Hi-Fi Systems

Welcome to the Hi-Fi Systems page, this guide covers Hi-Fi systems such as the mini, micro, DVD and component Hi-Fi systems, it also covers brands such as Sony, Kenwood, JVC, Panasonic, Pioneer, Philips, Aiwa, Technics, Denon, Teac and Yamaha.

There are many types of Hi-Fi system available so it can be confusing choosing the right audio equipment for you. The differences are mainly in size and the features available, the small micro systems offer limited functionality but are small and sleek, the audio systems with more features are generally a little larger but have better speakers so better sound quality and also more advanced features. There are also lots of electronic manufacturers that offer audio equipment including Kenwood, Philips, Sony, Bose, Panasonic, Pioneer, Technics, JVC, Denon, Aiwa, Teac and Yamaha.

Micro Hi-Fi systems are the smallest Hi-Fi systems for the home, they are ideal for places where space is limited such as the bedroom or the kitchen. Micro Hi-Fi's are designed to look nice, appearance is one of the highest priorities when manufacturers make micro Hi-Fi systems so you can expect sleek designs in aluminium, silver and wood effects. The good thing about micro Hi-Fi systems is that they are cheap, they are cheap because they are small and have less features that other Hi-Fi systems. A micro Hi-Fi system is made up of the main unit and two small speakers, the speakers are usually placed at either side of the Hi-Fi unit because they are designed to look good together. The main unit usually has a CD player which is located either at the top of the unit with a door on top of the unit which opens when pressed and allows the CD to be placed into the CD player or with a simple tray that opens with the pressing of a button. The CD players have varying features and it is worth looking out for these, if you wish to listen to CD's on CD-R or CD-RW then you have to get a Hi-Fi that is compatible with these recordable CD's, some Hi-Fi's also have the ability to play MP3's from a CD which can be very useful as you can fit hundreds of MP3's onto a CD. They will also have a radio with some models having a DAB radio which is basically digital and so offers much better sound quality, if you can find a Hi-Fi with a DAB radio and you listen to the radio quite allot then this is a very good choice. The unit will then have either a tape or a mini disc deck, tape are quite out-dated these days but some people do still have tapes that they listen to so this can be a useful feature. There are many brands that offer micro systems, these include Philips, Technics, Kenwood, Aiwa, Panasonic, Sony, Denon, Pioneer, JVC, Teac and Yamaha.

The next type of HiFi is the mini HiFi, this is similar to the micro system but is larger, this usually means that it has a multi CD player which means that the HiFi can hold 3, 4, 5 or even more CD's so that you do not have to change CD as much. Multi CD players also offer some cool features, you can play all of the CD's in order and even repeat the playing giving you a great variety in music, you can even set the HiFi to play tracks randomly from any of the CD's in the HiFi unit which is great if you fancy even more variety. Mini HiFi's also usually offer two tape or mini disc decks, this allows the copying of discs or tapes and the storage of two discs or tapes allowing for more choice of listening. The main feature that a mini HiFi system offers over a micro system is the power available, they offer much more power so are the only choice if you are wanting louder music and a better quality of sound. This is achieved due to the speakers, they are larger and generally of a better quality than the speakers that come with a micro system. Some mini HiFi's also have speakers with an inbuilt subwoofer, these speakers offer much higher levels of bass and a much deeper sound, if this is what you like then speakers with a subwoofer is the best choice, some mini HiFi's also have a separate subwoofer. Mini HiFi systems also generally offer more advanced features than the micro systems, some systems have surround sound while others have preset equaliser settings which allow you to change the sound to your liking. There are many manufacturers that offer mini HiFi systems, these include Technics, Denon, Philips, Kenwood, Panasonic, JVC, Aiwa, Sony, Pioneer, Teac and Yamaha.

The next type of HiFi is the DVD HiFi, this is a home cinema system which includes a full audio system with a DVD player. The audio system will incorporate a surround sound system giving home cinema style audio, these are great for watching films in surround sounds as you will hear sound coming from every angle and feel like you are in the action! These surround sound HiFi's have five speakers, there is the two front speakers which should be located in either corner of the room next to the television but as far apart as possible to get a better surround sound effect. Then there are the rear speakers, these should be placed at the back of the room in each corner, behind the listening position if possible so that the sound appears to be coming from behind the listener. Then there is the centre speaker, this is placed close to the television as it provides all of the vocal sound, it can either be placed on top or below the television. Some home cinema systems also come with a separate subwoofer, these are great as they add bass to the sound which gives the sound much more emphasis. It does not matter where you place the subwoofer as it does not produce normal sound, just bass and you cannot tell where this comes from (unless you are very close to it) so it's position does not matter, it is best out of the way. There are many brands that offer these home cinema systems and they include Sony, Technics, Pioneer, Philips, Denon, Kenwood, JVC, Panasonic, Aiwa, Teac and Yamaha.

The other type of HiFi equipment is the component equipment which is also known as separates. These are individual components which you buy separately, you then combine them to make your perfect HiFi system. The types of component available include a CD player, cassette deck, radio tuner, amplifier, Mini disc, record deck, CD recorder and speakers, you only need to buy the component that you need so you can create your ideal HiFi system. The individual separates. are also available in different sizes, you can get separates. in micro, mini and full size configurations so you can also choose the size of your separates. Building a component HiFi system is best for the true HiFi enthusiast that needs to tailor their HiFi system to be exactly what they need, most people will be able to find a micro, mini or home cinema system that will suit them with no problems. A good thing about buying separates. is that you can build a cheap HiFi system by only buying the parts that you need, this is better than having a system with features that you never use.

So there are quite a few things to consider when buying a Hi-Fi system, these are mainly the size of the Hi-Fi system and the features that you require.  You also have to consider the brand of Hi-Fi system you would like, there are many available and include Sony, Kenwood, Panasonic, Pioneer, Denon, JVC Technics and many others. We always advise that you should shop around when buying online as many of the shops will have cheap special offers available where you can save some money and find a cheap deal on your new Hi-Fi unit. So have a look at the main electronic shops (see the links above) and have a look at what offers and deals they have running, if you can find a cheap special offer then that would be excellent as you could save allot of money.

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