Looking for a good mini system.

[Lobo]

Hi,

Im looking for a good mini system with the following features:

- DAB
- CD player
- MP3 support
- prefferably a sleep function

I was looking to get a decent pair of speakers seperately (possible Kef Q1s) so system would have to be able to run these.

Budget wise, I dont really have a fixed price but nothing over £400 for the system.

Anybody be able to help out with any suggestions.

PS. Is there any mini systems out there that can have MP3s loaded onto them like an ipod or are they alll via CDs?

thanks

 

[shahedz]

i know 3 years back JVC released a Hifi with a built in hard drive, but it didnt support DAB, i am not 100% sure but i think philips done one which had a hard drive and stremaed internet radio . dont know about any more recent as i havnt been looking at them for a while

 

[Scoobiesnacks]

The Philips Streamium WACS700 is one of the first hifis to have a hard drive in it, it doesn't have DAB. Its just been released, see the separate thread on this under MP3s
I've been waiting ages for a product that has true MP3 support with DAB, and I still think we're a couple of years away from getting one released in the UK

 

[AMc]

I use a Teac R250 (DAB and CD) coupled to a docked iPod (for ease of use) and a Netgear MP101 which uses a wireless connection to a PC server with all my music as MP3. I use Mission 700 speakers.
The Teac sounds great on CD and DAB - the iPod is quick to use and if there's something I'd like to hear that's not on it then I use the MP101.
The Teac has a sleep function but I've never used it.

There are various other wireless and wired MP3 clients from Philips Streamium, Roku and Slimdevices- searches in the MP3 forum will help.
A docked iPod is actually a very effective way of adding your library to a mini system providing you can afford to stump up for a 60GB in the first place.

There are also CD HD jukeboxes from Acoustic Solutions (try Argos) and Cambridge Audio (Richer Sounds) but not package how you would like.

I think you'll struggle to find anything that fits your bill in one box. You could always add a cheap DAB adapter to something that's closer to your requirements.

 

[Scoobiesnacks]

Similar to the JVC mentioned above, here's the first package I've seen that ticks all these boxes,

- plays and stores mp3 (integral hard drive)
- DAB
- CD
- Ipod link

Unfortunately its made by Hitachi (not renowned for their minis) and only sold through Dixons. Currently very pricey at 550.

http://blog.activehome.co.uk/2005/08/dixons_targets_.html

 

[elwigleeno]

I'm about to buy an Onkyo 505 (220 quid at Richer Sounds excl. speakers), which seems like it's the best of a number of mini systems (denon DM [email protected]£240, TEAC Reference 250 @£190). If you've got a John Lewis near to you they sell all three so you can go and have a listen, albeit on the cardboard box speakers they have them set up with.

Onkyo make their own iPod dock (if that's what you need), about which I've read a number of very good reviews.

Yamaha are also about to release a system (it's shown on empiredirect.co.uk) which is only £170, doesn't play mp3 CDs, but (NB according to the bloke at Yamaha, though he had listened to them side by side) fills a room better than the Onkyo.