Excellent System, Incredible Value
Written: Mar 14 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: 3-CD drawer, great sound, Dolby Pro Logic, 5 speakers, can connect to TV for great home theater experience
Cons: To be honest, I have no cons for this system.
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| tedhammond's Full Review: Aiwa NSX-MA545 CD Shelf System |
I bought this system just a few weeks ago, but I cannot say enough good things about it. I was lucky enough to find it on a closeout sale at Bradlees for $330. I was looking for a system that had surround sound speakers, as well as a big output capability. Using the surround sound, I wanted to connect it to my TV for the "home theater" experience. I went several stores, like Target, BestBuy, and Circuit City, just to look at the many different models to choose from. Aiwa seemed to have an advantage over the other brands, because of their large number of systems available. I had narrowed it down to two systems, the 545 and the 845. The main difference between these two is that the 845 is "Dolby Digital (AC-3) Ready," and the 545 has "Dolby Pro Logic." A system that is Dolby Digital READY needs a DVD player that has a Dolby Digital Processor. Not all DVD players have this. If your DVD player is only DVD ready and you want to use this high quality sound output, you would need the NSX-MA945 or higher system. Personally, I don't even have a DVD player, so I didn't need it to be Digital or Digital ready. Because the 545 is considerably cheaper than the 845, that was the deciding line.
Once I got the system, I fell in love with it. The sound is incredible! CDs sound as they should sound, with the room filled with beautiful music. I was surprised at the radio reception as well. There was no static that I could detect on any station in this area, FM or AM. However, the supplied AM antenna should be positioned away from most other electric products, or the reception declines. The 5 speaker set-up (7 if you count the two built-in subwoofers) is what really makes it sound so good. You are really surrounded with sound, and a cool feature is the ability to adjust the sound levels that come from each speaker. I turned up the center speaker a little, because the clarity of voice can be heard better on the center channel.
Surprisingly, the tape decks also play great. They are full logic, meaning they have "feather touch" buttons that instantly start, stop, rewind, or fastforward the tape. You don't have to actually push the button down, and hear it click once the tape ends. This also lets you control the tape from the remote control, another added feature. All the functions can be controlled by the remote control, the 3 CD player, tuner, tape deck, and auxiliary input (like the TV or VCR).
Dolby Pro Logic is awesome. It's on CDs, most TV shows, and even the radio (a fact I didn't know before getting the 545). You can hear different sounds coming from the different speakers, not just the left and right. The two surround speakers have their own channel when Pro Logic is on, which is a great affect. Speaking of speakers, the two built-in subwoofers give you an incredible feeling I've only had in the movie theaters before. When there is a real low sound, you not only hear it, but feel it. I had heard this fact before buying it, and I was a little skeptical. I didn't want to be vibrated when listening to some low-pitched songs, but the feeling isn't annoying, or what I thought it would be. It's really a unique experience that adds to the music or TV.
Well, that's all I can think of now. If you've read this far, I hope you will consider getting this system. So far, I have had no complaints about it at all, really. Set-up was simple, and their is a complete manual. Aiwa also has a great hotline you can call whenever you need help. If you have a mid-size to large room, this is a great system to buy, and I am really happy I bought it.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
tedhammond
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Member: Ted Hammond
Location: Winchester, MA, US
Reviews written: 31
Trusted by: 7 members
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