Tranquil PC SQA-5H Home Server review

But when it comes to the hardware, Tranquil really can't be faulted on the SQA-5H's attention to detail. The drive bays, for example, are hot-pluggable and entirely screwless, so you can swap drives around without tools. They're colour-coded too, so if you choose to set up RAID mirroring you can see at a glance which drives go together.

We also approve of the plethora of coloured LEDs giving at-a-glance information about server health, drive and network status and even how full the appliance is. Find the proliferation of lights confusing? There's a "cheat-sheet" printed on the bottom of the device. And if you find them intrusive, they can be dimmed.

As a cherry on top, Tranquil has thoughtfully installed the open-source Firefly media server, adding the ability to stream music over your LAN to iTunes and network devices.

Inevitably, a high-spec device like this doesn't come cheaply. You'll pay £439 exc VAT for the SQA-5H-1000 equipped with just one 500GB drive. A second 500GB will cost an extra £50, making it around £100 more than terabyte-equipped rivals such as the HP MediaSmart (web ID: 145170) or the Fujitsu Siemens Scaleo (web ID: 145170). But if you're willing to pay the extra, the SQA-5H is a professional appliance whose form and function will suit the serious enthusiast down to the ground.

Author: Darien Graham-Smith