REVIEW: Panasonic HC1020 is a real blast from a sweet audio past
I’m one of those people who remember the launch of the CD and the transition from vinyl, which refuses to die and is still going strong in a niche market.
Although you can still buy musical CDs, there’s less reason to do so, because there are so many inexpensive streaming options.
However, I still have a collection of CDs, albeit small, with losses along the way, thanks to scratch damage, or CDs I lent that that never got returned. Over the last few weeks, I’ve been testing the Panasonic HC1020, which comes with a built-in CD player and an opportunity to take some of my favourite CDs for a spin.
It isn’t easy to find a hi-fi system that still comes with a CD player.
The SC-HC1020, from Panasonic, can be used to set up a multi-room audio offering: the ALL connected range.
This includes soundbars, mini-speakers, and radio players that support the Qualcomm’s AllPlay standard.
Thankfully, though, the HC1020 isn’t a one-trick pony, because it can also stream your music via Spotify, Deezer, Tidal, or Napster, and this works through Panasonic’s free music streaming app on Android or iOS.
It also comes with options for AUX IN, via a 3.5mm audio jack, Bluetooth, DAB+ radio, USB and even FM radio.
However, you don’t get Apple’s proprietary AirPlay, but, with so many ways to play audio through the HC1020, this isn’t a big deal.
The HC1020 is tidy and doesn’t take up too much room on a kitchen worktop or bedroom locker, but it can be wall-mounted, too. This can really help save space, unlike many other entry-level, multi-room speakers, which make it difficult to find them a home.
Setting up a wireless streaming service on the HC1020 requires that you download the free Panasonic’s Music Streaming app.
The whole process isn’t as simple as it could be, but as long as you follow the steps on the app, it should only take minutes.
All you need to do is plug the HC1020 into the mains and follow the onscreen instructions in the app.
Alternatively, you can use the Ethernet port at the rear to plug the HC1020 straight into your router and skip all of the WiFi set-up on the app.
Once it’s connected to your home network, via WiFi or Ethernet, simply tap the speaker icon in the top-left corner of the app and you’ll see the HC1020 listed, as well as any other All Connected speakers, if you have any. Grouping them is a simple matter of dragging one speaker into the other and then tapping ‘done’.
This is one is the easier methods I’ve seen to accomplish a multi-room system.
However, I wasn’t able to test this feature, as I only had the HC1020. If you do own more than one of the All Connected speakers, then you can play your CDs, or other music sources, from the HC1020 to the other speakers in the home.
In particular, the ability to be able to play your CDs anywhere in the house is nice and you can control everything straight from your smartphone. Also, when you insert a CD, the app will read it and access Gracenote to download album artwork and track names.
One oddity with the app is that I couldn’t manage to get the CD play/pause, etc. to work on iOS, while I had no problems controlling the CD player from the Android app.
The HC1020 promises high-quality performance in a minimalistic, slim body to harmonise with any space and offers a warm, modern feel to any room.
The speakers are adorned with a fabric-mesh material and mirrored front panel, in a choice of silver or black.
At an RRP of €269, the HC1020 offers excellent value-for-money, given that it has so many useful features and sound quality that punches well above its price point.
Despite only having two stereo speakers and a built-in woofer, this 2.1 channel system produces clear, balanced audio, with a wide and broad soundstage.
I played everything I had in my CD collection, as well as all the latest from Spotify, from rock to classical and grunge to folk, and the HC1020 sounded great to my ears. I also listened to talk radio and podcasts. The vocals were crystal-clear.
Overall, the Panasonic SC-HC1020 is packed with great features and sounds good, too.
Highly recommend for those who want a CD player that packs so many other options into a single audio solution.
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