T+A MP 1260 R

The MP 1260 R belongs to that generation of T+A devices which sought to reconcile traditional high fidelity with dematerialised sources. The brand insists on one point: this is not a computer dressed up as a hi-fi component, but a digital-to-analogue converter of audiophile design to which network playback functions have been grafted on. The hierarchy is therefore clear, conversion quality remains the heart of the device, connectivity comes to broaden it.

This openness relies on a processor card capable of communicating with a home network. It combines a wired LAN connection and a wireless W-LAN connection, UPnP compatibility for communicating with music servers, as well as USB and iPod ports. In practice, the device behaves as a network client: it fetches music wherever it may be, whether from a NAS server, a webradio, a USB stick or drive, or an Apple player, which it can also control.

The reasoning put forward by T+A at the time is worth recalling, as it sheds light on the design of the machine. Compressed, data-reduced formats were considered inadequate by a section of demanding listeners, whereas uncompressed or high-resolution files stored on a hard drive offered, by contrast, a potential superior to that of the standard compact disc. The MP 1260 R was designed to exploit this second category of files without giving up the demands of a high-end source.

The device therefore targets a listener who already has a digital library organised on a server, or who wishes to build one, and who refuses to sacrifice the analogue part of the chain for the sake of convenience alone. It fits into a system where it serves as a single, versatile source, upstream of a preamplifier or an integrated amplifier. T+A had also planned an optional additional card, incorporating a high-end FM tuner and a digital tuner, intended to be installed at a later date once broadcast formats had settled.

When buying second-hand, the points to watch are those typical of network players of this period. Check that the network section actually connects, both wired and wireless, and that the device detects the household's UPnP servers: protocols and control applications have evolved considerably since, and the firmware level installed largely determines ease of use. The USB ports are worth testing with several drives, as recognition of more recent file systems is not guaranteed. The iPod connection, dependent on a connector and protocol now discontinued, will only work with original players. Finally, pay attention to the condition of the sockets and the stability of the Wi-Fi aerial, often affected by the device having been moved around repeatedly.