Customer Reviews

Sony CMTBX20i Micro Hi-Fi Shelf System (Black)

5 star:		(46)
4 star:		(37)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

I have had this system since early January '09, and paid $129+ tax. I am, overall, very satisfied with the purchase. There were no surprises. It looks and performs as represented on the Amazon page. I rate it a B+, or an 8.5/10 overall compared to similar priced bookshelf systems.

PRO:

*Great looking in basic black, fits (style-wise and otherwise, it's also quite small) into anyone's living/bed room or office. Nice bright, clear, easy to read display.

*Solid Sony construction and quality. Materials and assembly are first rate.

*Operation is straightforward and relatively simple. I learned basic functions in 5 minutes, and seldom needed to consult the fold-out style minimalistic manual.

*Sound is clear and accurate, and volume is ample enough to fill a typical room. Very little distortion or clipping even near top volume.

*Has controls or all basic functions on top of unit as well as remote, so you can still use it during times when you can't find your remote. Remote operation is intuitive AND logical. No stupid gimmick functions no one ever uses to get in the way, but does what it needs to do from across the room

*iPod mounts atop unit (unit charges iPod whenever connected). Slides in easily. Easy to view iPod display. Position is practical; iPod does NOT tend to get in way or fall out as they do on a number of other like systems/docks. There is another jack for additional input (like connect to an Apple Airport Express/Extreme to run Airtunes and listen to Pandora/streaming or tracks in non-iPod formats).

*Plays custom MP3 CDs, including displaying ID3 tags. This means (if you burn the disc correctly) that playing an MP3 CD, you will see artist/album, and then track name. I find this a nice feature, though I guess its becoming pretty common.

CONS:

*Limited bass response, with no provision for connection to external subwoofer. Most of the time not really noticeable, but for heavily bass driven music, you miss feeling the beat. Bass is there though, and is accurate and proportional. EQ is simple +/- separate treble and bass controls. Use of standard iPod EQ profiles has little effect on sound, though custom settings imported from iTunes DO work better.

*Speaker grilles not removable. Wiring passes through part board enclosures, and no strain relief mechanism, so it would be both a pain to replace speaker wires and over time more likely to need it. Wires are long enough for now at about 8 feet, and you could always splice more length in if needs be. Thats not ideal, as would be if you had easy access inside enclosures. I haven't tried the unit with other speakers, since the system impedance is 6 ohms and the various speakers I have access to are all 8 ohms (which is, or was, the standard, isn't it?).

*CD player recognizes only MP3 or CDDA/AIFF format discs/tracks. It really wouldn't have raised the production cost noticeably to include AAC, WAV, WMA, and most of all FLAC/ALAC.

I recommend this system to anyone looking for good sound (quality and quantity) on a budget, with the reservations mentioned about bass response. Likewise, its a solidly made unit that will last for years of use. I think it may be the best overall of its kind for use with iPod, at least until you get up to the Bose, Harman-Kardon, Denon, Bang/Olufsen class models (all of which retail at $350 and [way] up).

I purchased this model at Best Buy for $109 after trying and returning an all-in-one Memorex shelf unit that was more expensive. I should remember that for the future, "Sony no baloney." I have a larger Sony component system for the past 16 years which never gave me any trouble. I like this model for the following reasons:

1. Good sound. 50w total power makes a big difference compared with lower rated shelf systems. It will definitely fill a room without putting it on maximum volume.
2. Elegant design and white display. Shows clock when unit is powered off on standby.
3. Controls are easy to figure out on unit and on remote control.
4. CD is sliding tray type on the front. Not the top loading type with a button in the center. I hate those.
5. Headphones jack is in the front where I want it.

Be aware though, that the "EQ" is really just treble and bass controls from -4 to +4. There is no balance control. This was not really a disappointment. The sound is great.

What I didn't like was minor:
1, The rear of the particle board speakers is not painted like the black enclosure. Depending on where you place the system it might not look as nice. You could always paint them yourself. I put mine where you won't see this. If you put these speakers on a shelf, you won't notice.

2. The supplied AM antennae is ok, but the FM antenna is just a single wire that attaches to a coax terminal. I could not get much reception where I put the unit. But that's much better than systems that just have a single non-detachable wire coming out. Because, with the coax terminal I attached a $10 RCA FM/VHF/UHF antennae which works fine.

All in all I still give it 5 stars because it does the job for me with no headache.

The sound quality if fine from a CD or radio. HOWEVER - This unit will NOT work with a second generation iPod Touch or newer. This is not disclosed anywhere - product description, Sony website, etc. They have the docking adapter for the iPod 8 / 16 GB touch, but forget it, if it is 2nd Gen or newer. Hopefully, I'll save some of you the hassle that I've just endured.

Note: The only way that I found this reality was by calling Sony tech support, providing my iPod's serial number, and being told I was out-o-luck. Quite the bummer. He then went on to state that the unit was released prior to my iPod, so apparently it has never been updated.

I am very impressed with this system. It has the sleek styling you expect from Sony and the quality too. The speakers have good sound especially considering their size. We had been searching for a system with multiple cd trays to replace our old one, but settled on this and we are very glad that we did-it made us really appreciate ipod technology. The system is also the perfect home for an old ipod (1.4.1) with a defunct battery. Really great product and very well priced for what you get.

The unit worked well for about 8 months then the ability to open the cd tray ceased. Unit wouldn't even turn on with the front bar, I had to use the remote...but worse on the right side of the bar is the only way to open the cd tray...that ceased working also so my cd is stuck in there.. I am surprised that something made by Sony failed so miserably.

Bought this unit new from Amazon about nine months ago. It stopped playing CD's and would contantly search for the disk. Sony Warranty service of Laredo, TX said to send it in. Got several e-mails including "received unit" and "received receipt" and "will be fixed under warranty". Several weeks later I received the unit back COMPLETELY DESTROYED. They claimed they received it that way. They refused to provide any information, including their assessment of the unit. No information was provided to prove that they received it damaged. Simply put, I got the complete blow off with no recourse. It's not the money, it's the total lack of service and responsibility.

After buying ten of thousands worth of Sony products, I think I'm done with Sony after this. Forget the PSP for my kids, I'll get the four of them iPod touches instead.

Liked the unit and used it primarily for CD's, but the CD reader mechanism or motor failed just as it got to the one-year warranty expiration.

A few reviews talk about the CD player not wanting to play CDs (see the 2-star "Would be a great item... IF IT WORKED" review from Jan 2011 for a description). When I set mine up it exhibited the exact same problem - wouldn't play any CD, insisting that there was "No Disc". Called Sony, and after some troubleshooting steps they agreed it was defective and wanted me to ship it to their repair facility. As it was brand new, I opted to return it to Amazon. Thank you Amazon!

I just bought myself this nifty little mini-stereo unit for my living room after my cheap JVC player went kaput. Set-up was a cinch, even for someone with 2 left thumbs like me! These 2 little speakers emit beautiful AND powerful sound, and I get excellent AM/FM radio reception as well!

My only complaint is that the remote does not have a function to open/close the CD drawer, which is my main use for the unit. But it is a minor complaint since I would have to get up to change the CD anyway! Highly recommended (you can get it at Best Buy for $109) if you're just looking for a unit to put in your living room or a bedroom - it fills the room with beautiful music!

The sound quality is OK, but the CD player stopped working after about a year. I thought it was just my luck, but other buyers have the same issue. I would NOT recommend it.