Anyone remember the 80s? There were some really dodgy mini hifi systems you could by. Nostalgia aside,they were bloody awful sound quality.
Thankfully today there’s some serious bits of kit int he market for anyone looking for a hifi that doesn’t hog too much space. In this overview and guide we’ll be comparing them and finding the best ones out there.
In This Guide
What is the #1 micro hifi in the UK for 2021
It’s a tough choice, but the product that nailed it for us, in is. The Sony CMT-SBT100 mini Hifi (Amazon UK). It’s ticks all the boxes you’d want from mini Hifi. Everything about this system belies it’s sub £200 price tag. Very impressive sound quality, bluetooth integration is spot on and the build quality is what we’ve come to expect from Sony.
There’s a full overview of all our top hifi mini systems below but if you want to get a really good system, the Sony SBT100 is a a system that’s making us very happy in 2021.
#1 Choice: Sony SBT100
Excellent sound considering it’s size
As well as being a bit of a looker, this compact Hifi has a lot going for it on the audio front. Crisp sound and good, deep bass. Volume seems really loud thanks to the 50w speakers. Great audio sound for the price and size!
Good quality speakers
Ever have a pair of speakers that looked OK in the product shots but sounded absolutely awful? Thankfully there’s none of that here. The SBT’s speakers are thankfully well made, have a quality feel and, more importantly a top notch sound quality too.
Fab… DAB
If you love your radio and have been looking to upgrade to a decent DAB, this mini hifi is a good option as the built in DAB is spot on. It finds a lot of stations and doesn’t seem too fussy about where is has to be to receive them properly. Happy to report all DAB stations seem to work.
Wireless streaming just works
It doesn’t seem to matter what device you throw at the Sony SBT100, it doesn’t have any issues connecting and keeping the connection. There’s also the option for NFC pairing, but trusty old Bluetooth paring is still incredibly effective here and easy to get running.
Play pretty much anything
It’s nice having a compact Hifi that’s just not picky about what you want to play on it. As well as streaming, there’s a discreet CD player, which will handle any audio disc you’ve got. There’s a USB port too which will play mp3s and other tracks straight from a standard USB drive (tested up to 32GB).
Verdict: For the price and size, there’s not a lot to fault with the Sony SBT100. We’re very impressed by both the feature set and sound quality of this little HiFi.
- Absolutely awesome sound
- Design and speakers are high quality
- This mini system is very easy to use
- DAB works perfectly
- Plays anything you’ve got!
- Pain-free Bluetooth streaming
- Great value for money
- Can’t use different speakers
- NFC didn’t always want to connect
#2 Denon DT-1
Great ‘Denon’ sound for a min hifi
As you’d expect from Denon, the sound quality here is rich and detailed, with any kind of music. There’s plenty of both bass and volume on the go here and you can adjust it to suit your taste. The volume pumped out here is definitely more than enough for medium to small rooms, with both upper and lower sounds are precisely rendered.
As you’d expect from the big D, it sounds bloody brillant too
Design: simple, clean and modern
While design isn’t the most important ‘spec’, it’s worth mentioning how good the Denon DT-1 looks on a shelf or tabletop. The clean design, and simple, stripped back button layout are a breath of fresh air. It’s also available in moody black, or moody gray colours.
Great choice for home cinema audio and gaming
Thanks to a plethora of handy connections at the rear of this mini Hifi, hooking it up to your home cinema, or using it with your console is super-easy. There’s also a digital optical for TVs that support it. Using this nets you fantastic quality audio from blue rays, DVDs and gaming.
The CD player is really cool
If you’re looking for a good way to play your CD collection, the DT-1 does a good job without a clunky old CD drawer sliding in and out. Instead there’s a sexy disc slot that’s a lot of fun to use. While the digital display has that certain ‘quality’ Denon-style look and feel to it.
Verdict: The Denon DT-1 Is will look brilliant on any shelf or tabletop. And, as you’d expect from the big D, it sounds bloody brilliant too. There’s lots of connection options, including optical so it’s a versatile choice too. There’s no DAB here but the AM / FM works very well indeed. A great choice and good value for money.
- Typical Denon high quality feel
- Great sounding bass
- Simple design looks fab
- Easy to setup and get going
- Bluetooth streaming without any problems
- No DAB radio
- Doesn’t like USB memory sticks
#3 Pioneer X-HM26
Compact size
The Pioneer X-HM26 is one of the smallest profiles out there. It’s hard to get a sense from the pics, but if space is a premium in your room this is a good one to go for. But it also packs a decent punch, with enough volume for anything up to an average sized living or bed room.
DAB+ radio is excellent
If you’re making the leap to DAB from an older system, you’ll likely get a lot out of the X-HM’s built in DAB. It’s easy to use and there’s nothing complicated to set up. You get 10 presets so it’s easy to jump to whatever stations you’ve ‘bookmarked’ again.
Built in alarm programming
If this set is going in your bedroom, chuck that awful buzzing alarm clock and use the pioneer X-HM26’s built in timer and clock function. While there’s no gentle wake up that you’ll find on some hifis, it does the job and can wake you up to your favourite tracks or preset stations.
Streams tracks over Bluetooth without any fuss
Getting your devices to talk to each other isn’t always the easiest task, but there’s nothing tricky here. Once your phone or tables is paired to this mini hifi, you’ll be able to play what you like over it, just like any bluetooth speaker – but with better quality sound. You can also play CDs or whack a USB flash drive in the front and play music from that.
https://images-eu.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41wSjC-pu5L.jpg
https://images-eu.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41wSjC-pu5L.jpg
Handy remote that’s well laid out
This mini hifi comes with a mini remote that’s actually very handy. It’s clearly laid out and works well.
Verdict: The Pioneer X-HM26 is a great little hifi that doesn’t hog much space. The sound is impressive for the price tag and everything is easy to set up. It has a quality feel to it and looks good too!
- Sound is is nice a clear whatever music you play on it
- Looks the part!
- Bluetooth streaming works fine
- Plays wide range of music sources
- DAB works a charm
- Handy remote is well thought out
- Limited EQ settings
- Operating instructions could have been clearer
- Doesn’t display clock on front panel
#4 KEiid Compact CD / MP3 Player
Here’s something quirky!
All those slick, black, modern mini hifis not doing it for you? The Quirky and unusual KEiiD system might be more up your alley. Made with a lot of love (and a re-purposed VW car stereo no less…) This unit packs a lot of charm. Equally as importantly, it’s got a great sound too.
Enjoy the music. Forget the fuss!
If you want something that’s ready to go and just sounds good without and fussing around, then you’ll probably appreciate this compact music player. The sound quality is rich and war, with excellent low end reproduction.
Play music from any source … just about
It’s not often a mini hifi has the option to play tunes from an SD card, but the KEiiD does,m as well as USB playback, CD and Bluetooth streaming. Whatever you’ve got your tunes stored on, this player can handle it. Oddly enough, there’s an FM radio (not DAB) and AM is missing.
Versatile and space saving
If you don’t have a lot of space to play around with, or just want something that will fit perfectly on a shelf, then this is a good buy. It’s low speaker profile makes it a good option if space is at a premium. The speakers belay their compact shape too – with each one being separately sealed and providing plenty of punch.
Verdict: Great little hifi that’s perfect for anyone looking for something with a unique and interesting design. Sounds good. Plays everything. Pity about the AM radio, but still well worth a look.
- Extremely comfortable to wear
- Lets your skin breathe
- Excellent aesthetic you’ll want to show off
- Good neutral sound
- High quality materials
- AM radio not present
- No headphone socket
- Standard radio (not DAB)
Mini HiFi
BUYER’S GUIDE
Wireless streaming
Unless you’re buying some seriously outdated model, your lovely new mini Hifi will hopefully feature wireless streaming. This awesome feature means you can play tunes from your iPad, phone or anything else with a bluetooth connection.
Streaming should be easy to set up and the only thing that can vary between products is how stable the connection is.
We don’t talk any more
Another thing with Bluetooth is that it’s great when it works and an absolute bugger when it refuses to play ball. Some devices just don’t seem to like each other. And, oddly enough, not all mini HiFi systems are created equally when it comes to how well the Bluetooth connections behave.
I want to listen to music, not mess around setting stuff up!
Love reading instructions? Me either! And some mini HiFis are easier to set up than others. If you’re not technically minded, look to get one that’s a bit more friendly to newer users. ** In our guides, we always list of a product is easy to set up. **
What WAT?
Tech blasts along at a bewildering rate. It’s nice to see at least some specs that have always been around. Speaker Watts, or (W) are one spec you’ll hopeuflly be able to find on any decent retailer’s website.
You’ll see that the Wattage varies between even very similar products, which can be confusing. So WATT does it all mean?
The simplest way to think of WATTAGE is volume. It’s how loud your new micro hifi system will go. Just don’t forget that SIZE, or volume, isn’t everything. It’s gotta sound sweet too.
DAB or FM/AM
Not all mini Hifi sytems will have DAB radio. But it’s not something that everyone wants. If you are intending to listen to the radio though, it’s definitely something to put on your list of must-haves.
DAB makes radio so much better. It’s easy to find stations, swap between them, they sound way better … the list goes on. Systems wiith DAB don’t necessarily cost more either, so deinifely weigh up how important radio is to you and get a system with DAB if it’s up there.
Getting a good brand name
Unless you’re really new to buying HiFi equipment, you’ll be able to spot the ‘good brands’ with the rest of us. We’re talking the BIG BOYs here. Your Sonys. Your Pioneers.
Of course, they do cost more than that unknown brand name (which might have good reviews) but just bear in mind. It’s well worth investing a few quid more and getting something that will give you pleasure for years.
Can you play flash drives?
…AKA USB Sticks!
With all this wireless streaming and different music services, it’s easy to forget that bunging a good old USB in the front is still a super-convenient way to listen to your tunes! If you’ve got a lifetime’s MP3s on your USB somewhere then check your nice new compact Hifi will be able to play them.
Most will. Some don’t. So, if it’s something you’re looking to do, don’t leave it to chance.
The size (GB) of the USB can be a factor too
Some won’t play really HUGE USB sticks, so check that too. To be fair, they don’t cost a lot these days and most of us have one lying around … If I can just remember where.
CD or not CD?
Hmmm… this is a tough one. Who would have thought we’d have reached a stage where some micro HiFis were shipping without CD players? Has the world gone mad?!
But really, when was the last time you put one of those beautiful shiny discs in your drive? (My car has had the same CD in there for 8+ years…)
Whether or not you want a CD going forward is a biggie and one you’ll have to figure out and choose accordingly.
Speaking fittings
Getting ever so slightly finicky here but if you’re planning to use an alternative pair of speakers, say adding some bigger ones for the odd party, then check you can do that. Some mini HiFi speakers have fixed ports (rather than some kind of clip you can attach any kind of wire into).
