Sony CMT-X3CD Bluetooth Hi-Fi System - Black

I'm really happy with this hifi system. It replaces a former Sony £50 portable CD/Radio/Cassette player (which was ok but with a rather weak and 'tinny' sound) and a Bose Soundtouch 20 (which had fantastic sound but no CD player and was not very user-friendly).The SoundI have it in a kitchen/dining room and the sound is great and more than enough for the room (I had thought about going for the larger model but glad I went for this). I am no audiophile and I can't fault the sound - perhaps not as well-rounded as the Bose but the difference is marginal in my view.The FunctionsBluetooth is brilliant and quick to set up and connect each time (significantly quicker and less hassle than the Bose). The CD takes a little while to read, which is annoying but it is no worse than every other system I've tried - these days you'd expect the technology to be able to load in an instant. The remote is really good also - although could arguably be smaller given there is a limit to what you use it for - On/Off/Play/Pause/Volume/Input is all that is really needed. There is a very basic equaliser for Rock/Pop/Classic etc but I just stick to Flat as it is the way the music was intended to be heard.The LooksI love the appearance - it is minimalist with a plain front and buttons/screen/CD loading on top. It really looks classy and discreet in any room.The PriceCouldn't be happier with the price - around £100 for brilliant design and audio is a bargain in my view. I remember getting my first basic CD/Radio/Cassette player (Sony as it happens) about twenty years ago for around £100. Taking inflation into account, this far superior music system is probably the equivalent of about half that price.

I am no expert when it comes to the new technology that is all around us today. So I am pleased to say I've found a music system which has all of the new tech stuff attached and is a breeze to use. My old music system died and needed replacing but I didn't want a big ugly thing with speakers etc etc. I know most people these days don't use CDs but I have a large music collection and I wanted a CD player which did more. This Sony system seemed to cover everything I needed , CD player coupled with the ability to play the musicfrom my I phone, I pad, and I pod.Firstly the design , the machine has clean sleek lines with no visible buttons or switches. It would fit into any modern home it looks very contemporary . When you look at it initially it appears to have no function, what I mean by that is its not obvious as to the function of this black oblong box . It's only on closer inspection you can see some function buttons on top of the system. It's a very smart looking device which has a high spec quality feel to it .Initially I was concerned that the setting up would be complicated . I couldn't have been more wrong, the radio function is self ex planetary using the remote it was a very simple procedure to both tune the radio and set pre set stations.Cd function is simple every one knows how to use this function so I won't go on about it.Bluetooth function ,this is where I thought it would get complicated . It's so easy to do just follow the simple instructions in the manual . Within a few minutes I had paired my I pad ,phone and I pod .So a great looking music system that is easy to set up and operate. The sound quality is very good, initially I thoujjught the volume wasn't very good as even on full it wasn't very loud. I then realised you have to set the volume on the machine that is inputting the music to enable the full volume potential of the Sony system. The only thing missing from the system which would have made it perfect is the absence of a wi fi streaming operation. But that's nit picking. If your looking for a replacement home music system that's not an ugly box with speakers attached this is the one. Not only is it compact and smart looking it does more than just play CDs it can play music from any of the modern devices we now have to store our music on.

This Sony unit is good in parts, it isn't that it's bad in any particular area but could perhaps do better in some.It is well made and finished so no concerns it that respect. It is well specified with Bluetooth, USB, FM and CD (able to play MP3). The unit is well packaged and comes with a remote (no batteries) and reasonable manual, the power lead is captive which is unusual for Sony.On unpacking the first thing that struck me was its size, the pictures (on Amazon) give the impression of a fairly compact unit, it is not; perhaps the bulge on the rear created this impression. Do check the size details carefully before ordering. It is also quite heavy, not unmanageably so but still hefty, this does give some feeling of a quality build though.Bluetooth was set up easily and once the wire aerial was inserted so was FM albeit within the usual limitations of reception quality in your location. My iPad 3 paired without any problems on Bluetooth. Some of the controls on the unit are dual/multi function- the remote is a big help with this. The buttons feel solid and reassuring.So, sound quality - please bear in mind these are my impressions and even though I have quite a lot of experience with hi-fi and Bluetooth speakers - your opinion may be different.The stereo effect is actually quite good and switching to mono on FM does make a noticeable difference. The comments below apply to all sources.Top end: Treble frequencies are clear and crisp, while this adds to a feeling of airiness with classical and acoustic music if the source material has any hint of harshness or sibilance the Sony does little to smooth it.Midband: Well presented and not recessed as is often the case with small speakers, the mids are this units strongest area. It truly excels with speech, be it BBC Radio 4 or audio book or podcast. Music fares equally well with good presentation of piano, guitar (electric and acoustic) and voice.Bass: This is where I was most surprised, given the size of the unit I was expecting a fairly extended low end, perhaps even bloated. This is not the case, the Sony's bass is in my opinion a little lacking. It hints at lower frequencies but never really manages to present them. Switching the mega bass setting on and off made only a very slight difference. Perhaps I was expecting too much but I have heard many Bluetooth speakers of much smaller size produce more bass (not always of good quality admittedly).The Sony does have limited EQ settings as well as mega bass, but of these I found that only the flat and jazz settings were able to keep the high frequencies sufficiently in check to prevent the presentation veering toward being too harsh.In summary if you plan to listen to speech, light classical music, podcasts, compressed pop music, acoustic or piano you might well really enjoy this Sony. If you are a fan of EDM (electronic digital music) or cathedral sized pipe organ music I would look elsewhere.