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Rating: 
Summary: Super system for the money
Review: I shopped a long time before settling on the Sharp XL-55. This unit is very simple to use, sounds better than most systems costing several times the price, and is smaller than most. The added benefit of the cassette deck for us old-timers is a big plus. The included speakers sound pretty good, but I'm gonna upgrade mine to a set of Bose. Reception is pretty good, not great.
Pros: Simplicity of a single CD player
Cassette deck w/logic controls
Actual bass/treble controls, not preset EQ!!
Small enough to actually sit on a 12" shelf
Simple, logical remote control
Rotary volume control, not push-button Cons: Cassette deck's "Pause" button disabled in some modes
No "Scan" on the tuner, so switching to non-preset
stations is tedious.
External antenna connection doesn't accept rooftop
antenna wire At $200, this would be a 4-star system, but for under $100, WOW! I am thoroughly pleased.
Rating:
Summary: Super system for the money
Review: I shopped a long time before settling on the Sharp XL-55. This unit is very simple to use, sounds better than most systems costing several times the price, and is smaller than most. The added benefit of the cassette deck for us old-timers is a big plus. The included speakers sound pretty good, but I'm gonna upgrade mine to a set of Bose. Reception is pretty good, not great.
Pros: Simplicity of a single CD player
Cassette deck w/logic controls
Actual bass/treble controls, not preset EQ!!
Small enough to actually sit on a 12" shelf
Simple, logical remote control
Rotary volume control, not push-button Cons: Cassette deck's "Pause" button disabled in some modes
No "Scan" on the tuner, so switching to non-preset
stations is tedious.
External antenna connection doesn't accept rooftop
antenna wire At $200, this would be a 4-star system, but for under $100, WOW! I am thoroughly pleased.
Rating:
Summary: Great Sound, Loaded With Features, Good Value
Review: The Sharp XL-55 is attractively styled, with aluminum fronts and woodgrain sides. All of the buttons on the front panel are well marked. You can figure out most functions without having to read the manual, except for setting the clock and resetting the unit if you get it wrong. The remote control provides full control of all functions, including recording on the tape deck and adjusting the tone controls. Think of the Sharp XL-55 as the little brother of the Sharp XLHP500, which is bigger and has a CD changer. Setting up the XL-55 is easy except for hooking up the speaker wires. On any stereo, connecting speakers out of phase (+ to - and - to +) will result in a strange echo sound in stereo audio. To prevent connecting the speakers out of phase, many manufacturers color-code the speaker wires to match the proper connectors. On the Sharp, one wire on each speaker has a white stripe on it, but it is hard to see. You need to look closely to get the wires connected correctly. Power output is 20w per channel, which is ample for a large room. Instead of preset equalization settings, you have individual control of bass and treble, which I prefer. A clock with alarm and sleep timer makes the XL-55 useful as a bedroom stereo. Many bookshelf stereo systems are 14 to 16 inches deep, even though many shelves are only 12 inches deep. You should measure the actual unit before buying any bookshelf stereo because the published dimensions may not include a protrusion or cables that stick out of the back of the unit. Case in point -- the Sharp XL-55 is often listed as being 9.75 inches deep, but when you include the protrusion that sticks out of the back of the unit, it is actually 11.7 inches deep, but it still fits on a 12-inch shelf. The XL-55 features AM, FM, Tape, CD and an AUX input for other sources like the audio of a DVD player or VCR. There is also a digital output from the CD player to interface with equipment that has a digital audio input. A line-level subwoofer output is provided, but you will need a powered subwoofer if you want the extra bass. That can cost more than you may want to spend if you don't already own one. The included speakers have plenty of treble, but needed a bit of bass boost. I found the best sound was with the bass set at 2 and the treble at 0. You may be just fine with the sound of the original speakers, but if you have any unused stereo speakers lying around, try them to see if you like the sound better. The XL-55 is rated for 4 ohms, so do not connect extra speakers with the supplied 4-ohm speakers still in place. However, you could power two sets of 8-ohm speakers connected in parallel. The AM/FM receiver worked as expected with easy digital tuning. You can store up to 30 stations in the preset memory. FM sensitivity with the wire antenna provided was fine. An external loop AM antenna can be moved around for the best reception. The single-play CD player is on the top of the unit. It has all the usual features including track programming and skip forward/backward. It handles all types of CDs, including CD-R and CD-RW, without a problem. The tape deck will record from the radio or CD. It is set for Type I (standard) tape. Type II (chrome) tape will work, but you won't get the best sound. The tape player has full logic control, meaning that it will stop at the end of fast forward or rewind and stop the deck if the tape jams. As expected in this price range, the tape deck does not have Dolby noise reduction. After listening to and checking the features of the units from just about every manufacturer, I found the Sharp XL-55 to be the best executive bookshelf system for the money.
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