TDK NX-02

Flanked by its clear Perspex speakers, the TDK Slimline NX-02CD Sound System is a futuristic-looking mini hi-fi system that resembles no other device on the market. The clear plastic screens on each end of the device are, in fact, polycarbonate speakers that vibrate to produce sound. The speakers are based on technology from NXT. While it's tempting to touch the speakers (and just about everyone does), they scratch, smudge and mark easily and are very hard to keep clean.

With its rounded, silver edges, front-loading CD drive, subwoofer and transparent speakers, the NX-02CD looks unconventional, but is most definitely eye-catching. In a further design twist, the CD drive opens upward and the CD loads flat into the device, face forward. As the CD drive cover is also clear, you can watch the disk spin as it plays. Furthermore, you can remove the base and mount the device to a wall, which is great for those with limited space.

The centre of the NX-02CD contains all the unit's controls, the CD drive and a small subwoofer at the bottom. The small backlit screen at the top of the panel displays the time or the current media (CD, radio or auxiliary input) you are listening to, and a handy feature is the ability to light up the display even when the device is off, which makes it particularly useful as a bedroom clock. A single headphone jack is located on the front of the device, and the sound through a set of headphones is clear.

The sound quality of the unit is average and it does lack a bit of bass, even when adjusted to its highest setting. The unit offers four equaliser sound presets--rock, pop, flat and classical--and it's well worth trying these presets. We found no distortion or crackling evident when the unit was at its highest volume setting.

The NX-02CD plays CD, CD-R and CD-RW audio discs, but does not support MP3 playback. We tested a range of CD media and most worked well, although a couple of CD-Rs that played fine in other devices skipped in this unit. As well as CD playback, the NX-02CD features an AM/FM digital radio with 20 presets for each band.

At the rear of the device you will find in and out auxiliary jacks for connecting other audio equipment to the NX-02CD. We connected an MP3 player to the device to play music through the system, and the sound quality was just as good as a normal CD.

The NX-02CD also features a sleep function that turns off the device after a certain period of time--15, 30, 45 or 60 minutes. The lack of an alarm function is a big let down, considering that this is clearly a device you could keep in your bedroom.

A small remote control is included in the package and some functions (like the sleep settings) can only be accessed from the remote.