Q. It was cool to learn what TEAC stands for. Thanks, I never knew that! I saw that the TEAC PD-301-X CD Player/FM Tuner just has FM radio? No AM radio on the unit?
—J.L., Minneapolis
A. That is correct, no AM radio, only FM. Listening to AM seems to have fallen from consideration in the hi-fi world, and the PD-301-X is meant as a serious hi-fi component more than just another option for listening to the radio. For AM you will need a separate tuner working in conjunction with the PD-301-X, or you can use an internet radio app to play AM channels on your sound system via Bluetooth. I recommend the latter.
An interesting thing about the PD-301-X is it sends out the tuner signal over the digital output as well as over the analog RCA connections. It is a very compelling product and I will have more to say about it in the near future, especially since compact-sized audio components are experiencing a huge surge in popularity.
Q. Is the HOTT car CD player you recently mentioned compatible with a 2024 BMW? I would like to play my CDs through the car’s sound system. The car does have USB ports for playback.
—A.D., Minneapolis
A. It seems that people are missing their car CD players as I received a ton of questions about this. It does not play through the USB port, which only supplies power to the player. There are several models but I recommend the Hott CD903TF, which creates a Bluetooth signal to stream CD music over the car’s audio system just like your phone. It lists for $74.99 but I have seen it on Amazon for under $60. The listing says it is not compatible with the Bluetooth system in some vehicles. I am uncertain of which vehicles, but in the case it does not work the audio can be sent to an FM station on your car radio. hottaudio.com
Klipsch Gig XXL update: Last week I answered a question from a mom planning a graduation party and recommended the $349 Klipsch Gig XXL speaker, on sale on Amazon for $161.49 with checkbox coupon. I ended up ordering one and will probably be ordering a few more as gifts. Now that I have tried it I can report my experience thus far.
The Gig XXL is very solidly made out of high-quality plastics, with smooth-operating controls and buttons. It feels very worthy of the $349 MSRP. The sound quality is outstanding and it fills a room easily, and impresses as a high-fidelity speaker rather than a boomy DJ speaker that shakes the room with loose, artificially boosted bass. Music lovers are sure to be very pleased by this. Though it plays loudly, if using the Gig XXL to cover a large dance floor I think you would need two of them to replace a DJ. The karaoke feature is fun, seamlessly integrated into the speaker and easy to use. The speaker sounds so good that you will want to sing along, and that happened the first day I used it. I had guests visiting and someone started singing along to “Morning Has Broken” by Cat Stevens. I surprised everyone by plugging in the microphone and handing it to her, starting an impromptu karaoke session. I wanted to post the videos of guests singing on my website, but they weren’t too fond of that idea! Publicity-shy, I guess. For $161.49 the Gig XXL is a smashing buy, sure to bring great fun and enjoyment to music lovers. Very highly recommended, especially at the discounted price.
