This review contains comparisons between the Sony dvd surround system that this Coby system replaces. I feel that such an approach is necessary with the many unfavorable reviews about this product. I had serious misgivings about buying this system after reading the negative reviews, but settled on this Coby because of another Coby dvd player I own, but more on that later.
My Sony dvd surround sound system is now nearly 7 years old and has been used a great deal, and it finally decided it didn't want to play dvd's any more, so I was in the market for something new.
From a sound perspective, this Coby beats the Sony by miles. Why? Well, the Sony with 1,000 watts of power was excellent at creating a wonderful experience when watching movies with the volume past midway to full blast, but when turned down to a lower level, there was no depth whatsoever. It was only marginally better than the mediocre sound coming from my tinny HDTV speakers. The Coby with just 600 watts of power delivers all the same richness and clarity of sound only heard at high volume on the Sony and the Coby does it at ALL volume levels. Plus, On this Coby there is more separation of the different sounds that are filtered through the various speakers, which is supposed to be a hallmark of all true surround sound systems. The Sony separated the sounds, but they were never this noticeably clearly coming from the different locations. Just goes to prove that it's not about the wattage but how a company utilizes it that counts.
In normal operation, my Sony player was flawed from the moment I started using it. It took extraordinary long periods of time to do anything. Press eject, get a 'please wait' flashing message for 5 seconds before the tray popped out. Put a disc in, get numerous messages for up to 10 seconds before any menu showed up. My Coby system starts right up immediately and has immediate response no matter what the function.
My Sony a few years back started accumulating a large number of DVD's that it decided it would not play at all. It was at that point I heard from different people experiencing similar problems with Sony and Panasonic DVD players that there was a Coby dvd player that could be obtained for $20 that would literally play ANY format of disc available in the U.S. and that it would also play discs from other countries' unique formats such as PAL as well. I bought one of those DVD players and it has proved to be quite a great asset, since my Sony decided not to play about a quarter of the many thousands of DVDs I now own. When looking into this new Coby home theater system, I noted that it claimed to also play all formats and I can tell you that it is definitely true. Every disc I've put in it, including the ones that wouldn't play in the Sony but would play in the $20 Coby also play in this Coby home theater.
Another reviewer noted that they can't play mp3's in this Coby system. Not true. There is an audio input interface on the back of the unit. There is a cable that connects to that and plugs in to your mp3 player or other device sold at Best Buy and also Radio Shack that you can obtain for less than $10 and you will be able to use your mp3 player or iphone or ipod. You can also use that same interface for the purpose of hooking up your cable or satellite tv to the unit and you WILL experience surround sound IF the channel you are watching is broadcasting in surround sound. I include that as info because still another reviewer falsely claimed that you can't hook up other devices and experience surround sound on this Coby system.
This Coby also has the ability to read SD memory cards and USB storage devices, something my Sony could not do. Since the Coby system can play all formats of discs, that includes karaoke discs, and it has two mic ports on the front of the unit, and karaoke functionality is also something my Sony did not have as capability.
If the Coby has a downside, its only that the remote doesn't have a light up function and some of the buttons are too similar to others, making easy operation in the dark a bit challenging. I'll take that downside in the light of the many positive things that you truly have a surround sound system for, which the Coby has an abundance of.
And then there is cost. The Sony set me back $460 then while this Coby was just $80. The Coby is not just a value, it defeats one of the best names in the business on every front. And yes, I've seen and heard the new Sonys in person, so I am not just making that previous statement as a comparison of only my old Sony to this new Coby. Sony is STILL not up to par. If you buy a Sony, you are buying an overpriced and outdated reputation that they are just not living up to anymore.
I will update this review if I experience any issues with my Coby home theater system, but based on my previous experience with that inexpensive little Coby dvd player, I suspect I will have nothing but good things to report for a long, long time.
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Larry Mugleston
Good sound, the speakers could be a little larger
Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on July 26, 2014
