This article looks at the Ripserver CD ripper from Ripfactory.
The ripserver is a network attached storage (NAS) device for storing your music, movies and photos. It comes in 500Gb and 1Tb versions which should provide ample storage for most people. If this isn’t enough space then there is an option to add further storage via a USB port.
What’s in the box?
The box contains the Ripserver, power supply, network cable and user manual.
On the looks department the ripserver scores pretty well sporting a nice shiny black design. It is also available in white if you prefer.
Technical Specs
- Linux OS
- Via 1Ghz processor
- 1Gb RAM
- 500Gb or 1Tb storage
- Size 23cm x 23cm x 19cm
- Weight 2kg
- Black or white colour
- Power requirements: 28W when idle, 33W when ripping a CD
Setup
Setup is very straightforward. I connected the Ripserver directly to my router using an ethernet cable and powered up the Ripserver. Once the device has fully booted it is then available as a network device which you can access on your home network. The whole setup process only took me about 5 minutes which will appeal to many.
If you don’t like the idea of a hard-wired connection to your router then as an optional extra you can purchase a wireless card.
How to use
To store music on the ripserver you simply insert a CD into the ripserver and a few minutes later the CD is ripped onto the Ripserver and is available for access to any media device that can access a network share. Once completed the CD is ejected.
As a CD ripping engine the ripserver performed fine, burning a CD album at a 320kbps bit rate in around 4 minutes. You can change the bitrate to a lower value if required (256kbps, 192kbps or 128kbps). It also supports the Free Lossless Audio Codec (FLAC) if you wish to rip CDs to that file format instead.
I experienced no problems ripping CDs. Providing you have an internet connection the ripserver will also retrieve the artist, title and album art cover, which is then stored on the ripserver with the music tracks.
You can also use the ripserver to store photos and videos which can be accessed by other media devices on your home network. To do this you simply copy the photos and videos from your PC onto a shared folder on the ripserver.
You can use any media device that can access a network share to access the media on the ripserver, such as an Xbox 360, Playstation 3, or a dedicated media device like the Sonos or Linn Klimax.
You can also use devices like the Netgear EVA8000 router and stream content from your ripserver direct to your HDTV.
Web Interface
The ripserver comes with a web interface which you can use to browse your music collection and customise the various settings. You can also reboot and power off the ripserver via the web interface which could come in useful if the ripserver is some distance away.
Media Servers
The ripserver comes with an integrated UPnP (plug and play) media server with Slim Squeezecenter 7, Twonky and FireFly preinstalled. It also supports the Digital Audio Access Protocol (DAAP) used by Apple. This means you can add the ripserver as a media server within iTunes. You can also add the ripserver as a library to Windows Media Player.
Both Slim Squeezecenter 7 and Twonky were OK for basic media access although I didn’t particularly like the user interface used by both these. Personally I much preferred accessing the ripserver as a media server within iTunes, since that is the media player I already use.
Linux OS
The ripserver runs on the CentOS Linux operating system and if you look on the back of the device you will see it resembles the back of a normal PC, with connection points for a keyboard, monitor and mouse. If you connect the ripserver up to a monitor for example you can watch the ripserver boot up. For anyone into Linux there could be scope to customise the system if required.
Operating Noise Levels
The ripserver uses a fanless design according to the online documentation, although it is not a totally silent solution as I was expecting.
When the ripserver is idle (not ripping any CDs), you will hear some noise from components inside the unit, although it is still pretty quiet and certainly acceptable. Noise levels were on a par with my laptop which should give you a rough idea of what to expect. If you have other ambient noise in the same room you probably wouldn’t hear the ripserver at all. When ripping CDs it is still pretty quiet.
Summary
The ripserver will appeal to those who have a large CD collection who want to share music, photos and videos to a variety of media devices on a home network, and who don’t want to mess around booting up a PC, ripping a CD and then storing the new files on a network share. If you want a standalone plug and play solution then the ripserver will perform well.
The £600 price tag (£700 for the 1TB version) is likely to put off many people though, who may prefer to explore cheaper options of sharing media within their home network, such as using their home computers to rip CDs.
The ripserver is quite a large piece of kit too. I’d like to see a more slimline design, more akin to a DVD player, and a lower price tag. I could see that appealing to a wider audience.
Buy the Ripserver from Amazon.
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3 responses so far ↓
1 Garth // Jun 5, 2008 at 9:03 am
Good review. I think the only thing putting me off this is the price. It’s far too expensive. If I was going to spend £600 on something to store my Cd’s and act as a media server, I’d probably go with a Mac Mini and upgrade the HDD.
2 Trekking Bikes // Jun 6, 2008 at 10:35 am
The price tag is a bit hefty, but then again - if you can afford it it does look pretty classy and professional. The disc is a tad small and since I assume ther is only one HDD slot a better solution would be to buy a HDD rack and build a server yourself - would look as good, but would defiently give more for the same amount of money.
3 Cloudstrife // Jun 7, 2008 at 11:29 am
I think Ripserver is nice, with all those benefits you’ll get from it especially if you have a bunch of CD collections. My dad needs that one! Maybe we can avail this once the price becomes lower. But, of course, if you have budget for this , then, give it a try!
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