Panasonic SC-AKX520 Audio System - Black207/6843

I was sent this product by Panasonic to review. I must admit when I saw the box and the picture on the front I immediately thought it was not for me. The product was packed very well and was easy to set up. My initial thoughts were confirmed as I am retired and not really into large speakers that look like they have come out of a star wars film. For a teenager or younger person the product would be great. After setting the product up I realised it was rather large and cumbersome and I did not like the flashing lights, but again for the younger generation this would be great. It was good it had a CD player which I used immediately and was impressed by the sound output although it can be rather loud. I must admit I did not try the karaoke but found the radio signal quite weak and didn't like the loop aerial supplied. On taking a step back and looking at the product it is good value for money and a teenager or younger person would have great fun with all the features, not sure if mum and dad would like the loud and booming noise. Also room is needed for the unit and speakers, which in a young persons bedroom may be difficult. It would be great for parties and also it is fairly lightweight so can be transported easily. I am still trying out some of the features, but as I said before it is not really for a retired person but perfect and the price is reasonable for the younger generation.

The product was well packaged and took no time to set up. I was surprised how light the main unit was, which was of concern at first wondering if there was anything in it! The speakers were attached using a simple prefixed terminals, then the power lead and it was ready to use. Would prefer a booklet rather than a sheet of instructions. The first test was a CD. The tray comes out of the front of the main body and appeared robust. Pressing 'Select' eventually finds CD, The initial sound was very heavy with bass and needed adjusting for my taste, but once this was done the sounds were really satisfying, especially at low volume. I tried various different genre of CD including solo piano and I was very impressed with the results. The sound was rich as if the piano was in the room. I connected my iPod touch and iPhone via bluetooth which was easy compared to other devices I've experienced. Once done the ease of listening via this platform was really nice, again with a test of different genre the results were the same as CD. I connected the aerial to use the FM radio. I was disappointed that the unit didn't have DAB. Once I had found a suitable place for the aerial to get a signal, and found the FM setting again I was pleased with the sound, however as the volume was increased I heard the telltale hiss in the background. To be fair I do not get the best FM reception being in a rural setting and without a bespoke FM aerial I have to rely on what is provided. I do have another Panasonic device with DAB which works perfectly well. I was not able to test the karaoke or USB but it would be a popular function for youngsters as would the illuminating display which I found distracting so disabled it. The overall look of the system is ultra modern and stylish, aimed, i'm sure at the younger market. The speakers are large in relation to the unit I was given this unit by Panasonic to review as part of their product review programme.

I was given this unit by Panasonic to review as part of their product review program. Firstly the unit is in three parts, main unit and two speakers. The product is well packed and easily set up. I noted that the operation manual is on one sheet of paper, personally, I prefer a book format, saves confusion. The first function I tried out was the radio tuners, FM was clear and crisp with SW a little less clear. I note that there is no DAB tuner, this may be considered on future models although, FM band is really good. There are many adjustments that can be made on the sound colour, deep bass along with normal bass, mid and treble settings. There are two external Aerials, FM and SW, which connect to the rear of the main unit. There are RCA audio input connections on the rear of the main unit for DVD players etc. The CD function is easy to operate and, like all functions, adjustments to sound and tracks made from the remote control or on the main unit. We tried the Karaoke functions using a Karaoke CD and a high quality microphone. Because the mic has XLR connections, we used an XLR x 1/4" jack lead. There are Karaoke effects and Key change, + or - 6, functions, which we tried quite successfully and were quite impressed with the results and would be happy to use this function at parties etc. I installed the Panasonic MAX Juke app on my android phone and connected it via bluetooth to the SC-AKX520. Set up was easy and in no time was playing music from my phone directly through the system, with great audio results. By connecting a bluetooth device, you can stream your music to the SC-AKX520. I played WAV files from my Android phone with no problems. The unit has the ability to be able to connect to three bluetooth devices at a time. The DJ function was really interesting, a track queueing system with various effects such as phaser, pitch shifter and more, and of course, full EQ adjusting. The main unit lighting and adjustment may be of value to a younger person.