Which mini hi fi

Tayla, Guildford store 6th Year of Service. Smart home integration Find out just how easy it is. An introduction to wireless headphones Enjoy your music, cable-free. Mon to Fri: - Sat: - Sun: - What do you get if you want amazing sound quality, but don't have the room for a separates system? One of our mini systems would be the perfect answer, offering an excellent balance between sound quality and size, without compromising on features. Showing Items 1 - 12 of We have the knowledge:.

Lowest Price Guaranteed! Explore our expert advice below - or watch the video above - to help guide you through making your mini hi-fi purchase. To discover the models Which? If you're looking for a system packed full of features with fantastic sound quality, these models come at a premium.

But if you're after something a little more simple, you can look after your wallet without scrimping on sound. Mini hi-fi systems generally fall into two categories: a main unit with separate speakers, or an all-in-one device with speakers built in. Both options have their advantages, offering you different things depending on your needs. When looking at a system with separate speakers, make sure you know whether speakers are included in the price, as this is not always the case.

There are a multitude of different features available for playing back your music and listening to the radio. Below we outline the main options, so you can make sure you find a mini hi-fi system that suits your needs. For example, a mini hi-fi with 4GB of internal storage can save approximately songs, which you can then transfer on to a computer, tablet or smartphone.

A USB port gives you the option of plugging in a USB stick to play your saved audio files, as well as potentially recording music and the radio from your mini hi-fi on to the stick. You can also connect external devices to the hi-fi using a USB cable for streaming purposes, or to charge a device such as a smartphone or tablet. Our mini hi-fi system reviews are based on our own independent tests. We test harder in the lab so you can choose the right mini hi-fi system when you shop.

Our Test Labs compare features and prices on a range of products. Try Which? You'll instantly be able to compare our test scores, so you can make sure you don't get stuck with a Don't Buy.

Standard and high-quality MP3 files aren't technically on par with CDs, but they're still good enough to satisfy most listeners. Music streaming services such as Spotify typically deliver lossless audio as a data-saving measure. These files will sound worse than a CD regardless of the system you're using, but the effects of compression can be amplified by Bluetooth, which adds another layer of compression. Most Bluetooth speakers don't offer an alternative wireless connection method, although some support Wi-Fi which has enough bandwidth to transfer tracks in high fidelity.

Using the auxiliary inputs may be the best way to optimise the listening experience but this would be at the expense of convenience as you need to have the media player physically connected to the speaker. Streaming from your mobile, tablet or PC to a speaker via Bluetooth, from a service such as Spotify, is a popular way to consume music.

Bluetooth, however, can compress the files which reduces sound quality. Modern mini hi-fi systems that support networking, build a link to one or more streaming services into the system, using a feature called 'connect'. Rather than sending the song from your phone to the system via Bluetooth, your mobile acts as a remote control, while the hi-fi hub communicates with the Spotify servers directly. The additional level of compression added by Bluetooth is removed and thus, the sound is better.

This is particularly useful if you subscribe to services that offer high-fidelity streaming such as Tidal. Where Bluetooth compresses a music file's size and therefore compromises quality, a speaker compatible with Wi-Fi has enough bandwidth to transfer tracks in high fidelity.

Somewhat tech-savvy users can even store their lossy or lossless files on a networked drive NAS or computer, and stream them to a mini hi-fi system if Wi-Fi is built in.

A pair of external speakers will almost always sound better than a portable Bluetooth device. They generally pack a bit of a punch too, so you can crank up the tunes without worrying about poor sound quality and distortion to a point, remember, everything has a limit.