Great System for all Purposes
Written: Oct 28 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Great Sound and Bass with Nearly All Types of Music; Surround Sound; Large FL Screen
Cons: Cheap Plastic Remote
The Bottom Line: The MHC-BX7 is a quality system with an abundance of features and quality sound to rivel some of the more higher-end/higher-priced systems.
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| otti's Full Review: Sony MHC-BX7 CD Shelf System |
After living with my Pioneer system for three years, I decided it was time to look for something a little more modern with better sound. Don't get me wrong the little Pioneer system performed admirably for the whole time I used it (it's now connected to the TV in the living room), but after listening to a few other stereos I decided it lagged a little in the sound department.
So off we went to Currys, Comet, Dixons and all the other high-street electrical giants to see what we could find.
Now, I already had one particular system in mind, which was the Phillips FWC700, a little system with wOOx technology (a 5" subwoofer and 6.5" passive radiator on each speaker) and 120W RMS for around £200 (~$280).
But then I saw the system which I immediately fell in love with: the Sony MHC-BX7. For a reduced price (end-of-the-line) of £220 (~$300) it included everything I wanted in a system and more. So I popped a CD in with the most bass I could find, and turned up the volume to about 1/3rd with V-Groove on. The thing shook the whole display and I had to turn it down because we now had the whole store's attention.
Now, onto the Pros and Cons:
Sound Quality
Now the most obvious thing when choosing a system is the sound quality. And the MHC-BX7 certainly doesn't disappoint.
With 100w RMS x 2 pumping out of each Dual Sub-Woofer speaker, this can literally shake the house down.
When I first put the volume up high, I forgot to attach the speaker grips on the bottom of the speakers, and they pushed themselves back against the wall. This gives you some idea of the punch these speakers can give.
The only Gripe I will say with the system is that with V-Groove (bass enhancement) on at full volume you can hear the air flow in and out the bass vents, but it isn't a major problem.
Another nice feature with Sony Systems is the VACS (Variable Attenuation Control System) Anti-distortion circuit. Even at full volume with all enhancements on, the sound remains clear. Which is nice.
Features
For it's price, the sony packs more features than any other system in it's range. The Groove, V-Groove and Surround modes all affect the music in a positive way. 10 preset and one Manual equalizer settings means you get the exact sound you want. 9-Track AMS (Automatic Music Sensor) means searching Tapes is no longer a tedious task. A nice easy-to-use RDS Tuner is also incorporated. A 3 Disc Changer, which is near-standard today, is of course integrated in the system, and includes a handy disc-exchange function (change two while playing one). The only thing I would have liked is some type of Dolby noise reduction, but this is a 'low-end' (I use the term very loosely) system after all.
Speakers
As Mentioned before, these speakers incorporate Sony's 'Dual Intergrated Woofer' design (two 6" Sub-woofers on EACH speaker dealing with the low and high end of the bass frequencies) and also include a 5cm mid-range.
These sub-woofers produce very clear bass, which are always capable of putting a smile on my face when going above 12 of 34 on the Volume scale (which is coincidently also the level you can feel the bass on your chest - much like in a music venue like a nightclub,etc). Although being very low-end orientated, however, these speakers can also reach the high frequencies with ease.
The 5cm full-range Rear speakers also have a nice design, and can reproduce some crisp, clean sound, but however are not particularly loud so nead to be placed quite close to the listener. They do however, succeed in creating a wider sound field.
Design
This Sony is rarther large for a mini-system, but is nicely designed and the large speakers accentuate the system giving it a mean apperance. The large (5cm x 10cm) FL display can be set to five different equilizer modes and can display upto 10 digits - handy for displaying the CD-TEXT the system is also capable of decoding.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
otti
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Reviews written: 1
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