REVIEW
STRAP
MICRO HI-FI SYSTEM
HEAD
HITACHI AX-C8E
INTRO
Blockbuster AV surround systems grab all the
headlines so we thought it was about time we one of the little guys a chance...
COPY
Okay, so the Hitachi AX-C8 isn’t exactly an
ass-kicking Pro-Logic power system, but then we don’t all have bottomless pockets,
houses with three-foot thick walls and deaf neighbours. Micro hi-fi systems rarely
rate a mention on these pages -- they’re not usually renowned for their home
cinema facilities -- but the C8 is a bit different, and it’s more than capable
of performing light AV duties.
Two features stand out, three if you count
the price which is a quite reasonable £330. The first is a Karaoke facility,
that cancels out vocals, so you can join in using the on-board microphone mixer,
you’ll have to provide your own mike though. The other is a six-disc CD
autochanger, which is a first on a micro system, and almost unheard of at this
price point. In fact Hitachi have managed to cram in an impressive amount of
gadgetry into what is really a very small space, and in addition to the CD it
has a well-specified auto-reverse tape deck on the top, an AM/FM tuner with 10
station presets, sleep-timer, program timer and full logic control. On the
sound side it has a 5-mode equaliser with pre-sets responses for flat, heavy,
mild, clear and vocal sounds, plus stereo wide and dynamic bass effects.
The CD and tape decks have a number of
integrated facilities, including synchronised recording, auto edit, which
arranges CD tracks to be recorded according to the length of the tape being
used, and continuous edit, so that more than one disc can be recorded on a
tape. It’s simple to use, you don’t even have to switch it on, just select the
required function and it fires up, with a ‘hello’ message on the LCD panel. All
operations can be controlled from the IR remote handset, the only notable
omission being a mute function. It comes with a pair of matching pre-wired
speakers, the cables are bit on the short side, though.
The Karaoke function filters out the vocal
sounds of whatever source component is selected and that can include a VCR, so
you can sing along with music tapes, or Top of The Pops, should you feel so
inclined. It works quite well though there’s some residual voices in the
background, and some kinds of music can sound a little strange, especially if
there’s any echo or phasing effects.
The amplifier pumps out a modest 2 x 15 watts
but the compact 2-way bass-reflex speakers are pleasingly open, giving a surprisingly
full-bodied sound even without the bass boost engaged. The CD sounds reasonably
clean, maybe a touch clinical on the treble frequencies but we’re not exactly
in high-end territory here and for the price it does very well indeed. The tape
deck provides a crisp, detailed sound with minimal background noise; the Dolby
B noise reduction is a bit heavy-handed, though. The AX-C8 isn’t going to give
the surround-sound heavyweights any sleepless nights but this little outfit provides
a flexible and cost-effective second-string if your main hi-fi system is tied
up with the VCR and TV.
DATA STREAM
Hitachi AX-C8E £329.99
Pros - good sound, very fair price
Cons - no mute, sluggish remote volume
HITACHI SALES (UK) LTD, Hitachi House,
Station Road, Middlesex UB3 4DR.
Telephone 0181-849 2000
PERFORMANCE 8
BUILD 8
VALUE FOR MONEY 9
Overall total 90%
ON TRIAL 2
STRAP
SURROUND SOUND SATELLITE RECEIVER
HEAD
AMSTRAD SRD-2000
INTRO
Amstrad take on Pace at the top end of the
tuner market with their first Dolby Pro-Logic equipped receiver
COPY
It’s fair to say most people associate the Amstrad
name with cheap and for the most part, reasonably cheerful satellite systems,
so the SRD-2000 may come as something of a surprise. It’s a classy-looking
top-end design, with full-blown Dolby Pro-Logic surround sound no less, plus an
impressive assortment of advanced facilities, that includes a digital interface
for an external decoder. It’s for the next generation of satellite TV channels,
due to go into service within in the next few years. Amstrad are being
remarkably far-sighted, detailed technical specifications have still to be worked
out...
Back in the here and now the features that should
prove most useful include a 300 channel tuner, factory-set for all four Astra
satellites, plus over a dozen other satellites receivable from the UK, with a
steerable or second fixed dish. It has an easy to follow menu-driven on-screen
display, 8-event/1-year VCR timer, favourite channel selection, pre-settable
tone controls and full access to all of the receivers higher functions. It’s
not all sweetness and light though, the remote control handset is a nasty piece
of work. The buttons are small, badly laid out and poorly labelled. On the plus
side upgradability and flexibility are key design features; it has two dish
inputs, two smart-card slots, plus four SCART AV sockets, so it’s not going to
be found wanting either as a home cinema component, or as part of a
multi-satellite system.
Nevertheless, the star of the show has to be the
on-board Dolby Pro-Logic decoder. It’s fully-featured with amplified outputs
for the main stereo, centre-front and rear-surround channels. With each of the
four channels rated at 25 watts (RMS) it has enough puff to drive pretty well
all purpose-designed AV speakers, as well as the five-speaker JPW package that
Amstrad are selling as an option for an extra £100. There are also line-level
outputs for each channel, plus a separate output for an amplified sub-woofer. The Pro Logic decoder has a full set of
adjustments to set channel and front-rear balance, this includes a sequenced
white noise generator, (with an unusual manual option), plus a variable delay
setting to vary the sound for different sized rooms. The decoder has options
for Dolby 3 stereo and phantom centre-channel, plus variable bass and treble
response.
The satellite section performs very well
indeed, sensitivity is good, with enough in reserve to bring in the weaker
channels and make it viable as a multi-satellite receiver. Colours are crisp
and well defined, noise levels are below average. The Pro Logic decoder also gives
a good account of itself, effects are
cleanly resolved and although it’s not as precise or tightly controlled as some
of the better mid-market decoders it’s certainly no slouch. So how does it
stack up against it’s main rival, the Pace MSS-1000? Quite frankly there’s
almost nothing in it. The basic specifications, on-screen and Pro-Logic
performance, even the price are almost exactly the same. The SRD-2000 has a
couple of extra bells and whistles whereas the Pace model is a little more
refined with better multi-satellite facilities; if you’re in the market for a
surround sound satellite receiver make sure you look and listen to both of
them, or toss a coin, it’s as close as that...
DATA STREAM
Amstrad SRD-2000, £350 (receiver only)
Pros - flexible, versatile and good surround
sound performance
Cons - clumsy control logic, nasty remote
AMSTRAD, Brentwood House, 169 Kings Road,
Brentwood, Essex CM14 3EF
Telephone (01277) 228888
PERFORMANCE 9
BUILD 8
VALUE FOR MONEY 8
Overall total 95%
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Ó R. Maybury 1995 2103
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