Music centers have been known to Russian lovers of quality music for quite some time - about 30 years, and during this time these products were able to go through a serious evolutionary process. If the first models were equipped with cassette players, where the sound quality and channelization left much to be desired, modern products support a wide variety of playback sources, from classic cassettes and CDs to vinyl records. In the field of playback quality, a significant step forward was also made: additional traditional ones reproducing exclusively high-frequency frequencies, as well as subwoofers playing bass lines, were added to the traditional speakers.
Recently, the so-called Hi-Fi centers have become quite widespread, which are distinguished by a very high level of playback quality, regardless of the source - whether it's a flash drive, an external hard drive or a vinyl record. Unfortunately, not all music lovers know how to choose Hi-Fi music players correctly. It was for them that we wrote our article today. Let us just before we start analyzing the characteristics of the centers included in the review, we will figure out on the basis of what parameters you should choose such products.
Summary of the rating:
What factors influence the purchase of a Hi-Fi music center?
It is worth noting, first of all, that such devices are characterized by insignificant overall dimensions. A similar center consists of a head element and two columns. Most modern products are equipped with a remote control and wires for connecting elements. On sale you can find products that can be connected to various kinds of gadgets via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, and setting up devices is not very difficult.
Hi-Fi front speakers can be floor or wall mounted. The former are best suited for fairly spacious rooms, the latter are for rooms with limited free space. A fairly functional device, which includes several players, is almost always equipped with a radio receiver as a sound source or receiver.
It is very important to warm it up right before using this product. Thanks to this operation, it will be possible to perfectly balance the elements of the music center, so in the future they will sound as harmoniously as possible. The diffusers of the emitters during this process are stretched and gain elasticity. For this, experienced music lovers recommend using music that is able to fully cover the entire frequency range. Of the existing genres, symphonic rock fully corresponds to this, but you can turn on the radio station, which plays music related to a wide variety of genres.
There is one more important trick: when warming up the music center, the columns included in its composition should be set to each other so that they are close, but not in contact, they are covered with any material on top that impedes the passage of sound.
When choosing models for compiling our rating of the best Hi-Fi music centers in 2019, we were guided by all the above points, however, several more factors were taken into account. In particular, we took into account the price-quality ratio of the model, and also relied heavily on user feedback. We tried to include mainly budget models in the review so that each of our readers could choose for themselves products that would fully meet his music lover's requests. Now is the time to start a direct analysis of the operational characteristics of the music centers.
The best models of Hi-Fi centers
10. Denon Ceol N9 Black
The central unit of this gadget has a very wide functionality, in addition, the model is equipped with two entry-level Hi-Fi speakers, however, in a confined space, the sound is in no way inferior to professional products. The brightness of the LCD is quite high - all the information is clearly visible at a distance of about five meters, and it can be adjusted using the remote control. The central unit has two digital and one analog outputs, there are spring clips, in addition to them, there is a Wi-Fi module, a connector for connecting an Ethernet cable, several USB sockets. The latter can be used not only to connect external sources, but also to charge various devices. Connecting to Wi-Fi is very easy - just enter the desired password using the remote control. After establishing a connection, you can update the device firmware if the device requires it.
Like most music centers, this equipment has a wave radio, but you can also listen to Internet radio - the library of supported stations is very large. To control the center from a smartphone, there is a special application where the functionality of the remote control is significantly expanded. It works on all mobile device platforms. The casing of the columns is made of chipboard coated with glossy polymer materials. They should be handled very carefully, as they are easy to scratch. The speakers are located under fixed grills, and the fabric practically does not absorb dust.
Benefits:
- Decent appearance;
- Lots of radio stations;
- The presence of a large number of connectors and modules for wired and wireless connections;
- Decent music quality regardless of source.
Disadvantages:
- It is difficult to clean non-removable grills from contamination.
9. LG CM2760
The device has a fairly compact size, the appearance is very attractive. There are two speakers, each of which includes three speakers at once - for low, medium and high frequencies. This moment allows you to quite far apart from each other without loss of sound quality. The front side of the columns and the central unit is covered with a layer of plastic with a glossy finish. It looks very stylish and attractive, but it will collect dust and fingerprints on itself, so often enough you will have to clean it from such dirt. The functionality for use at home is very good - with this device you can play disks of various formats, work with USB drives, both with classic flash drives and external hard drives, the capacity of which can reach 2 TB. At the same time, it does not matter what format they are in - FAT32 or NTFS.
This music center easily connects to any phones via Bluetooth, a special application for Smartphones Music Flow Bluetooth is provided, with which you can easily control all the basic functions of the unit. The center works without any problems with high-definition audio files in .flac format. A remote control is provided, which has small overall dimensions and at the same time has excellent ergonomics.The acoustics are quite loud, the entire frequency range is heard well. Radio easily searches for all channels, and the broadcast can be recorded on external media.
Benefits:
- Surround and rich sound;
- Convenient control panel;
- Attractive appearance;
- Superior build quality.
Disadvantages:
- Regularly have to wipe off dust accumulating on glossy surfaces.
8. Pioneer X-HM76-B
It has a fairly strict, albeit laconic, appearance. Together with the central unit, a pair of two-way speakers made in the classical style is supplied here, in addition, there is a receiver that plays CDs. On the front side you can find a fairly large LCD full-color display, the diagonal of which is 3.5 inches. Almost all controls are located on the upper edge of the case, in front there is only a rotary volume control. Complete with the musical center the remote control of a full-sized type is delivered. Like some products included in our review, an application was developed specifically for this model that allows you to fine-tune the products. The device has a Class B amplifier, which is capable of delivering power of about 50 watts.
Each of the speakers included with the product has a soft dome tweeter with a diameter of 25 mm, as well as a broadband woofer. The kit comes with everything you need to get a stable radio signal. In particular, the music center is equipped with two antennas for working in the AM or FM band. In addition, there is a monaural output, and there are also quite bright watches equipped with an alarm function and a one-time timer. If you update the firmware of the model, you can get compatibility with the latest standard from this manufacturer, with which you can organize a multi-room radio.
Benefits:
- Extremely wide functionality;
- Interesting appearance;
- The presence of a fairly large size liquid crystal display;
- Convenient and fully Russified mobile application.
Disadvantages:
- Sometimes there is a lack of low frequencies.
7. Yamaha PianoCraft MCR-N670 Black
One of the most modern designs, which allows you to work not only with physical musical media such as disks, flash drives, but also with streaming audio located in cloud storage. In addition, it is possible to listen to Internet radio. The conversion of the incoming signal is based on a special SABER 32 chip, which has a high speed, so the output delay here is minimal - this has a positive effect on the sound quality. This processor provides conversion parameters at 5.6 MHz. This music center is designed to be fully operational offline. Complete with it comes everything you need to play a variety of music.
There is a CD player, the speaker system is equipped with a fairly powerful amplifier. If necessary, you can connect additional speakers, although, as it seems to us, in the domestic environment, two speakers, each with a power of 70 W, will be quite enough. All cables through which the connection is made are supplied. It should be noted that on the case of the central element there is a connector for connecting an Ethernet cable, thanks to it the connection to the Internet will be more stable. In general, the music center itself is decorated in a traditional way, all sides are rectangular, even. The model is available in black or silver.
Benefits:
- Great clear sound;
- Strict and stylish appearance;
- There is everything you need to connect to the Internet;
- A fairly functional product.
Disadvantages:
- Very expensive.
6. Sony SHAKE-X30D
The loudspeaker system is characterized, first of all, by the excellent power of the Sound Pressure Horn bass line.Largely due to the original design, significant acoustic pressure will be pumped. This allows you to get higher power with minimal energy consumption - to achieve a similar effect on other devices simply will not work. The software is based on the original LDAC codec, which provides high quality playback of music transmitted wirelessly via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. It takes about three times as much data, respectively, the sound goes to a completely different level. The speakers have LED backlight, which will be included in the beat of the music. With its help, you can turn even an ordinary evening into a real disco, create a club atmosphere.
The original solution was the presence of an input for an electric guitar, and the sound will be quite deep and strong. There are jacks for connecting two microphones at once. This will allow you to arrange a real concert on request, especially since there is the opportunity to sing a duet. The music center has professional DJ effects, with which you can get the real spirit of a nightclub.
Benefits:
- Great sound, no distortion was noticed;
- Original backlight based on LEDs;
- Superior build quality
- The presence of a number of additional features.
Disadvantages:
- Not too large diagonal display - information is visible only near.
5. Panasonic SC-MAX770
A full-fledged music center, which includes a control unit and two acoustic systems, each of which has a mass of 40 kg, and the total weight of the product almost reaches 100 kg. Each speaker has 4 speakers: a 38-cm superwoofer is designed to work with low frequencies, two more speakers with a diameter of 20 and 10 cm are responsible for reproducing the middle range, high frequencies are played by a 6-cm column, additionally equipped with a bullet-shaped diffuser. The speaker housing is made of high-quality chipboard, so that the return during playback of low frequencies is even higher, the manufacturer installed two more bass reflexes here.
The sound output here is very high - 3300 watts. The sound amplifier is very efficient, digital, and is divided into several circuits, each of which is responsible for its own frequency range. In this regard, the connection of the main unit to the acoustics is done through special connectors - no spring or screw type clamps are provided for in this product. The control unit has a drive for working with music discs, several USB connectors, 2 GB of internal memory are also provided. Regardless of the format of the music files located on the disc, the center can overwrite them on a USB flash drive or in memory in .mp3 format.
Benefits:
- Very easy to manage;
- Huge selection of sound settings;
- Interesting appearance;
- Good workmanship;
- High power.
Disadvantages:
- Heavy and dimensional construction.
4. Yamaha ISX-80 Black
It is characterized by rather compact overall dimensions, therefore it is quite suitable even for a small room. The central module operates on the basis of the Bluetooth channel, with the help of which a local network is formed, which includes all the details of the audio complex that can support the MusicCAST system. In addition to the Bluetooth module, there is also a Wi-Fi unit that allows you to directly access streaming audio services. The greatest distance from which the unit can receive and process the received signal is 10 meters. As in most of the music centers included in our review, this device has a radio receiver, there is built-in acoustics, presented by speakers with a diameter of 8 cm for low frequencies and 3 cm for high frequencies.
Power is not very high - in total, all the speakers at maximum volume are capable of delivering about 20 watts. This allows you to save a decent amount of energy and at the same time provide yourself with a decent level of sound. The dimensions of the device, as already mentioned, are not too large - they are 302x302x65 mm with a mass of 3.5 kg.Products are available in several colors - black, purple or white.
Benefits:
- Insignificant overall dimensions;
- Attractive appearance;
- Pretty decent volume level;
- It is able to organically fit into any interior of the room;
- There is everything necessary to ensure a comfortable sound;
- You can forget about the wires under your feet.
Disadvantages:
- Not too suitable for large rooms;
- The remote control supplied with the device is not very convenient to use.
3. Pioneer P2-K
In third place in our ranking of the best Hi-Fi music centers is a compact and very original model that includes two speakers and two independent units: a sound source and a receiver. A player for optical discs is not provided here, instead a file network player is installed that is capable of working with streaming sound, including high resolution. It is worth noting the very beautiful appearance of the products. In particular, her faceplates are made of special high-quality anodized aluminum. They look very solid. A third of the front panel is a 3.5-inch LCD. It will display information regarding the video being played, the cover of the album from which it is taken, information about the artist.
On the display you can find a list of files and folders, but it is quite short, so the navigation is not very convenient - it’s easier to use a smartphone or tablet with a special application installed. There are also several control buttons and a USB connector. All other slots can be found on the back of the device. It is not surprising that this music center is equipped with several wireless communication units - Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, RCA. The data transfer speed is very high here, so even very heavy files will be played without any delay. The total power of the speaker system is 48 W - for home conditions is enough. The remote control can be controlled both by the receiver and by the player itself. The sound is detailed, the entire frequency range is heard very clearly.
Benefits:
- Quite decent sound quality;
- Small overall dimensions;
- Original technological solution;
- Looks nice.
Disadvantages:
- It is quite difficult to understand the functionality of the control panel.
2. Yamaha MCR-N570 black
This music center is able to support network music services, in addition, it is equipped with a drive for working with optical discs. However, it has a huge number of new features - playback of streaming audio located in the DNLA cloud storage, the ability to play Internet radio stations, work with music located on external media, also has a connection to AirPlay. There is only one central control unit - an optical drive is built into it, and a power amplifier is also located here. Shelf-type speaker system, has small overall dimensions, which allows you to install it in compact rooms, providing excellent sound quality there. The music center is a fully self-contained Hi-Fi system. All cables required to connect the elements are supplied.
The sound is very decent - the system can work with both instrumental and popular music, songs of various genres. Despite the fact that the native wires do not look too reliable, they transmit the signal qualitatively, nothing is lost. The only thing users regret is a slightly weak bass line.
Benefits:
- Decent sound quality, and you can adjust the high and low frequencies;
- There are all modern modules for wireless connection with various devices;
- Superior build quality.
Disadvantages:
- The filter of Internet radio stations is made only by their names, so finding the right one is a bit problematic;
- High price.
1. Pioneer X-EM16-B
One of the most compact systems among all the models included in our review of the best Hi-Fi class music centers - its dimensions are 180x121x221 mm with a total weight of speakers and the main unit of about 3.5 kg. The device is equipped with two identical columns, which are made of panels of laminated particleboard, coated with special compositions that reliably protect the front surface from various kinds of defects such as chips or scratches. It is made in strict black color, so it will fit well into almost any interior. Unlike the speakers, the central unit has a metal casing. All elements have a matte finish that will reliably protect against accumulating dust and prevent fingerprints. The control panel is small, but quite functional.
It’s quite easy to figure out how to connect and control the system - no latches are provided here, only classic plugs and sockets, with each socket signed. You cannot attach speakers to the wall. The total output power of the speaker system is 10 W - quite enough for a room not too large. Strengthen the bass line (by default it is rather weak) using the corresponding button on the remote control. The model works with media such as optical disks or flash drives, can work with formats .mp3, .cd and some others. On the front panel there is a small liquid crystal display, which displays information about the track or radio station. Next to it you can find a chrome knob to adjust the volume.
Benefits:
- Very high build quality;
- Nice and quite powerful indoor sound;
- Convenient control panel;
- There is a whole set of necessary functions.
Disadvantages:
- Works with a limited number of playback formats.
In conclusion, a useful video
Our ranking of the best Hi-Fi music centers is nearing completion. In the end, I would like to express the hope that you were able to choose the best products for yourself that will delight listeners with high-quality sound for many years. If you still have some questions, feel free to ask them in the comments on this article. We will promptly respond to your comments and provide all the necessary information.
(1 ratings, average: 5,00 out of 5)
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