1704587808
Thirty years ago, almost every house I visited, especially the kitchen, had a mini stereo system, supplemented by what was then a Bluetooth speaker, and these were almost always champagne colored.
In recent years, Denon and others have tried to revive old mini systems by combining them with the message that you don’t need a Bluetooth speaker when you can get a real system that does the same thing and can even be used as a soundbar can.
The latest addition is called CEOL RCD-N12, or among friends CEOL 12. The system is simple, square and very discreet in design, even in the white version of the system we borrowed. There are plenty of connectivity options as well as Denon’s own wireless HEOS system, there’s radio, Airplay 2, Spotify, Bluetooth, an optical input and, importantly, an integrated CD player and connectivity for media devices as well as a radio. It comes with a remote control that is very light and very plasticky, but I actually prefer the touch controls on the top of the case.
For those looking to use it as a soundbar replacement, HDMI connectivity makes things a little easier, and there’s more good news for Hi-Fi users. There’s a built-in turntable preamp for MM cartridges, a preamp output for stereo amplifiers and even subwoofers and even crazier: it’s approved and certified by Roon. That surprised me very much. Roon is a slick but very good audiophile playback software that unifies your streaming devices, local media servers, and everything else you own into a cohesive sound library through a unified interface. Usually it appears almost exclusively in hardcore HiFi products.
In other countries it is sold in packages with Denon’s own speakers, but Denon’s local PR lent us a set of B&W 607 S3 – which I’m skeptical about, even if the white matches well, only a sensitivity of 84 would cause problems. Weak amplifiers cause problems, especially when the impedance drops to 3 ohms. This isn’t normally what I would consider optimal output of 65 watts at 4 ohms, but it actually works quite well. A speaker cable was included which I initially thought was the radio antenna cable, but a set of speaker cables from local hi-fi manufacturer Skinbjerg Audio were installed instead.
The results of that? I was actually pleasantly surprised. Although I’d argue that money would be better spent on a better, more powerful set of powered speakers, the Denon CEOL RDC-N12 offers a level of flexibility that’s hard to ignore, looks good, and can be operated by anyone in the house.
The system is easy to use, the display is easy to read, but more importantly, the sound isn’t bad at all. The bass has a decent amount of punch, and although it has relatively few watts available, it doesn’t sound overused, even when you turn up the volume. Although a bit bright, the tonal coherence is adequate but is made up for by surprisingly detailed and airy highs. It’s a sound that most people will enjoy, and there’s also the option to connect a NAS device or even a headphone output if you’re into that sort of thing.
It’s neat, compact and functional, but for £650 that’s to be expected. I think the price may be a bit high, but then again it is also a very flexible all-in-one system.
Here is an ad:
#Denon #CEOL #RCDN12