This review is from: Sony CMTFX250 Mini Hi-Fi with All in One Audio System (Electronics)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Programme(What’s this?)
Earlier reviews have already admirably covered the technical aspects of this system, but I have a few things I would like to add about its looks and user friendliness.
First, the whole thing is nicely weighty. The speakers in particular are much more sturdy than any I’ve owned before (and I’ve always bought strictly in the ‘no-frills’ category) which is very pleasing. Silly as it sounds, this system looks expensive.
I decided to give the system the “obviousness test” whereby I whipped it out of the box and assembled it without glancing at the instructions. Luckily, it couldn’t have been simpler. Plug speaker cables into the back of the unit, attach the DAB/FM aerial, plug the power supply in and you’re good to go. The second you turn it on, it automatically tunes the DAB receiver, which took only a few seconds. After that it’s very easy: select function (CD, DAB, FM, AUDIO IN), change volume, press play…
I inadvertently left the radio aerial in its little coil and was therefore doubly impressed at the quality of the reception on both the FM and DAB bands.
I tested a range of CDs of different types and ages and it played them all without problem.
I also tested the Audio In feature, by plugging in two different MP3 players (one old, one new) and again, there were no problems. Though the description says a cable is included, it wasn’t with mine, so do be wary of that!
As far as my non-expert ears could tell, the sound quality was excellent, especially with the in-built sound enhancer switched on. The acid test was some bass heavy dance music. In the past, I’ve noticed the bass overpowering the rest of the tune, but this system balanced it nicely.
It’s also capable of going much, much louder than I could ever want to go.
All in all, for a no-frills system with an excellent DAB tuner built in, I can’t fault this. If I were forced to name a downside I would say the remote control is a bit small and fiddly, but it’s really, really not an issue.
Buy if: you want to update an old system, are lacking a DAB tuner, or want a Hi-Fi that is attractive but doesn’t look too space-agey. Don’t buy if: you want a high-end system, you want a purpose built MP3 player dock, or you want a Hi-Fi that is snazzy and space-agey!
(Disclaimer: I am probably quite easily pleased since my previous system was long enough ago that the CD player was The Big Exciting New Thing! However, I have reviewed this system honestly, and am personally very impressed with it.)
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This review is from: Sony CMTFX250 Mini Hi-Fi with All in One Audio System (Electronics)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Programme(What’s this?)
I’m very happy with this Hi Fi. For starters it’s half the size of my old one and the sound quality is better. It’s a very basic system but that’s exactly what I wanted. Anyone looking for a top of the range model wouldn’t be looking at this anyway, but for the less demanding it’s perfect. This would be an ideal gift for someone of an older generation. It’s simple to use and the quality of sound is very good.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
This review is from: Sony CMTFX250 Mini Hi-Fi with All in One Audio System (Electronics)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Programme(What’s this?)
Being an avid music lover, i have gone through a fair number of music systems over the years to know which ones satisfy my ears and which ones deserve to be in the bin; thankfully this little mini Hi-fi falls in the former category with solid results.
This Mini Hi-fi sacrifices the frills of more expensive music players in favour of pure functionality and that is a good move on Sony’s part as its minimalist design makes the player lean, and very easy to setup and use by just about everyone.
The buttons are clearly labelled and self explanatory, meaning you will be listening to your favourite tunes within minutes. The unit houses all the bare essentials you could want from a hi-fi system, a digital radio (with Analogue FM support), a CD player at the top and AUX Ouput at the front (For MP3 Players, Ipods).
The sound quality of this Hi-fi is suprisingly good for a unit of this price; offering good clarity in both speakers making the system an ideal choice to have in the bedroom or kitchen. Though, due to a lack of a refined bass system, the hifi can sound a little tinny in areas where the volume needs to be loud, for instance in large living rooms, but this a minor quibble.
If i’m allowed to nit-pick further, The ommision of an AUX cable is an issue and i’m not a big fan of the top loading CD drive design either, it’s rather inconvienient to insert CD’s in situations where there is no headroom like on a storage shelf; a front mounted drive would have been much better.
I strongly recommend this mini-Hifi if your looking for a competent music player as it does its job rather well on a budget, however if you are looking for a Stereo designed for audiophiles, i would look for something larger with a bit more audio clout.
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Attractive, simple-to-use and sounds great!,
Earlier reviews have already admirably covered the technical aspects of this system, but I have a few things I would like to add about its looks and user friendliness.
First, the whole thing is nicely weighty. The speakers in particular are much more sturdy than any I’ve owned before (and I’ve always bought strictly in the ‘no-frills’ category) which is very pleasing. Silly as it sounds, this system looks expensive.
I decided to give the system the “obviousness test” whereby I whipped it out of the box and assembled it without glancing at the instructions. Luckily, it couldn’t have been simpler. Plug speaker cables into the back of the unit, attach the DAB/FM aerial, plug the power supply in and you’re good to go. The second you turn it on, it automatically tunes the DAB receiver, which took only a few seconds. After that it’s very easy: select function (CD, DAB, FM, AUDIO IN), change volume, press play…
I inadvertently left the radio aerial in its little coil and was therefore doubly impressed at the quality of the reception on both the FM and DAB bands.
I tested a range of CDs of different types and ages and it played them all without problem.
I also tested the Audio In feature, by plugging in two different MP3 players (one old, one new) and again, there were no problems. Though the description says a cable is included, it wasn’t with mine, so do be wary of that!
As far as my non-expert ears could tell, the sound quality was excellent, especially with the in-built sound enhancer switched on. The acid test was some bass heavy dance music. In the past, I’ve noticed the bass overpowering the rest of the tune, but this system balanced it nicely.
It’s also capable of going much, much louder than I could ever want to go.
All in all, for a no-frills system with an excellent DAB tuner built in, I can’t fault this. If I were forced to name a downside I would say the remote control is a bit small and fiddly, but it’s really, really not an issue.
Buy if: you want to update an old system, are lacking a DAB tuner, or want a Hi-Fi that is attractive but doesn’t look too space-agey.
Don’t buy if: you want a high-end system, you want a purpose built MP3 player dock, or you want a Hi-Fi that is snazzy and space-agey!
(Disclaimer: I am probably quite easily pleased since my previous system was long enough ago that the CD player was The Big Exciting New Thing! However, I have reviewed this system honestly, and am personally very impressed with it.)
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|Tidy,
I’m very happy with this Hi Fi. For starters it’s half the size of my old one and the sound quality is better. It’s a very basic system but that’s exactly what I wanted. Anyone looking for a top of the range model wouldn’t be looking at this anyway, but for the less demanding it’s perfect. This would be an ideal gift for someone of an older generation. It’s simple to use and the quality of sound is very good.
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|A good budget mini hi-fi which sacrifices the frills in favour of simple functionality. Ideal for kitchens and Bedrooms!,
Being an avid music lover, i have gone through a fair number of music systems over the years to know which ones satisfy my ears and which ones deserve to be in the bin; thankfully this little mini Hi-fi falls in the former category with solid results.
This Mini Hi-fi sacrifices the frills of more expensive music players in favour of pure functionality and that is a good move on Sony’s part as its minimalist design makes the player lean, and very easy to setup and use by just about everyone.
The buttons are clearly labelled and self explanatory, meaning you will be listening to your favourite tunes within minutes. The unit houses all the bare essentials you could want from a hi-fi system, a digital radio (with Analogue FM support), a CD player at the top and AUX Ouput at the front (For MP3 Players, Ipods).
The sound quality of this Hi-fi is suprisingly good for a unit of this price; offering good clarity in both speakers making the system an ideal choice to have in the bedroom or kitchen. Though, due to a lack of a refined bass system, the hifi can sound a little tinny in areas where the volume needs to be loud, for instance in large living rooms, but this a minor quibble.
If i’m allowed to nit-pick further, The ommision of an AUX cable is an issue and i’m not a big fan of the top loading CD drive design either, it’s rather inconvienient to insert CD’s in situations where there is no headroom like on a storage shelf; a front mounted drive would have been much better.
I strongly recommend this mini-Hifi if your looking for a competent music player as it does its job rather well on a budget, however if you are looking for a Stereo designed for audiophiles, i would look for something larger with a bit more audio clout.
Was this review helpful to you?
|