The Elipson MC1BT is a very nice piece of equipment that I have thoroughly enjoyed over  the last couple of months.   It is CD player that is driven by a Bang & Olufsen ICE Power amplification derived system and it features Bluetooth streaming, DAB+ and other digital inputs.  Elipson is a French brand of distinction that has been around since 1938.

Design

The Elipson MC1BT is a contemporary music centre of the old school variety featuring a heap of really good quality digital features with tons of amplification power from the imported Bang & Olufsen derived ICE Power amplification electronics.  As you can see it is like a perfect hockey puck, about a foot in diameter but nearly 4kg in weight.  The chassis is satin brushed aluminium and features a soft touch display panel where you can control your inputs and a CD being played.

One key feature of the Elipson MC1BT is the Bluetooth aptX input for high quality wireless streaming.  It is very simple and effective.

There are several inputs at the back including 2 RCA inputs, an optical digital input and a USB slot.  There is also a 3.5mm mini jack at the back for plugging in phones or iPods.

The Elipson MC1BT features a sub woofer output as well as standard left/right speaker terminals and this was key to my enjoyment of this music centre.  Overall this is a nicely thought out piece of equipment.

Quality

The Elipson MC1BT is nicely built, is weighty and it is very well finished, I’ve had no issues with connectivity or sound quality at all.

Performance

I’m using the Elipson MC1BT with the BlueSound Duo speakers and subwoofer which is a familiar system and sound for me, there is plenty of bass control and detail from this configuration.  In the absence of a streaming capability I’m using a BlueSound Node with an optical output to the music centre, using the BlueSound App I can stream Tidal or Spotify to the Elipson MC1BT

CD Player

The CD is very nice indeed, a simple slot at the front keeps all members of the family happy with everyday use.   The quality is good, it is very quiet to load.  There is plenty of detail and with full control from the remote control it is a nice simple system.

Wireless Streaming

This is a good option and the Bluetooth pairing is easy to effect.  Just hit ‘wireless’ on the remote, pair your smart phone and you’re away.  I’ve streamed Spotify and Tidal through the Bluetooth and the quality is very good indeed.  Bluetooth has a tendency in these situations to be a bit dull but this not the case here.

Optical Inputs

By far the best solution for me, the optical input was clear bright, wide and controlled.  The Bluesound Node delivers an excellent signal and the Elipson drove the speakers including the sub woofer very effectively indeed.  I was very pleased with this set-up.

Tuner

I have not really listened to the Tuner, I’m afraid, and I have just boxed the music centre up.  There is a DAB+ option as well as RDS FM available.  I use TuneIn these days (mainly through the BlueSound Node) so I don’t think about it enough, sadly for this review.  I should add there is an aerial that I did not connect up though it was in the box.

Overall

I have been super impressed with this stylish music centre and the price is OK considering the flexibility of the unit.  The BlueSound Duo combination works well with this music centre.  There is a lot of kit out there so you would need to clear what and why you are buying.  The music centre deserves a good pair of speakers so you must account for that in your pricing comparisons.