The specs for the Sony CMTBX20i Micro Hi-Fi Shelf System at first glance seem pretty much what you’d expect for something aimed squarely at the low end home consumer market. CD with mp3 playback, AM/FM radio with presets memory and the now ubiquitous iPod dock. So how does it fair when put up against the other name brand competitors in this market? Well I have to say it really comes down to what you are after form a system like this.

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The first thing to not is that it is not a single piece system (a main unit and 2 wired speakers) and so it not exactly portable in a boombox sense, but it will easily fit on bedroom or kitchen shelving. The build of the unit is decent but not exactly inspiring. I can imagine a knock off your shelf causing this unit to die in short order. Aesthetically it is very presentable and to my eye is modern and attractive looking, the digital display is clear and very legible the finishes are nice even though some of the parts are a little plastic feeling to the touch. The top mounted iPod dock gives a feeling of solidity, your iPod slides in nicely and feels like its being held confidently. No menu diving here the design is such that everything is obvious and you will be up and running with most of this units functions in a matter of minutes. The remote is similarly well designed and very easy to get to grips with.

Sound wise the Sony CMTBX20i is about what can be expected for this kind of money, a slightly obvious mid range (accentuating vocal frequencies) and a definitely digital sounding top end. Having said that the Sony CMTBX20is bass end is quite nice and doesn’t go for the often over the top accentuation of bass frequencies that less expensive mini systems seem to go for. I’ve seen some complain about the lack of bass, but I’d actually say the bass is the most natural and unaffected area of the sonic palette on this unit. You can of course customise the units minimal EQ (simple bass & treble) to deal with this. The actual power handling of the CMTBX20i is capable and will easily fill a medium sized room such as a bedroom or kitchen with no audible distortion. So maybe not one for the Hip Hop or techno fans out there, but it handles more sonically balanced music like jazz and acoustic music well but with a noticeable peak in the vocal frequency area. This of course means that the Sony CMTBX20i is great for listening to talk radio and the like.

So would I recommend the Sony CMTBX20i? For the audiophile user certainly not, the sound is definitely not “natural” or “sincere” and for the bass fiend this unit wont handle your hip hop or dubstep low end well. But for the average radio listener, old school rock, jazz or acoustic fan who wants a decent little compact for the kitchen or bedroom? Certainly, you be hard pushed to find a unit at this price that can do the job better and look this good doing it.

Technical Specifications

Speaker Dimensions: 1.6″ (4cm) Tweeter
Speaker System: Full Range
Woofer Size(s): 5.9″ (15cm)
Antenna System: AM: Loop Antenna, FM: Lead Antenna
CD Play Mode(s): Program, Shuffle, Repeat
Digital-to-Analog Converter: 1 Bit
Format(s) Supported: CD-DA, CD-R/RW, CDs with MP3
Frequency Range: AM: 530-1710kHz; FM: 87.5-108.0MHz
Station Preset(s): 30 (10 AM, 20 FM)
Display Type: LCD
Tuner Type: FM/AM Superheterodyne Tuner
Analog Audio Input(s) (Total): 1 (Rear, Stereo Mini)
Antenna Terminal(s): 2 (Rear)
Headphone Input(s): 1 (Front, Stereo Mini)
Dimensions (Approx.): Speaker: 5.51″ x 9.64″ x 8.26″ (140 x 245 x 210mm); Main Unit: 7.87″ x 5.19″ x 11.73″ (200 x 132 x 298mm)
Weight (Approx.): Speaker: 4 lbs 2 oz (1.9kg) (each x 2); Main Unit: 7 lbs 7 oz (3.5 kg)
RRP: $129.95 (Check Amazon for Current Pricing)