Panasonic - Stereo System with CD, Bluetooth and Radio, 80W - Black
Model: SC-PM700PP-K
SKU: 6580138
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Customers express satisfaction with the sound quality, compact size, and ease of use of this stereo system, particularly praising its Bluetooth connectivity and CD player functionality. Many appreciate the system's ability to produce loud, clear audio, even at higher volumes. However, some users wish for additional input options and a more convenient remote control, including the inclusion of a battery. The short speaker wire length was also cited as a drawback by a few customers.
The Panasonic SC-PM700 really surprised me most with the sound richness and bass, especially when playing higher quality CDs. My primary motivating for getting the SC-PM700 was to play my large collection (200+) of CDs, mostly from the 80s and 90s, which I hadn't listened to in over 8 years when I sold my Saab convertible which had a CD player. I didn't realize how much I missed that and the superior sound quality of CDs compared to streamed music which is my primary means of enjoying recorded music today, but there's a huge difference! The other great thing about the CD player is its ability to play badly scratched CDs that I remember skipping or not playing at all in my car; but play perfectly in this device. A little more about the sound, starting with the speakers. For the small size, I found that the speakers performed well up to about 75% of full volume, depending on the source. After that, it gets distorted, but I can't name a single speaker regardless of price that doesn't degrade as you max out the volume, and at a volume of 37 (out of 50), it's plenty loud to fill the kitchen and great room. Part of what makes the sound carry so well is there is a port in the back of each speaker that really brings out the bass. You can also make micro-adjustments to the bass and treble from either the main unit or from the remote. Besides the CD player, the SC-PM700 also has an FM radio which, with the included antenna, pulls in all of the local stations just fine; allows for Bluetooth connection which works intuitively and flawlessly; and then has a USB input in the back for playing MP3 files, however my USB flash drive with my music wouldn't load due to being too big (256gb), while the device is limited to 32gb. Bummer, but not a show-stopper. The stereo has a clock function which you can use as an alarm or a sleep timer. The curious thing though is that while the remote has a button for "Display", regardless of which input you are using, showing the clock is not one of the options, which seems odd. You have to use the Setup menu if you want to see the time, which isn't intuitive (I had to look that up in the manual, and I am not much for using those). The remote control is minimalist, but in a good way. It fits completely in the palm of your hand and has just 20 buttons laid out for easy use. Back when I had a big stereo system made up of individual components (Receiver, CD Player, DVD Player, Dual Cassette Deck), each of the remotes were huge with dozens of buttons, the majority of which I never used. The only thing odd about the Panasonic remote was that it didn't come with a battery; I can't remember the last device I purchased that had a remote control that didn't have the batteries for it included. It just takes one AA battery, not a "problem", but I will say that when I saw there wasn't a battery included in the bag with the remote, I just assumed it was built in and was momentarily surprised when the stereo didn't come alive when I hit the power button on the remote. There are a couple/few features missing that I feel would have made this a total home run. The stereo really has a nostalgic feel, and made me re-discover my CD collection. If I were on the design team, I would have added a Phono input, especially given the resurgence in popularity of vinyl. I don't know if there are legal issues or not, but allowing the CD player to rip tracks to the USB drive as MP3s would have been an AMAZING addition. Finally, I think it would have been nice to have a microphone with Hey Google or Alexa enabled. My overall impression of the Panasonic SC-PM700 is exceedingly positive. I've been playing CDs every day after I get home from work since I got it, and I'm rediscovering some forgotten bands on 80's compilation CDs. Despite the few shortcomings and wishes I pointed out, I still strongly recommend this system, especially if space is at a premium for you. You're getting big sound in a small package and plenty of sources for playing anything you'd like to hear. Even my cat appreciates the stereo, any time I turn it on she'll jump up on it; I assume for the generated warmth but maybe she loves my music? You decide.
Posted by Kenyon225
Being a person of a certain age, I must admit what I wanted this system for was to play CDs from my collection without resorting to my computer or game console. The days of my stand-alone CD player connected to a bulky receiver are long past. This system is compact enough to tuck into an office or similar room without being too obtrusive. I did that myself. I could also see it as a good size to perch on top of a refrigerator or some cabinetry to use as a kitchen radio. The setup process was extremely simple and you don’t need any special skills to connect the power cable and color coded speaker wires. There is also an FM antenna in the box, and like every antenna I have received with any non-portable radio I think I have ever got, it’s pretty terrible- just a bit of wire that can be connected to theoretically grab some FM radio signals. I played with it briefly and quickly discarded it as useless. A better antenna can be connected to the radio’s antenna connection without some weird or proprietary connector which I have encountered before. I was excited (it is really ridiculous to be excited about these things) to discover that this radio uses an actual pop-out type tray for the CDs. This felt both somewhat nostalgic and less upsetting than the players that just suck the CD in with no hope of retrieval if there is a problem. The headphone jack is of the 3.5mm type, and perfectly fine for this type device, but I found myself wishing that it was a quarter inch headphone jack so that I could connect a better set of cans I own without resorting to an adapter. This system consists of the core “radio” and its two wire connected speakers. The design is fairly minimalist and is the same basic thing I have seen in this class of “Bookshelf” stereos for years now. Overall, I would say that the overall build quality feels good and not cheap or plasticky. I did notice that there are some issues with the finish on one of the speaker along the top front, and therefore easily noticeable. Though fairly compact, it is not the smallest such radio I have encountered. For years I had a stereo that included 2 cassette tape trays, a CD player, wire connected speakers (and a telescoping, adjustable antenna) that was about the same footprint, just a bit taller. The speaker wires are long enough for most scenarios I would imagine this stereo would be used. The selection of buttons and the layout are pretty straightforward, with operation and adjustment pretty simple for anyone that has run a radio/receiver previously. Like so many devices, the remote control is really an essential component as it is the best way to control the interface. One nice thing was the inclusion of physical knobs for bass and treble adjustment, rather than having to search through a menu of options. The display is simple, but large and easy to see/read. Sound quality from this system is acceptable for background music or casual listening, but not outstanding. Out of the box the default sound settings were very sharp/thin and too skewed to the treble side for my taste. I typically listen to my music with studio monitor style headphones with everything set right down the middle, so I am not looking for muddy throbbing base. Still, it took some tweaking to get the sound to where I felt it had some of the warmth I was missing. Once that was done with one CD it remained consistent throughout my testing, so it was definitely the sound system not the recording. Pushing the volume up the speakers put out an acceptable level of sound and I was fairly impressed at how loud they went without distortion. Once I had the tones to my liking, the speakers did a pretty good job of filling the room with sound. After testing the CD player portion, I switched over to Bluetooth to test. Connecting my phone and tablet to the stereo was simple and worked fine. I did find myself wishing that the system had at least one set of RCA inputs, or at the very least an auxiliary input 3.5mm jack. This to me was the biggest limitation of the design. I figure it’s both a cost-cutting move and one based on the fact that most people wouldn’t miss it. I’m old school and I missed being able to direct connect a playback device for quick and easy use or to improve on the sound you can get from a smart speaker/device. The design does include a USB port, and the manual states that it can play MP3s however when I plugged in a USB flash drive that I use in my vehicle for music playback, the display says “unsupported device”. Also, a puzzling choice is to have the USB port located on the back of the stereo where it is extremely inconvenient to get at if you wish to switch it out or remove it for any reason. It says that the port provides power so it is probably just going to be plugged into a USB powered accent light. Overall, for me this stereo is fine for the location that I am using it. Audio quality is good, operation is simple and so far, the CD player is working flawlessly. I think that for the retail price of this radio it would have been nice to have one physical audio input such as a 3.5mm aux or stereo RCAs. I’m not sure why the USB playback wouldn’t work for me as it is a device I regularly use plugged into my vehicle. I also would like to have a better antenna either built into the core stereo or included as a plug-on option. It may seem like a little thing, and trust me, I see the flimsy wire style included with just about every audio receiver capable of pulling in over the air programming these days. Hilariously, the manual has a diagram showing how to put up the antenna wire with a piece of adhesive tape- not supplied. Still, having a proper antenna for a unit like this just makes it more usable for the same types of people (like me!) that still listen to CDs AND broadcast radio. Overall, I gave this 4 stars and can recommend it to someone looking for this type of radio, but I feel like it's really a 3.5. For the price, I would personally like to see a little more flexibility and functionality. Within its limitations the sound quality was quite good from the included speakers, but I have a set of self powered bookshelf speakers in use elsewhere in my home that sound just as good, with more input options, so the real benefit from this stereo is the integral CD player.
Posted by LittleAVGuy
Thank you Best Buy. The stero was delivered ahead of time and in excellent condition. Love my purchase.
Posted by LynnZ
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