Panasonic SC-EN38 review

For £100 you're never going to get audiophile-standard sound quality, but the Panasonic SC-EN38 is still a good value micro system Tested at £100.00

What Hi-Fi? Verdict

For £100 you're never going to get audiophile-standard sound quality, but the Panasonic is still a good value system

Pros

  • +

    Bursting with features

  • +

    price

Cons

  • -

    DAB reception hit and miss

  • -

    unintuitive remote

  • -

    thin-sounding speakers

Why you can trust What Hi-Fi? Our expert team reviews products in dedicated test rooms, to help you make the best choice for your budget. Find out more about how we test.

Free the Panasonic SC-EN38DB from the shackles of its packaging and there's a fair chance you'll be unimpressed. The plastic fascia looks decidedly plain and the matching speakers feel cheap and insubstantial.

Well, what do you expect from a £100 micro system?

One thing you might not expect is such an impressive feature count. Firstly there's a CD player hidden behind a folding front panel. There's also a concealed, integrated iPod dock, compatible with virtually every incarnation of the MP3 player. You can even sync your PC with your iPod when it's put in the dock.

The feature list doesn't stop there: you can also add FM and DAB radio functionality, an auxiliary 3.5mm input and a USB input that caters to MP3 players with Flash memory.

Cheap and cheerful in every way
The SC-EN38DB comes with a basic remote control that works in conjunction with a small neon blue display. It's about as intuitive as you'd expect from a £100 system and getting it to function properly can be frustrating at times.

You have the option of choosing from four preset sound modes, none of which really improve quality. Keep them turned off and the system is capable of chucking out a perfectly inoffensive sound.

Yes, the speakers sound a little thin, but they're not overly grating. The DAB signal has a tendancy to break up and when it does lock on, there's a lack of fidelity compared to the best budget DAB radios.

By sonic standards the Panasonic is found wanting, but admittedly you can't demand the world from a system this cheap. There aren't many systems that offer the same plethora of features at such a low price.

What Hi-Fi?

What Hi-Fi?, founded in 1976, is the world's leading independent guide to buying and owning hi-fi and home entertainment products. Our comprehensive tests help you buy the very best for your money, with our advice sections giving you step-by-step information on how to get even more from your music and movies. Everything is tested by our dedicated team of in-house reviewers in our custom-built test rooms in London, Reading and Bath. Our coveted five-star rating and Awards are recognised all over the world as the ultimate seal of approval, so you can buy with absolute confidence.

Read more about how we test