### PROCESSING ###
The Minx Xi is outrageously expensive packaged. After it has been peeled, the device only once from his Babushka packaging (box in box in box) and all films has removed, finally comes a small compact box in plastic piano finish to light. I'm honestly not too much on this kind of feel and the boring high gloss finish. But the competitors offer (unless you're accesses NAIM) all have the same mix of materials. Even the Marantz Melody CR510 / N1B has over its predecessor no metal chassis more. That's too bad, but production technology for manufacturers lucrative and cost-effective. Oh well. The keys on the device are in view of this but well built and have a good pressure point. And the remote control made a good impression processed.
### SETUP ###
The connections offered another surprise: No LS-connections for Bananas, I thought at first. But if you look a little pull on the screw-type terminals, so you can remove them completely and there are corresponding Banana sockets to light. Although directly plan in the rear wall embedded, but no matter. I would have liked that one such deposits an Info might also in the Quick Guide, or at least in the Manual as a reference. And yet another point to know about connections, I would like to criticize. I'm missing a RCA output to optional switch to active-LS or to use an external headphone amplifier, the integrated amplifier for headphones seems to be somewhat useful, at least. However, class is the ability to connect Bluetooth devices via apt-X support on the supplied dongle. In addition a turntable with a phono pre-amp is connected to one of the two auxiliary inputs (which can be the way to rename free menu (eg audio) and the actual establishment of the Minx Xi could finally begin. However, it is recommended that the Wlan antenna installed before the device is started, as doing so would only search for a LAN cable. With the inserted WLAN antenna the available networks quickly scanned, enter the password and (because I had not initially seen in the Quick Guide) puzzled, how I could save the entry concludes. It works for this no button on the unit or on the remote control (where I had the Enter key suspects as the right choice), but you have to scroll in the character set on the display to the end. There is Enter a symbol. This should have been able to otherwise resolve, but I would also have the same can visit the manual. Now that the device in the home wireless was known, however, was an available firmware download displayed shortly thereafter. The download of the firmware as well as their installation ran smoothly through in less than 10 minutes. Then I was able to immediately select the hard drive on my router as a streaming source. The latencies in accessing the files are quite low and the device reacts almost instantaneously. So finally it has now been rated the aural part.
### SOUND ###
The first sounds with my little ELAC 305 CE were surprisingly clear, maybe a little too bright and sharp, but also with a good portion punch in the bass range. So the entire range of sound spectra tested: Fischmob, Stereo MCs (hip hop), Mario Biondi, Mandrill (R & B), Grant Green, Herbie Mann (Jazz) and Bart Davenport and Hannah Cohen (folk-pop). The fine blade has since not been swinging the Minx Xi. This means that dynamic parts were very well presented, but voices and orchestra sounded a little fuzzy or diffuse. Ok, the machine had to also only import times and the sound perception was of course a little spoiled by the previous game partner or otherwise calibrated. Simply restarted Therefore thus in the morning before leaving for work and an Internet radio station and run on lower room volume. At night you could tell a slight loss of sharpness in the heights. The described procedure was repeated therefore simply times another day and lo and behold, now middle came with the same equipment at the same time better to bear, guitars sounded natural, voices floated free in space. A change to a LS-pair Diapason Karis drew the Minx Xi then again another aural facet, namely a very nice stage and realistic space. With the sound at 41 kHz / 16 bit in FLAC format I am very satisfied, it being possible to reproduce sound the leap to 96 kHz / 24 bit quite. No comparison to my previous Squeezebox Touch to my Denon RCD-CX1. Incidentally, even the LP listening makes still fun. Cambridge Audio has a still basically given to the whole network functionalities above-average amplifier section with the hand. And best of all, the Minx Xi dominated properly gapless via FLAC and WAV. Diverse DJ Kicks ran without interruption through in one piece. Mp3 I have however not yet been tested on gapless.
### STREAM MAGIC APP ###
Otherwise, I would like to comment briefly on the Cambridge Android app Stream Magic. This is the start been a bit slow and needs the renewed switching on of the smartphone displays Always rebuild back to your device your connection. Even storing eg Internet radio stations is not as intuitive as they had hoped. One should use the i upper right frequently therefore to select a title. Here, for example, displays information about the channels and played tracks and you can then use the smartphone menu button other options (such as saving bookmarks) use. Slightly better performance I think the paid version of the Android app BubbleUPnP. Here you can then transmit eg also stored on the SD card of your smartphone music to the Minx Xi. The structure of the archives and various other configurations please me better here. But nevertheless you can live reasonably well with the Cambridge-App.
### MISCELLANEOUS ###
Via the menu you can, incidentally, generate a registration code, which for the creation of an account on the website stream-magic.com is required. There you can add podcast streams in RSS format, configure Internet radio stations as presets or to show or hide the respective streaming services. Another useful setting in the menu is the ability to place the device in a sleep mode. Advantage of this setting is a significantly faster start-up, as for a stand-by and also more extensive playlists will not be deleted. One can then wake with the Android app, the device again. Den for slightly higher power consumption I gladly accepted.
### CONCLUSIONS ###
One has to consider that one hardly finds sound alternatives in the price range up to EUR 1,000 in the assessment of the device. My biggest gripe is aimed at the selection of materials of the case. With regard to the plastic chassis, the remark I had allowed that it would probably respond with an aluminum housing equal to a much broader audience, which also determined 100 for a wertigeres housing - would be willing to pay 200 EUR more. For the currently called 800 EUR but you get it a really good sounding media streamer and a mature device software (even the app is acceptable). My pros and cons again in a nutshell:
+ Good to very good sound via analog or digital sources
+ Easy handling during operation on the unit or via App
+ Bluetooth apt-X support
+ Low power consumption
+ Gapless playback
~ Reference to LS connection via Bananas could be mentioned in the BDA
~ Streaming Services uninteresting except AUPEO. What about Spotify?
- Plastic housing
- Missing Out RCA connector
- No 192 kHz / 24-bit
