The story behind me purchasing this CD player is a bit of a long drawn out one, so I'll give you the synopsis. Basically I'd been saving odd bits of money for about a year and finally had £100 to spend on a new Hi-Fi, I purchased a Phillips model (similar to this Sony model) but which also played MP3 CDs. However, after a week or two the CDplayer wouldn't play CDs without skipping anymore. I returned it to the shop and got a replacement, but had the same problem. So eventually I decided to give up with Phillips and went with an alternative Sony model - the Sony CMT-GPXDAB!
That was over a year ago now and I'm very happy with my purchase. Since I got all the money back on my Phillips model I decided to add £30 to my savings and go for a slightly posher model. The Sony CMT-GPX9 fitted all the criteria for a Hi-Fi for me. For potential buyers here's the technical low-down...
~~The Technical Stuff~~
CD Player FM/AM
Radio DAB Radio Cassette Deck Clock (Alarm) Remote Music power output: 60W + 60W
I purchased this Hi-Fi for £139 and, compared to other devices that incorporated DAB radio on the market at the time, it was very cheap. Although I was disappointed that this unit didn't play MP3 CDs (like the Phillips model had - despite the fact that it refused to play normal CDs!) I soon found that I didn't really need this feature. In my current setup in my room I don't have the space to have my laptop next to my Hi-Fi, but in my last house I had it right next to it and linked my iTunes up to it was an audio cable and it worked perfectly.
So what's this Hi-Fi like to use? I've decided to describe each detail of the unit separately here to make this review a bit more user friendly...
~~The CD Player~~
The CD player is the main selling point of this unit. Unlike other models on the market, the CMT-GPX9 DOESN'T have a mechanised CD tray. Instead it works on the same set-up as an in-car CD player would. This basically means that there’s just one thin slot across the front of the machine and you poke your CD into this and this starts the motor off which pulls the CD in. I really like this design feature as it makes the unit feel much more expensive than it is. The sound quality from CDs is ideal for me. I think if you wanted to fill a larger space (like a hall for example) it might not be adequate, but for a bedroom or lounge it’s perfect. The bass is really rich and there are adjusters for Bass and Treble on the main unit as well as on the remote. The Hi-Fi has shuffle, repeat and loop modes, which I find particularly useful when I'm using my CD player to play a piano backing track to a piece of music I'm practicing. The volume goes up to '30', but obviously this number is completely arbitrary without comparison. So I'd say in the day I usually play CDs on a volume of about 11 or 12, or 15 if it’s a particularly quiet recording. ~~The Radio~~
The radio is the second main selling point. This is not for the FM/AM range, which even very cheap CD players have, but is rather for the DAB capability. I was very chuffed to own my own DAB radio and the little logo on the unit that proudly states its capabilities isn't too garish (and therefore hopefully won't look too dated in a few years when this technology is all old hat!). I'm currently at Uni, and when I'm here I get perfect reception on the DAB channels by only using a thin wire that was provided as the DAB aerial for the unit. However, when I'm at home over the holidays I can't get any signal (except on one or two main stations), so this is clearly a geographical and broadcasting problem rather than a problem with the unit itself. The display shows the names of the stations and by pressing "Display" on the remote you can view any text that the station is broadcasting relating to the song that is playing or information about the show. I find that radio is broadcast at a much higher volume than the CD player plays at, so often I turn the volume down to about 6 or 7 before I switch over to radio mode - otherwise it can be a bit deafening!
~~The Cassette Deck~~
If I'm honest I don't know why they bothered adding this feature. I guess it’s cheap to add and fills up some dead space at the top of the machine. What I like about the decision to put it on top is that it isn't obvious - its neatly tucked away and often I have CDs on top of the machine there anyway that cover it up. I know very few people who still play cassettes, but I guess it’s useful to have one in addition to this big unit rather than having to purchase a separate player if you do play them. Another advantage is that you can use the cassette deck to record from CDs and the radio, but with the advancement of podcasts and iTunes, etc, this again seems to be an activity that is on the decline.
On the whole this is a nice Hi-Fi. I've had no problems with it at all. You can set the clock via the remote and I also like the fact that the remote is pretty neat, unlike some of the ungainly bricks that they seem to sell alongside Hi-Fis of this calibre generally. Its pale grey and takes 2 AA batteries which seem to last quite a while. I've only had to change the batteries once since I got the unit and I use it pretty much every day. I also like the small feet which slightly raise the unit from whatever surface you've placed it on. This has more than once saved me from ruining it with a spilt cup of tea!
The only downside I've noticed, and this may annoy some people, is that the unit itself is quite noisy. I think there’s a fan or something inside it and when you're not playing music this can be quite irritating. Even when it’s turned off I can hear a high pitched buzzing. This may be due to all the wires and cables I have round it, but my simple solution is just to turn it off at the plug if I'm not using it.
On the whole this product was a bargain and I'd definitely recommend it. It looks far more expensive than it was and the carefully sculptured fronting makes it look almost as though it’s composed of separates. For the price it’s definitely the best Hi-Fi available for the money at the moment.
Pictures of Sony CMT-GPX 9 DAB
The Hi-Fi in use
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May 31st, 2007
(Jun 7th, 2007)
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