TL:DR version: Good as an Office, Bedroom, or Secondary stereo. As a main stereo for watching movies don't bother
---PROS---
-Pretty affordable
-Decent out-of-the-box speakers
-Pulls in FM Radio stations like nobodys business (read: good radio reception)
-Powerful Class-D TDA-7492P Amplifier rated at 25 REAL watts per channel
-Bluetooth is easy to use
-CD Player controls double as Bluetooth remote controls
-Has two aux jacks, 3.5mm on front, RCA on Back (NOTE: this is only on the newer ITCDS-5000a Model)
-Cool 70s look with working VU meters
-Can use your own set of speakers provided they're efficient and 8OHMS impedance
---CONS---
-Fake midrange driver on the speaker set (the speaker in the middle is plastic)
-Tweeter on provided speakers can be bright sometimes
-Some functions like setting FM presets cannot be done without remote
- Bass and treble controls only do +/-3db
-Does not play MP3 CDs but who cares nowadays anyway
-VU Meters are actually power meters (more on that below)
-Remote is kinda flimsy
The stereo I got is a newer revision (its listed as the ITCDS-5000a) that fixes some issues the earlier version had like a failing CD Player and added a second RCA jack aux hook up on the back. the CD player is a more robust version that's a lot less flimsy than the older version and all the circuits apart from the power supply have been condensed to two boards instead of four.
As for the sound its actually quite powerful and clear, when i got it i thought it was going to sound tinny but the speakers that came with it actually had a surprising amount of bass! though the tweeters on them are real the midrange is not, its made of plastic and is only there for cosmetic reasons.
The actual receiver itself has a silver brushed aluminum front that's actual metal and it has four big knobs on the front along with a set of chrome push buttons for all the other functions. I find myself using the Bluetooth feature the most and I hardly touch the CD player, only when there's a CD i haven't ripped do i use it and it works as a CD player should.
Now the only gripes i have with this is that the VU meters aren't really VU meters at all, there more like power meters because when you have the volume low they don't really move, they kind of twitch a little. But when you have the volume past 18 or so they start to liven up and when the volume is at max (which is 30 btw) they start pegging in the red.
Another thing is the speakers that came with this set had a FAKE midrange driver, this is the first time Ive ever seen something like that. I mean the do sound good and the enclosure is made of wood and its also ported but they could have done without the fakie midrange and maybe put the bass reflex port up front instead of in the back. But what do I care anyways since you can connect other speakers to this receiver provided that they are 8ohms and kinda efficient.
Right now I have a vintage passive KLH 2.1 set hooked up to it and the power output out of this little receivers class-D amp is more than enough, the bass is solid and deep the highs are clear but the midrange is a bit forward at times but still clean sounding. Besides the fact that it has a cool 70s baby marantz like look its all in all a solid stereo set.
The FM radio and the CD working properly, the sound excelent, the design of the equipment is nice.
The reviews of this Stereo are 50-50. I read them good and bad and took the plunge anyway. I will say I wasn’t surprised as I had to return the first one I was sent immediately. The radio reception wasn’t good, the turntable speed was very slow and using the CD player one channel was dead and only one speaker would work. This was right out of the box the day I got it.
After a call to Amazon I was sent another in 2 days. This unit worked perfectly upon testing. Granted one VU meter gets stuck from time to time but all functions of the unit seem to work. The turntable however still ended up
Being slow. I called innovative technologies to ask about any adjustments and they said there were none and to send it back to Amazon for replacement. There is an adjustment on the motor, I adjusted it and it works perfectly now. Tested and about 1-2% of 33 1/3 and 45 . It isn’t perfect but it is not a high quality turntable either. That being said as a shop stereo it’s perfect. I am hands on so I’ll fix it each time it breaks. It is not ear shattering loud, but as other reviews have said ya good for small spaces. It’s price represents the quality, but the quality is pretty
Good. The design is quite good and size is excellent. I wish the turntable was a little
Better constructed but after a quick tune up and needle
Replacement it sounds good and works very well for my needs.
This was my first "big" stereo system purchase and I love it! Had it for almost two years now and it still works great! I don't use it too often but when I do it never lets me down. The radio comes in clear, the CDs sound wonderful, and the Aux/Bluetooth options are so convenient. I bought the version without the turntable so I can't comment on that aspect. The only issue I have with it is that to change radio stations you have to hold down the tuning button instead of turning a knob. It's definitely a minor inconvenience though since you can just use the cute little remote to input presets and change them that way. It looks super cool, works and sounds excellent, and is absolutely worth the money!
We got this for our son's 8th birthday and he LOVED it. We've had it almost a year and he still does. He can easily connect blue tooth to play his "Kidz Bop," play audio books, etc... We're saving the turntable until he's older. As for the sound, I can hear it all the way downstairs and have to tell him to turn it down. It's cool looking, has just enough features, and he feels like such a big kid with it. Honestly, I'd even get this for a young adult.
Feature Product
- Built-in Bluetooth to wirelessly play music from your Bluetooth enabled device. No cords needed.
- Built-in CD Player and full function remote control. Adjustable Bass, Treble, and Balance control with brushed aluminum knobs.
- 50 watts of stereo sound. Removable speaker grills and Dual VU Meters for a true classic feel.
- Digital PLL FM radio with 20 presets. Bright backlit blue display helps you find your station easily
- 3.5mm Aux-in for playing music from any non-Bluetooth device and headphone jack. Note: There are covers on the speakers. The covers are completely black but can be removed to expose the silver ring around the speakers.
- Refer user manual below.
Description
Innovative Technology Classic Retro Bluetooth Stereo System with CD Player, FM Radio, Aux-In, and Headphone Jack, Silver and Black
We LOVE this stereo! It is everything we were looking for and then some. The sound is great and works as promised. I love the retro vibe of the design. It was incredibly easy to set up and use. I am surprised by the quality for the price, especially with a turntable.
POSITIVES: Ease of set up, Small footprint (the stereo and speakers are on a single, standard size bookshelf), Good sound quality
NEGATIVES: Only able to adjust bass and treble to level 3 (still sounds good, just sometimes would like a little more bass), Short speaker wire (as mentioned by others, but easily fixable with a trip to the store)
(Ness Amiibo in front of unit to show size)
This can be a 2-star or 4-star system depending on your expectations. Maybe even 5-star given the price. As other reviews have stated one of the 3 speaker cones is basically a prop: there for decoration. That doesn’t bug me as there are a lot of speakers that have just 2 cones, usually a mid-range and tweeter. It does however make the speaker box seem silly-big. It could be a good 30% smaller without much impact on sound quality. Now if you want something that looks weighty on your shelf that might be a good thing. Personally I like my speakers more discreet. Also note that the speaker cables are SHORT! So don’t expect to place the speakers more than about 10 inches from the console. The main console unit is also quite large. My old Panasonic bookshelf system console was half the size but weighed a little more than this. Again if you’re looking for something that appears to have the heft of a higher end bookshelf hi-fi this could be a good thing, it all depends on your aesthetics. Overall this is a nice looking system (I got it in all black) especially considering the price. The remote control is one of those flat ones that uses disc-like batteries so I’m not sure how long the battery will last, but I barely use the remote.
Now the primary reasons I purchased this were 1) Sometimes I ran out of ideas for what to listen to on iTunes/Apple Music and I thought it would be easier to pop in an old CD and 2) I missed stereo sound! We all have Bluetooth portable speakers now, and they’ve come a long way but mono sound is just not the same. These speakers are not the best, but having two speakers in stereo is an upgrade from any $100 Bluetooth mono speaker you can buy. The bass is the kind of bass you get with a pressboard cabinet, it’s organic and loud. Yes overall the sound quality is tinny WHEN COMPARED to a higher-end Hi-Fi system. But it is NOT tinny compared to any of my portable Bluetooth speakers. And for the price (I think I paid $60?) this is a totally decent unit that plays room (maybe small home) filling sound. I actually have to keep the sound down way low because of my apartment neighbors. I use the aux input to connect to my TV and the sound is much better than the stock speakers on my 55” Samsung, I can finally hear dialogue on Blu-ray without blasting the volume (does anyone else have that problem with their flatscreens?) The Bluetooth has worked just fine with my iPhone (I had to return a more expensive Sony with NFC because the Bluetooth just would not work!) The CD player mechanism runs quietly enough for me. I won’t review the radio functions because I don’t use them.
In conclusion, if you want audiophile-quality sound don’t kid yourself shopping in the sub-sub-$200 range. To get the same features in a Sony or Panasonic you’ll pay $150 and up for slightly better sound. Sound wise this is a 2-star product, but that’s not a deal-breaker for my casual usage. It plays my old CDs, makes my movies sound better streams background music when I clean house and entertain. It does all of that really well. For the features, looks and price this is a very solid 4 star product (wish I could give 4.5) and if it doesn’t crap out on me I’ll remain quite happy with it.
p.s. my portable Bluetooth speaker has been relegated to bathroom duty.
This retro-look CD, FM, aux-in stereo is a bargain! It performs for us flawlessly, even driving our big speakers in the living room! It's compact and its small speakers deliver great sound. Other FM radios have had trouble pulling in a signal in our remote home, but with 5 more feet of wire clipped to the (attached) antenna wire, we get static-free classical music reception; the gold standard. We liked our first Innovative Technology stereo CD FM so much, we quickly bought a second unit for another room. It, too, is perfect.
Bought this because I needed a small unit had Bluetooth but that would play cd's as well has vinyl. It is a nice system with quality sound except for the turntable. I'm not a huge fan of the turntable. It is cheap and doesn't have the kick I was hoping it would. Overall, though, for the price and for the convenient size of this unit, it works.
I kid you not the volume control goes up on mine, all by itself! You only get a foot and a half of speaker wire, so have some handy. The antenna only picks up one station for me. I had to buy one. Otherwise it is a great looking and sounding system.
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