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[B][U]Sony Micro Hi-Fi Component System (CMT-SPZ50)[/U][/B]One of many Sony Hi-Fi systems, the CMT-SPZ50, while compact in size, offers great sound quality (via two speakers) and multiple audio playback options. It also comes complete with a digital display screen, and a remote control (and batteries) that is capable of replicating the on-board functionality of the base unit.
Making use of the included “dynamic sound generator X-tra”, or “DSGX” option will improve the sound quality more-so over the standard output.
MPthree CD’s in a single system!
The Hi-Fi system can hold three CD’s at a time, making use of three sliding CD holders within the disc changer. While standard, store-bought CD’s are naturally playable, the Hi-Fi also allows for home-burned CD-R/CD-RW type discs that contain MP3’s to be played back. Up to 511 songs per MP3 CD are playable, allowing for as many as 1533 songs to be available across 3 CD’s - perfect for a Saturday night party.
Switching between discs is easily done, and the display screen will indicate which CD you’ve currently got selected. When one CD finished, the next in line will automatically be selected and played, though if the last CD is the current one, the selection will go backwards, rather than starting from the first CD.
Skipping through tracks is also an easy task with the jog-dial, as well as the option to fast-forward and rewind the current track. You can also program which tracks you would like to be played in order across the three CDs. This can be a mix of standard and MP3 type disc’s.
MP3’s can be organised into “folders” (in the same way other computer files are stored) on a CD, allowing you to store artists and / or whole albums easily. Up to 255 folders can be stored on a CD, going as far as 8 folders deep. When playing, a folder can be selected using the separate buttons and jog-dial, saving for the need to skip thought every song. The folder name will appear on the display screen, as well as the artist and song name if such information is included within the MP3 file.
You can also record tracks from your CD’s (including MP3 version) on to a cassette tape.
Cassette? Cassette? OK, you’ve lost me!
The concept of the common cassette might be long since gone to many, but Sony seem to think they are still used by many. The cassette holder is placed behind the display screen, and is accessible via a push open / close mechanism, which is locked when the cassette is in use.
The Hi-Fi includes the usually features for a cassette tape (play, rewind, fast forward), as well as allowing you to record to it, either from a CD (standard or MP3), radio or other sound sources.
Listen to the radio, and you will here the songs you know!
Built-in is the ability to pick up analogue radio, in FM and AM frequencies, via the include antenna’s. The AM antenna is wrapped around a plastic loop with a flat base, allowing it to stand upright, while the FM antenna is just loose, though seems to be perfectly capable of picking up a radio signal.
The Hi-Fi isn’t capable of receiving the newer DAB (digital) radio type of broadcasts.
Tuning can be done manually or automatically, and the display screen will show the name of the radio station it picks up if said radio station broadcasts this information. The BBC’s Radio stations (Radio 1, Radio 2, Radio 3, etc), as well as a local radio station, do broadcast this text, while others do not.
You can pre-set up to 20 FM stations or 10 AM stations, saving you from having to tune them in each time you want to listen to the radio or change stations, and these are selectable in the same way tracks on a CD are.
The downside is that these pre-set stations are lost if you turn off the power completely for more than half a day, meaning you’ll need to keep the Hi-Fi plugged in and in stand-by mode permanently.
Audio in, audio out, in, out, in out …
While the Hi-Fi includes CD, radio and cassette playback, there maybe times when you’d just like to make use of the speakers, which is possible via the “audio in” socket. Whatever device you use, record player, TV, digibox, iPod – the sound that it sends will be played out on the Hi-Fi speakers, and can also be recorded to a cassette.
An “audio out” is also included, allowing for the sound to be piped out to an alternative to the included speakers - though it is branded with the “phones” label (in reference to headphones), as this is the most likely use for this socket. When in use, the speakers will automatically switch off. As the Hi-Fi includes a remote, this makes using wireless headphones an attractive option.
Unfortunately, a standard input cable isn’t included, so to make use of this option, you’ll need to buy it separately.
Just in the click of time!
The Hi-Fi also includes a couple of timer functions, three to be more accurate, which are “sleep”, “play”, and “record”.
The “sleep” function is not reliant on the internal clock being set, and allows you to pre-set yourself some time before you fall asleep, placing the system in to stand-by mode to stop you worrying about the Hi-Fi being on all night. When set to “auto”, the system will either finish the current tape or CD, or shut down after 100 minutes, whichever occurs first. The included pre-set options are in blocks of 10 minutes, going up to the maximum 90 minutes.
The “play” function does depend on the clock being set, and allows you to set the time the system begins to play a CD, tape or radio station. This option is a perfect replacement for an alarm clock to wake you up in the morning.
The “record” function also depends on the clock being set, and allows you to record a radio station at the desired time.
Overall rating!
I would give the Sony Micro Hi-Fi Component System a rating of 8 / 10, or 85%, because the sound quality is brilliant, which is notably the main point of a sound system. The inclusion of a 3-disc changer is very hand, and the added MP3 audio playback allows for more listening, and less CD changing.
Switching between audio sources could have been better, as when listening to a CD, and switching to the radio, switching back to the CD doesn’t carry on from where you left off, but requires you to start over.
The inclusion of a proper internal battery would have been handy, as leaving the system in standby mode permanently just to preserve the clock and radio stations may not be everyone’s preference.
Being able to receive digital radio broadcasts would have been a bonus, but a model with that ability exists if required, though it is a tad more expensive. It would also have been nice if the speaker leads were longer than they are, allowing for the placement of each speaker to be less restrictive. The inclusion of an audio-in lead would also have been nice, but overall, a great sound system.
The Hi-Fi cost £140, though shopping around will likely result in a better deal.
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[B][U]Sony Micro Hi-Fi Component System (CMT-SPZ50)[/U][/B]One of many Sony Hi-Fi systems, the CMT-SPZ50, while compact in size, offers great sound quality (via two speakers) and multiple audio playback options. It also comes complete with a digital display screen, and a remote control (and batteries) that is capable of replicating the on-board functionality of the base unit.
Making use of the included “dynamic sound generator X-tra”, or “DSGX” option will improve the sound quality more-so over the standard output.
MPthree CD’s in a single system!
The Hi-Fi system can hold three CD’s at a time, making use of three sliding CD holders within the disc changer. While standard, store-bought CD’s are naturally playable, the Hi-Fi also allows for home-burned CD-R/CD-RW type discs that contain MP3’s to be played back. Up to 511 songs per MP3 CD are playable, allowing for as many as 1533 songs to be available across 3 CD’s - perfect for a Saturday night party.
Switching between discs is easily done, and the display screen will indicate which CD you’ve currently got selected. When one CD finished, the next in line will automatically be selected and played, though if the last CD is the current one, the selection will go backwards, rather than starting from the first CD.
Skipping through tracks is also an easy task with the jog-dial, as well as the option to fast-forward and rewind the current track. You can also program which tracks you would like to be played in order across the three CDs. This can be a mix of standard and MP3 type disc’s.
MP3’s can be organised into “folders” (in the same way other computer files are stored) on a CD, allowing you to store artists and / or whole albums easily. Up to 255 folders can be stored on a CD, going as far as 8 folders deep. When playing, a folder can be selected using the separate buttons and jog-dial, saving for the need to skip thought every song. The folder name will appear on the display screen, as well as the artist and song name if such information is included within the MP3 file.
You can also record tracks from your CD’s (including MP3 version) on to a cassette tape.
Cassette? Cassette? OK, you’ve lost me!
The concept of the common cassette might be long since gone to many, but Sony seem to think they are still used by many. The cassette holder is placed behind the display screen, and is accessible via a push open / close mechanism, which is locked when the cassette is in use.
The Hi-Fi includes the usually features for a cassette tape (play, rewind, fast forward), as well as allowing you to record to it, either from a CD (standard or MP3), radio or other sound sources.
Listen to the radio, and you will here the songs you know!
Built-in is the ability to pick up analogue radio, in FM and AM frequencies, via the include antenna’s. The AM antenna is wrapped around a plastic loop with a flat base, allowing it to stand upright, while the FM antenna is just loose, though seems to be perfectly capable of picking up a radio signal.
The Hi-Fi isn’t capable of receiving the newer DAB (digital) radio type of broadcasts.
Tuning can be done manually or automatically, and the display screen will show the name of the radio station it picks up if said radio station broadcasts this information. The BBC’s Radio stations (Radio 1, Radio 2, Radio 3, etc), as well as a local radio station, do broadcast this text, while others do not.
You can pre-set up to 20 FM stations or 10 AM stations, saving you from having to tune them in each time you want to listen to the radio or change stations, and these are selectable in the same way tracks on a CD are.
The downside is that these pre-set stations are lost if you turn off the power completely for more than half a day, meaning you’ll need to keep the Hi-Fi plugged in and in stand-by mode permanently.
Audio in, audio out, in, out, in out …
While the Hi-Fi includes CD, radio and cassette playback, there maybe times when you’d just like to make use of the speakers, which is possible via the “audio in” socket. Whatever device you use, record player, TV, digibox, iPod – the sound that it sends will be played out on the Hi-Fi speakers, and can also be recorded to a cassette.
An “audio out” is also included, allowing for the sound to be piped out to an alternative to the included speakers - though it is branded with the “phones” label (in reference to headphones), as this is the most likely use for this socket. When in use, the speakers will automatically switch off. As the Hi-Fi includes a remote, this makes using wireless headphones an attractive option.
Unfortunately, a standard input cable isn’t included, so to make use of this option, you’ll need to buy it separately.
Just in the click of time!
The Hi-Fi also includes a couple of timer functions, three to be more accurate, which are “sleep”, “play”, and “record”.
The “sleep” function is not reliant on the internal clock being set, and allows you to pre-set yourself some time before you fall asleep, placing the system in to stand-by mode to stop you worrying about the Hi-Fi being on all night. When set to “auto”, the system will either finish the current tape or CD, or shut down after 100 minutes, whichever occurs first. The included pre-set options are in blocks of 10 minutes, going up to the maximum 90 minutes.
The “play” function does depend on the clock being set, and allows you to set the time the system begins to play a CD, tape or radio station. This option is a perfect replacement for an alarm clock to wake you up in the morning.
The “record” function also depends on the clock being set, and allows you to record a radio station at the desired time.
Overall rating!
I would give the Sony Micro Hi-Fi Component System a rating of 8 / 10, or 85%, because the sound quality is brilliant, which is notably the main point of a sound system. The inclusion of a 3-disc changer is very hand, and the added MP3 audio playback allows for more listening, and less CD changing.
Switching between audio sources could have been better, as when listening to a CD, and switching to the radio, switching back to the CD doesn’t carry on from where you left off, but requires you to start over.
The inclusion of a proper internal battery would have been handy, as leaving the system in standby mode permanently just to preserve the clock and radio stations may not be everyone’s preference.
Being able to receive digital radio broadcasts would have been a bonus, but a model with that ability exists if required, though it is a tad more expensive. It would also have been nice if the speaker leads were longer than they are, allowing for the placement of each speaker to be less restrictive. The inclusion of an audio-in lead would also have been nice, but overall, a great sound system.
The Hi-Fi cost £140, though shopping around will likely result in a better deal.