What Hi-Fi? Verdict
Substance and style from this system, which delivers good performance in a smart package
Pros
- +
Looks and feels decent
- +
sonically chunky, solid and detailed
- +
picture is both colourful and stable
Cons
- -
There's a touch of hardness to sound and picture is a little bit soft – but these are small criticisms
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It's only just started distributing directly to the UK, but according to its website, German manufacturer Teufel began business in 1979 as a shop, selling kit under the bizarre slogan: "Better build better speakers yourself."
Thirty years on, it now churns out everything from stereo speakers to iPod docks.
This 2.1 home cinema-in-a-box system consists of a DVD receiver unit, hefty subwoofer and two tall and slender standmount speakers.
Capable of 450W of output power, the unit has an HDMI output that can handle 720p/1080i upscaling (but not 1080p), plus USB and 3.5mm mini-jack inputs.
Dolby Digital and DTS decoding are also onboard, and you can upconvert low quality video signals to component. Connections are easy with bare wire speaker cable provided and proper banana plug terminals.
Once we've switched the 'sprache' to English, we're away using the simple, if rather staid, menus.
Detailed sound, stable images
Watching the hilarious Tropic Thunder, the system delivers a balanced sound, with much detail, good dynamics and decent steering across the front channels.
The audio is chunky and solid, thanks in part to a weighty subwoofer – although said sub could do with being a little tighter and more precise at times.
While it's certainly a shame that the Impaq 500 can't deliver 1080p, the picture is bright and stable when watching 720p or 1080i DVD content, although it could perhaps be a touch sharper around the edges.
But overall we're largely satisfied – making Teufel a welcome addition to our shores.
