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This little stereo looks great on the shelf but the sound is just OK. Also organization of the remote is just so-so yet that is the only way to control the machine.Forget about navigating MP3's on CD. It's just too difficult to be worthwhile.
My research showed that there are other similar Denon models that have CD changers but the reviews have not been very good regarding the quality of their CD changer. Sound quality is 5 stars for this type of system. This is a feature that I personally will not use very much.FM and AM reception were good with the supplied antennas. Also keep in mind the sound should get better as the speakers break in over time. I looked at Best Buy and Circuit City and all they had was junk for $100-$200 or it looked like it came from outer space. The sound is OK but not great and the CD player opens from the top causing me to have to pull the system out everytime I want to load a CD.
More careful speaker placement should yield even better sound.You are not going to great bass performance from the system because of small physical size of the speakers. The $500 price was at the top of what I wanted to pay for a system. Stero imaging is also good, i.e. If you cannot listen to the sound of the system go by the reviews as they are right on the money. That is a tall order to fill in this day and age. However, there are jacks for an external tape unit and one of playing modes is 'tape'. You may have reception problems if you live in a big city with tall buildings around you which causes multi-path distortion. Higher end audio stores did not carry these systems in my area.I currently have a cheap Sony stereo in that space.
the speakers seem to disappear and the sound seems to be wider than the speakers and fills the space between the speakers. Bass performance is good if you do not want one of those thumper stereo systems.My main criteria looking for a small stereo system is that it had to fit in a 11.5 inch high, 25 inch long bookshelf space in my condo, have great sound, play CD's that loaded from the front, play cassette tapes, and have an FM/AM radio. The specifications state 22 watts per channel but I have no idea how that number was computed as RMS power was not mentioned.If you are not fussy about sound quality I am sure you can find cheaper systems out there. A CD changer is nice but not a must have for me. there is no bass or treble added to the sound.
Rather than repeat what the other reviewers have said I will talk about some of the other points about this system that have not been mentioned. Be careful about the wattage rating as everyone plays games like using peak watts, or the total wattage for both channels. However this system satisfied all of my requirements except being able to play cassette tapes which is less important to me than the physical size of the system and having great sound. The speakers did not break up at loud sound levels. Be sure the bass boost system is turned off also.This system has a bunch of different timers you can use to turn the system on and off when you want or set it to a specific time for an FM station to turn on or play a CD. However the other end has cheapo, clamp style connectors where you insert the speaker into a hole and the wire is held by a spring loaded clamp.
Keep it simple at this price point.To evaluate the system I played some of my favorite CD's on a unit at Ultimate Electonics and loved the sound. This system does not play tapes and that is my only gripe. Keep in mind the system is sitting on my kitchen counter a foot from the edge of the counter. Be sure you evaluate the sound of the system with the treble and bass controls at 0 equalization, i.e.
The build quality is also excellent. The radio has a feature called RDS where you can see the name of the radio station, what song is playing and who the artist is. This system does not have a CD changer. Overall, I had difficulty finding a store that carried good quality mini stereo systems and based and decided to checkout Ulimate Electronics and saw the Denon system. Better antennas may be needed. I have only had the system for a couple of hours.Overall, I agree with most of the reviewers that is the sound is great for what your are getting in a mini/micro system. You can also find different types of music on the radio like easy listening, rock, pop, classical, etc.
I live in a large residential area with 1 and 2 story homes. The speakers are equipped with banana plug jacks. If you are spending this much money a few bucks invested in speaker wire will make a huge difference. Lamp cord would be better than the speaker wire that comes with the system. They cannot move much air, and the amplier does not have a lot of power to reproduce good bass at low frequencies.
The one true rating for power comparison purposes is RMS watts per channel. Just more stuff to go wrong. You will not be disappointed.I also agree with other reviewer recommendations to replace the speaker wire. I then got on Amazon, read the reviews, and went back and played some CD's I am familiar with. Maybe I will look for a good exteral tape unit in the future.I gave a rating of 4 stars as the unit should have had a cassette deck at this price point.
It certainly does not sounds like 22W, if that is a concern to you. It is a far cry from the the clarity, precision and staging you get with the Solo, but then again, we are talking over two grands more than the amazing little Denon.Just two hints for buyers and owners. All this is the result of the exceptional care given to system integration: a combination of a good quality DAC, match with nicely designed speakers, which in turn are supported by just the right amplification. The noteworthy attribute of the M33 is without a doubt the integrity of the sound it produces; the highs might not be exceptional, but are clear and never harsh; the mid-range is very good with quality impossible to match even by some systems above this price range; and the bass, without going very low, is quite natural and warm, avoiding the sharp mechanical sound that many mid-fi, and even hi-fi monitors generate, or the boomy one-note you get from commercial system's speakers. I've owned this system for almost two years by now, and the least i can say is that it had never disappointed. I suspected that these plates should be non-conductive, but i spent quite some time trying to get rid of an annoying humming back noise, and once i did this, the back noise was gone. the Denon is quite competitive in terms of musicality and finesse. My other system is an Arcam Solo and Monitor Audio RS6 speakers, and i must admit that with some types of music (adult alternative, world beat, garage rock, etc).
Even cheap Audioquest will make a difference. Just don't overdo it, and you will be fine. Even new, the M33S sounded good; after a couple hundred hours of playing, the system really opened up, and have since provided great clarity and amazing full sound, considering size and price. Speaker's cable upgrading is a must. In a small room, you can get good and wholesome music that can go fairly loud without distortion. I really do not know any other system that can give you this performance within the price range(I tried sony, onkyo, bose, etc). And second, if you are using bare wire, be careful that the ends of the wire don't touch the black plate where the speaker's connectors seat. And believe me, it really did make a difference in the sound.
I am amazed by the wonderful sound produced by this stereo, and the sound easily fills my 20' x 15' living room. It is much better than I imagined for such a small set of speakers. I am not that knowledgeable about stereo equipment, but I do know that this sounds great - well worth the money.
Sounds great. The system is set up in my room, never expected to turn it up too loud anyways.
I was hesitant to buy this because I saw a negative review posted but I went ahead and bought a refurbished one anyways because I love denon products. I felt I had to write a review for this product.
The speakers put out an amazing volume. I can only describe the sound as amazing, amazing, amazing.
Even without a subwoofer the sound is full and deep. I turned the volume up out of curiosity and was surprised by the sound.
I would definitely recommend this product.
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