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Average user rating:
- My rating: 0 stars
Full user review
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3.0 stars
"Great design but badly flawed"
Pros: Above average sound for a desktop. The treble is sweet, not particularly extended but not fatiguing either. Female voices are liquid . Upper bass is incredibly tight and tuneful but enough lower bass to give the impression it's there. Good depth too!
Cons: Very weak tuner, tried 3 antennas including a premium one and it can't lock in cleanly to FM stations. No HD radio. Because of rear vents speakers have to be kept away from rear wall. Male voices sound cupped -imagine making a trumpet with your hands
Summary: Pretty but in the end just not practical. The CD player is excellent but the tuner is of limited use . Due to it's proprietary design both the CD and speakers can only be used with this receiver! While it's possible to add external components -like an HD tuner- the appearance would be awkward. The speakers are very small but they should be placed out in the middle, at least a foot away from the back wall.
The final conclusion: for all the technology that went into designing this unit in the end it's still just a Japanese mid-fi and overpriced as such. The midrange coloration spoils what could otherwise have been a sincere taste of hi-fi which would have justified its price. Without that taste this is just another expensive lifestyle toy.
Updated on Apr 18, 2009I meant so say ONLY enough lower bass to give the impression it's there .... but that's the best compromise when using tiny speakers.
