There are many ways to look at Pioneer products, just as there are with any other company, but as far as music centers are concerned, they truly are the most experienced.
This is where the world’s first music center was built – the PSC-5A – and it totally lives up to the company’s name.
It was 1962, and it cost as much as 83,900 yen, while the average graduate salary was about 17,000 yen a month.
Speaking of which, the number of PSC-5A sales was a record for the time – even despite the price.
Pioneer X-SMC11-s Music Center
Specifications
Loudspeakers:
Full-range – 66mm x 2
Cone passive radiators 77mm x 2
Amplifier
:
RMS power front 10W x 2
Tuner:
FM – range, 30 presets
Audio:
Separate bass/midrange control, “P-BASS” woofer amplification
Equalizer presets: “Flat, Active, Dialogue, Night
Apple compatibility:
Compatible generations – iPod Classic, iPod Video 5th generation , iPod nano, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th generation , iPod touch 1st – 4th generation , iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 5 via USB, Audio only for iPod nano 1st and 2nd generation.
Supported functions – battery charging
Playback with USB:
MP3, WMA
Interface
:
USB, 3.5mm jack audio input, 3.5mm headphone jack, FM tuner antenna jack
Additional features:
Bluetooth, clock, on/off timer
Power:
100-240 V, 50/60 Hz
Dimensions:
(W x H x D 430 x 218 x 114 mm
Weight:
2.9 kg
There are many opinions about Pioneer products, just as there are about any other company, but it truly has the most experience in the production of music centers.
Exactly here was designed the first music center in the world – PSC-5A, which completely justified the name of the company.
That was in 1962, and it cost as much as 83,900 yen, at a time when the average graduate salary was about 17,000 yen per month.
Incidentally, the number of sales of the PSC-5A was a record for that time – even despite the price.
Of course, today are different times and prices, but the desire to make life more comfortable has not changed. And just before the New Year, the engineers of the Pioneer company produced three almost identical sound systems.
The youngest of them, X-SMC00, has the lowest power 10 Watts x 2 but it comes in black and white.
The elder one, X-SMC55-S, is more powerful 20 Watts x 2 . In addition, you can connect to the system via Bluetooth, there is support for networking functions – AirPlay, Wireless Direct, DLNA and built-in Wi-Fi. You can also listen to Internet radio via, – vTuner.
We have the “middle” one in our editorial office – X-SMC11. In fact, this system is a “cut” version of X-SMC55-S, – all the “same” but without Bluetooth and networking features.
Design
The whole system is made in a single “flattened” unit that can be either put anywhere or be hung on the wall. In fact, the size of the device in the “thickest” place is almost fourteen centimeters, but at the expense of “elongation” the system visually makes an impression of a flat.
CD-loading is slotted, – the disc is inserted into the hole on the top panel. There are also control keys, – both disk control, and the selector, and volume control, and a timer. That is, basically, you can do without remote control, though, of course, it is more convenient. The panel for the iPhone Lightning connector can be opened from the front by lightly pressing in the appropriate place, when closed it is not visible. Support of earlier versions of “apple” gadgets is realized through the USB adapter. The plastic stand in which the adapter is inserted that transforms it into an iPad dock is included.
Interface and functionality
All the connectors are placed on the side, but as this side is on the “thickest” place, protruding to the back, it actually turns out that they are placed “from the back” of the device. By the way, it is very thoughtfully done, because if the system is supposed to hang on the wall, the wires will be located between the “hanging” part and the wall – will not interfere.
Here is also USB socket, – it is necessary to consider it, and, – if you are going to use it, stock up beforehand USB-extender. By the way, the more economical variant X-SMC00 has more elaborate construction: USB-port, 3 USB ports, 3 USB ports.The 5mm audio jack and headphone jack are on the front.
Apparently, the designers decided that wealthier users use the iPhone more than other connections.
Of course, there is also a tuner, but this is already a standard feature of audio systems. True, the range is only FM, but how many of us listen to something else??
A nice addition is the clock and timers – on and off.
Moreover, if the system turns off by setting a preset time interval, – “timer to sleep”, then you can turn on at a certain time, and, as Mike Naumenko sang, – you “will wake up a cheerful major chord.
So, taking into account that one of the possible “residence” places of the system is the bedroom, the function of alarm clock is not at all out of place. Although – both my own experience and the experience of acquaintances – says that music as waking sounds often gives way to the traditional alarm clock, but this is a matter of taste.
The mechanics of the CD drive is soft and silent, when pressing the “Eject” button the CD comes out more than halfway, so you can replace it without touching the mirrored surface. By the way, it is also possible to insert the disk not all the way into the slot – when you press “Play” the internal mechanical “hands” will gently guide the disk inside.
Sound
The sound is generally neutral and, at first glance, not bright, no bright coloring of the tonal balance, no powerful bass or very high-pitched treble. But, taking into consideration that this system doesn’t pretend to be “the main home audio system” and, most likely, the music of all family members will be played there, the sound can be called universal, i.e. without any special genre preferences.
There is a separate treble and bass control, several preset modes, – and you can turn it on and adjust the frequencies. In addition, the remote control has a “B” key.Pass” that increases the sound of the bass section.
Volume is enough to sound a room of more than average size. For example, at night the sound from a CD is listened to at 8-10 divisions of volume, and maximum – 50. For the sake of interest, the volume was turned up “full”, no distortion or croaking was noticeable. The unit was in my house during the testing, and one day I used it “for its intended purpose” – to voice the apartment. Everything was clearly audible in every corner of all one hundred and fifty meters..
By the way, once for the sake of interest I inserted a CD-R with MP3 tracks with “live” instruments. Even so, the saxophone didn’t sound shrill or annoying in any way.
Synopsis at
A system for the kitchen or bedroom with universal sound.
Advantages:
No overdrive at high volume, plenty of connectivity.
Disadvantages:
USB port in the back.
Tip:
When you remove the disc, do not leave it in the unit, when you go to standby the unit will hide it inside.
Can someone provide more information on the sound quality and performance of the Pioneer X-SMC11-s Music Center? How does it compare to other similar music systems in terms of audio fidelity and connectivity options?