need advice on integrated system for my daughter

[earwicker7]

My 7 year old is starting to develop an interest in music, which I'd like to cultivate. Every night at bedtime, she wants to hear a new CD, so I've been rotating my collection for her on her Spongebob TV/DVD combo... not exactly hi-fi.

Anyways, I'm thinking of getting her an integrated system (CD, amp, speakers) for Christmas. Something like the one-piece Bose systems, but not, um, crappy.

Budget is around $500 or so; "gizmo" features are not necessary, I'm looking for sound quality.

EDIT--To clarify this a bit, I was looking for one of those one-piece clock radio looking things. I know there are some high quality units out there, but I can't remember who makes them. I remember one even had a subwoofer built in.

[hciman77]

Originally Posted by earwicker7

My 7 year old is starting to develop an interest in music, which I'd like to cultivate. Every night at bedtime, she wants to hear a new CD, so I've been rotating my collection for her on her Spongebob TV/DVD combo... not exactly hi-fi.

Anyways, I'm thinking of getting her an integrated system (CD, amp, speakers) for Christmas. Something like the one-piece Bose systems, but not, um, crappy.

Budget is around $500 or so; "gizmo" features are not necessary, I'm looking for sound quality.

When I was looking for something like that a few years back I found that Denon made some pretty good all-in-ones. If you have a local Tweeters they tend to carry them so you can at least get some kind of audition. With all-in-ones the speakers tend to be a possible weakness - when I had my Sony system I found that just upgrading the speakers to a modest set of JBLs made a definite difference.

[Herandu]

TEAC makes a Reference 300 and 500 series that I rate. Also falls within your budget The CD player on both is superb. And footprint is small. Your daughter will love it.

[earwicker7]

Thanks, guys.

I was kind of looking for something like this--
http://www.musicdirect.com/product/72065
Has anyone used the Tivoli? If I remember correctly, they have a decent reputation with radios, but I'd never really heard of them doing anything else. This looks interesting, though...

[fran]

The tivoli is excellent and AFAIK, there was a thread here sometime ago where they could be bought for buttons at somewhere like costco or the like.

SQ is very good, don't think you'd be dissappointed.

The Denon option is good too - they seems to get good reviews.

[fordgtlover]

I agree that the Denon system is pretty darn good for what it is. It was really the only integrated system that I could find at any price that sounded decent. We bought one for my step-daughter 3 years ago.

There are options like the iPod dock type systems. Monitor Audio has one that reviews well, it's called i-deck. Or, these the Jamo i300, which also reviews well.

The other option is to consider buy cheap components second hand. That will allow you and her to upgrade over the years. By the time she's a teeneger she could have nice system.

[poo]

Yeah for the price Tivoli has a decent sound, and you can expand them with more speakers, players, sub and so on. Not great when you turn the volume up, but fine for ambient listening...

[koshui]

I have Tivoli Audio Model 3 as my (frigging expensive) alarm clock.
Sound is nice but construction lacks a bit. I'm currently in my 2nd unit and it has difficulties powering up.. maybe I've been blessed with bad luck on these and gotten monday versions. I'd be very reserved to buy Tivoli CD as it has air loading (is that the correct term?) mechanism for CD which in my experience is more noisy and breaks more easily than the standard tray.

Looks of Tivoli is something that most likely won't please a young girls eye as it looks old and dull and doesn't include bling bling flashy lights & stuff going all over it.

If I had to buy a good ministereo system today, most likely I'd walk out of a shop with jvc ex-a10 which won 2006-2007 EISA award or LG FB162 which won 2007-2008 EISA award.
LG has karaoke feature that might please younger (and why not older ) audience and is 3-4 times cheaper than JVC.

[earwicker7]

Originally Posted by koshui

I have Tivoli Audio Model 3 as my (frigging expensive) alarm clock.
Sound is nice but construction lacks a bit. I'm currently in my 2nd unit and it has difficulties powering up.. maybe I've been blessed with bad luck on these and gotten monday versions. I'd be very reserved to buy Tivoli CD as it has air loading (is that the correct term?) mechanism for CD which in my experience is more noisy and breaks more easily than the standard tray.

Looks of Tivoli is something that most likely won't please a young girls eye as it looks old and dull and doesn't include bling bling flashy lights & stuff going all over it.

If I had to buy a good ministereo system today, most likely I'd walk out of a shop with jvc ex-a10 which won 2006-2007 EISA award or LG FB162 which won 2007-2008 EISA award.
LG has karaoke feature that might please younger (and why not older ) audience and is 3-4 times cheaper than JVC.

You know, I think a good friend of mine, who loves my daughter to death, has a boyfriend who works for JVC. Maybe I could swing an employee discount...

[jay.money]

I stumbled across this yesterday. I love little audio. It's got tubes!



http://www.consumer.philips.com/cons...ater+MCD908-37