Customer Reviews

Sony LBT-GTZ4i 3-Disc CD Changer Mini Shelf System with Play Exchange

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Not much to say except this system is beautiful. I just set it up and turned it two half volume and it got my floors (literally) shaking. The bass is absolutely tremendous. It's really rich and deep. Definitely good for my techno.

I turned on some rock too and the other speakers pick up just as well. I'm am 100% satisfied.

The seller also shipped it to me within 3 business days. I was surprised it came today. I was expecting it later this week.

This is a great stereo for the price. The sound quality is so much better than other similarly-priced stereos I've had in the past. Maybe a complete audiophile would need something more expensive than this, but not me! The only things keeping it from five stars are that I'm not crazy about its looks (they're good enough, though), and the CD trays feel a bit cheap and awkward (I would have preferred a spinning style like on an older Sony I had).

I haven't even USED the iPod connection yet--I am confident that will work well!

I love this system!!! The sound quality is amazing, the appearance acceptable and the features (Ipod connection through cable, PC outlet for computers or television...it's connected to my tv and it sound great!) that obtained with the system is exceedingly satisfying. Everything I wanted from a mini hi-fi component system. You will not be disappointed. I brought this from J&R Music and Computer World through Amazon which I highly recommended. I purchased the item on a Saturday (Labor Day weekend), within a hour, J&R submitted an email stating that the system will be shipped on that following Wednesday. That Wednesday evenning, UPS was ringing my doorbell. AMAZING!!!

The Sony LBT-GTZ4i is the best stereo system that I have found *in its class*. Obviously, I am not comparing it to $1,000 component systems, but for a compact stereo with separate speakers and subwoofer, this one is tops.

The sound is quite clear, even with the sub-woofer and bass boost ("groove" feature) turned on. The sound has good presence and frequency range. The bass boost (two levels of boost) allows the system to played at low volumes without sacrificing sound quality. There is a useful selection of preset equalizations, plus a three-band manual equalizer. Ignore the limiting names of the presets; just choose the one that you like best for you kind of music. I was pleasantly surprised at how flat the "Flat" setting is (perceptually; I did not measure it electronically). With or without "groove", that setting has great clarity, presence, and natural warmth without any muddiness. "Flat" is great for classical music. The normal stereo mode is excellent, but I do not use the simulated surround-sound, which distorts the stereo placement.

The FM tuner is excellent, even using just the hanging wire antenna that comes with it. If I listen carefully to the silent spaces between notes, I can sometimes detect a faint amount of white noise, which might come from the stereo multiplexer, or might come from the radio station or recording itself. You will likely never notice it. The impression is that the FM tuner is clean and quiet, with excellent sound reproduction.

The AM tuner, using the included loop antenna, has difficulty with weak stations.

The features and ergonomics are excellent.

The system can play music from a universal USB flash drive containing MP3, WMA or AAC music files (you don't need an iPod, although it does support iPods). It can also accept a variety of other USB devices. I can stick a USB flash drive in the front of the console, and it finds all music in all directories, delighting me with recordings that I did not even know that I had. The system can even record radio broadcasts to a flash drive, either manually or on a timer.

The three CD trays are accessible from the front (rather than on top), thus allowing me to place the unit under my kitchen wall cabinets, and even store cases of CDs on top. The three CD trays are inside a single drawer that slides out.

Like other Sony stereos, some of the functions (such as repeat and shuffle modes) are accessable only through the remote control.

There are other external inputs, but I am only reviewing the ones that I personally care about.

Fortunately, there is a way to turn off the gaudy, loudly clicking, sound meter, light effects and orange light circle. Teens may think them cool, but, for me, they detract and distract.

The form factor works well for me. I have the console in the corner of my kitchen counter, and the speakers lying down sideways, spread out across tops of my kitchen wall cabinets. The speaker cables did need lengthening. Simply cut the speaker wire and splice in some heavier speaker wire or lamp cord (16-guage) using wire nuts. Pay attention to polarity. (Hint, most electrical zip cord has one wire with a smooth sheathing and one with a ridged sheathing; splice the smooth side to the black original speaker wire, and the ridged side to the red original speaker wire. Buy a cheap wire stripper; it makes the job so much easier).

Some of the system's functions are obvious, but if you do not read the 54-page manual from cover to cover, you will be missing out on a lot. It comes with a paper manual, and you can also download a PDF version of the manual. Just google Sony LBT-GTZ4i Manual. Choose the link to the Sony site and click on specifications and then Owner's Manual.

I had been searching for a new "shelf system" to replace my old RCA stereo and read the reviews on this one. Seemed like a good choice, and it is! I just received & set it up today. So far, very good.

Pros:
1. Sound is wonderful
2. Remote is easy to use & setup FM station tuning
3. Speakers & subwoofer plug right into main unit easily
4. Lots of presets for equalizer
5. No cassette tape players!
6. Dual USB so you can record from one to the other easily

Cons:
1. Speaker cables could be longer

Will update review if anymore goodness / badness presents!

Like several others who wrote reviews, I was shopping for a replacement for an old Aiwa stereo. It was about 15 years old and starting to have problems, plus it would not play CD-R/RW's or MP3's/WMA's. I have a fairly large collection for my MP3 player and car stereo - some I didn't have in my regular CD collection so I was looking for a stereo that would play them as well as one I could put more than one CD in at a time (old one only held 1). I wanted something with good sound that could be turned up loud w/o distortion. I found it in this stereo.
The sound quality is great - crisp and clear, but with just the right amount of bass. The loudest I've had it is at around 14-15. I think anything louder and it would probably start to knock things off the shelf. It doesn't produce any annoying sound vibration or hum.
I love the USB ports - they allow me to connect a flash drive or any kind of MP3 player with a USB connection so I am not locked into using an Ipod (which I do not own). I also love that they are on the front so I don't have to allow clearance on the shelves to insert anything on top of the unit. The stereo has plenty of settings for different types of music though I keep it on the "Rock" setting because that's mostly what I listen to. I'm very happy with this stereo and I know the Sony name means a certain level of quality you can expect. I like the look of it - a cool mix of futuristic and retro with the lighted speedometer display. Someone stated this looked "cheap" - I disagree. Of course it was my own personal preference over the amber display - to each his or her own I guess.
It was easy to set up. No problems at all. However, as some have mentioned, this is a LARGE shelf system - much larger than my old one. It nearly fills the 48" shelf hubby installed to hold it. My only suggestion - unless you're someone who is used to lugging around heavy, cumbersome boxes - make sure you have someone to help you with the box when the stereo arrives. I'm no weakling, but it was difficult for me to move it inside the front door. I managed, but had to leave it in the entry till hubby got home to help me lift and move it down our hallway. Once unpacked though it feels quite solid and I'm sure I will enjoy this stereo for a long time.

This Sony Disc changer replaced one we had for years. This one works very well. Three discs are working out well for us. Thank you for a fine product.

Overall the system is nice. The only things I'm not impressed with is the display. It is a cheep speedometer style could be improved much more. Also it does get very loud but I doubt the actual watts being stated in the description. The CD tray for the 3 CDs is made poorly but it does work. It does suit my needs so I am not to dissapointed.

I'm satisfied with the performance of my mini system so far, I haven't had the opportunity to findout about all the features yet, that's why its not 5 stars but I'm assuming that I won't be dissapointed, but if I am, I will update my review, so far, so good.

One of the telling qualities of a bookshelf/mini stereo system is how the speakers connect to the main/amp unit. In a system of this price, from a quality manufacturer like Sony, I would have expected regular speaker wire connectors on the main unit and speakers, giving the user the ability to place the speakers in a convenient/strategic location and connect them to the main unit with speaker wire. This was not the case with this system. Not only were the speakers pre-wired to the main unit with an odd, phone jack-like connector, the built-in speaker wires were as tiny as any I've ever seen. Just very cheesy and disappointing. The specs on mini systems should indicate whether or not speakers are pre-wired or free-standing, so the buyer can make an informed purchase. A total bummer!