Great system for dorm & home
Written: Aug 28 '02
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Inexpensive, all-in-one, easy to set-up, powerful stereo, digital decoding.
Cons: Underpowered surround channels, no coax digital input, only stereo analog input.
The Bottom Line: In you are on a budget ($250 or less) and want great sound from your CDs, tapes, DVD player, VCR, etc., buy the AIWA NSX-DS55.
|
|
|
| compuwhiz's Full Review: Aiwa NSX-DS55 Mini Theater System |
I received my Aiwa NSX-DS55 system last Christmas. I have waited to publish a review because I had not been able to utilize the Dolby Digital feature until just recently, when I purchased a Soundblaster Extigy for my laptop.
The NSX-DS55 is a 5.1 mini-theater surround sound system. It is intended to be used in a small- to mid-sized room. The system will provide stereo Tuner, CD, or Tape output, Dolby Prologic output for VCR, Satellite, or Cable TV shows, and Dolby Digital output for DVDs. The NSX-DS55 comes with the following specifications:
* 3-CD changer, Dual full-logic cassette decks, AM/FM radio tuner, and Auxiliary analog/digital input.
* 70w/channel front speaker power (6 ohms, 1% THD)(6.25" woofer, 2.25" mid, 1" tweeter)
* 25w/channel rear and center speaker power (8 ohms, 1% THD) (4" full-range driver)
* 50w subwoofer (1% THD) (8" woofer)
* ProLogic and Dolby Digital surround decoding, with adjustable volume for surround & center speakers, as well as Midnight Theater mode for DD range compression)
* T-BASS and BBE (treble) tone adjustments
* 3-stage tone equalizer (ROCK, POP, CLASSICAL)
* 3-stage dimmer for dark environments
* 30 AM/FM station presets
* Clock, Sleep, and Record/Play timer functions
* 30-track CD programming for all 3 CDs, plus Random/Repeat modes
* Full-function remote control for the NSX-DS55
The NSX-DS55 has two audio inputs, a stereo analog input (for VCR, SAT, Cable, Computer, Phono, etc.), and a digital optical toslink input (for DVD, Computer, or separate CD-changer).
The surround speaker cord length is 25 ft. so they can adjust to your room size. Also, the subwoofer connects via preamp-level RCA output so you can add a different subwoofer if so desired.
Performance:
I have heard quite a few different mini-system offerings from various manufacturers, and I can say that the NSX-DS55 is at the top of the pack. Almost no other mini-systems have built-in Dolby Digital decoding like the NSX-DS55, and the tuner quality surpasses that of Panasonic, JVC, RCA, and others. Some early AIWA systems had problems with the CD player; however, this model has given me no problems at all with many different CDs. The changer is designed so that 2 CDs may be exchanged while a 3rd is playing, for non-stop music.
For those who plan to connect this system to a Hi-Fi VCR or TV, the included ProLogic decoding will extract 4-channel surround sound out of a Prologic 2-channel stereo signal (like those found on most TV stations and tapes).
If you have a DVD player, you can connect the NSX-DS55 via an optical toslink cable (~$20). You can then enjoy Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound which is more immersive than ProLogic. Also, you can connect the NSX-DS55 to your computer via RCA stereo or Optical (provided that your soundcard has the correct outputs)
The sound quality for this mini-system is very good. Not excellent, as this is not a big, powerful receiver-based system. However, in stereo mode the bass will rock your seat and you will enjoy clear, crisp sound from the large front speakers. In surround mode, the center and surround speakers kick in to provide 5.1 sound. The quality in surround mode is good, but it would be nice if AIWA gave some more power to the center and surround channels. The BBE and T-BASS functions allow you to adjust the bass and treble for the speakers, and the equalizer lets you adjust the sound based on your listening preferences.
Although the subwoofer provided with the NSX-DS55 is only 50w (60w max), proper placement will give you very satisfying bass. The frequency response definitely reaches 40hz and possibly lower. From the LFE channel on DVDs to the deep instruments in classical music, the TS-WM6 sub (included with the NSX-DS55) has powerful sound without getting to be "boomy". A few days ago I watched the "Shaft" DVD on this system, and the bass effects were awesome from the subwoofer. (A reminder: some people have posted comments on the Internet that they thought their sub was defective. You MUST enable the subwoofer output using the remote control in order to hear anything from the sub.)
Overall, I think the NSX-DS55 is a great purchase for home or dorm, especially if you are shopping on a budget. I chose AIWA over some other models because of the sound quality, features, and its excellent reputation. If you have the money to go with a receiver & component system, you will of course get better performance; however, the extra $500+ is usually not justifiable.
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
compuwhiz
|
|
Member: Jeremy Gillow
Location: Melbourne, Florida, USA
Reviews written: 21
Trusted by: 3 members
About Me:
System administrator and computer information systems graduate student.
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.