Advice on mini audio systems
1. What do you want to play?
Most mini audio systems can play CDs. With a DVD player, you can play DVDs and CDs. You can then connect the mini system to your TV with an HDMI cable. Other playback options are from a USB flash drive or from your iPhone via a dock. These are only suitable for an iPhone 4S or older.
2. Do you want to stream music wirelessly?
Stream the music from your iPhone, iPad, or computer with iTunes easily and in high quality via AirPlay. You need to use Bluetooth for other smartphones and tablets. You can play a music collection on your laptop, PC, or network drive via DLNA. You can browse through your favorites via a smartphone app.
3. Want to listen to radio?
Most stereo systems have an FM radio built in with which you can receive all radio channels in the ether. Do you want more freedom of choice? Then opt for a stereo system with internet radio. You then get access to thousands of stations. Your stereo systems must be connected to your home network and the internet though. You can often easily select channels via a smartphone app. Some stereo systems have a digital DAB+ tuner. Thanks to DAB+, you can choose from more channels than with FM. Moreover, you can easily search for these channels by name instead of by frequency and the chance of interference is very small.
4. How big is the room?
The more power, the more sound a linked system can produce. The number of watts in combination with the size of the speakers determines how well a stereo system is able to fill a space with music without distortion occurring.
