Cocktail audio x10

Revolutionary HiFi Audio System with all in One CD Storage

Smart HD Music Server, Network Streamer, NAS & much more

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The cocktail Audio devices are excellent component with a high resolution playback that produces excellent sound. Revive old cassettes & LP collection back to life using our simplest tool like the mini X-9.

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I had not heard of Cocktail Audio before beginning work on this review, but my initial research into its X10 system piqued my interest. Cocktail Audio appears to be a subsidiary of Novatron, a Korean audio component company. The X10 system I reviewed was equipped with an internal 2TB hard drive and retails at $580. An extra $80 doubles the capacity to four terabytes. For reference, a 2TB drive will hold about 2,600 CDs stored in the uncompressed WAV format and approximately 30,000 CDs when compressed to 128k MP3 files.

Cocktail Audio describes the X10 as a HiFi Component & Music Streamer. CD Audio, LLC, the United States distributor, states that the X10 is "The Next Generation in CD Ripping." Both descriptions are accurate but do not fully describe the X10's capabilities. The X10 is a network audio player that has a slot-loading compact disc drive, an internal hard drive, and a 30-watt-per-channel stereo amplifier. All you have to add is a pair of speakers (it is designed for eight-ohm speakers), and you've got a complete digital music system that can play CDs, as well as locally stored music and network-streamed music files and Internet radio. That's a lot of functionality provided by the X10 for its $580 price point.

The price is not the only thing that is small about the X10. The device is also diminutive in size, measuring roughly seven inches wide, six inches deep, and four inches high. A 3.5-inch color LCD screen below the CD-loading slot dominates the glossy black front panel. A row of eight buttons on the top of the unit provides basic control functions, but the full-functioned remote is needed for full access to the X10's controls. Build quality seems to be a step above the mass-market mid-fi units that populate the big-box stores. The chassis' sides and top are made out of a fairly attractive matte-black plastic with silk-screened labeling on the top. The back panel is densely populated with numerous connectors, including spring-loaded speaker connections, two USB Type A and one USB Type B port, Ethernet, a Toslink audio output, and headphone and eighth-inch stereo jacks for line in and out. The rest of the small back panel is occupied by a power input for a cord that contains an inline power supply, a power switch, and a fan vent.

The included remote control is a fairly conventionally styled plastic unit with directional cursor buttons in the center. The buttons are small and not backlit, but they are clearly labeled. With regular use, it became apparent to me that their functionality had been well thought out.

CDs can be ripped into any of several formats chosen by the user. Those looking for maximum capacity can choose low-resolution MP3 files. Personally, I opted for FLAC, which offers full resolution with some space saving. The X10 system can handle audio files in the following formats: MP3, FLAC, WAV, WMA, M4A, AAC, OGG, PCM, M3U, and PLS, with resolutions up to 24-bit/96-kHz. The X10 can be connected to your network via the Ethernet port mentioned above or via an included WiFi antenna that plugs into one of the Type A USB ports. When connected to a network, the X10 can access Internet radio and the Simfy music streaming service (but not Spotify or Pandora), play music files from other servers on the network, or act as a server to other devices such as Sonos. The X10 is Samba- and UPnP-capable for network audio playback. A Web interface allows for control and editing of audio files and playlists when the X10 is connected to a network. Do not despair if you do cannot or simply do not want to connect the X10 to a network, as the USB ports allow for the import and export of audio files via external USB drives. The X10 even comes with the FreeDB database on CD (updates available) that can be loaded onto the unit so that the metadata can be accessed for CDs being ripped without an Internet connection.

In line with the X10's clock radio size, it has sleep and alarm functions, and the front display can even be configured to be an easily read clock.

The Hookup

The X10 is pretty much a standalone system, so my physical connections were limited to the speakers. I connected an Orb Audio Classic One speaker system. This system features a pair of passive, softball-sized spherical satellite speakers and a powered subwoofer. I used the included WiFi dongle to connect to my network and obtain Internet access, but you can easily use an Ethernet cable if you prefer.

The X10 comes with a setup wizard and a quick start guide that got me to ripping CDs onto the internal hard drive in just a few minutes. As I mentioned above, I selected the FLAC format for my ripped audio files.

When I added the X10 to my network, I inadvertently connected it to a secured portion of the network that had Internet access but could not access my main server. This made it frustrating to try to play music off my server: I could see that the X10 was on the network, but it could not access my server. Once I recognized the problem, which was no fault of the X10's, the fix was quick.

Click over to Page Two for Performance, The Downside, Comparison & Competition, and Conclusion.

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HTR Product Rating for Cocktail Audio X10 Music System

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Cocktail audio x10

and Apple App Store. Enjoy it for X12, X30, X40, X50,

N15, N15D and X35

X35 models to support MQA playback soon .

● 200Watts Class D amplifier built-in

● DSD is supported

for audiophiles who have already external DAC and Amplifier

● High quality USB Audio Class 2.0 Output

● I²S Out x 2(HDMI, RJ45)

● Full aluminum chassis with CNC cutting

● High performance USB DAC(Digital to Analog Converter)

● 2.5" HDD or SSD storage deck is ready

● Native DSD file playback

● 'Roon Ready' is supported

Server and more

● ES9018K2M Sabre³² Reference DAC built-in

● 5" TFT LCD on the front

● Native DSD file direct playback

● Phono Input for connecting turntable directly

CD Ripper and more

● 100Watts Class D amplifier built-in

● Recording with max 192Khz sampling rate

● 60Watts Class D amplifier built-in

● Supports Online Music Services like TIDAL, Deezer,

Cocktail Audio X10 (500GB) review

It’s hard to argue with a long feature list, and that’s what the Cocktail Audio X10 has; it’s a mini-jack-of-all-trades.

You can play CDs or rip them to its 500GB hard drive (a 1TB version is available for £20 more), stream and copy files from networked devices and listen to internet radio, too.

Two USB inputs allow you to play and copy music to and from other devices, while there are 3.5mm input and outputs, an optical digital out and headphone connection. You can also add an optional wireless dongle or connect via Ethernet.A doddle to set up and useThe X10 is a compact, lightweight chunk of kit and looks smart enough. A bright colour (non-touchscreen) display offers quick access to the device’s key areas.

It’s simple, clear and easy to read, but the remote is less so, cramming in a wealth of buttons and text. It does the job, though.

Once hooked up, we could instantly see folders, files, track names and file formats on our XiVA musicm8 NAS drive, and a couple of button presses later they were on the X10. Flexible format supportApple Lossless, AAC, FLAC, MP3 and WAV files are supported for playback, as well as 24-bit high-resolution audio. You can rip tracks in a choice of formats and bitrates, too, with FLAC, MP3, OGG and WAV all on the menu, although it's worth noting that the X10 won't rip in Apple Lossless, but it will play any files in that format.

More after the break

The hard disk does make a fair amount of noise when ripping – we had our fingers in our ears for around four minutes for a whole album ripped as WAV files – and you can feel it vibrating throughout, which can’t be too good for sound quality.

Add a pair of £180 Dali Zensors (we didn’t think much of the budget, optional speakers) and a WAV file of Friendly Fires’ Hurting sounded clear, fast and reasonably detailed.

Bass notes were a little soft and treble notes sometimes took on a harsh edge, however – the best micro/dock systems about will sound better.

But then a regular micro or dock system won’t do anywhere as much as the X10. Incredibly versatile and convenient, and a doddle to use, it’s just a shame it’s not a little more able sonically.

Cocktail audio x10

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Cocktail Audio X40 Music Server

Over the past few years, the vast majority of my music purchases -- and I’m not alone in this -- have been of downloadable files rather than discs. Nonetheless, I still have a substantial collection of discs that I continue to listen to. On the home-theater side, most audio/video receivers now include the ability to play music files -- including high-resolution FLACs and, in some cases, DSD files -- from USB keys and network storage devices. Two-channel integrated amplifiers and receivers still, generally, eschew such features. Thus, connected to my amplifier are a disc player and a computer.

Designers of music servers are now combining these functions in a single source component that can handle both file- and disc-based digital music. In 2012, I reviewed a music server from Autonomic Controls and was less than impressed, especially at the price. In fact, I remained unconvinced of the usefulness of the product category. The competition, or more accurately the baseline of comparison, is not simply other audio components of the category, but a computer. To replace a computer, a music server must be able to play all relevant formats, quickly, and get out of the way, and do all of this more elegantly than a computer. And the sound quality needs to be more than an afterthought.

Over the past few years, Korea’s Novatron has released four music servers under the brand name Cocktail Audio: the X10, X12, X30, and X40. They share a core of features, particularly those related to ripping and organizing music, along with an interface for playback, a headphone output, lines in and out, Ethernet connectivity, and USB host ports. However, the feature sets vary with the price.

The X10, starting at $580 USD (with 2TB hard drive), is a compact component measuring 7”W x 3.9”H x 5.9”D with a 3.5” screen, a CD drive, a ripper, a music database, a hard-drive caddy, USB and network playback, and Internet Radio based on Reciva’s system. It also has an optical output capped at 24-bit/96kHz, a headphone amp, and a power-amp with speaker spring clamps that outputs 30Wpc into 8 ohms.

The X12 ($699), the same size as the X10, upgrades that model’s spring-clamps to binding posts, bumps the screen size to 4.3”, replaces a fan with passive cooling, and can pass 24/192 PCM from its optical or coaxial outputs, or decode it with its Cirrus Logic CS4351 DAC.

The X30 ($1695), a full-size audio component at 17”W x 3.9”H x 12.7”D, received much praise at its launch. It has a 5” screen, the ubiquitous Burr-Brown PCM1792A DAC, an FM tuner, optical and coaxial inputs, the addition of an AES/EBU digital output, HDMI output for its graphical user interface (GUI), and an increase in amplification to 50Wpc.

New in 2014, the X40 ($2695), which is the same size as the X30, is marketed as a true audiophile component that can play DSD64/128/256/DXD and PCM up to 32/384, and that boasts a Sabre ES9018K2M DAC, a moving-magnet phono stage, and balanced analog outputs on XLR connectors. In contrast to its less-expensive siblings, the X40 has no built-in amplification.

My review sample of the X40 arrived in a cloth bag and double-boxed. Included were a remote control, a power cord, an FM antenna lead, and a data disc containing a copy of FreeDB, software for tagging the contents of CDs ripped when offline. (When connected to the Internet, the X40 will directly consult the online version of FreeDB.) What I first noticed as I set up the X40 was how nice it looked -- its 12mm-thick faceplate of brushed aluminum exuded quality. Also on the front are a slot-loading CD-ROM drive, a headphone jack, a USB Type A port, a 3.5mm Auxiliary input, an On/Standby button, and buttons for menu navigation: Input, Return, Stop, Menu. At either end of the front panel is a 1.5”-wide knob: Mute/Volume on the left, and OK/Pause/Scroll on the right; the knobs turn smoothly, with detents. To the right of the disc slot is the 5” LCD screen, with a resolution of 800x480 pixels.

On the rear panel are the phono ground, the power-supply switch, and the grounded IEC connector. The power supply is rated for 80W, similar to what one finds in small-form-factor computers. The balanced (XLR) and unbalanced (RCA) analog audio outputs are widely spaced -- I had to peel back the molding of my unbalanced interconnects to separate the ends. The digital outs comprise TosLink, coaxial, and AES/EBU (XLR). There are TosLink and coaxial digital inputs, a moving-magnet phono input, and an analog line in. All RCA connectors and XLR pins are gold plated. The FM antenna connector is of the push-in rather than screw-in type, so I had to adapt the screw-terminal lead of my Fanfare antenna. An HDMI video output is provided, but this is for only a larger screen display; it does not pass along audio signals. The X40’s GUI can be displayed on its front panel or on an external TV, not on both simultaneously. Unfortunately, every time I tried to toggle to display on my television, the X40 froze -- or so I thought. It turned out that the X40 was just very slow: 46 seconds to switch to sending a 720p signal via HDMI, and 62 seconds to switch back. For most of my listening, I used the front-panel display.

The X40 connects to a network via a gigabit Ethernet port or optional Wi-Fi USB adapter; I plugged the Ethernet into a nearby 100-megabit switch, which proved fast enough for playback from my Synology networked-attached storage (NAS), but I swapped in a gigabit switch for transfers of larger clumps of data (e.g., entire albums). The X40 can serve as an UPnP media server and renderer. I was able to access and mount as read-only the X40’s Music Database share, which contains the music files, by simply accessing the Uniform Naming Convention (UNC) \\X40 in Windows. As it is read-only, a way to load music (such as eClassical downloads) is to mount the X40’s My Recordings folder (which is writable) and copy the music there. The X40’s Import function copies from storage to the Music Database. In my setup, I download to my PC’s hard drive and run Microsoft’s SyncToy to push new music files to a “music” share on my NAS. I also have this action set to run weekly in Windows Task Scheduler. (In Linux, one can similarly set up rsync and crontab.) I then pushed files to the X40 from my NAS and imported them to the Music Database for playback. It’s a roundabout procedure, but it worked.

The rear panel has two USB Type A host ports and a hard-drive caddy for connecting storage. The caddy supports 3.5", 2.5", and SSD drives with SATA data and power connectors, much as in a laptop computer. The X40’s bottom plate is vented; it has no fans. The only noise is the occasional sound of the hard drive seeking from the Seagate SATA 400GB DB35.3, which StorageReview.com has rated in the middle of the range for idle noise, at around 40dB. While I could hear the X40’s hard drive from across the room -- it added 2dB to my room’s level of noise, as measured at my listening chair with Smart Tools’ Sound Meter for Android -- the noise was not distracting when playing back music.

The X40’s innards consist of a MIPS 700MHz processor, LG Super Multi DVD Writer GA50 (slot loading), a variety of custom PC boards, and a toroidal power supply that would be more at home in an audio component than a computer. All in all, Cocktail Audio’s X40 is a well-put-together component that offers the user plenty of flexibility in use.

The X40 is a complex device, but I got started with it without too much trouble. I began by plugging in its power cord and Ethernet cable, and connecting its unbalanced analog output to my NAD C 356BEE integrated amp. Eventually, more for testing than for daily use, I added connections for digital in/out and my turntable. As delivered, the X40 could serve as one’s sole digital source, with the caveat that it can’t support high-resolution discs, such as DVD-Audio or the DSD layers of SACDs. Unlike with some solutions, you don’t have to connect the X40 to an external display or control it with a mobile device or PC. In fact, the X40 could be used in a computer-free household -- just add amp and speakers.

The boot-up process took about a minute, during which the X40 displays an image of a martini glass, as a reminder that it’s made by Cocktail Audio. Given that this boot time is much longer than that of any of my recent computers, I tested how much power the X40 would use if I left it on at all times, and whether leaving it in Standby or Sleep would shorten the startup time. According to a Kill-a-Watt, the X40 used no power in Standby or Sleep but between 14 and 20W when on, depending on whether the disc drive was active. Startup from Sleep still took a minute. Given its thirst for juice, I decided that I could wait a minute for the X40 to boot.

When the X40 is ready, its screen displays icons for Setup, Music DB, Playlist, i-Service, CD Play/Rip (grayed out if no disc is inserted), FM Radio, Browser, and Input. i-Service accesses the three Internet streaming services -- Reciva, Simfy, and Qobuz -- while Input switches among the digital inputs, phono in, and analog line in. As measured with Audacity’s Contrast routine, the built-in phono stage has a relatively high noise floor. I wanted to compare the X40’s built-in phono stage to my Cambridge Audio Azur 540P phono preamplifier, but when I connected the Azur to the X40’s analog line input, I heard nothing. Connecting a CD player, SACD player, or tuner also produced no sound -- clearly, the analog line input was not working. Browser accesses the Recordings folder on the X40’s internal hard drive (i.e., recordings made from FM radio and the various inputs, not ripped music), connected USB devices, network shares, and UPnP servers. My Synology DS211j NAS had both Samba and DLNA servers running, but the X40 was able to connect only to the DLNA; I was able to connect to the Samba server via Android, ChromeOS, Linux, and Windows devices.

To load the Music DB, I inserted Anat Cohen’s Notes from the Village (CD, Anzic ANZ-1302) and was presented with a list of the disc’s tracks. At that point one can play the album or, by pressing Menu, rip it to Music DB. I’d previously, in the Setup menu, set the X40’s default ripping format to FLAC; other choices are WAV, MP3, OGG, and ALAC. The X40 took 9:29 to rip and compress the CD -- much slower than the 2:21 it took Exact Audio Copy to rip and compress to FLAC on my computer. Nonetheless, ripping on the X40 is very simple and straightforward. Music can also be imported from the internal hard drive (such as recordings from the FM tuner or turntable), USB (flash drive, or self- or bus-powered hard drive), or CD-ROM. Importing from a UPnP source is not supported. I was able to import a FLAC rip of Patricia Kaas’s Tour de Charme (16/44.1 FLAC, Sony) from a bus-powered USB hard drive in just under two minutes. Importing across the network would be a very useful feature to include in a software update. As it is, one would need to copy files to \\X40\LocalStorages\hdd1\My Recording, then import them to the X40’s local hard drive. Having the X40 suck files in from a NAS would be more convenient.

Backup, too, was slow. I did a full backup of the 187GB stored on the X40’s internal hard drive to a USB hard drive using the Cocktail’s backup utility, and it took 28 hours, 39 minutes (the front panel includes a timer) -- a rate of 1.81MB/s when USB 2.0 can, in theory, transfer at 60MB/s. I popped out the X40’s internal drive and connected it to my Windows computer using the same Vantec USB 2.0 drive adapter, and transferred data at 24MB/s; hooking up a SATA cable would be even faster. Fortunately, the X40 uses a standard file system that both Windows and Linux can read, and lists files by album and track title. I recommend performing backups using a computer. One could even map the X40’s Music DB share to a drive letter and schedule a backup task -- in Windows, I like SyncToy for this -- to copy over the network. Still, over a 100mbps network, it was relatively slow at 4.8MB/s.

The X40 offers several ways to browse music that have been loaded into the database. While falling short of the multiplicity of choices SoundStage!’s Vade Forrester enjoyed with the Digibit Aria, what the X40 provides will meet most users’ needs. The eight browse options for the music database, called Display Modes, are selectable in Setup: Track Title, Album, Artist/Track, Artist/Album, Genre/Track, Genre/Album, Composer/Track, Composer/Album. The Composer option -- not found in all such products -- is especially helpful for browsing recordings of classical music. Of course, the organization is only as good as the metadata, which relies on FreeDB and manual changes made by the user. These edits to the tags -- title, artist, album, composer, year, genre -- can easily be made on the X40 itself by connecting a USB keyboard.

One problem I’ve always had with music servers is their scalability: It’s easy to manage a few albums, but how well does a server deal with hundreds? By offering a variety of browsing mechanisms, the X40 scales fairly well, showing eight items per screen and scrolling fluidly -- but there’s no way around the fact that large collections will require a lot of scrolling. For such collections, controlling from an iOS, Android, or Web app is a good choice. Cocktail recommends PlugPlayer for iOS, and PlugPlayer or BubbleUPnP for Android. The X40’s built-in Web server provides a Web-based interface with the media library. Then the user can browse, search, and filter the list by Track Title, Artist, Album, and Genre -- and, surprisingly, by Track Number, Year, Time (duration), and Bitrate. Cocktail Audio, if you’re reading this: Composer, format, and sample-rate fields would also be useful. When a track has been found, a menu button brings up several options, including start play, add to queue, add to a playlist, edit tags, and trigger filters, to find tracks that match the selected track’s artist, album, genre, or composer. I often built a queue or playlist from my Chromebook, then switched to the X40’s infrared remote to control playback.

The X40 is a new product, but with the X30 Cocktail has established a good track record for issuing firmware updates, with three releases in the last year for fixes and enhancements. This is essential -- a product with so many features is bound to have problems that need to be addressed. If you’ve ever spent any time reviewing the changelog notes in firmware, OS, or software updates, among the most common are “stability improvements” -- boring but essential. While the X40 was rock solid during playback, there were several scenarios in which it would freeze, mainly while I was navigating the menu and/or switching out of playback.

For example, after playing a 16/44.1 FLAC album for half an hour from my NAS, connected by Ethernet over a 100Mbps network, I pressed Stop on the X40’s remote to switch to another album. The X40 promptly froze, and its screen blanked out to a dull gray -- but the playback did stop. Other buttons, of Cancel, Back, and Power, had no impact, whether pressed on the remote or on the front panel. After several minutes of waiting, the only escape was to turn off the X40 using its rear-panel power switch, which can’t be good for the internal hard drive. I experienced the same problem when stopping Internet Radio playback, though sometimes it was merely slow -- it took ten seconds to halt music playback from Naim Records’ Internet station. Controlling playback off of the local hard drive was always responsive.

Using the Cocktail X40’s digital output, I was able to compare its Sabre ES9018K2M DAC with the Cirrus Logic CS4398 DAC in my integrated amp. This was my first experience with the Sabre chip, but I’d been impressed with Sabre’s ES9023, used in the Resonessence Concero DAC. The X40’s digital output can be set to resample signals of any resolution up to 192kHz or pass it along. I selected pass-through, which includes DSD -- which, like many DACs, my amp’s DAC doesn’t support. Another useful option would be to distinguish PCM from DSD: “Pass-through PCM and convert DSD to 192kHz PCM.” My Sony BDP-S590 BD player uses a similar logic. When I listened to the Quartetto Italiano’s recording of Schubert’s last four string quartets (16/44.1 FLAC, Philips), the X40 offered greater clarity and a sense of a third dimension to the soundstage. Although there was less punch in the forte passages, there was greater control and separation. Switching to the digital output stripped the far left and right extensions from the soundstage. The tonalities of the violins, viola, and cello also became less distinct. Only when I switched back to the Cocktail’s Sabre was I able to be sure that the Quartetto Italiano was using mutes in these performances. Each step higher in Cocktail’s product line provides a better DAC, and part of what one pays for with the X40 is its quality of digital-to-analog conversion. And remember, it was listening through the X40’s unbalanced outputs that so pleased me. The X40 also provides balanced outputs, for those with amps that can accommodate it.

With hi-rez recordings, such as guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli’s Swing Live (24/96 FLAC, Chesky), the X40 presented a precise image of an ensemble arrayed across a live stage. Peter Appleyard’s vibraphone resonated musically in “Lester Leaps In,” with a natural rate of decay following each stroke. Throughout the album, the solos were handed off fluidly. The X40 exuded clarity, detail, and precision, all while maintaining a tone that was neither too bright nor too warm. This was particularly evident with clarinetist Allen Vanche’s stratosphere-scraping solos and the well-controlled patterns of Bernard Purdie’s tom-toms. Throughout, this recording was rendered in an engaging manner; the advantages of hi-rez recordings were unmistakable.

Listening to Tor Espen Aspaas’s recording of Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No.32, Op.111 (DFF/DSD64, 2L), and using the X40’s built-in DAC in both cases, level matched on my easy-to-drive Grado SR80 headphones, the X40’s headphone output, while quite powerful, was less crisp and well defined than the headphone amp built into my NAD integrated amp. Each keystroke had a bit of haze and sounded less lifelike, particularly in the midrange, which sounded plasticky; and in the low range, the X40 boomed. The NAD delivered somewhat more dynamic range -- the X40 was never able to get down to “dead quiet.” At the end of each track or album or playlist, an annoying click was audible through headphones directly connected to the X40, though I never heard this through speakers or an external headphone amp. While the X40’s headphone amp is serviceable, the X40 should be paired with an external headphone amp.

Despite the few problems described above, I was, on the whole, very impressed with the Cocktail Audio X40. This was the first music server I’d encountered that convinced me of the usefulness of this product category. In the X40, Cocktail has paired the ease of use of an audio component with the scalability of a computer. The X40’s GUI and display work well for pulling together collections of files from various sources -- rips and downloads, local or on the network -- and it can play directly from a CD, FM radio, or a connected turntable. I’ve never seriously considered ripping all my CDs -- it would be a big project -- but with the advantages in organization of the X40’s Music DB, I’d likely do so if I owned one. In the X40, one gets a ripper, a server, a renderer, a tuner of both Internet and FM radio, and an excellent DAC, all tied together with a well-thought-out user interface. What’s not to like about that?

Speakers -- Wharfedale Diamond 8.2, PowerCube 10 subwoofer
Headphones -- Grado SR80
Analog sources -- Goldring GR1 turntable, Rega Research RB100 tonearm, Goldring Elektra cartridge; Cambridge Audio Azur 540P phono preamplifier; Sangean HDT-1 tuner
Digital sources -- Music Hall MMF CD-25 CD player; Pioneer DV-563A DVD/SACD/CD player; Sony BDP-S590 BD player; Roku XDS; Intel H61 desktop (2.6GHz, 8GB RAM, Crucial SSD) running Windows 8.1 Professional (64-bit), foobar2000, with Realtek ALC887 DAC/optical output (WASAPI/ALSA drivers); Synology DS211j SMB/DLNA server
Amplifier -- NAD C 356BEE with MDC DAC2
Antenna -- Fanfare FM-2G
Television -- Panasonic TC-P50S30
Remotes -- Logitech Harmony Smart Control; Samsung Galaxy Player 5 (Android 2.3); Asus Nexus 7 (Android 5)
Power conditioner -- APC Line-R LE1200

Cocktail Audio X40 Music Server

Warranty: Two years parts and labor.

Novatron Co., Ltd.

Room 1607, 13 Heungdeok 1-ro, Giheung-gu, Yongin-si

Phone: +82 31-898-8401

Fax: +82 31-898-8413

Audio Plus Services

156 Lawrence Paquette Industrial Drive

Champlain, NY 12919

Phone: (800) 663-9352, (450) 585-0098

Fax: (866) 656-0686

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Cocktail Audio PRO X100

High Resolution Digital Streamer, NAS and Ripper with DSD/DXD Playback.

вЂў Cocktail Audio Pro X100 can be customised

вЂў HDD/SSD: Currently supports 500GB вЂ“ 10TB

вЂў Built-in SSD boot drive 128GB plus hard drive choice

вЂў 8GB RAM Edition

вЂў 64 Bit Operating System Handler

вЂў ROON Ready & Server Edition

вЂў Intel T-D Quad Core CPU 2.0Ghz

вЂў Auto tags all ripped CDs including album cover arts

вЂў Private cloud based online music metadata service

вЂў Share files via streaming protocols like SMB, NFS, UPNP, Airplay, DLNA вЂ¦

вЂў Indexes through Squeezebox Server integration

вЂў Media server for video, audio and picture streaming

вЂў Sonos module for easy configuration

вЂў Fanless design for silent operation

вЂў Multitasking web interface

вЂў Easy backup mechanism with fast incremental

вЂў USB Audio interface (asynchronous output)

вЂў Grade 32bit/384KHz and DSD music player

вЂў Adaptable technology and firmware updateable

вЂў No delayed background conversions

вЂў Open editable database вЂ“ stable structure

вЂў Music library mirroring option

вЂў Minim Server , MPD, Squeezelite, HQPlayer Network Audio Adapter .

вЂў Shairport, Plex Media Server,BubbleUPnP Server .

вЂў Multiroom network playback

вЂў Power efficient & much more .

1. Evolving from the revolution:

The current cocktail audio models have been good but lacks that touch of satisfying the astute music lover in an all round style.

We have stripped ineffective elements to make room for the essential features based on the current trend(s).

Due to the emerging market of high resolution acoustics, the act of handling digital audio must be without distortion regardless of the device.

This is the reason for the Cocktail Audio Pro X100; which merges CD ripping, Network Attached Storage (NAS) and multi media streaming with in an open platform.

As a result supports most audio devices and can cope with a hefty digital library, such as music, videos and images.

The X100 stores (rips) thousands of CDs in lossless FLAC, retrieves the album art and metadata automatically without the need for background conversion. X100 supports 32 bit/384 KHz HD audio and DSD music player with flawless audio output through USB interface, streaming services, numerous internet radio services and much more.

Whether using a high-end or typical audio system, the output on the Cocktail Audio Pro X100 will emerge flawlessly with no audible limitations or misrepresentation.

2. Auto CD ripping & tag with album cover art:

Insert a CD and the Cocktail Audio Pro X100 will convert the songs into lossless FLAC, embed the metadata (tag), add the correct album cover art, fingerprints and ejects the CD.

3. Ripping engine & error checking:

The ripping mechanism reads each track several times (at least twice) compares and ensures accuracy.

The algorithm checks the data before incorporating the latest cloud based technology with fingerprinting for optimal CD tagging and album cover art retrieval.

4. No background conversion on the Cocktail Audio Pro X100:

5. Open file (db) structure:

The database structure and directories on the Cocktail Audio Pro X100, can be edited, deleted, moved & tagged from any compatible program.

This gives the user full control on how the media is вЂ˜exhibitedвЂ™.

6. Fast loading optical drive & abort feature:

The Cocktail Audio Pro X100 is able to abort ripping amidst session with a single torch or click and reload. The disc drive has an enhanced optical lens and rips faster.

7. Network shares for Sonos, Airplay & other devices:

With the range of supported protocols, it is easier to configure the X100 with many devices.

The X100 can be networked in various locations at your home via protocols like UPnP / DLNA / Airplay.

There are Apps on the Cocktail Audio Pro X100 to easily configure devices like Sonos, wireless solution devices and so forth.

The Cocktail Audio Pro X100 can be a вЂ˜clientвЂ™ or a вЂ˜serverвЂ™ on a network. The X100 connects through a Gigabit (10/100/1000 Mbps) via an Ethernet cable.

8. Fan less design, power efficient & less noise.

Cocktail Audio Pro X100 is an exceptional and considerably more powerful all-rounded multimedia entertainment centre: for ripping, storing and great for playing back all your media from one device via a user-friendly web interface.

The usual level of noise that emanates from many media players is unwanted.

We have built the X100 without the whirring fans and masked the crunching hard disks noises for usersвЂ™ that intend to run the X100 around the clock as a server.

The X100 has integrated heat-sinks for passive cooling that minimises noises and heat.

Power consumption is vital: the X100 incorporates вЂ˜lowвЂ™ power parts which generate less heat and thus require less cooling.

The X100 remains quiet during operation and blends in with any living space.

9. Network Attached Storage (NAS) :

Building a centralised storage for your media on the X100 is more stable than any of the other Cocktail Audio models. The X100 allows you to share media files between several devices such as TV, computers, wireless speakers, high-end audio devices and much more.

The added benefit is that many servers can be setup to mirror media files and also stream other media types like photos and video.

10. Stream additional media types:

The Cocktail Audio Pro (X100) enables users' to stream video, audio & imagesвЂ¦

There is no limit to how many viewers can stream and the device is more stable & features many more preferences. Stream via apple TV, media boxes, tablets, smart phones, laptops and so forth.

11. Private Cloud based metadata service

The metadata service is privately supported, updated & catered for by our technical team. We also support Picard (program to submit cd metadata); therefore users can easily submit CD information / metadata. PicardвЂ™s service will update our metadata service too.

Having a private metadata service means less reliant of inaccurate CD metadata, as well as the need to tag or retag albums unnecessarily. Users' can contact us on metadata issues, unlike other services used by similar devices.

12. Customised web Interface/ Controller

What makes our newest web interface better is the capability to multitask.

The web interface doesnвЂ™t lock up during ripping or require verification between ripped folders (songs) or any simulated sql file structure (Music DB).

The web interfaces allow usersвЂ™ to control and interact with the Cocktail Audio Pro X100 through a web browser.

The X100вЂ˜s web interface enables the usersвЂ™ to add and remove features which makes it ideal for users' that might wish to customise in accordance with their controllers.

The web interface can be used as a remote control, library management, visual feedback, app & device manager and much more.

The web interface is intuitive, light and quick to load.

Any device with a web browser can access the web interface, such as a smart phone, tablet, notebook, computer etc.

13. Backup (Incremental & Fast)

The next backup will add the newer files as well as any added changes.

The added interface of USB 3 provides realistic and a faster transfer rates of around 4.8 Gbits/s with a full duplex data rate.

The support for USB audio interface over TOSLINK or Coax SPDIF DAC means:

USB DACs maintains a two-way communication and sends supported resolutions to the Cocktail Audio Pro X100.

Other audio interfaces do not report information about the driven devices.

An asynchronous USB DAC can control the data flow from the driving device whilst other DACs might require complex circuitry to minimise jitters.

Some USB DACs can be powered from the USB post/host, hence no additional power is required.

Note: End users with M-Dacs might need to swap from USB to SPDIF/TOSLINK or vise versa. This is due to some MDacs unstable & older firmware/USB ports. SPDIF will still play High Res files.

15. Firmware Updates/ Optional Software (add-ons):

To check out the latest improvements, just click the ‘update option’ via the web interface.В

At Cocktail Audio UK we heed and empathise with our users’ concerns and will endeavour to meet all pertinent requirements.

Users' can also install additional software/apps via the web interface.

Extra features and add-ons can be requested by email or by visiting our UK forum

16. Integrated Squeezebox Centre:

The Squeezebox Server is customisable and has a great community supported by Cocktail Audio too.

Have control of your music with various music services, international radio services and much more.

Squeeze network - an online service that makes it easy to access/configure the Internet radio stations and music services.

Sign up for free and get connected via your Cocktail Audio Pro X100.

The world of music a click or touch away

High resolution encoding support for high quality sound experience

Add more add-ons & plug-ins

Squeezebox radio all-in-one

Favourite tracks

Sync with iTunes

Intuitive menus

Much more вЂ¦

There are over 50 thousand plus world internet radios, podcasts & multiple streaming services such as BBC iplayer/radio, Spotify, Deezer, Qobuz, TuneIn, YouTube, ROON etc

18. ROON Ready & Server:

Roon Labs audiophile music service has now been integrated with the Cocktail Audio Pro X100.

Roon categorises indexes & identifies your repertoire on your local and streaming services.

Roon then delves into the whirlpool of stats, data, links, reviews, metadata and much-much more to build a digital glossy for your music.

Roon is one of the best musical tools for managing music libraries and has a comprehensive structure.

The integration with Tidal & Tidal library means that whatever size your collection there is something for any audiophile.

Both вЂ˜Roon serverвЂ™ and вЂ˜Roon readyвЂ™ runs on the Cocktail Audio Pro X100 allowing direct playback of Roon music using the Roon App.

A Roon Server utilises the streaming services in conjunction with Roon services and or Roon remote.

This will provide control and functionality with fewer resources.

The Roon Ready feature customises and embeds the Pro X100 for streaming via the Roon service - certified by Roon Labs or approved partners.

Roon takes your collection to a whole new level.

A Roon service requires membership & there is also a free trial.

Check out what's so great about ROON

NB:Ensure your device is configured (inc spec) to RUN the ROON service better.

19. SSD Boot Drive + HDD/SSD:В 500GB вЂ“ 10TB:

Each Pro X100 has a solid state boot drive (128 GB) that holds the system software and handles all processing, thus the device simply grabs the media from the main drive or the chosen media hard drive with ease.В The Pro X100 has a better performance, quick boot up and is more reliable.

The Cocktail Audio Pro X100 supports up to 10TB SATA HDDs (Hard Disk Drives/Solid State Drives).

152-178 Kingston Road

New Malden, Surrey KT3 3ST

Sales : +44 (0)208 942 7575

Tel: +44 (0)208 942 01 11

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Cocktail Audioв„ў is a Registered Trademark

Performance

Powering up the X10 takes a little over a minute, which can seem like an extremely long time for those who are used to modern, solid-state stereo systems. Once the X10 is booted up, the home screen comes up, which has six icons arranged in two rows of three. The icons are Music DB, Playlist, iService, CD Player/Rip, Browser, and Setup. Using the directional keys on the remote, I selected the iService icon that contains the Internet radio services. The X10 can also be controlled by via Web browser, which I used with ease on both a laptop and iPad.

The X10 comes with the Reciva Internet radio platform and the Simfy service built in, which are located in the iService section. Simfy requires an account that I did not have set up, so I started with Reciva. Reciva is said to have over 20,000 Internet stations, which is easy to believe once you start exploring your listening options. Genres and geographical areas sort stations. I had no problems searching stations and finding lots of decent music to listen to. The X10 even allows recording of Internet radio, in case you find something new you would like to listen to again. If there is a particular radio show that you would like to hear, you can set the X10 to record it. This feature made me think of my father-in-law: there are a few radio shows that he loves, and this would let him listen to these shows (assuming they are on one of the 20,000-plus internet radio channels) without having to worry about any scheduling concerns.

Sound quality of the Reciva stations varied from downright terrible to comparable with a higher-resolution MP3 file, with most stations on the better side of the spectrum. Most of the stations I found myself listening to had audio quality that was more than passable for background or casual listening, even if not up to audiophile standards.

Ripping discs onto the X10 was painless. Insert the CD into the slot on the front panel, and select the CD Player/Rip icon to play the disc. Pressing the Rip button on the remote pulls up the Ripping Option window, which provides the available format options. I stayed with FLAC, which was pre-selected from my prior setup. The metadata window pops up from the FreeDB website. The data was generally okay, except the year comes up as 9999 and the genre needs to be filled in. Moving the cursor to select disc image results in a pop-up menu with the option to get the cover art from different sources, including local storage and Google. I used Google with success each time. Once the X10 is done ripping the disc, a message pops up letting you know that the rip was successful.

Listening to music--whether it's directly from a disc, from the internal hard drive, or from a UPnP-capable network drive--involves selecting the source, then searching for the music you want to hear. The X10 allows you to configure how the music information is sorted and displayed. Once the desired music is selected, it starts playing within a couple of seconds, and you can continue browsing your music collection to figure out what you want to listen to next.

This is the portion of the review where I typically discuss the nuances of the sound quality of the component. To be honest, the X10's sound quality is fine but not spectacular. What makes this product so interesting is that it is a self-contained CD-ripping device with built-in storage, streaming, and Internet radio capabilities. Those seeking an audiophile experience should utilize the optical digital audio output to feed the content to their favorite DAC-equipped stereo system.

The X10 also allows for the importing, copying, editing, and converting of music files. Playlists can be created on the unit via the remote or Web browser, and the browser interface makes it easier to see a larger portion of the available tracks or playlists. Manipulating the playlists was not as easy as with Sonos or JRemote, but hopefully this can be refined with future versions.

The X10's user interface is effective but not particularly intuitive. The development of a control app that can be run on your smartphone or tablet might be able to rectify this. Some tweaks to the user interface and a well-designed control app would make the X10 a lot more inviting.

While the X10 has network and Internet music capabilities, it does not have any of the popular streaming services, such as Pandora, Beats, or Spotify. These services can easily be incorporated via a smartphone or tablet, but that device will need to be connected through the auxiliary input, as there is no Bluetooth or AirPlay connectivity.

I know that the X10 is about convenience, ease of use, and affordability, not about audiophile sound quality; so, my sound-quality observations should be considered in that context. The non-defeatable EQ and 24/96 resolution limit may pose a legitimate concern if you are looking for an audiophile-grade digital music system, but they were not a limitation for casual listening. The X10's internal amplifier and DAC worked perfectly fine with easy-to-drive speakers and non-critical listening, but they have their limits, which need to be considered. While the X10 did a fine job driving the Orb Audio speakers, it struggled with the hard-to-drive B&W 805 Diamonds and the MartinLogan Summits. It did successfully drive an older pair of Canton Ergo desktop speakers. I tried the X10's line-level analog outputs as a source to my reference system, and bypassing the internal amplifier made a definite improvement in sound quality. The X10 was still limited by its internal DAC, which did not provide the detail or linearity provided by any of the standalone DACs I had on hand. I was able to circumvent this by using the digital output to feed my DAC. In short, the X10 has its sonic limitations as a standalone device, but you can raise the performance level by using it as a source and connecting it to an external system.

Comparison and Competition

The product lines with functionality similar to the X10 include Olive and ReQuest. Both the Olive and ReQuest current product lines appear to be more refined and capable, but they are also more expensive. It's worth noting that Cocktail Audio plans to release higher-end units (the X12, X30, and X40) that will provide more direct competition to the Olive and ReQuest products. The top-shelf X40 will support DSD64, DSD128, and DXD (24/352.8), as well as HD FLAC (24/192), HD WAV (24/192), and the normal WAV, FLAC, ALAC, AIFF, AIF, and AAC formats.

The X10 is a great way to listen to your CD collection without the hassle of actually having to use the physical discs or a computer. With the X10, you can quickly and easily import the music off of your discs or from another hard drive so that all of your music is stored on the pint-sized X10. With a little bit of use, I was able to quickly navigate my way through the X10 to find the music I wanted to play, whether it was on disc, the internal drive, somewhere on the network, or on Internet radio. The X10 has a wide array of options to edit metadata and manage your audio files, which also makes it not just a convenient standalone music system or source to a more ambitious system, but an easy way to get music off of your discs and onto hard drives that can then be used any way you would like.

All in all, the X10 makes it easy to load and listen to CDs. Simply add a pair of speakers, and you can be up and running a few minutes after opening the box. It would make a great self-contained bedroom or office system. If you are looking for more refined sound or have more difficult-to-drive speakers, the X10's digital output allows it serve as a source for the vast majority of available audio files. The fact that the X10 does this at such an affordable price makes it that much more attractive.

HTR Product Rating for Cocktail Audio X10 Music System

Disagree with our product rating? Email us and tell us why you think this product should receive a higher rating.

Cocktail Audio X10 Manual

Related Manuals for Cocktail Audio X10

Summary of Contents for Cocktail Audio X10

Page 2: Table Of Contents

Page 3: Table Of Contents

Page 4: Table Of Contents

Page 5: Table Of Contents

Page 6: Table Of Contents

Page 7: Important Safety Instructions

Important safety instructions For your own safety, please read the following important safety instructions carefully before attempting to connect this unit to the main power supply. They will enable you to get the best performance from the unit. 1.Read the instructions. 2.Keep the instructions.

NOTE: THE MANUFACTURER IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY RADIO OR TV INTERFERENCE CAUSED BY UNAUTHORIZED MODIFICATIONS TO THIS EQUIPMENT. SUCH MODIFICATIONS COULD VOID THE USER AUTHORITY TO OPERATE THE EQUIPMENT. This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules.

Page 9: Product Overview

1. Product overview 1-1. Top view ① Up arrow: Move cursor to upper side. (Volume Up on the playing screen) ② Down arrow : Move cursor to down side. (Volume Down on the playing screen) ③ Left arrow : Move cursor to left side. (Previous song on the playing screen) ④.

Page 10: Rear View

1-3. Rear view ① Power(24V/3.5A) : AC adapter socket ② Speaker connector : Connect a passive speaker ③ Headphone : Connect headphone ④ Line Out : Connect to amplifier with a good quality interconnect cable. ⑤ Line In(AUX In) : Connect to tuner or turntable with a good quality cable ⑥.

1-4. View of Remote Controller and each key’s function POWER : Power ON/OFF HOME : Go to home screen SEARCH : Pop up search menu Alphanumeric : Enter number & alphabet/ Seek at Playing Screen mode NOW PLAYING : Go to Playing Screen STOP : Stop playing MENU : Popup menu ARROW : Move cursor to upper side.

Page 12: Prepare

2. Prepare 2-1. Check the contents of X10 package ①Remote controller + AAA batteries x 2EA ②USB cable ③AC adapter ④Power cord ⑤Manual ⑥FreeDB data DVD 2-2. Install AAA batteries into the remote control. Open the battery door and insert the batteries.

Page 13: Optional Items

2-3. Optional items If you purchased optional items like passive loudspeaker(CAP10) and WiFi USB dongle, please check below contents 2-3-1. Passive speaker(CAP10) 1 Speaker units 2 Speaker cable 3 Manual 2-3-2. WiFi USB dongle 801.11b/g/n WiFi USB dongle.

Page 14: Purchased X10 Without Hard Disk, Hdd Format

2-4. Purchased X10 without hard disk. You need a 3.5” SATA hard disk and install it into the X10 like below picture and format it. For formatting of the installed HDD into X10, please refer to the 5-6-7. HDD format.

Page 15: Necessary Connection, The Specification Of X10 Amplifier

Connect a loudspeaker to the speaker connectors, and then connect AC adapter to the X10 like the picture below and switch ON the X10. 【 TIP ① 】 When you connect to a loudspeaker, make sure the X10 is NOT powered. 3-2. The specification of X10 Amplifier Rated Output of speaker out : 30W + 30W @ 1KHz, 8 ohm, 1% THD X10 is designed for 8 ohm loudspeaker.

Page 16: Extra Connection, Turn On And Start, Turn On For Normal Use

Switch the unit on at the rear of the X10 and power it on using the remote control or the power button on the top of the X10 – The X10 should take about 66 seconds to boot up as it is looking to see if a network is connected.

Page 17: Setup

After the X10 is powered ON, the below screen will show up in sequence. ① As soon as powered ON. ② 26 seconds after power ON. ③ 66 seconds after power ON Music DB : Play loaded(ripped) music in DB folder of X10.

Page 18: Display Mode, Album View, Storage For Music Db

5-1-1. Display Mode You may set one of six(6) options, see below. For example, if you set Title, the Music DB will display the title(song) list when you go into the Music DB.(※ default : Album) 5-1-2. Album View You can set the list to show albums in the Music DB by its album name(text) or album cover art using this setup.( ※.

Page 19: How To Run Music Db Recovery Function, Music Db Recovery Run

‘Rename, Delete, Copy to DB, or CD ripping’ etc. If there are error in the Music DB, the X10 may not play the files properly or may not rip CDs properly. The Music DB Recovery function will help to clear these problems.

Page 20: On Hdd(or Usb)

5-1-4-3. To create ‘Recovery MM-DD hh-mm’ folder automatically on HDD(or USB) During Music DB Recovery run, the X10 creates a ‘Recovery MM-DD hh-mm’ folder automatically on the internal HDD (or USB). The checked files or album folders will be stored (moved) there.

Page 21: Backup

You can restore the backup data in the Music DB of theX10. ① Connect the backup device to the USB host port of the X10. ② Go to the Music DB of SETUP and select Restore, and confirm it with the OK button.

Page 22: Bit Rate And Quality

5-2-1. Bit Rate and Quality You can select bit rate and the quality level for ripping to MP3 files. There are two(2) items.(This is for ripping a CD to an MP3 file) □ Compressed Rate : 128K / 192K / 320K [default] 192K □.

Page 23: Freedb Textcode, Freedb Install, Freedb Update

In the case that the FreeDB text is broken, you may try changing the FreeDB TextCode as shown below. 5-2-4. FreeDB Install You can install the FreeDB data to the hard disk of the X10 as a FreeDB data(DVD) is supplied by the manufacturer. Once.

Page 24: Audio

You should keep the default settings as shown below if you decide to connect a bookshelf speaker (passive) to the X10’s Speaker Out connector. You can connect a headphone or an external amplifier to the Line Out of the X10. The default setting is that SPDIF is OFF and Speaker Out is OFF(Headphone) See below.

Page 25: For Sub Woofer

5-3-4-2. for Sub Woofer When you connect a bookshelf speaker(passive) into the Speaker Out connector of the X10 and a sub-woofer into the Line Out of the X10 simultaneously, set SPDIF to OFF, and set Speaker Out to ON(Sub woofer) see images below.

Page 26: Gapless Play

Audio output : 96Khz 【 TIP 】 ※ The meaning of OFF(Headphone) : If a headphone is connected to the X10, or an external amplifier is connected to the X10 through the Line Out connector, the amplifier inside of the X10 is OFF.

Page 27: Wired Setup

① Select Network and confirm with the OK button. ② Select Wired Setup or Wireless Setup and confirm it with OK button. 【 TIP 】 To check network information, press Network Info. 5-4-1. Wired Setup 5-4-1-1. DHCP(Auto IP) ③ Select DHCP(Auto IP) and confirm with the OK button. There is no need to enter any values.

Page 28: Wireless Setup

5-4-2. Wireless Setup. ① Select Wireless Setup and confirm with the OK button. The available AP will be displayed as shown below. ② Select proper AP and confirm with the OK button. ③ If the AP has a password, enter it and select OK and confirm with the OK button.

Page 29: Network Service

Web Server, UPnP Server and FTP Server. 5-5-1 Samba Server If you would like to see the folders on the X10 hard disk through your network connected PC you can set up the following: ① Select Samba Server and confirm with the OK key. Set Samba Server as ON, see below ※.

Page 30: How To Enable Web Server, How To Start Webinterface

Select Reinstall and confirm with the OK key to run it as shown below. 5-2-2. How to start WebInterface The X10 WebInterface is available in two formats; one for PC(tablet PC also), the other is for smart phones. ① You can get the IP address of your X10 from SETUP.

Main screen ※ Refer to the X10- WebInterface User Guide to learn how to use the WebInterface, Place the mouse cursor on the cocktailAudio The popup menu will show up like below You can select one of nine(9) items according to your purpose.

Page 32: Upnp Server, Osd Language

5-5-3 UPnP Server If you have a device (like a PC) which supports UPnP client protocol, you can play music stored in the X10 Music DB through the UPnP device. Default setting for UPnP Server is ON, see below. 5-5-4 FTP Server Select FTP Server and confirm with the OK key.

Page 33: Auto Play, Resume Play, Factory Reset

【 TIP ⑥ 】 For Auto Play function, refer to 18-7 Auto Play 5-6-3. Resume Play When you boot up the X10, it will automatically resume playing the music in the Music DB, Browser or i-Radio from where it was last stopped.

Page 34: Brand New Hdd(not Partitioned Hdd)

5-6-5-1.Brand New HDD(not partitioned HDD) ① Install the HDD into the X10 and power it ON. ② Go to System of SETUP, and select HDD Format, as shown below. ③ Confirm with the OK key and the HDD Format screen will appear: ⑤Press the OK key to start the format process, which will run as follows;.

Page 35: Auto Shutdown

Select Brightness and confirm with the OK key. You can set the brightness using the LEFT/RIGHT arrow key on the remote control. 5-6-8. Auto Shutdown The X10 will be powered off automatically at the assigned time and date. ① Go to SETUP and select System. ② Select Auto Shutdown and confirm with the OK key ③.

Page 36: Current Firmware

③ Go to SETUP and select Firmware Update and confirm with the OK key. ④ Select the storage device containing the new firmware. ⑤ Select xxxxxxxxxx.pkg file and confirm with the OK key Select OK and confirm with the OK button. The X10 will reboot automatically to update the X10.

Page 37: Update By Auto (automatic Firmware Update By Network)

① Select Time Set (Internet) and confirm it with the OK button. All the time options will be displayed as below. 【 TIP 】 Make sure that the X10 is connected to network (internet) before you try time setting by Time Set (Internet).

Page 38: Time Format

6-1. What is the CD database (Music DB) of the X10 ? The Music DB is a database of the music loaded (ripped) to the X10 (onto the HDD), you can edit the CD information of each track such as the title, album, artist, year and genre, that are stored in the Music DB.

Page 39: Cd Loading(ripping)

CD or no information for a certain CD. 7. CD Loading(Ripping) All music that you load(rip) onto the X10 will be stored in hidden folder (the name of the folder is .DB), that cannot be seen.

Page 40: Ripping All

⑤ Select one of four(4) options(WAV, MP3, OGG, FLAC) and press OK button. Then, the below screen is displayed. The X10 retrieves each information (title, artist, etc) from the FreeDB CD database. ⑥ Move the cursor onto the CD icon like below.

Page 41: Ripping Track

⑩ Select one album art for your CD and confirm it with the OK key. ⑪ The selected art will be downloaded. ⑫ You will be prompted OK/Other/Cancel. ⑬ Select OK to confirm. The confirmed art will be placed onto the CD icon. ⑭.

⑥ When loading (Ripping) has finished. Press the OK button. 【 TIP ③ 】 When a CD is inserted into the optical drive, the X10 loads(rips) the CD to a WAV format first, even if the MP3 option was chosen. The X10 then converts the WAV file into MP3 format afterwards in the background.

【 TIP ⑤ 】 You can make album art and add it into each album. If you prepare an album art file (JPG, GIF or PNG file) and put it onto hard disk of X10, you can add the album art during CD loading(ripping) by pressing this icon.

You must enter Album name to go to next step. 【 TIP ⑥ 】 To use USB keyboard, ensure to connect a USB keyboard into the X10 before you boot the unit. ⑦ Select OK to confirm the entry. Then, loading(ripping) will start as in the picture below.

Page 45: If The Freedb Is Installed Onto The Hard Disk Of The X

If you wish to check the information and the status of the conversion process for the whole of the Music DB of the X10, go to the home screen. Place the cursor on the Music DB icon and Press the INFO key.

The Music DB contains loaded(ripped) music. ① Select Music DB icon, confirm with the OK button. The album list is displayed as shown below. ② Select the album you wish and confirm with the OK button. All the music in the album is displayed, see below. ③.

【 TIP ③ 】 On the album list screen, press the MENU button on the remote control, to show other categories such as artist list, genre list, title list or discography, see below 【 TIP ④ 】 Playing screen ------- press INFO button ------- Detailed info of current music ①Title of current music ①Title of current music.

Page 48: Search Function, How To Manage Music Db

8-3. How to manage Music DB The X10 allows you to manage the Music DB. You can delete or rename albums, artists and genre. You can copy music from other storage devices(USB memory sticks or other hard disks) to Music DB folder.

Page 49: How To Export Music From The Music Db To Other Storage Devices

④ Select Delete or Rename and confirm with the OK button. ⑤ Select OK and confirm with the OK button. 【 TIP ⑥ 】 You can also run this function for the artist list and the genre list by using the same procedure. 8-3-2.

Page 50: History Function

⑧ Place the cursor on Eminem and select using the OK button. The below screen is then displayed. ⑨ Select Export Start and confirm with the OK key. Export function will commence. Now exporting music . 8-3-3. History function You can list a maximum of 10 recently played songs from the Music DB using this function. ①.

Page 51: Audio Cd Direct Play

③ Using the remote control or USB keyboard you can edit the information. ④ Select OK and confirm with the OK button. 【 TIP 】 You can edit loaded CDs in the Music DB of the X10 easily using the WebInterface. Please refer to the X10 – WebInterface User Guide.

Page 52: Data Cd Direct Play

10-3. In the case that you have installed the FreeDB data onto the hard disk of the X10 If you installed the FreeDB data onto the hard disk of the X10, it will work just like the X10 is connected to a network(internet). The X10 displays the CD information from the FreeDB data installed on the hard disk.

Page 53: How To Make A Playlist

12. Playlist The X10 has two types of Playlist functions. One is just the Playlist function, the other is ‘My Playlist(Virtual Playlist)’ function. Playlist does not disappear by playing, stopping or powering off. However, My Playlist(Virtual playlist) is removed by playing, stopping or powering off.

⑦ You can add more music(tracks) or albums using the above procedure. ⑧ After adding a track or album, press RETURN to go to the screen shown below. ⑨ Select OK and confirm with the OK button. Then, the playlist 1 is stored in the Playlist folder, see below. You can view the playlist if you go into the Playlist folder through the Playlist icon on the home screen.

Page 55: How To Play A Playlist

12-1-3. How to play a Playlist ① Select the Playlist icon on the remote control or press the PLAY LIST hotkey on the remote control. The following screen is then displayed. ② Select the Playlist you would like to play and confirm with the OK button.

Page 56: My Playlist (virtual Playlist)

12-2. My Playlist(Virtual Playlist) This is a virtual playlist function. After you have made a My Playlist, it will be removed if you stop playing or power off. This function works only in the Music DB. It will not work in the Browser. ①.

Page 57: The Music Streaming Function

Server/Client, you can enjoy various Music Streaming functions with the X10. 13-1. UPnP Server/Client and Samba Server/Client function You can use the X10 together with various kinds of devices that support UPnP Server/Client or Samba Server/Client. If the devices are connected to the X10 through the same network, you can.

Page 58: Internet Radio

13-2. Multiple X10’s on the same network. Place the X10 with HDD(music server) in your living room. A second X10(without HDD) is placed in room #1 or room #2. You can then play files from the X10(music server) on the X10’s without HDD’s, see schematic below.

Page 59: Internet Radio

14-1. Internet Radio 14-1-1. How to play the Internet Radio. You can enjoy many internet radio stations. The X10 internet radio is based on the Reciva server. It provides many stations by genre and by country. 【 TIP 】 If the X10 is not connected to a network(internet), you will not be able to select the i-Service icon 【.

Page 60: How To Play My Favorites

14-1-2. How add your favorite stations into My Favorites. 【 TIP 】 If you add your favorite radio stations into the My Favorite folder you can find them easily. Whilst playing a station press the FAVORITE button on the remote control to add the station to your Favorites list.

Page 61: How To Record, Where Is The Recorded File Stored

② Press the STOP button to stop recording 14-1-5-2. Where is the recorded file stored ? The X10 creates a [IRadio Recording] folder on the hard disk automatically when recording has started. All recorded files are stored in the IRadio Recording folder, see below.

Page 62: How To Edit The Recorded File

14-1-5-4. How to edit the recorded file You can edit the recorded file easily with the file management function. Place the cursor on the recorded file and press the MENU button to run the following functions: 14-1-6. Reservation Recording This function works for the stations stored in the My Favorites folder. 1) How to set.

Page 63: Online Music Service(simfy)

Of course, you have to consider needed time for each activity described above(How to work). If you do not give interval enough for each station and each activity, this function will not work properly.(e.g. You set recording at 4:00PM, and you powered off X10 at 3:58PM. This is wrong setting).

Page 64: External Usb Mass Storage

You can use various USB devices like USB memory stick, MP3 Player, USB external hard disk, etc with the USB host port of X10. ① Plug the USB device into the USB host port of the X10. ② Go into the Browser screen. The USB device appears in the browser screen as shown below.

Page 65: File Management

① Insert the data CD into the X10. ② Select the Browser icon and confirm with the OK button. You will see the data CD. Select the music you would like and play using the OK button. 17-2. File Management function 17-2-1.

Page 66: Tag Edit

To check the information of a ripping / converting result, place the cursor on the album and press the INFO key. 17-2-2. TAG Edit This function is only valid for files not for folders or disks. Place the cursor on the file you would like to edit and press the MENU key. Select Edit Tag and the edit screen is displayed, see below.

Page 67: Copy Files

To copy(import) file to the Music DB ① Place the cursor on the file you would like to copy(import) to the Music DB ② Press the MENU key and select Copy to DB and confirm with the OK button. The edit screen is then displayed. ③.

Page 68: Delete Files

If you wish to play an individual internet radio station using the X10, you will need to create a PLS or M3U file and put the file(PLS or M3U) onto the HDD or USB host of the X10. Once you have.

Page 69: Extra Function

Normal. Normal → Classic→ Live → Pop → Rock → Jazz → Dance → Vocal → Soft → Bass → Normal 【 TIP 】 This function only works when you have the bookshelf speakers connected to X10’s Speaker Out connector.

Page 70: Changing The Play Mode

18-3.CLOCK and Display(LCD) OFF Whilst playing, press the CLOCK button. The digital clock will be displayed, see left. And, press it once again, the LCD will be OFF like below. This function is useful when you are listening to music at night as the light from the screen is reduced. Exit from LCD OFF mode by pressing if any button on the remote control.

Page 71: Alarm Set, Sleep Mode

③ Selecting sound source from Playlist or iRadio(My Favorites) ④ Selecting snooze ON/OFF 18-6.Auto Shutdown The X10 will power off automatically at the assigned date and time. Refer to section 5-6-8. Auto Shutdown 18-7.Sleep mode ① Press the SLEEP button on any screen (except setup), the popup Sleep Off/Sleep 10Min/Sleep 20Min/Sleep 30Min/Sleep 1Hour/Sleep 2Hour/Sleep 3Hour is displayed.

② Power on your audio player and play the music. ③ Press the AUX button on the X10 remote control whilst at the home screen of the X10(※ AUX button will not work on the other screen of the X10)

Page 73: How To Record

Recorded time 18-9-3.Where is the recorded file stored ? The X10 creates a [AUX Recording] folder on the hard disk automatically when recording has started. All recorded files are stored in the AUX Recording folder as shown. 18-9-4.The structure of the recorded file name and format.

Page 74: Ogg) And Load Onto The Music Db

Music DB. If you prepare an album art(JPG, GIF or PNG file) and put it onto the hard disk of the X10, you can add the album art by pressing the CD icon. 18-9-6.How to rip(convert) the edited file into other formats(MP3, FLAC or OGG) and load onto the Music DB.

Page 75: Shortcut To Find File In All List Modes

18-10. Shortcut to find files in all list modes On each list mode if you press an alphabet key on the remote control the cursor will jump to the first file will that character at the beginning. 18-11. Seek function on the Playing Screen At the playing screen you can run a seek function by pressing numeric keys on the remote control.

Page 76: Specification

19.Specification Brand name Cocktail Audio Model name CD Player Type Front loading Supported media CD, CD-DA, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R/RW Supported audio codec MP3, FLAC, WAV, WMA, M4A, AAC, Ogg Vorbis, & format PCM, PLS, M3U Amplifier(built-in) Rated output(8Ω) of 30W + 30W @ 1KHz, 8 ohm, 1% THD.

Page 77: Troubleshooting

6. The disc is skipping 6-1. Check for scratches or dirty. 6-2. Make sure that the X10 is on a firm surface and not subject to vibrations. 7. There is a hum coming from the speaker. Make sure that all cable connections are secure.

Cocktail Audio X40 HiFi Music Streamer and CD Ripper

Network Player, CD Ripper with DSD/DXD Support and Built-in Phono Preamp

If you thought that Cocktail Audio’s X30 gave you the whole cocktail of audio entertainment, wait until you take a taste of the X40’s features. The X40 is a revolutionary hi-fi component consisting of an all-in-one smart HD music server, network streamer, CD ripper, and more. It comes with 4GB of built-in memory, and you can add your own internal hard drive for other storage options.

The X40 also provides a built-in ES9018K2M Sabre32 Reference DAC with support for high-resolution DSD/DXD files, a MM moving magnet phono stage, and even an FM radio tuner. Unlike the X30, it does not include an onboard integrated amplifier section, which makes it the ideal source component for audiophiles to connect into their existing power amp, receiver, or powered speakers. Easy-peasy!

High-quality Audio Performance

The X40 offers 32-bit, 384 kHz resolution using an extremely powerful ES9018K2M Sabre32 Reference DAC with XMOS 32Bit/500MIPS Digital Signal Processor. It the X40 supports a wide range of digital file formats. It plays DSD64 (2.8224MHz), DSD128 (5.6448MHz), DXD (24Bit/352.8KHz), up to 32Bit/384KHz PCM signal including HD FLAC (24Bit/192KHz), HD WAV (24Bit/192KHz), APE/CUE, WAV, FLAC, ALAC, AIFF, AIF, AAC, M4A, MP3, WMA, Ogg Vorbis, PCM, M3U, PLS, and more.

The CA X40 can play back multiple tracks with no gap between them. This is a useful function for fans of operatic or classical music, which is composed of multiple tracks.

The CA X40 includes a recording function for analog sources via its line-in RCA input and MM moving magnet phono input. The built-in phono preamp sounds great and allow you to record your LPs at 192 kHz, 96 kHz or 48 kHz sample rates and even edit them after recording. Using the RCA analog inputs, you can record other analog material such as your favorite cassette tapes up to 24-bit/192 kHz sound quality.

High-speed Optical Drive for Ripping CDs

For fast CD ripping, the CA X40 uses a front-loading optical disc drive (ODD) with 24x high speed. It can rip a CD with a 60-minute playing time CD in less than 10 minutes. Once it's done ripping, the X40 will catalog your CD collection by album, artist, genre, and year, and will also store all ripped CDs into the music database. The X40 provides various encoding options for ripping. Choose FLAC, ALAC, WAV, MP3 or Ogg.

Balanced and Unbalanced Analog Pre-Outs

In addition to its digital connections, the X40 gives you high quality analog pre-outs for playback through your AV gear. The unbalanced RCA outputs offer a dynamic range of -120 dB and THD+N (Max 2Vrms, Stereo) of 127 dB DNR. The balanced AES/EBU XLR outputs provide a dynamic range of -120 dB and THD+N (Max 4.5Vrms, Stereo) of 127 dB DNR.

For an intimate listening experience, the high quality headphone out with 1/4” jack provides 500mW+500mW at 1KHz, 32 ohm, 0.1% THD.

Multiple Digital Inputs and Outputs

The CA X40 offers a variety of digital audio inputs and outputs for connection to other audio devices. The three digital outputs consist of Toslink optical, coaxial, and AES/EBU XLR, which support up to 24-bit/192 kHz. This means the X40 can be used as an audio server and source device if you wish to use an existing external amplifier and/or DAC. The dual digital inputs (Toslink optical and coaxial) mean the CA X40 can be used as a DAC with other digital audio sources. It also has three USB Host ports for use with external drives.

Connect to Your Network

The CA X40 features GigaFast Ethernet LAN for a wired network connection and USB host ports (one on the front, two on the rear) for the optional 801.11b/g/n WiFi USB dongle or other external USB devices.

A built-in Web Interface (Web UI) for various web browsers, such as Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, and Safari allows the management and controlling of the music collection on the X40, such as adding album covers, creating playlists, playing internet radio, editing metadata, displaying the collection, and much more.

Using the Ethernet connection or the optional WiFi dongle allows you to connect the CA X40 to your home network to access tens of thousands of internet radio stations (Reciva). Online music streaming services like Spotify and Rhapsody will be added at a later date.

Intuitive Front Panel Controls and LCD Screen

Intuitive front panel controls provide quick access to basic functions such as power, volume/mute, OK/Pause/Scroll, and four menu keys for the GUI of the full-color 5" LCD screen. The input selector key allows you to seamlessly switch between input devices and also features a mute mode that can be toggled at the push of the volume knob.

Using its HDMI output, you can use an external big screen, such as a monitor or TV, as its GUI screen. You can also view a photo slideshow while you're listening to music. The CA X40 supports various picture file formats like JPEG, PNG, GIF, TIFF and BMP.

App for iOS and Android

With the help of a free app, you can control the CA X40 using a smartphone or tablet PC. Cocktail Audio recommends ‘Eyecon’ for Android and ‘Sitecom media controller' for iOS devices (iPhone, iPad, iPod).

Add Your Own Hard Drive for Digital File Storage

For storing digital music files, the CA X30 supports a 3.5” SATA hard disk or a 2.5” SATA hard disk or solid state drive (SSD) as storage. A customized storage drive bay drawer allows quick and easy installation. If you install an SSD as storage, the X40 will offer noiseless operation, as it has no cooling fan.

Currently, the CA X40 supports up to 4TB with a 3.5" hard disk, up to 4TB with a 2.5" hard disk and up to 4TB of SSD.

Rugged and Durable Casework

The CA X40 front panel is 8mm thick aluminum with CNC cutting and metal chassis. The die-cast aluminum feet provide rigidity along with additional resistance from external vibrations.

Overview

Versatile network solution for hi-res streaming playback and file management

Playback of DSD64 (2.8224MHz), DSD128 (5.6448MHz), DXD (24Bit/352.8KHz), up to 32Bit/384KHz PCM signal including HD FLAC (24Bit/192KHz), HD WAV (24Bit/192KHz), APE/CUE, WAV, FLAC, ALAC, AIFF, AIF, AAC, M4A, MP3, WMA, Ogg Vorbis, PCM, M3U, PLS

24-bit/192 kHz WAV/FLAC and full range of hi-res audio file formats

ES9018K2M Sabre32 Reference DAC built-in

XMOS 32Bit/500MIPS digital signal processing unit

High-speed optical disk drive for quick CD ripping

Phono INPUT (Moving Magnet) for turntable

Load your vinyl and cassette tape collections to the X40 in 192kHz sample rate

Music Streaming Services like Qobuz, Simfy and Internet Radio.

UPnP Media Server & Renderer for streaming playback and control remotely via network.

5 inch full color TFT LCD for intuitive GUI

HDMI Out connector for using an external screen like TV as its GUI screen

Supports up to 3.5" SATA hard disk 4TB, 2.5" hard disk and SSD

Toroidal transformer minimizing idle noise

FM Radio Tuner built-in

Recording with hi-res 24bit/192KHz sample rate

Provides the customized Web Interface (WebUI) for remote control and MusicDB management

Works with various free apps available at app stores

Rugged chassis construction with 12mm thickness aluminum front

Versatile software functionalities

Host CPU and Memory

Embedded: 700Mhz MIPS

Main Memory: (4Gbit, DDR2 800Mhz)

CD Player

Type: Front Loading

Supported media: CD, CD-DA, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R/RW

Interface

5" TFT LCD(800x480 pixel) on the front

External screen like TV may connected through HDMI connector

Remote Control

Customized Web Interface (Web UI) for Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, Safari

Free UPnP app available in app store or market for iOS and Android

Analog Connections

Balanced Line Out x 1: L & R XLR

Unbalanced Line Out x 1: L & R RCA

Headphone Out: 6.35mm jack on the front

Line In x 1: L & R RCA

Aux In x 1: 3.5mm Phone Jack on the front

Digital Connections

Toslink Out x 1: Sample Rate up to 24-bit/192 kHz

Coaxial Out x 1: Sample Rate up to 24-bit/192 kHz

AES/EBU XLR Out x 1: Sample Rate up to 24-bit/192 kHz

Toslink In x 1: Sample Rate up to 24-bit/192 kHz

Coaxial In x 1: Sample Rate up to 24-bit/192 kHz

MM phono input

HDMI out (video only) x 1: for GUI or for photo slide shows

Network/Hard Drive Connectivity

3 x USB host ports

Wired: Giga Fast Ethernet(10/100/1000Mbps) LAN

Wireless (optional): 801.11b/g/n WiFi using optional USB dongle

Power Supply

Audio Power Supply: Toroidal transformer, 75W

Supported Storage

Removable storage tray drawer is provided for adding optional HD storage

Hard disk, 2.5” SATA, up to 4TB

Hard disk, 3.5” SATA, up to 4TB

SD, 2.5” SATA, up to 4TB

Analog Connections

Line Out (L & R RCA): Dynamic Range : 127 dB(2 V rms, Stereo) THD+N : 0.0004%

Line Out (L & R XLR): Dynamic Range : -120dB THD+N (Max 4.5Vrms, Stereo), 127dB DNR

Headphone Out: 500mW+500mW@1Khz, 32 ohm, 0.1% THD

Line In x 1: 2V rms

Aux In x 1: 800mV rms

MM phono in: 7.5mV sensitivity

Digital Connections

Toslink Out x 1: Sample Rate up to 24-bit/192 kHz

Coaxial Out x 1: SPDIF 75 ohm RCA, Sample Rate up to 24-bit/192 kHz

AES/EBU XLR Out x 1: 110 ohm, Sample Rate up to 24-bit/192 kHz

Toslink In x 1: Sample Rate up to 24-bit/192 kHz

Coaxial In x 1: Sample Rate up to 24-bit/192 kHz

General

Dimensions (without feet): 17.1" wide, 12.8" deep, 3.5" high

Dimensions (with feet): 17.1" wide, 12.8" deep, 3.9" high

Does everything I needed and more: streaming, ripping, storing, etc. Backup is simple as is downloading artwork. Sound is excellent. The only negatives are no built-in bluetooth, the remote is poorly laid out, and smartphone app isn't here yet --they say soon.

For what this little gem can do. there isnt anything out there you can compare it to until you triple the price. I find that the Sabre DAC is the star here as it does bring the sound up to audiophile quality. Silky smooth and detailed while never appearing forward or etched. Although it had some minor bugs, the firmware update addressed most of them, The learning curve is quick and easy while the feature set is top notch. Spotify was added recently to services which was a needed boost. Tidal anyone? It may not be the best, but it is the best at this price level. Listen and see for yourself. Highly recommended. Enjoy.

This is a great piece of technology that offers tremendous versatility, good sound quality, at a decent price point. On it, I have ripped some 700 titles from my collections of Vinyl, CDs, and SACDs, and am very pleased with the how easy it is to use, as well as its sound quality. There were three other piece of gear I considered before deciding on the x40. The Sooloos Music Server System, NAD M50 with M52 vault, and Sony HAPZ1ES. All of these are easy to run and sound great, but with an extensive record collection containing many titles that are not available on CD. The x40s ability to rip vinyl directly to it, is what sold me. The second consideration was space in my rack is limited, so trying to place a two piece solutions would have been too much a hassle. I was looking for a one box solution that could do it all, and with x40 I got it. Sound quality of the x40 is very similar to HAPZ1ES and M50, its presentation is not as crisp and punchy as these two, but very accurate and velvety smooth, with not a trace of grain or tininess. It especially excels at intimate acoustic and vocal recordings. giving them a depth and richness that is wonderful to listen to. Nonetheless, I make no allusions, it is not capable of the same degrees of inner detail, separation, nor slam that an Ultra-High End Digital Player is capable of. Bass from it is tight and has weight, but it just does not deliver the same amount of punch that my Compact Digital Player is capable of. That being said, the x40 is less than half the CDPs price. So obviously, my comparisons here are far from scientific and in a true double blind listening test, I wonder if I would really be able to pick out the x40 from my CDP. So take my nitpicking with a grain of salt. There are some considerations about the x40 I do feel worth mentioning. The first being. unlike, the other products mentioned here, with x40 you have to purchase a hard drive and install the music DB software yourself. This is not hard to do. However finding a suitable drive that works well with it took some experimentation. Even the highest end platter drives. are noisy, vibrate like hell, and generate lots of heat. Thus the ideal choice is a Solid State one, right? However, there is no ability to run a 3rd party trim command with the x40; Which you need to do frequently in order to maintain a SSDs performance, so I had concerns about a $500.00 plus SSD turning into a dog. Thus I installed a number of different platter drives, Which as mention earlier, either ran too hot, or too noisy I finally settled on a hard drive that is specifically designed for Digital Video Recording/Surveillance Systems. For about $150.00, I wound up with a drive that has large storage capacity, low vibration/noise, and designed to run in an environment like the x40s. where there is no internal cooling. The one I settled on works wonderfully, with no noticeable lag, and plus more storage than what is currently available on a SSD. The last concern, is the x40s entry into the US is new, so out of the box it is more compatible with services that are based in the Europe. Currenly, there is no access to Spotify or other US based streaming services. That is supposed to change with some future firmware update, but with no date announced on the factory website, who knows when that will be?

Cocktail Audio X30 review

The Cocktail Audio X30 is a great idea: a high-res streamer, server, CD player and digital amplifier all wrapped up in one box.

It can also stream songs from your smartphone or tablet, play internet and FM radio, and record tunes at the press of a button. Just add speakers.

Ripping CDs

Cocktail Audio X30

The first thing you’re going to do with the Cocktail Audio (after turning it on and admiring that bright blue cocktail logo on the display screen) is rip all your CDs.

The X30’s main aim is to store your CD collection in one place, and it does so seamlessly. Ripping a CD is fast and quiet (unlike on the smaller X10), plus you can listen to stored music while ripping.

You can also select individual tracks to rip, instead of the entire CD, rename tracks and create playlists. It's swift and easy to customise each album or track with the bulky but useful remote control at hand.

You’ll also need to be connected to the internet to get all the metadata on a CD, so make sure the X30 is always online.

It’s worth noting that you can’t play the CD itself while ripping it, and you can’t change tracks or start playing a track (if you aren’t already) when in the ripping status screen.

You can’t return to the menus, either, but you can at least change the volume. It’s an irritation, but you can solve the problem by having an album or playlist queued up when ripping CDs in bulk.

Cocktail Audio X30

Connect the X30 to your home network, via either wired ethernet or the supplied wireless dongle, and the X30 turns into a streaming machine.

If you already have music files stored on a NAS device you’re in luck. The X30 will stream from connected NAS devices (via the Browser folder), as well as from any other DLNA-compatible smartphone or tablet.

It sounds like a wonderfully versatile system (and it is), but it’s tricky to actually get streaming. There’s no dedicated app, so Cocktail Audio suggests a variety of generic third-party apps, none of which worked well enough for us.

It requires much patience and many false starts, and can be a frustrating experience.

We hope Cocktail Audio develops its own app, but in the meantime, we’re sticking with hard-wiring our smart devices to the unit’s 3.5mm input for convenience.

The network connection is also crucial for streaming the X30’s internet radio service, which offers a multitude of stations you can scroll through according to country or genre.

Sound quality takes a predictable dip in quality compared with ripped CD tracks, but it retains the same tonal characteristics.

Format support

Cocktail Audio X30

The Cocktail Audio X30 supports most popular audio formats, from compressed MP3s to high-resolution WAV and FLAC files up to 24-bit/192kHz. Other formats include AAC, Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WMA; DSD support is still pending.

Also, before you start ripping CDs, you can choose the type and quality of file you want them stored as, as well as the bitrate for the MP3s and also a ripping speed.

A rule of thumb, fast ripping speed equals lower-quality resolution. Since the X30 is pretty swift at ripping CDs no matter what the speed set, we’d always aim for the highest quality setting with WAV.

We wouldn’t compress files into MP3s, as not only does the audio quality suffer, but the X30’s storage options are large enough anyway to store hundreds of CDs.

From a 500GB to 2TB hard drive, or up to a 500GB solid-state drive, there’s a huge amount of storage on offer.

Our review sample’s 2TB hard drive can reportedly store around 2600 CDs, or 5200 FLAC files, or 20,000 MP3 files in 320k. That’s a lot.

More after the break

Recording feature and user interface

Cocktail Audio X30

One nifty feature of the X30 that’s rarely seen on other streamers or servers is the recording feature.

You can record from internet radio, your smartphone-stored tracks and even from your vinyl records to fully digitise your entire collection.

It records instantly at the press of a button on the remote, and is automatically saved in the Browser menu.

With all its features and options, the Cocktail Audio X30 could easily be the most convoluted and frustrating piece of equipment to operate.

But we were relieved and surprised to find that it is fairly straightforward – after a quick perusal of the manual, of course.

The menus and controls are responsive and easy to navigate, with only minor hiccups such as lag in operation.

We like the large 5in colour interface on the front panel. While it’s not as sophisticated as some, the display is nevertheless easy to read from a distance.

It’s not a particularly high-res screen (800 x 480 pixels) but the writing and artwork are displayed clearly.

The remote control is a big and bulky affair that has a button for nearly every feature of the X30. Instead of fiddling with the control knob and buttons on the front panel, the remote lets you rip CDs or record songs with a single button press.

It may look dated, but it gets the job done.

Cocktail Audio X30

The X30 houses a 50W per channel amplifier under its sturdy metal chassis, with a decent spread of digital and analogue connections.

The coaxial and digital connections (input and output) all support files up to 24-bit/192kHz, as does the AES/EBU output.

A pair of line-level outputs is available if you want to connect an existing amplifier to the streamer, while three USB ports (two at the back, one in front) are there for playing high-resolution files or for attaching the included wireless dongle.

Speaker terminals, line-level inputs, an FM radio tuner (the antenna is included), and an ethernet port can also be found on the back panel.

On the front panel, there’s a 3.5mm input for hard-wiring your smart device, and a 6.3mm headphone port.

Cocktail Audio X30

Now that all the features are dealt with, it’s time to tackle the Cocktail Audio X30’s most crucial function: sound.

And this is where its major flaw is exposed because, despite all its fancy features, the X30 isn’t really that interesting a listen.

There’s nothing unpleasant about the sound by any means – a decent amount of detail, punch and the ability to go loud is all on the cards here.

But there’s no real engagement beyond the surface detail; the X30 doesn’t seem able to dig out the subtleties of a song, and is content to deliver a superficial summary.

There’s impact and decent clarity, but the dynamics aren’t fluid, and the overall sound is rather one-dimensional.

Cocktail Audio X30

The Dead Weather’s intricately arranged 60 Feet Tall sounds flat and emotionless, with no build-up of tension in this brooding song. The X30 doesn’t time particularly well, either.

Eminem’s The Way I Am has a good amount of bite and attack, but we’d like a touch more precision and agility to get the full impact of that punchy rhythm.

High-res performance

High-res files have a touch more detail and openness to them. You can hear the rough edges of Lorde’s vocals on Royals (on a 24-bit/48kHz file), but there’s still a lack of dynamic subtlety to the track.

You’ll also need to turn up the volume quite high to get any real sense of punch and excitement.

If this review were based on the X30’s features set alone, then it would get a solid four stars.

Despite some operational hiccups, the sheer versatility of the X30 is impressive and clearly its biggest attraction.

Nothing else we’ve reviewed so far has come close to the combination of amp, streamer and server here offered by Cocktail Audio.

We’d be worried, though, about recommending this as your sole music system, as it simply doesn’t sound good enough. You’d be buying the X30 for its features, not for its sound quality

And for £1000, we could easily point you in the direction of far more exciting, involving and interesting hi-fi set ups.