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This article was first published in the October 2015 issue of WIRED magazine. Be the first to read WIRED's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online.
WIRED corralled five mini hi-fi systems with a range of format options and tested each in a listening room. We assessed them for ease of set-up, format compatibility, design, build quality and sonic performance. Mini systems provide a convenient alternative to full-size components. CD is still the most prevalent audio storage format, but hi-resolution downloads, streaming services and vinyl are all growing in popularity.
With CD playback and a DAB+ tuner at its heart this traditional mini system adds a smattering of cutting-edge compatibility with Bluetooth (without support for aptX), plus it will play hi-res FLAC files from a USB drive (but it cannot handle ALAC files). Design and build quality, especially the speaker cabinets and CD tray, is run of the mill but commensurate with its price. The SC-PMX70's real talents lie under the hood, with a third-generation Lincs D-Amp that delivers a substantial 60W in to each three-way speaker. The clarity and power, especially with hi-resolution tunes, is highly impressive but it lacks refinement and the bass doesn't have the control of its rivals. For the money it serves up a well-imaged soundfield that can go loud without causing aural fatigue. 6/10 £300
Physical formats CD Digital format compatibility (DFC) MP3, AIFF, AAC, FLAC, WAV (up to 192kHz/24bit) Wireless format Bluetooth (SBC, AAC) Power output 2 x 60W*Inputs** USB-A; stereo phono Outputs subwoofer pre-out; headphones jack*
The Minx Xi eschews physical formats entirely in favour of digital streams delivered over a network with analogue and digital inputs. It's a neat looking, solidly built metal box with 80W of power that will comfortably drive the largest of bookshelf speakers. Operation is a mixed bag with poorly labelled buttons either side of a large, clearly visible OLED display that has comprehensive metadata on show. The full-size remote is confusing and no match for a nicer iOS/Android app. Streaming by Wi-Fi edges out Bluetooth in terms of clarity, but the high-quality Wolfson DAC maxes out at 24-bit/96kHZ so higher-quality downloads won't play. 8/10 £500
Physical formats none DFC MP3, AIFF, AAC, FLAC, ALAC, WMA, WAV (up to 24bit/96kHZ) Wireless format Bluetooth (SBC, AAC, aptX) Power output 2 x 40W Inputs: USB-A x 3; stereo phono x 2; optical digital; coaxial digital; Ethernet; 3.5mm analogue Outputs subwoofer pre-out; headphone jack
No speakers are included here, but the compact DCD-50 CD partners perfectly with the identically styled PMA-50 amplifier. The curved, minimalist design is a classy blend of brushed aluminium with obsidian and matte black surfaces. Both units can be placed vertically or horizontally thanks to auto-orientating OLED displays, though neither option improves the tiny font. CDs are slot-loaded and play without fuss, and the amp offers a dynamic, refined performance. Bluetooth didn't adopt aptX when we tried, but unexpectedly used notably inferior SBC. Incomparably better results were had by feeding 192kHz hi-res ALAC files to the asynchronous USB-A input. These are high-end components disguised as off-the-shelf mini hi-fi: cool design and muscular sound. 9/10 £329 (CD); £349 (amp)
Physical format CD DFC PCM (max 24-bit/192kHz); FLAC, ALAC (max 24-bit/192kHz); DSD (2.8MHz, 5.6MHz) Wireless format Bluetooth (SBC, AAC, aptX) Power output 2 x 25W Inputs USB-B; digital optical x 2; coaxial; stereo phono Outputs subwoofer pre-out; headphones jack
With vinyl sales at a 20-year high, Merlin has favoured a record player as a physical medium here. The amp can also handle standard res (16-bit/48kHz) files input via USB, and an optical jack provides 24-bit/96kHz hi-res PCM compatibility. A nice touch is that you can output digitally to capture vinyl in MP3 or AAC on a computer. The speakers have bespoke elliptical cabinets and use diffraction to generate a bigger sound field than expected. Setting up is a little tricky thanks to a turntable arm that needs careful balancing and the blister button remote looks woefully cheap. Like the record player and speakers' lacquered finishes, the Merlin's performance is highly polished, effortlessly delivering a nicely textured sound. Points are lost, however, for the lack of CD deck or display window. 8/10 £1,300
Physical format: vinyl DFC PCM (max 24-bit/96kHz); USB: MP3, AIFF, AAC, FLAC, ALAC, WMA, WAV (max 16-bit/48kHz) Wireless format Bluetooth (SBC, AAC, aptX) Power output 2 x 50W Inputs stereo phono; phono stage; micro USB-B; 3.5mm analogue; digital optical Outputs 3.5mm fixed/variable line out; headphones
This CD-touting system reeks of being built to a budget with low-grade speaker terminals, cheap speaker cabinets and a thin metal casing. However, it impresses with a lovely 3.5in LCD display that can show album art when playing CDs or DLNA network streamed files. It boasts Bluetooth, AirPlay and network streaming with hi-res capability (including top-notch DSD files), but USB or Ethernet are required for 24-bit/192kHz compatibility. The remote is no hero but there's a lovely app alternative that can access Spotify and internet radio. A reasonably powerful and smooth sound is hampered by unreliable wireless streaming and an almost uncontrollable tendency to revert to AirPlay when using Bluetooth. 6/10 £300
Physical format CD DFC MP3, AIFF, AAC, FLAC, ALAC, WAV (up to 24bit/192kHz), DSD (2.8MHz), WMA Wireless formats AirPlay; Bluetooth (SBC, AAC, aptX) Power output: 2 x 50W Inputs USB-A; stereo phono x 2; optical digital; Ethernet; 3.5mm analogue Outputs subwoofer pre-out; headphone jack
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
