Music to our ears
GEORGE NICHOLS finds a system that lets us enjoy our old records and tapes
MUSIC is all around us. It’s everywhere we go and nowadays is more likely to come from mobile phones than a stereo system. We take it for granted and yet the music of our past is often overlooked. Our records and tapes are pieces of history – whether classic pop from the Sixties or flamboyant Eighties creations, it is all history, at least in its original format. There are plenty of entertainment hubs on offer but they just take music from your tablet or phone and beam it around your home.
What about vinyl and cassettes and even 78s? Well, Neostar’s Save-2-CDigital set-up is a home hub for all we have loved for years. It looks like a classic turntable but it’s a high-tech wonder, packed with features.
The turntable plays singles (45s), albums (33s) and even 78s – those brittle discs that disappeared in the 50s. Neatly tucked away in the base is a player for cassettes and, of course, CDs. There is also a MW/LW/FM radio.
But what makes it so remarkable is that at the press of a button it will transfer music between formats. Take that obscure favourite album and put it on a recordable CD or even turn it into an MP3 file via a USB memory
Attractive
stick. Both functions which normally require a computer.
And should you have an historic reel-to-reel tape machine, or even one of those clunky, short-lived 8-track players from the 1970s, you can connect them via the auxiliary input and transfer things you thought you might never hear again.
If you are already well into the 21st century, this is Bluetooth connected so you can play music from your phone, tablet or computer. There is full sound from the integrated stereo speakers, or you can use headphones.
The whole package is very attractive, with walnut-effect body and transparent cover. It is also compact in a way stereo systems never used to be, measuring only 43cm x 37cm x 13cm.
If constantly changing music formats have left you bereft of the songs you love, then this is the way to ensure you can play any music at any time.
INFORMATION: Available from Scotts of Stow (0844 482 2800/scottsofstow.co.uk), £279.95, plus £4.95 delivery.