LARGE 3-CD BOOMBOX LOOKS LIKE A SHELF STEREO
Written: May 16 '06
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Pros: Large powerful boombox with 3-CD player.
Cons: Bulky, awkward to carry. Works on AC only. Speakers could be better.
The Bottom Line: This is a large AC only unit. Smaller units featuring multiple CD and DVD players are now available. But it is a portable, if that's what you're looking for.
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| lovehifi's Full Review: Sony CFD-C1000 Cassette/CD Boombox |
The C1000 is a really big boombox. It looks more like a mini stereo.
This boombox featured a 3-CD turntable type CD exchanger. Basically, there are 3 types of multiple CD units, one being the turntable type changer, the other being the elevator type changer and the third being actual individual CD players with individual laser lens.
To me, the individual multiple CD players are the best, but the other types do work well. Sometimes they are a little slower. The downside to the turntable and elevator type changers is that regardless of how many CDs they can handle, they still only have one laser lens and one CD motor and if either fails, your CD playing is over.
This system worked pretty well. I tried programming songs from several CDs and it switched back and forth between CDs most of the time.
This unit also featured a cassette deck and digital tuner. The cassette deck was the basic type placed in many SONY boomboxes. No frills, no high bias, no noise reduction and mechanical keys for the deck operation. So, forget about controlling the deck with the remote.
The digital tuner featured all the basics.
Tone controls were SONY's basic preset eq. They leave little choice as far as how the tone can be set. Also, SONY's Mega Bass with a simple ON/OFF selection.
The display is fairly large, but does NOT illuminate. I don't know why SONY does this. It would look so much better and be easier to read. Not everyone uses their stereos and boomboxes in well lit areas all the time. That's frustrating.
This unit features 10 watts per channel RMS. Actually, it is one of the better specs I've seen on boomboxes. I believe the actual output is something like 10 watts per channel from 70-15,000Hz at only 1% THD. (I may not have the power bandwith exactly accurate, but that's close). If you compare this spec to many shelf stereos, you'll see the power bandwith is quite good and the distortion level is actually lower than the 10% attributed to many shelf systems.
The speaker systems are rather large for a boombox. But, they are light weight and more or less are hollow plastic. They have a cloth grille cover which gives them a little more of a home component look.
The actual speaker driver is, unfortunately, a 4-inch full-range speaker. Too bad. With the power from this boombox's amp, a larger speaker or separate woofer and tweeter would have been great. Then this unit would have really stood out, I think.
The speakers plug in via standard quick connect jacks in the back, as found on many component receivers and amps.
So, you can plug in other home speakers if you'd like to try them. This unit may power them. I never tried doing so.
The remote control is not full functioning because it did not control the cassette deck functions.
The "handle" of this unit is actually a recessed opening in the top-rear of the boombox. It is not easy to carry because of its size and the awkward placement of the "handle".
This unit is AC only. NO batteries. So, it is not a true portable as some would see it.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 129
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Epinions.com ID:
lovehifi
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Member: Stan
Location: USA
Reviews written: 158
Trusted by: 5 members
About Me:
I have always had a fascination in the field of audio.
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