Buyer's Guide 

Systems are traditionally divided into “Micro”, “Mini”, “Separate” and “Portable” categories. To this we can now add MP3 docking stations. Micro systems, being so small, are ideal for a bedroom or anywhere that space is an issue. Yet, they won't look out of place in a living room either. Mini systems are larger and generally more powerful in the audio department. They also tend to have more functionality, such as multi-CD changers and graphic equalisers.

The separates market is very complex with the potential for the customer to mix and match units from the same or even different suppliers to create his ideal configuration. These would now typically include a Blu-Ray or DVD player.

The portable market consists of the traditional “ghetto blaster”, with integrated radio receiver, CD player and speaker system.

Content/Connectivity??

It can be assumed that all audio systems have a radio receiver and a CD player. Other options to consider are as follows:

Digital radio (Digital Audi Band DAB)

The ability to receive the now widely broadcast digital signals, which not just provides a better sound quality, but also access to over 250 digital radio stations including 34 BBC stations in the UK.

RDS

This system, see glossary below, supplements the radio receiver and provides information of the channel selected etc.

Pre-set tuning

The ability to set and store radio frequencies.

MP3

This is the ability to play MP3 data files, typically generated for personal hi-fi units such as the iPod. This access can either be through a hard-wired socket, a docking station, as below, which holds the MP3 player itself or by having a hard drive in the audio system.

Hard Drive

As above, this allows the storing and playback of MP3 digital music files, which can be exchanged with an MP3 personal hi-fi.

Remote control

Having a small unit to remotely control the equipment’s settings without having to adjust the hardware by hand.

MP3 docking stations

The massive popularity of the MP3 personal hi-fi, which of course includes the iconic Apple iPod, has lead to many of us generating huge personal libraries of our favourite songs. These have been selected, downloaded or “ripped” from CD.s and now exist as digital music data files. Since these are generally stored on the owner’s computer and MP3 player, it is convenient to access these through a home hi-fi system. This is where the MP3 docking station allows the songs to be played, through the unit itself, which sits in a cradle, providing a direct electrical connection into the machine whilst providing the wider transmission to the room, rather than through personal headphones or earpieces.

Recording vinyl to digital?

Some of us still have faithful record collections and these can be recorded through decks with a digital output socket into data files, which enables them to be used on MP3 players etc. The recording is a lengthy “real-time” process, requiring each record to be played at normal speed, perhaps for the last time!!

Glossary

RDS: Radio Data System by which broadcasters add specific information to the FM signal, e.g. the name of the radio station. This information appears on the display of an RDS tuner.

Sampling Rate Converter: it is straightforward to record digitally from CD onto MD because both sources have the same sampling rate (44.1 kHz). A Sampling Rate Converter enables MD recorders to record from other digital sources that don't have the same sampling rate, e.g. DAT (Digital Audio Tape).

Shock Resistant Memory: (see Anti-shock)

Shuffle/Random function: the shuffle, or random, function plays back the tracks on a CD or MD in a random order.