hp (or Yamaha) media centers that cost 2k or less. I mean the z558 has lightscribe, wireless keyboard, 600 GB, 3 tuners, 1 year antivurs, etc. It can be had for about 2k directly w/ 1 yr warranty (upgradeable), HP tech support (unrivaled...really, because I've been using it for years), and the list goes on. The 2k price tag can be whittled down near the end of it's cycle (12-15 months), or if you know someone.
It's unfortunate that HP is making a ground breaking product at an affordable price, but seems to be snobbed by the audio community because
they're a computer company. But ultimately, that's exactly what media centers are...computers.
I don't work for HP, and actually, I remain on the fence about media centers in general. You admit that media centers are pc's, so who is better suited to build a pc....Escient, Yamaha, or HP? That's a rhetorical question. It would just be nice to see a qualified audiophile/videophile do a comprehensive review of the z558. And, again, nice write-up on the Yammy. Cheers.