Denon RCD-M39

We don't review many mini systems, but I wanted to speak my mind about this Denon RCD-M39. It's a night-and-day difference from most of its competitors, due to its simplicity and conservative looks. No disco lights, bass tubes, or silly EQ settings. Just a basic black brick that attracts no attention at all. It's very small, checking in at only 21cm wide and 11cm tall. It makes 2x30 watts into 6 ohms at 1kHz and 10% distortion. That might not sound like much, but you need to understand that most companies totally fabricate their numbers. Some systems claim 200+ watts but then you notice in the service manual that it only consumes 50 watts, lol. And you cannot make more than you consume!

This system has CD, USB, FM, AUX, and digital input. It doesn't have Bluetooth (that's the M41 which came out a couple years later). The USB can play MP3 and WMA files.

The remote control (RC-1162) is awful. It's way too long, making it awkward to reach the top buttons. Also, the black buttons disappear in a sea of black.

The SC-M39 speakers that come with this unit have 12cm woofers and 2.5cm soft-dome tweeters, with a crossover frequency of 3kHz. They are ported in the rear, and Denon gives you a couple chunks of acoustic foam to put in the ports if you think the bass is too strong. There is also a Subwoofer Out jack which allows you to connect a powered sub. If you do, I would recommend something like a Dayton SUB-1000L or a Definitive Technology ProSub 800.