If I can play music without referring to the manual then a
system has passed the first test, and these days most do. The next test is more
important. What does it initially sound like, does it make me sit up and take
notice, am I listening to music rather than just hearing a pleasant noise? To
my surprise given its £99 price this Ministry of Sound system passed the second
test. It made me want to listen more. Quite a bit more actually.
Firstly the sound is detailed, you hear individual
instruments rather than a mass of noise. Stereo is also good, with width and
depth to the soundstage; musicians don’t sound as though they are all playing
in the middle. Bass doesn’t go low, but what there is is punchy. Mid-range is a
little dry and this does lead to a slightly lean character, but overall it
sounds excellent for its price, punching well above its weight. I could
certainly live with it, particularly as I use headphones a lot and through
these the sound is even better.
Guide Price: £100
Suppliers: Argos £100
So a really good start then, which continues when you look
at the features offered. It has DAB and FM radio and a CD player that can also
read MP3 files. A timer and sleep function are also available should you want
to go to sleep / wake up via the system. Power is quoted as 2 x 20 watts RMS;
in practice it plays loud enough for most. To top it all it looks good as well,
the silver livery on both the system and speakers giving it a smart, if
traditional, look.
Both radios work well. The FM radio has good sensitivity and
the sound quality is consistent with other sources. DAB also has good
sensitivity; it pulled in stations from all 3 multiplexes in my poor reception
area. Signal strength on some was too low, with the usual burbling sound when
this happens, but it was a creditable performance nevertheless.
The supplied remote continues the silver theme and looks
particularly neat, its 34 buttons replicating virtually all the functions on
the main system. The buttons are identical though, making it difficult to use
at times, even doing simple tasks like changing volume. This ease of use issue
extends to operation of the system, which is not intuitive at first. You do get
used to it though, so its no more than a niggle.
The only real fault I can find with this system is its lack
of an auxiliary input, which means you can’t connect it to an MP3 player or a
computer. Given that it is targetted at the youth market this could be an
issue. If you want an Aux Input, another product, the Ministry of Sound’s DV124
£99 system could be worth looking at. This eschews DAB facilities in favour of
DVD playback - it has 2 auxiliary inputs.
All in all my first experience of a Ministry of Sound system
has been very positive. Any preconceptions about this being a brand-extension
exercise without any substance have been blown away. The facilities are good;
the inclusion of DAB at this price level is impressive; and the sound quality
exceeds expectations. If you can live without iPod connection then think
seriously before you spend more on an alternative system. I doubt there is much
at £150 that could touch it, and even at £200 it will hold its own against some
competitors.
Pros: Fantastic value
for money. Excellent sound quality. Well built for the price. MP3 CD playback
Cons: Layout of
remote. No auxiliary input
