TEAC Reference 300 micro hi-fi

Posted by T3 Online on Wed 31 Oct 2007

My! What a pretty little thing you are.

If this was any cuter, we'd be taking it back to meet the parents. When we looked at its smaller brother, the Reference 250, we were similarly smitten.

Make no mistake, though - despite its diminutive stature and retro-chic styling, this is still a fully featured hi-fi stack with all the necessary socketry for adding further components such as a DVD player (albeit without surround sound), turntable and tape deck. Talking of the old magnetic ribbon, TEAC sells a tiny deck that matches the rest of this system

Cosmetically beautiful it may be - there's no denying the cool factor of all those icy blue lights - but thought has also gone into the build, as all the units are reassuringly solid and the controls feel smooth and firm.

In operation, things were a little dampened by the CD player, which doesn't have a very clear or sweet sound and lets down the excellent amp. Also, the optional LS-H250 speakers look better than they sound - it's worth splashing out more for some better models. The DAB radio tuner is very good, with decent reception and excellent controls, plus it can pick up FM and AM, so all avenues are covered.

Paired with some decent speakers, this little stack is perfect for a bedroom or study, but it doesn't quite cut the sonic mustard for a main room. If you're looking for audio nirvana in miniature form, you'll need to spend a lot more and buy models like those from Musical Fidelity's X range.