Teac LS 500

Advantages: Nice looking, nice sounding, reasonable value for money.
Disadvantages: Upgrades are not that enticing and the remote control does not send out a strong signal.

...I was drawn to the Teac 500 system because I wanted something more "high-fidelity" than an Aiwa all-in-one unit but didn't want to mix and match units. The advantage of having separates is that you can change units and therefore upgrade the system. Over time Teac have added various options such as 7 disc CD player, DVD player, AV amp. The advantage of having separates all designed by Teac is that the system has one remote control, can serve as an alarm clock and is semi-intelligent. For example, if I switch the amp from CD to tuner, the CD player automatically stops. I added a pair of Mission 701s to it and have found that it sounds superb. I have two gripes though: The remote control looks good, has all the required functions but has to be used 10cm away from the unit. I have e-mailed Teac to ask if they have a solution... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Great Sound, Great Looks, Great Price
Disadvantages: Remotes a bit cheap, no USB port,

...Having been in the market to downsize my old hi fi for something more compact, I've settled on the Teac reference 300 mkIII with DAB tuner. Its a 3 box system as opposed to the other smaller one box systems manufactured by Teac and others such as Denon, Arcam and Onkyo. As such, although being larger, it is more user friendly to use and has more power at 45 wpc RMS. At around £500 rrp it stands up favourably in price to the Arcam Solo Mini and comes in silver or black finish with machined aluminium fronts and a classy blue display on each unit. It actually appears slightly retro in appearance although the remotes are a bit cheap looking. The silver units can be found for as little as £349 without speakers so its quite a bargain. Sound quality for such a small unit is really clear and well defined with a warm bass typical of Teac... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Great looks, ease of use
Disadvantages: Too big for some people

...This system consists of separates but they link so seamlessly that you'd swear you were using an integrated hi-fi. The sound quality is fantastic. I am using the speakers taht came FREE with the system and are TEAC speakers and retail at around £130. However the sound produced is rich and has great depth. The system has a AM/FM tuner, a CD player and a MD player all of which operate through the stereo amplifier. The remote control operates all components and is well thought out. The MD is easy to use and recording and editing facilties are simple to learn. The naming of tracks and albums is easier than on most MD players, more like the Panasonic portable MD players than Sony. The buttons feel reassuringly well built and flicking between tracks is a more than pleasant experience (i jest!). A remote solely for the MD is included... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful