Sony LBT-ZX6 Mini Hi-Fi Component System

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Product Details

• Item Weight: 90 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 79 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B000ETWAB4
• Item model number: LBTZX6
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #17,282 in Electronics (See Bestsellers in Electronics)

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  Electronics > Home Audio & Theater > Compact Stereos > Shelf Stereo Systems

• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 1, 2005

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description
Proving that a stereo doesn't have to be big to deliver a huge sound, the Sony LBT-ZX6 splits 560 watts of power between two channels, making it the perfect party system for space-challenged rooms. The main unit comes with such components as a five-disc CD changer, a dual-well cassette deck, a five-band spectrum analyzer, and an AM/FM tuner, yet checks in at a mere 14.25 by 17.2 by 18.3 inches (W x H x D). Thanks to the narrower-than-usual housing, you can easily fit this system on a bookshelf or tabletop rather than carving out space in an entertainment console.

More importantly, the components stand ready for nearly any audio challenge. The five-disc CD changer--which supports CD, CD-R/RW, and MP3-CD formats--is a must for entertaining, as its play exchange system keeps the music flowing nonstop even while you're swapping discs. The playback modes, meanwhile, range from track programming to shuffle play to repeat play, giving you plenty of listening options. Owners who still fancy their '80s cassette tapes will dig the full-logic cassette deck, which not only plays such nuggets as Air Supply's greatest hits but also records from both the radio and CD. And thanks to the CD synchro function, you can rest assured that your cassette recordings will start at the precise moment the CD starts to play. No more 15-second stretches of silence at the beginning of your home-recorded tapes.

The spectrum analyzer is another party pleaser, as it visually interprets your music on its five-band display. Add in the LBT-ZX6's 10 preset equalizer settings and two-band direct AV equalizer and you have a stereo that adjusts to virtually any acoustic environment. Plus, the stereo offers a set of front A/V inputs for connecting to a video game system. By itself, that's a unique feature for a mini system, but it's particularly cool because of the Game Sync function, which lets gamers mix any audio source into the video game soundtrack. Feel like playing Resident Evil with a little Massive Attack in the background? Go for it.

Audio-wise, the LBT-ZX6 outputs your music through a pair of three-way bass-reflex speakers, each of which includes a 6.75-inch woofer, 6.75-inch midrange, and 1-inch horn tweeter. The speakers deliver pleasing full-range sound, especially when taking into account Sony's Variable Attenuation Control Design, which minimizes the midrange and bass distortion when you're listening at high volumes. Other sound enhancements range from an X-Groove bass enhancement function to simulated surround sound.

Finally, the system includes such features as a color fluorescent display, a mic input with its own volume control, a power save mode, and a versatile remote control. Plus, the entire system is backed by a one-year warranty.

What's in the Box
LBT-ZX6 main unit, two full-range speakers, speaker cables, FM antenna, AM loop antenna, remote control, user's manual.

Product Description
Mini Hi-Fi Component System 560 Watts Total: 280 Watts Per Channel x 2

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

51 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars First New Stereo in 16 Years, September 12, 2007

By	Eric Muss-Barnes - See all my reviews

I bought this to replace my old Panasonic stereo that I had for 16 years. Apparently, the amp on the Panasonic died because the speakers began to get all crackly and distorted. Originally suspecting my speakers were going bad, I swapped out the speakers and cords with good ones from my home theatre system ... those were crackling too. So, obviously it was a problem with the unit, not the speakers. Okay, after 16 years of service, time to get a new stereo.

I tested out the LBT-ZX6 at the store before purchasing from Amazon. Taking my trusty Jane's Addiction "Nothing's Shocking" CD to play is always a good test - blast "Ocean Size" and see how it sounds. My girlfriend was a little embarrassed when the drums kicked in. Heh, heh. Good sign!

The sound quality is really excellent. And it goes way past 11! (In fact, it is roaring at about 15 or 16 and I think the volume control may go up past 20.) The speakers are big, heavy, and having a midrange-woofer in addition to the lowend-woofer really gives the sound a rich dynamic. The tweeters are very crystalline too. Not shrill and tinny. Very sharp and clear. Indeed, the 3-way speakers are far superior to traditional 2-way woofer and tweeter speakers. The best thing about them is that the clarity is maintained - even at ear-bleeding high volume, you don't hear distortion or feedback. Quite stunning. When I got mine home, I made sure to immediately pull out the wirecutters and solder to extend the speaker wires so I could arrange them in opposite-corners of the bedroom. I've done that with every stereo I've owned since I was 14 years old. Adds so much more to the richness of the sound when your room is drowning in it from 2 directions. Lovely.

The stereo has a clock and a sleep-timer (meaning you can set a time for it to turn off automatically in 10-minute intervals up to 100-minutes) and the ability to wake-to-music (in other words, your LBT-ZX6 can become an alarm-clock). All very cool features lacking on my old Panasonic.

The capacity to play MP3 discs was a huge selling point for me on the Sony. I would love it if someone would make a stereo that plays MP3s from a DVD-R. As far as I know, no such stereo exists yet. So, you can not play MP3s from a DVD-R or DVD-RW. But the LBT-ZX6 will play standard audio CD-R, and MP3s from a CD-R or CD-RW with no problems. Even with it's great dynamic range, the MP3s don't show that irritating compression artifacting, even when encoded at 128Kbps. Sounds pretty good. I'm sure hardcore audiophiles will still hate the MP3 compression, but for mortal ears, it sounds stellar. I have also wired my LBT-ZX6 into my computer with normal RCA cables, so I can play my library of 5000 MP3s out of it through iTunes. Again, the sound quality is excellent. If you are going to do that, just remember to be careful with your EQ settings since the iTunes EQ combined with the EQ in the LBT-ZX6 could give you some too-hot results in some frequencies.

Speaking of the EQ, I miss the manual 5-band EQ on my old Panasonic. The LBT-ZX6 has a digital 3-band EQ. Yeah. Digital. So you have to enter into this goofy LED menu-system to change your EQ and you only have 3-bands - Low, Mid, High. Sorry, but a 3-band EQ isn't really much of an EQ. Give me 5 manual sliders with real Hz-kHz range and I'm much happier. But, on the bright side, you can program the 3-band EQ and it will store your settings. Plus, to "play Devil's advocate" and defend the Sony - it does have vastly superior sound-quality compared to my old Panasonic, even with a 3-band EQ instead of a 5-band.

The LBT-ZX6 has lots of "flashy" LED lightshow features that most new stereos have. I hate that junk. Why on Earth do engineers insist on inserting such superfluous "features" in stereos these days? I am putting the stereo in my bedroom, not a freaking nightclub. I don't need some ridiculous lightshow in my stereo; I just want good sound quality and a reliable system that lasts another 16 years. Thankfully, you can turn off all the stupid psychedelic "lightshow" features and the system will function like a normal, unobtrusive stereo.

The remote is lame. One thing I loved about my Panasonic was that there was a numerical keypad on it. Hence, if I was on CD number 1 and wanted to listen to track 9 on CD number 4, all I would do is hit the "Disc" and "4" and "9" buttons. The LBT-ZX6 remote only has "Disc Skip" and "Track Skip" buttons, no numerical keypad. Therefore, if I am on CD number 1 and wanted to listen to track 9 on CD number 4, I have to hit "Disc Skip" 3 times and then hit "Track Skip" 9 times. Much more clunky and awkward. I go from 3 button presses on my Panasonic to 12 button presses on the Sony. This is not a reason to not buy the Sony. It's a great-sounding system and that's what matters most. This complaint is simply an ease-of-use and functionality annoyance.

The 5-disc CD player design on my Panasonic was fantastic. It was a top-loading turntable system with a smoke-grey lid, like an old vinyl record turntable. I haven't seen a CD player like that in at least 12 years. Even when they were being made, they were really rare. They are a fantastic design, since you can visibly see and remove any of the 4 discs in the tray while one CD is playing. The Sony LBT-ZX6 has a 5-disc tray-loading design, like 99% of the other stereos on the market. This means you can only see 2 or 3 of the discs while one is playing. Not as elegant. Less convenient. Again, I can't cite this as a reason to not buy the system, since most every other stereo on the market forces consumers to deal with the same inconvenience.

Although I pointed out a number of negative things, I really think this is a great system for the money and I'm happy I decided on it over any competing systems. My Panasonic cost about $400 all those years ago. This Sony is $50 cheaper and far better in terms of sound-quality. Reliability and sound-quality are all that really matter. I can live with small functionality misgivings like the tray-loading and the weak remote control if it sounds great and lasts a long time. Overall, I can't get over the fact that this system was only $350. Pretty amazing. Seeing the huge box, the UPS delivery guy assumed it was $1000 system. If this stereo lasts as long as my Panasonic did, it's certainly going to be a fantastic investment.

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars OUTSTANDING VALUE, September 6, 2007

By	cliff hayes (cincinnati, OH USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

After agonizing for months over which shelf system to purchase, I am quite pleased with this. I wanted something that could play classical, jazz, reggae and Afro-Cuban. This provides good sound and rhythm across the board. It has an equalizer with a jazz setting that does nicely with classical as well.

There are specific reggae, salsa & samba settings. Ernesto Lecuono rhumbas sound fine on the latter.

The speakers are powerful enough to rock the casbah and maintain sound clarity at the higher volumes. I seldom push it past two thirds of its capability.

I'm not an audiophile, merely a music lover. Can't believe how satisfied I am at so low a price and I'm not easily pleased. I wrote this review to save others the months of indecision I experienced.

23 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Love it!!!!!, May 22, 2007

By	Omega (NY) - See all my reviews

I have been eyeing this stero at Best Buy for a while now and Final was able to get it. This thing is a monster in size and power. My current stero was a JVC 500W, I had that for 2 years and it was a great system, But I wanted to get a new stereo with more power. I love strong bass and this stereo has plenty of it. It handles very very good, The sound does not get distored when On high volumes.

I like that it has a 5 cd try rather than the common 3 cd tray. Plays MP3 cds. U can connect a Microphone to it, I connected my pc to it so i can listen to my music and watch tv and movies with 560Ws of power!!

However I do wish the main unit was a bit smaller, Its gives the impression that it's a powerful system. I had to take it out of its Box and put it in my car lol.

Overall I love love this system!!!! Its well worth its price. + Sony is a great company and their products last a long time. My sister had a Sony stero for a good 6 or 7 years. BUY THIS STEREO


PS- To Eric Muss-Barnes , I LUV THE LIGHT SHOW lol Adds a nice touch to it. hmm Lights on the speakers would be kool......