Home > Consumer Reviews > SONY CMT-CPX1 Desktop Micro System

I have owned this system for one month and can tell you that it is a solid system.

What sets this system apart from its competitors is the power of its amp. It is probably the only microsystem out there with a 140 watt amp (70 watt x 2 channels); most microsystems are typically 30-50 watts (that's total wattage). Besides this it has excellent speaker design, the cabinets are solidly built and even though it is a faux laminate wood siding I think it is still handsome (you won't fool anyone into thinking its solid wood, but its not bad). The speaker wire that is used is of thicker gauge then the average cheap mini system (you know, those thin black wires). The wires are connected by a proprietary connector, the positive of this is that there is a firm connection leading to better sound than the average spring clamp. The downside is that you can't connect other speakers, not that this matters since the system is bi-amped which means that any other speakers could damage both the amp and the speaker itself.

Instead of pre-programmed "equalizer" settings this one has independent Bass and Treble controls. While it is not as good as higher quality (and priced) systems it does the trick. Basically you have four positive settings and four negative setting for both treble and bass. Because this is a microsystem, don't expect that turning the bass all the way up will get the room bumping. Overall you will not be disappointed in the sound quality. On a slightly different note one control feature I really like is the volume knob which is slightly dampened, when you turn it there is some smooth resistance.

Sound quality is excellent for a small room/bedroom and the powerful amp means that it really rocks when you crank it up. Volume setting goes up to 30 but for casual listening 13-17 is fine (and I like music loud). Radio reception is fairly good with the coaxial FM antenna, where I live there is really poor radio reception so it may work better for you. There is a tape deck cleverly hidden behind the display, I don't know how good it is because I don't use tapes.

The display is a no frills LCD that has a bright orange backlight; it's hard to see/distinguish track numbers, etc. from far away. I have owned systems in the past that have fancy blinking lights and colors with cool demo-setting visuals, the problem is that I can't go to sleep at night because my bedroom is lit up like there is a strobe light on. This system is either on or off, the LCD is not too bright to light up a dark room but when you turn it off it does not default to a blinking/flashing demo setting (which, I feel is a plus).

Cons... There have to be some...
1) It is a single disc player. If it had a CD changer (lets say 3 discs) then this would be my dream system. Nope, you're going to have to get off your butt to change the CD.

2) Does not support MP3 playback. I am very surprised by this since most mini/micro systems these days support MP3 playback as a basic feature. For a system of this quality (and price... I got mine for $299) you would think MP3 playback would be standard, but no... On the other hand many of the higher priced/ upscale systems like Denon and Onkyo don't support MP3 playback either.... Why? I don't have a clue...

3) The remote. What can I say, the system is very attractive and elegant but the remote is a clunky piece of crap. Not only is it much larger then it needs to be but it feels awkward to hold. The button layout is poorly designed as well, there is nothing intuitive about it except the power on/off button being a different color (green in this case) and at the top corner of the remote. Important buttons such as skip forward and backwards are tiny specs while the equalizer controls (which most people don't use that much I'd imagine) are huge. I wish electronics companies spent more time on remote control design because it is an accessory that most people use quite often (also, for this system you need a remote to perform some actions like setting radio stations).

4) There is a flimsy switch on the front of the system, next to the volume control, that is used for tuning radio stations, skipping tracks on CD's or fast forwarding/rewinding on CD's. It just feels like it will break off with enough use and for the functions that it is assigned to frequent use is what it will get. To make the system better they could have used a spring-loaded knob (sort of like jog dials that are found on some remotes).

All in all this system is worth its money. Sony could make a few improvements and create a dream system, but I am plenty happy with my purchase as is. Hope this review helps.

I purchased this unit about a month or so before Christmas of 2003.

After doing a little bit of research into the systems available, I decided to start looking around the stores to see what was available in our area.

This was not my first purchase however. The first one was a Panasonic unit from Sears that went for about $350.00. At the time I figured 70 watts total power would be more than enough for my needs here at home.

Considering that I have an older, full size "Sony Rack System" purchased in the 80's and is like new, and weighs in at 55 watts per channel...I just assumed that 70 watts would blow the roof off. Not the case.

It's quite obvious that power in terms of "watts per channel" is measured differently these days??? The 70 watt Panasonic turned up full barely matched the level of my "rack system" upstairs turned up to about only 4. It was at this point I decided to return the unit for a refund and continue my search.

I went to the Sony Store in town and picked up the top of the line CMT-CPX1. Total 140 watts!!!
Along with a whopping price tag of $499.00...(welcome to Canada and free trade.

However, I decided it was worth the price and picked it up.
Once set up at home, I tried out the various features. The one main reason for picking up this particular unit was because of it's separate "bass" and "treble" controls.

Call me old fashioned, but I just can't give in to a system "presetting" the tone levels on any given cd...not that I am an "audiophile" by any means, those presets just sound like hell in my opinion. Too many recordings offer too many subtle nuances that just can't be captured and appreciated with "presets". It makes me wonder about the general youth of today and my concern lies with the fact...are they really appreciating the music that they listen to...or is it all just..."boom chicka boom, chicka boom"?????

Overall...for the size of this unit...it works quite well for my needs. Without the headphones...the volume cranked at about 15 to 20 is quite powerfull with room to move (up to 30). The one thing I can say however, is that it's a differnt story with headphones.

Maybe it's time for a new set, but the $150 Koss phones I have will accommodate the volume at 30 and still leave you wanting more. I would hope this is the case and I will soon find out as I am in the market for a new set.

As far as it being a "single-load" cd player...half of the fun is getting up off of yer "duff" to change the music once in awhile isn't it?...works for me.

I gave it a 4.
I'll give it a 5 if a new set of headphones allow the volume to come through at a lower level. For some music, the volume maxed out at 30 is quite comfortable actually....and to me, this just doen't feel like 140 watts???...Like I said...they must measure the output of these units differently these days?

Other than that...it really is a great little system...just don't buy one in Canada, cuz they'll rape your wallet at the checkout counter!

Thanks
Kim

Being the shopper that I am with pretty much audiophile tastes, I needed a system to plug in next to my treadmill and after looking quite a bit, for $299.00 this system is second to none. When I bought this Saturday and took it home and set it up what appeared to be way better than anything at this price did not disappoint. Obviously the Yamaha systems at $400-600 were a little smoother on the top end. In the store this system was a nice punchy system. At home in a 12' x 14' room it was a killer. I had to actually pull some treble and bass off the max levels and am extremely pleased with the sound. While not a mega audiophile critical listening system it does exactly what it is meant to do. It has a whole lot of sound, cd, cassette player, and good AM/FM capability. While obviously you can listen to sweet symphonic music you can also put in a R&B/Jazz/Tower of Power kinda CD and it will give you that "in the chest" good bass sound. It is so much better than anything less than $299 that I listened to. Don't take my word for it...go to the store and AB it next to the other systems you hear. The only thing better "slightly" is the higher priced Yamaha.