Features:
- CD player, AM/FM radio, and cassette player-recorder
- Synchronized recording from CD or radio to tape
- Programmable CD with shuffle and repeat play
- Measures 16.5 inches wide by 6.5 inches high
- Headphone minijack
Description:
If we judged boomboxes on just durability, reliability, and sensibility, Sony's CFD-V17 would be worthy of five stars. This portable system is well built, smartly designed, and pleasing to the eye. It also incorporates one of the best radio tuners we've encountered in a portable at this price range. A large, well-balanced handle makes the CFD-V17 easy to carry. It also folds down neatly, so it doesn't detract from the system's aesthetic appeal. Although Sony stuck with a traditional black-and-gray design, the CFD-V17's sleek appearance looks right at home on a desk or bookshelf. Ergonomically, the CFD-V17 shines. The top-loading CD player is easy to operate and has a solid lid that opens with ease and snaps shut securely. A simple lever switches between CD, AM/FM radio, or tape. A red light indicates whether the system is on. We like the large volume dial, which is simple to locate and easy to adjust without being obtrusive. The layout of the top-loading cassette player is straightforward, and the large function buttons are built to withstand many hours of use. Since the cassette player also allows you to record tapes, Sony made it easy to dub tapes directly from the built-in CD player or radio. Simply load a blank audio cassette, hit Play on the CD player (or tune in a radio station), and press the record button. As for the radio, we took great delight in the number of stations we were able to receive. In our experience, most boomboxes don't have excellent radio tuners. The CFD-V17 is an exception. We were able to pull in 22 clear FM stations and 15 clear AM stations from a basement. This system's radio tuner is even more impressive outdoors. The CFD-V17 uses a pair of 4-inch speakers that aren't detachable. The speaker grilles are made of rigid metal--a rare sight these days. A bass port in the lower center of the boombox is strictly for appearance; it offers no help in extending the lower frequencies from the full-range speakers. In fact, the CFD-V17 is a bit of a disappointment when it comes to sonic fidelity, as it distorts at midvolume and demonstrates very little bass. Although Sony provides a tone control and a Mega Bass switch, these two features don't improve the sound. Probably the best sound feature on the CFD-V17 is the headphone jack. That's not to imply that this compact music system sounds bad. It is, in a word, adequate. Balancing the CFD-V17's average sound against its excellent ergonomics and fine build quality, we can easily recommend this boombox for listening to popular music at low volume levels. If you're looking for a compact entertainment system that's easy to operate and built to last, Sony's CFD-V17 will serve you well. --Eric Gill Pros:
- Excellent build quality
- Superb AM/FM radio tuner
- Good ergonomics
Cons:
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