We’ve reached that seasonal time of year, and so my Critical Popcorn Gift Guides return!

This year we’re celebrating the best films of the year (old and new) to Stream or 4K UHD, a must-have iconic Paul McCartney photo book, the best affordable and impressive all-in-one Music Systems, or even something to make that Home Cinema better with speakers and soundbars from Majority, a UK-based tech company with a lot to offer. And that’s not all, we also enjoy a selection of festive Funko Pops! to get your geek on, and even a couple of huge giveaways to enter!  

---

If you already know the joy of CDs and tuning into the radio via a dial, via all kinds of methods, then I’m here to guide you towards an all-new system from Majority that’ll enhance that happiness. There remains a huge CD market for all music lovers – and even cassettes are in back in fashion – so if you’re looking for a music system that helps you re-explore that favoured collection, then we’ve got two superb options for you at different price ranges, with our first feature of the wintry season – thanks to two excellent devices – starting with the Majority Quadriga.

If Majority are a new name to you, at Critical Popcorn we’ve been testing out and enjoying their soundbars for a couple of years, and so we enter the world of Internet Radio Music System and CD Players with genuine intrigue and excitement. They’re a UK-based company, founded back in 2012, and are notably growing fast and you can see why with these two options are well, with the Majority Quadriga – a 2.1 120W Music System with DAB+ and Spotify Connect – plus the Majority Oakington is reviewed tomorrow, a smaller design also with their DAB+ Radio Music System.

---

Quadriga

First Impressions

If you like simplicity, then the Quadriga is visually designed with that in mind. Rectangle-shaped (43 x 12.8 x 28cm), like any good Hi-Fi related setup should usually be – think separates and Amps – and it comes complete with an logical button selection, a CD slot, a 2.8 screen, PLUGS, two x 4” speaker drivers – with an epic 6” subwoofer below the unit – and the ever-classic front dial, which will help you run through the choices of all the options that this small, yet impressive, Music System has to offer that’s simple to connect up to your home Wi-Fi.

---

What can I expect?

Whether you’re new or not to such a system, the Majority Quadriga will guide you away off into a new adventure, with a genuine wealth of thousands of radio stations from its internet radio mode, as well as DAB adventures with all the preset UK stations that you know of love, a veritable banquet of choice.

While it’s difficult to be specific with the amount of DAB and FM radio options, once you’ve connected up to your WiFi, you’ve got the internet radio mode which means – literally – thousands of stations covering all genres and intentions. The DAB/DAB+ digital radio means that it not only picks up any station in that manner, it’ll also display all the info you need to know on the screen – including station name, stream and the track that’s playing.

Through all these are what feels like presets (in a good way, it’s the joy of digital radio) which takes you through all the obvious BBC radio channels, plus anything you can think of through the main UK radio channels – and it’ll pick up your local stations depending on where you’re globally located. The FM Radio also gives you an aerial on the back, with some classic old school tuning, if you fancy it!

Reaching further inside the options it offers, you cannot underestimate the depth of extras with the Majority Quadriga, pretty much covering everything you could want from a Music System that’s both compact and packed with possibilities. From the CD player and the fun of diving back into your collection there, there’s also a Bluetooth Audio option – meaning you can connect from your own devices and play whatever playlists you already have ready to go.

For more externals devices, on the back is an optical cable slot (for audio), there’s the L-R RCA audio socket which could mean you can add extra speakers and a classic AUX in, good for something like an MP3 player. On the back is also a USB slot, which links through to the screen on the front where you can scroll through any playlists you might have created.

The Podcast sections opens up the world even further, you can search throughout the UK for almost anything you could think of – or already like – such as the BBC’s Desert Island Discs, as a simple example. But it also offers a change of location worldwide if you wanted to search beyond, wherever you’re from and whatever you want to listen to, as it’s broken down into the likes of origins and genres. And, not necessarily finally but worth mentioning, it’s also got Spotify Connect which is designed to make it easier for you to connection via a smartphone, tablet or computer and adding the Quadriga as a device.

---

Sound

So, forgive me if this is an obvious observation but these types of units are nothing if the sound isn’t good enough, and if it doesn’t do what you want it to. But the Majority Quadriga gives you an incredible level of sound for such a compact design, which makes it stand out up against other similar, more average music systems.

One of the stand-out features and benefits (all in one) is that beast of a subwoofer working underneath, which beefs up the output. Whether this is talk or music radio, you don’t have to turn it up that intensely to get a positive experience. I doubt you’ll have to turn it up to the top level but if you’re lucky enough to be in a place where you can, the party (or just the moment itself) is definitely on with the sound process it offers.

The Equaliser for your sound levels does have presets: Normal, Flat, Jazz, Rock, Movie, Classic, Pop and News, but you can also create your own EQ with those levels of bass and treble that suit wherever you live – which is highly appreciated. There’s only one thing that Majority could improve upon, and I think that’s their somewhat plastic-y controllers. These do they job they need, but they often feel a little too delicate compared to the impressiveness of the range.

---

Summary

The Majority Quadriga doesn’t disappoint at all. While you can choose it in black or white, I think this keeps the price at affordable level rather than giving you a larger colour choice, and it does mean it fits within most setups you’ll already have. In my case, I placed it under my old Amp, still working with the record player, and it sits perfectly on top and doesn’t impact the output.

A smart all-in-one music system, with a deep bass and a crisp audio adventure for all genres and preferences, what else would you need to get the goodness into your home?

Pick up the Quadriga right here for £248.95 (currently on offer) right here: Quadriga Internet Radio Music System | DAB+, FM, Bluetooth | Majority or on Amazon here (with an extra £15 off): https://amzn.to/3GrirbE

*The unit was provided to me for review by Majority but these are my own views and from my own experience of using the device*