Sharp is one of the most well-known brands on the market and they have recently released the Sharp Tokyo All-In-One Hi-Fi System and we have been very lucky to test drive it.
First Impressions
This modern Hi-Fi System gives the user everything you are looking for when it comes to your listening needs all in one package. You can use it to tune into your favourite radio station or you can link your phone to it and stream the latest tune.
The Sharp Tokyo DAB + Hi-Fi system does even more it allows you to listen to music via CD, or USB MP3 or you can use the 3.5mm Aux-In to connect to an external analogue stereo device.
When listening to the radio you are now using DAB+ technology that will give you an even better quality signal as well as gaining access to even more stations that your traditional radio failed to do.
The stereo speakers are housed in an aluminium housing to provide a superior sound reproduction and you have 9 EQ pre-sets to allow you to select the right listening experience for you. This system as you might expect also allows you to adjust the bass and treble although this is controlled on the provided remote control.
Last but not least Sharp even gives you a headphone jack located at the bottom right when the day gets too much and you want to chill out plug in and listen to some Craig David. Price wise this won’t hit you too hard coming in at £139.99 and will look perfect in the living room just like where I have positioned this beauty.
Design
The Sharp XL-B720D comes in black and won’t take up too much space measuring in at 345 x 122 x 215mm (WxHxD). It’s also quite lightweight coming in at 3.8kg.
The sides and uppermost surfaces are clear providing that simplistic look. Moving to the front of the system you will find a simple control panel made up of black plastic that comes with 8 buttons from left to right do the following:
- Power/Mode
- Info/Menu
- Preset ( Can hold up to 20 DAB or FM stations)
- Rewind – In DAB mode this moves you up a station. In FM mode this moves the frequency band down by 0.05MHz. If using Bluetooth/CD/USB Mode it will go to the previous track.
- Play/Pause Button is mainly used in Bluetooth or CD mode.
- Fast Forward- In DAB mode this moves you down a station. In FM mode this moves the frequency band up by 0.05MHz. If using Bluetooth/CD/USB Mode it will go to the skip to the next track.
- Stop button is mainly used in CD/USB mode
- Will open/close the CD tray.
There is also an analogue volume knob and last but not least in the bottom corner is a headphone jack. I would question if you need this due to the fact you can connect your headphones via Bluetooth 5.0 to the Hi-Fi System preventing the need of any wires going across the room.
In addition to the controls and volume knob, you also have a simple LED display and disc drive which is useful for when I want to dig out some gold such as my Anastacia album. Apart from that you have two circular speakers on either side of the control panel and that is it.
The Remote control
The Sharp DAB+ All in one Hi-Fi System also comes with a remote control to save you from having to get up and go to the system to adjust any settings or simply switch it on. The main controls you will find are:
- Power
- Mute Button
- Preset – Up to 20 DAB/ FM stations can be stored
- Menu
- Info
- DAB/FM Radio mode
- Bluetooth button
- CD Mode
- AUX Mode
- EQ Equaliser – Allows you to switch between the preset EQ options
- Loudness compensation
- DIM- Allows you to adjust the brightness of the LED display
- Track control buttons
- Repeat in CD/USB Mode
- Shuffle in CD/USB Mode
- Program in CD Mode – Allows you to select playing order
- Bass Control
- Volume controls
- Treble control
- Numbered keys – 0 to 9 used for preset selection
- Alarm
- Sleep timer
How was it to use?
The interface and LED display are very easy and if you are someone who doesn’t want to be endlessly flicking through settings to find the configuration you want this setup as its very functional.
What could they do differently?
What I did notice that is the same as the previous Sharp XL-BB20D is the lack of an antenna to pick up radio stations. Instead, you are provided with a flexible wire which just feels like they are cutting corners. I see the point of giving you more storage but this wire is just fiddly to set up.
Performance
The Sharp Tokyo DAB+ All-in-One Hi-Fi System seems to focus on functionality and the variety of offerings such as CD, Steaming & DAB Radio but this seems to have come at a cost. The sound!
This system has quite a narrow soundstage and the bass is a little impacted. Yes, you get two speakers with an output of 30W each but when I listened to some CDs I did notice a lack of audio detail and it did feel like the sound was being muffled a little.
You will also notice even at the lower end of the volume control it’s still quite loud ideal for a party but when being at home and just wanting to chill out and listen to music this could be a little problematic. I have since moved the system to my garden office which is fairly sound proof and this does not upset next door when the volume has been increased.
Verdict
The Sharp Tokyo DAB + is an upgrade on the Sharp XL-BB20D in terms of the overall look but it still carries a few of the same issues for example in the sound department. The average user I do not think will notice much of an issue and having the volume down fairly low and still getting a good level of sound is not the worst thing. It’s just a shame the soundstage is a little held back.
When you consider buying this?
At the price of £139 for a system that offers you CD, DAB+ radio, FM Radio & USB MP3. You are getting value for money I just feel now more of us are using our phones or TVs to stream music. Would you even use a device like this? Apart from testing this device, I could not tell you the last time I played a CD let alone bought one. I worry it could just start collecting dust on the side just like my CD collection.
However, if you are just looking for a budget-friendly Hi-Fi System Sharp gives you a product here that gets the job done I just wish they had improved the sound on this.
Product Rating
Design: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars
Features: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars
Sound: 3.0 out of 5.0 stars
Value for Money: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars
Overall ranking: 3.8 out of 5.0 stars – 3.75 stars
SHARP XL-B720D(BK) Tokyo DAB+ All-In-One Hi-Fi Music System Available from Amazon for £139.99
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Some strange criticisms here – it’s better to have and not need than need and not have, so why complain about having choice? This system gives you the option to use either wired headphones or Bluetooth, an external aerial socket to give you flexibility about where you position the unit rather than be stuck with a fixed aerial, and a CD player. Wired headphones are cheaper and produce better sound. CDs are better than streaming – and with physical media you still keep your music if you can no longer afford a subscription fee. The only bad thing about this seems like the lower volume setting being too loud. Could that be fixed with an update over USB?