An "adult" product for those who appreciate accuracy in sound, NOT flashing disco strobelights.
Written: Jan 23 '02
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Build quality. Sound quality. Conservative yet classy styling.
Cons: Remote not as thorough as it could be. And that's about it folks!
The Bottom Line: see below!!!
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| thelapse's Full Review: Sony MHC-NX1 Shelf System |
The first thing that struck me about this system when I first saw it was the lack of gimmicky flourescent lights everywhere and hokey styling. This system just looks like it means business, not "play". And that's a good thing, I assure you.
One of the first things I noticed as well were the speakers. Some of the classiest looking speakers I have ever seen on a shelf system. I personally found the very tasteful wood cabinets to be very attractive. BUT, much more importantly was the quality of the drivers. The metal coated woofer with rubber surround and the dome tweeter told me right away that this was a hi-fi system and not a toy. There are no cheap paper cone tweeters here. And the sound you hear coming from these speakers is simply amazing compared to any other shelf system I have heard.
In the past I have always owned mid to high end audio equipment but traded those things for more important things at the time. I certainly was not looking forward to downgrading to a shelf system...little did I know how happy I would be in the end!
Which leads me to my point that this system sounds VERY close to separate components teamed with high end bookshelf speakers. The accuracy, soundstaging, and stereo imaging these speakers produce is astounding. There is no big "booming" JVC type bass here. Just well controlled, tight, and accurate bass. (And plenty of it at that, there is no shortage). If for some reason you found the amount of bass not to be enough, Sony did have the mind to add a subwoofer output. The mid's and highs are stunning, you hear every nuance of every instrument, just crisp clear sound. VERY nice indeed.
The main components of this system are split into two parts. The amp/preamp/tuner is one section and the CD changer and cassette decks are in another. So you can stack them on top of each other or side by side. A very nice touch.
All of the buttons and knobs exude a certain sense of solidity and quality when you operate them, and the system is actually quite easy to operate. The manual was written poorly though I might add. There are 15 preset EQ curves and 5 that you can design and adjust yourself. (The EQ is a 5 band and gives you plenty of flexibility). I prefer using my own settings, the preset one's all seem to exaggerate the sound too much. Also this system features Sony's Dynamic Bass Feedback system (found on their more expensive separate's components) which adds a little more punch to the low end without "muddying" the sound. There is a "Groove" sound option as well that adds even more bass but I find it not to be necessary. It defeats the crisp, clear and tonally accurate sound of the system.
The CD changer is quite handy letting you switch CD's while the current one continues to play. I, so far, have noticed no lag time in going from one track to the next as a previous reviewer had found in theirs. To be completely honest, I don't play cassettes and don't listen to the radio, so, unfortunately I cannot comment on them. I can say that i did dig up an old tape just to try it and my initial impression is that the sound reproduction is quite good.
This system has a digital optical output for a minidisc player which some may find useful. It also has one input for a video source, and analog jacks for a minidisc player which could really be used for anything additional you would like to hook up to the system.
All in all, I am VERY happy with my purchase and insist that for $500 bucks your not going to find anything that comes close to the quality and accurate sound that this system delivers. It is a bit pricey for a shelf system yes, but it's worth it to have a "real" system and not some cheaply made, ridiculous looking system with sub-par sound. Do yourself a favor, save up a little longer if necessary and get this system. You won't be disappointed.
Sony hit the mark with this one!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
thelapse
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Reviews written: 1
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