If you are looking for a single-box streaming system with built-in amplification, your options are many and varied
Simplify. Streamline. Declutter. These are the buzzwords of our time as so many of us attempt to navigate a clear path through the complexities and consumables of 21st-century life. And they have their place when it comes to choosing a hi-fi system too.
All-in-one music systems have been around in one form or another ever since Thomas Edison first turned the handle on his prototype phonograph, but only recently has the just-add-speakers principle of source equipment spawned the high-quality one-box streaming systems that are available today.
Of course, separates still have their place in the streaming world, but for those who want to keep their hi-fi kit neat and discreet – or who are short on space – installing a single unit that can supply all their streaming needs is a tempting option. And the market is varied too, offering equipment with widely differing features and designs.
To help you find the one-box unit that suits you, we have rounded up five of the best products between £800 and £1800, all of which will stream music in hi-res from multiple streaming services (as well as other sources) and have their own amplifiers built in.
You don’t have to limit yourself to streaming your music either, because each one of our quintet carries a range of inputs so you can also connect other sources (such as a CD player). So, all you have to do is add your favourite pair of speakers, select your favourite armchair, and enjoy your favourite piece of music.
Marantz PM7000N
The world is now accustomed to the hi-fi equivalent of Mary Poppins’ magic bag; components that miraculously (and conveniently) pack everything into one, compact box. The Marantz PM7000N may not house a hatstand or a lamp within its chassis, but it does pack in 60W per channel of amplification, a DAC, network module and access to a host of music streaming services.
Pair some decent standmounters or floorstanders with this just-add-speakers system and, as the no-nonsense nanny might say, “there’s the whole world at your feet”. Given the familiar full-width design Marantz has persisted with for decades, you might question how new the Marantz PM7000N actually is – especially since the brand has adopted a more contemporary look for similarly specified systems. But, as Poppins herself noted, you should never judge things by their appearance.
A streaming system is no leap in the dark for Mar
