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Review on πŸ”Š KEiiD Stereo Shelf System: Powerful Bookshelf Speakers with CD Player, Bluetooth & FM Radio - Ultimate Home Entertainment by Avery Sharma

Revainrating 4 out of 5

Nice looking stereo but takes some getting used to. NOT a real tree.

I bought this KEiiD bookshelf stereo to replace the Aiwa shelving system I bought in Akihabara, Japan over 26 years ago and absolutely broke me. I wanted something that not only sounded good but also looked good on my Ethan Allen wooden dresser and this KEiiD system was just what I needed. The first one I ordered arrived broken. The front panel came loose and 2 cheap screws holding the stereo on the left broke off (see photo). The packaging it came in appeared to be intact, so I'm not sure if this is due to poor quality control or mishandling during shipping. Anyway, Revain got me a new one a few days later. The second device arrived in good condition and was fairly easy to set up. The wire connectors aren't the ones I've had previous experience with, but it's not that hard to figure out. The remote control of the second stereo system was defective, as the power button was activated with the slightest touch. I replaced it with the remote control in the first unit which thankfully hasn't been sent back to Revain yet. The problem is solved, but it's kind of sad that it took two faulty devices to create a good stereo. I suspect some quality control issues in China. It's important to note that this unit is NOT made out of actual solid wood, as some other reviewers have noted. A close-up of the broken block (see photo) clearly shows that the body is made of chipboard with imitation wood veneer. It still looks nice but not like solid wood. If you leave a cold or hot drink on it, it will go bad. Another important thing to consider is that the main unit is a car stereo, not a home stereo. As such, it doesn't quite work as a home stereo and takes a bit of getting used to. The main device is the RCN-210 car radio from DELPHI in China. Not exactly Alpine or Blaupunkt, but not bad either. It behaves differently depending on how you turn it on, either with the power button on the device itself or with the remote control. If you turn it off with the power button on the unit, you may not be able to turn it on with the remote control, and vice versa. Also, if you turn it on from the device, it will turn off automatically after one hour if you don't press the power button on the remote control. It's better to just use the remote control to turn on and off. Pairing with a Bluetooth device is also a bit more complicated. After selecting "VW RADIO" on your phone or tablet, you need to press the button next to YES on the device to connect. Then you need to select MEDIA and then BT on the device to play Bluetooth source. Remember that after pairing with a Bluetooth device, it will automatically connect to that device every time you turn on the device. So if you don't want to connect, you must either disable the connection to the VW RADIO or simply disable Bluetooth. your phone or tablet. The sound is good, but not convincing. Sounds better than a cheap Sharp or Sanyo stereo, but not nearly as good as a Denon or Yamaha stereo. Some reviews compared it to Bose, but it's not even in the same league. I'd say it sounds as good as a sub $200 Sony compact stereo. This is the stereo you buy mainly for its looks. So if you're a music lover, you should probably look elsewhere. Some users have reported problems tuning into radio stations. I didn't have such problems. With the included antenna, it tunes FM radio stations perfectly. The included instructions are rather limited. Basically, you have to figure out how to set it up and operate it yourself. I tried to find the best manual for the RCN-210 on the internet but couldn't find anything. The remote control is fairly limited for the reasons given in the Revain listing. You can turn the device on and off, but you can't change the input mode (big minus if you don't like getting out of your chair). This must be done on the device itself. You can adjust the volume and move the songs up and down in each of the AUX modes (CD, SD, BT and USB). You can also change radio stations. It just jumps to the next tuned station and ignores the presets. Preset radio stations can only be selected on the device itself. When connected to your phone, you can use the remote control to answer and end calls, activate SIRI or a voice command. I made a call with it once and it worked fine. They could even hear me a few feet away from the device, so the mic is pretty good. There is also a button to turn the red backlight on and off (see photo). In general I am satisfied with this radio as I bought it mainly for the pleasant look. As I said, the operation takes some getting used to, since it was originally designed for use in the car and should therefore not be controlled exclusively by remote control. Also, in my case, KEiiD could improve quality control so I don't have to order two units just to get one fully functional.

Pros
  • Quick change
Cons
  • Almost never

Comments (1)

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January 22, 2023
Attractive Design - good features and sound