Slim on Size, But Not on Sound - Fisher Slim 2000 Stereo Micro System
Written: Aug 16 '03 (Updated Jun 19 '06)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Mountable, sleek design, three CD changer, easy to use remote.
Cons: Not exactly thrilled about the speaker covers.
The Bottom Line: Want the hi-tech look of a micro system, without the hi-tech price tag? Check out the Fisher Slim 2000 Stereo Micro System.
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| Freak369's Full Review: Fisher Slim-2000 CD Shelf System |
Imagine my surprise when I came home from the gym late one night to find a note on the kitchen table saying "Follow the arrows". I followed the trail of Post-It Notes to my bedroom to find a strange but very warm blue and white glow coming from the under the door. Opening it I wanted to scream – the stereo that I'd been doting over for more than a few months was mounted on the wall. Needless to say, I was more than ecstatic about it and started playing around with the stereo and all its features. Less than a week later the discs started to skip and then refused to play altogether. Being that this was a gift, I didn't have a receipt but the purchaser did tell me the store name and rough estimate of when it was purchased. I took it back to the store, told them it was defective and after jumping through some hoops, walked out with a new unit.
Until this was given to me as a very unexpected gift, I was using an older shelf style stereo that was still rocking but didn't exactly look "all that great". Now the boys have it and are having a great time torturing me with hours of "their" music. I guess it is a fitting retribution for them having to endure my strange taste in music. In any event, the new Slim 2000 is just the right size for me and gives me just enough power to listen to everything from Mozart to Metallica and let me just say – listening to all the version of Carmina Burana and Orff CD's on this has been an absolute treat. You aren't going to get a massive amount of glass shattering, wall pounding, earth moving power from this but for filling up one room - it's the perfect pick. If you are looking for something that is going to knock you over with the sheer volume it can produce - you'll be disappointed. This is something that is meant for moderate use and the occasional club cut with heavy bass. Trust me, the stereo will let you know when it is getting pushed to its limits and its best to back off than risk blowing out a speaker.
Fisher Slim 2000 Stereo Micro System
If you've never seen this micro system, you don’t know what you are missing. It’s small and compact but does provide a great deal of sound. I was a little skeptical about this being able to handle the wide variety of music that I listen to but no matter what I played - it sounded fantastic. I listen to everything from rock and metal to classical and opera so I do need something that will be able to play the hard stuff but also the delicate and flowing sounds of a nice Italian opera. The front of the unit allows you to operate all the functions of the stereo - volume, radio, sleep and all the usual items – but the real perk here is that the remote control offers you the same functions as the deck. Add into the mix the fact that you can remove the speakers to create a better range of sound and you have one hell of an impressive micro stereo - for under 200 bucks. To say that this would be a dream machine for teenagers is a complete understatement - but don't go away thinking that this is just for kids, college students, upward professionals and music junkies can all benefit from this unit.
As sleek and sexy as the front of the unit is, it's the backlit feature that makes this stereo stand out from the rest. As I mentioned, when I first received this, it was left “on” as a surprise for me – the blue and white glow from under the door didn't immediately "click" in and I was sort of clueless about the slightly creepy hue. This isn't something that will light up your entire room but it will provide enough light to change CD's easily and illuminate about ten feet of space in front of the stereo. On the back of the unit there are two small pop out "wings" that provide the support that’s needed when this is used on s bookcase or as a free standing unit. These seem to be pretty strong but I can see how they would break if handled roughly or not closed properly. Also on the back you will find some auxiliary options like attaching additional speakers to it, operating it off of a mobile power pack, the main reset button, stabilizer bracket for hanging the unit and the speaker connections.
Set Up
Since I wasn't around for the first set up, I made sure that I kept my eyes peeled when the second unit was put up. Since the hardware was already in place from the first one, it took about five minutes - out of the box, to get this powered up and working. You'll have to deal with the usual things, wires wrapped in twist ties, styrofoam, packing materials an the actual contents of the box [warranty information, stereo, user manual etc]. You'll want to make sure that you have all the necessary items before you start tossing things out - and be sure to check all the pieces for small packets, information cards and pertinent items.
Size
Whether you wall mount this or have it free standing, it doesn’t take up much space. It's about thirteen inches wide and about the same height but the true beauty is that it's only a little over three inches thick. Even super klutz [me] can’t manage to bump into it or knock it off the wall. Since this has been mounted twice [the first one was returned], I haven't had the chance to see how well it performs as a free standing unit but I can only imagine that the sound, which is exceptional when wall mounted, would be even more free flowing when on a desk or inside an entertainment unit. The speakers do detach from the main section so if you are dealing with a small area, don't let the size discourage you since you can trip off a few inches on each side by removing the speaker panels.
Sound
You'll be able to get a lot of sound out of this but if you are someone that insists on having the bass and treble pushed to the max, you will end up frying this stereo. Well, actually one of two things will happen – you will either fry the speakers or you will end up vibrating the mounting bracket out of the wall and ending up with the stereo on the floor, more than likely in several pieces. For the most part this is perfect for my needs. When I want to listen to something extremely loud or with a lot of bass I opt to use the component system in the livingroom but most of the time this is more than adequate for my needs. The only drawback is that when you use the bass booster / extended bass it does tend to pull a lot of power form the system and will result in a slight pulsing of the backlit display.
Remote Control
Until I received this, I never really thought much about the remote control but now that I have it, I can say that this is one of the most useful remotes I've ever used. You have complete control of the stereo from the remote – power on and off, volume, AM / FM radio and preset channel selections, control over all three discs; bass, treble and expanded bass options, surround sound, mute and sleep functions. Anything that you can do on the front deck of the stereo, you can do with the remote. This is a really nice set up of options and something rare when it comes to audio remotes. Usually, at least what I've seen, you get the basic options and controls but anything the least bit complicated needs to be done on the stereo deck. The feel of the remote is nice, but it takes a little time to get used to the slightly funky shape. This was suppose to come with batteries for the remote but none were in the second box – they either got tossed out or were left out.
Ease of Use
The hardest thing you will have to do is make sure the CD’s are properly seated and that the front doors of the nit aren't blocked. If you can handle that, this unit is a complete breeze to operate. The door slide open nicely at first but after a little bit of time they do tend to get a little quirky – some times they open smoothly, other times they seem to jerk a little. If you've never worked with threaded speaker connections, you might want to have someone else hook these up for you. It isn't complicated but if you make a few mistakes threading the wire into the hole while applying pressure to the prong [the little thingy that keeps the wire in place], you can bend or crack the wires resulting in a poor connection. If you do encounter a little trouble getting the wires into the hole, you can trim back part of the rubber casing to expose more of the wire so you can have a clean section to work with.
Price
Since this was a gift I am not sure about the exact price that was paid for it but after checking several websites I found that this is in the $200.00 price range. When I fell in love with this it was priced at about $250.00 so it seems the price has dropped a little. For what you get, this is a good price but you have to keep in mind that this isn't a completely portable unit. There's no battery power supply to power the unit [other than the preset tuner retention and those in the remote control]. You can use this with a automotive power pack [adapter sold separately] but given the size of the unit – unless you are going to a beach party or will have this on the hood or trunk of your car – it will be a little too bulky to be used safely or without the risk of the unit getting damaged. I can see this coming down more in price as newer models are released and in all honesty, it's a $150.00 piece of machinery when compared to the micro stereo units that are out now.
Warranty
This comes with a complete 90 day warranty against defects and malfunctions. I know first hand that this is something that is taken seriously by Fisher since I received a phone call from a quality control representative when the first one was exchanged. I was really impressed with the amount of time the person spent with me, asking me how I liked the unit and the specifics about what was wrong with the first one. As I said, this comes with a complete 90 day warranty so parts and labor are included in the deal. Of course, the warranty is only effective if you fill it out and mail it in, without it you aren't covered.
Things To Know
This came with an extra set of speaker covers [black]. I wasn’t too cheery about the blue ones that came with the stereo and opted to remove the speaker covers altogether. When the stereo isn't in use I do cover the speakers to protect them from dust and I am sure someone will yell at me for not using the speaker / grill covers but in all honesty, I like the sound with them off. You can purchase alternative speaker covers through third party manufacturers but you should know that by doing this you will more than likely void the warranty that Fisher offers you. Some of the sites that I looked at said that this comes with three color speaker covers, burgundy, black and blue, but mine only came with the black and blue covers. Like I said, it looks pretty freakin' cool without the speaker covers. If you don't need the three CD capability or want something just a little smaller, you can check out the Slim 1500. It has a single CD unit, most of the same functions and perks of the 2000 and costs about $75.00 less.
The Bottom Line
So far this has been a great gift and I am really enjoying it. This would be great for anyone that loves music but doesn’t have a lot of space or just wants something with a "high tech" look to it. It is easy to operate, provides great sound and can be wall mounted or left as a stand alone unit. Perfect for home or office or even a home office, it is more than suitable for teenagers, college students, rockin' soccer moms and the slightly reserved but upwardly mobile professional. Backed with a 90 day warranty and carrying the usual Fisher standard of excellence I give this my highest ratings, two freaky thumbs up!
As always, thanks for the visit ...
^V^ Freak ^V^
© 2006 Freak369
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Recommended:
Yes
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