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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFor What Hi-Fi? editor in chief Alastair Stevenson, the product that made hi-fi feel personal was the Denon D-M3 micro system. He remembers seeing its review in the magazine in 1998, when its compact size and promise of musical versatility made it seem just right for a teenager’s bedroom. He never got to own or hear that system then; the memory endured anyway.
How hi-fi became part of home
In an anniversary essay published on 25 September 2026, Stevenson recalls growing up with What Hi-Fi? on the family coffee table. His father was an audio enthusiast, and the magazine helped make hi-fi familiar rather than remote: it was something he could read about at home and imagine for himself.
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The setting mattered. Stevenson had a cheap turntable, but wanted a CD player. He remembers that his local record shop had largely stopped stocking new records, and he wanted to listen to music in his bedroom without asking his parents to leave the lounge. A full separates system would have taken more space than he had.
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The system that captured his attention was Denon’s D-M3 micro system. Stevenson says he encountered its review in a 1998 issue of What Hi-Fi? The small footprint made it feel possible for his bedroom, while the review’s description suggested it could handle very different kinds of music.
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- 100 watts x 2 (8 ohms, 1 Kilo Hertz). Speaker impedance - 6–16 ohms
- Phono input, 4 stereo RCA audio inputs, 3.5 millimeter input, stereo RCA output
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Stevenson recalls the review calling the D-M3 “a great all-rounder, and as comfortable playing hardcore rap as it is a string quartet”. That wording comes from his 2026 recollection; the original 1998 review is not available in the cited account, so the quotation should be understood as his memory of it.
He remembers the system costing £300 at the time. That figure is Stevenson’s recollection in the anniversary essay, not an independently verified archival price.
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- Advanced circuitry design.Speaker selector for 2 systems. Input Sensitivity (CD): 500 MV/47k ohmsHead phone terminalAuto power standby functionSpeaker selector and speaker terminals for two systems
- Bluetooth to your favorite streaming music services
- 40 station FM/AM preset tuning; Frequency Response: 10Hz – 100kHz (0 plus/ minus 0.5 dB / 0 plus/ minus 3.0 dB)
- Brushed aluminum finish and simplistic design
- Speaker selector for 2 systems. Input Sensitivity (CD): 500 MV/47k ohms
He never got the system—but kept the memory
Stevenson asked his father for the D-M3 for Christmas. He recalls trying to make the case through good grades, chores and an offer to contribute money, but says he did not get it that year or the next. He eventually received a Panasonic SA-PM37MD micro system instead.
The Denon mattered even without becoming his. In Stevenson’s telling, reading about a compact system that could bring good sound into his own room helped focus his love of music and his wish to hear it well. He describes that review as tied to a happy memory, not as a product he personally tested or owned.
Rank #3
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Why the anniversary gives the story a wider frame
Stevenson’s essay is part of What Hi-Fi?’s 50th-anniversary coverage. The magazine’s special issue looks back over five decades of hi-fi history and considers what may lie ahead for hi-fi and home cinema. The anniversary page collects this and other retrospective features: What Hi-Fi? 50th-anniversary coverage.
That context makes the D-M3 story less a verdict on a piece of equipment than an example of how a review can shape someone’s idea of what they want from music. The essay does not establish the system’s specifications, present-day availability or current performance; its point is the lasting effect of a teenage reader’s encounter with a review.
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- Step into lifelike sonic worlds - Dolby Atmos and DTS Virtual:X for deeply dimensional, lifelike sound that draws you into every moment of your favorite entertainment, plus crystal-clear dialogue so you can hear every word.
- Stunning visual realism - Supports ultra-high definition 4K/120 and 8K/60 video, high-performance HDMI switching, advanced Dolby Vision and HDR10+ dynamic range technologies, HDMI eARC/ARC and next-gen gaming features like ALLM and VRR.
- Room Correction - Experience perfect sound in any room. An included setup microphone measures your room’s acoustics and speaker characteristics, allowing the receiver to automatically optimize sound performance.
- Easy streaming with Bluetooth Multipoint - Stream all your favorite music, podcasts and audiobooks wirelessly. Built-in Bluetooth Multipoint lets you pair two source devices and instantly switch between them.
Read Alastair Stevenson’s full account in “What Hi-Fi? (and my dad) got me into hi-fi, and as it turns 50, I can still remember one review in particular”.
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