Sharp XL-MP60 Audio Shelf System
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Similar in Audio Shelf Systems
- Included Accessories: Remote Control AC Cord FM Antenna AM Loop Antenna
- Playable Disk Types: CD (Audio) CD-R CD-RW
- Number of Discs: 5
- Sound Type: Stereo
- Functions: CD Player Radio Tuner
- Output Power: 120 Watt
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Sharp XL-MP60 Compact Shelf Audio System - Good Compact Sound. And MP3 Too!
Pros
Compact size, reasonable price, good sound 5-CD changer that plays CD-R/W and MP3/WMA
Cons
No batteries for the remote supplied, lack of lower bass
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
I recommend this system if you want a compact system with a tuner and 5-disc CD changer that can play MP3 and WMA that has good sound and...
I bought this Sharp XL-MP60 compact shelf audio system as a birthday gift for a relative. Despite its compact dimensions, the MP60 can produce good sound and has excellent feature set to boot.
Features
The MP60 has a 5-disc CD changer that can play MP3 (including VBR) and WMA (up to 160 kbps), a stereo tuner, remote control, features two-way speakers and a subwoofer.
The system is claimed to produce 120 W of power (37.5W per speaker and 45W for subwoofer) at 10% THD. According to the manual, the speakers go down to 100 Hz and the subwoofer covers the 70-130 Hz range.
Set-up
The box was rather large and hefty, but the system itself is rather compact. I have not read the manual and, in fact, never opened it, yet was able to connect the system together and use it within minutes.
The wires to the speakers and the subwoofer are color-coded (red and black) as are the clearly marked terminals on the back of the system. The connections are of the bare wire + spring terminals type.
The two-way speakers with cloth grilles have ports in the back and the front-ported subwoofer has a cloth grille on the side.
After connecting the speakers and subwoofer as well as connecting the system to the power outlet, I tried to listen to some radio without connecting the antenna first (to see if the speakers were connected successfully). There was no sound or static noise at any indicated volume level. I started getting worried that the system was broken. Then I decided to try it after the supplied antenna was connected and the sound appeared. Do not try to listen to the radio with no antenna connected.
The system came with a remote control, but with no batteries (2 AA-type batteries are required). You need the remote to simplify the operation as well to use some of the system's features, although basic features are available using the buttons on the front panel.
Operation
The system is quite easy to use. The 5-CD changer lets you insert all five discs at the same time in the freely-sliding numbered trays that appear after you push Eject and the lower section of the system extends forward (toward you).
The system can read MP3 and WMA discs as well as CD-R and CD-RW. I tested it with CD-R MP3 discs with 140-200 songs each, recorded in different bit rates (both CBR and VBR). The discs were read rather quickly and the number of MP3 songs appeared on the display. Pushing Play started playback after a pause that lasted 1-2 seconds.
The radio reception is rather good and you can store station presets, but the manual tuning is slow - it happens in 0.1 increments and does not speed-up when the tuning buttons are pushed and held depressed.
The system has a 6-mode electronic equalizer as well as X-BASS system. This means you can select one of the equalizer presets (Flat, Rock, Jazz, Classic, Vocal, Pop) with or without X-Bass bass boost.
Sound
The sound quality of the system is very good for its size. Both the treble and the bass are reproduced well as is the midrange. The instruments are well-heard and there is no muffled sound or large Bose-like dips in the frequency response.
The system lacks the deepest bass (the little subwoofer doesn't go lower than 70 Hz even on paper, let alone in reality) and on a relative scale, the sound will not challenge anything from Athena speaker line (not even the small S.5 satellite speakers). But two Athena S.5 speakers cost more than the MP60 without an amplifier or CD changer and are quite heavy.
On the other hand, the MP60 sounds better than large 3-way KLH L853B bookshelf speakers I had for a short while and it sounds better to my ears than many Bose systems.
The MP60 can play pretty loud too. It can fill a small to medium sized room with music. Although it has an AUX input you can use to connect your TV or computer, I wouldn't use the MP60 as a companion to a large TV in the living room, but rather as a companion to a small secondary TV.
Build Quality
Although it is difficult to predict the reliability or durability of this system, I can state that it seems to be well-built and should last a long time, provided there is no abuse.
Recommendation
I recommend this system if you want a compact system with a tuner and 5-disc CD changer that can play MP3 and WMA that has good sound and doesn't cost an arm and a leg.
Features
The MP60 has a 5-disc CD changer that can play MP3 (including VBR) and WMA (up to 160 kbps), a stereo tuner, remote control, features two-way speakers and a subwoofer.
The system is claimed to produce 120 W of power (37.5W per speaker and 45W for subwoofer) at 10% THD. According to the manual, the speakers go down to 100 Hz and the subwoofer covers the 70-130 Hz range.
Set-up
The box was rather large and hefty, but the system itself is rather compact. I have not read the manual and, in fact, never opened it, yet was able to connect the system together and use it within minutes.
The wires to the speakers and the subwoofer are color-coded (red and black) as are the clearly marked terminals on the back of the system. The connections are of the bare wire + spring terminals type.
The two-way speakers with cloth grilles have ports in the back and the front-ported subwoofer has a cloth grille on the side.
After connecting the speakers and subwoofer as well as connecting the system to the power outlet, I tried to listen to some radio without connecting the antenna first (to see if the speakers were connected successfully). There was no sound or static noise at any indicated volume level. I started getting worried that the system was broken. Then I decided to try it after the supplied antenna was connected and the sound appeared. Do not try to listen to the radio with no antenna connected.
The system came with a remote control, but with no batteries (2 AA-type batteries are required). You need the remote to simplify the operation as well to use some of the system's features, although basic features are available using the buttons on the front panel.
Operation
The system is quite easy to use. The 5-CD changer lets you insert all five discs at the same time in the freely-sliding numbered trays that appear after you push Eject and the lower section of the system extends forward (toward you).
The system can read MP3 and WMA discs as well as CD-R and CD-RW. I tested it with CD-R MP3 discs with 140-200 songs each, recorded in different bit rates (both CBR and VBR). The discs were read rather quickly and the number of MP3 songs appeared on the display. Pushing Play started playback after a pause that lasted 1-2 seconds.
The radio reception is rather good and you can store station presets, but the manual tuning is slow - it happens in 0.1 increments and does not speed-up when the tuning buttons are pushed and held depressed.
The system has a 6-mode electronic equalizer as well as X-BASS system. This means you can select one of the equalizer presets (Flat, Rock, Jazz, Classic, Vocal, Pop) with or without X-Bass bass boost.
Sound
The sound quality of the system is very good for its size. Both the treble and the bass are reproduced well as is the midrange. The instruments are well-heard and there is no muffled sound or large Bose-like dips in the frequency response.
The system lacks the deepest bass (the little subwoofer doesn't go lower than 70 Hz even on paper, let alone in reality) and on a relative scale, the sound will not challenge anything from Athena speaker line (not even the small S.5 satellite speakers). But two Athena S.5 speakers cost more than the MP60 without an amplifier or CD changer and are quite heavy.
On the other hand, the MP60 sounds better than large 3-way KLH L853B bookshelf speakers I had for a short while and it sounds better to my ears than many Bose systems.
The MP60 can play pretty loud too. It can fill a small to medium sized room with music. Although it has an AUX input you can use to connect your TV or computer, I wouldn't use the MP60 as a companion to a large TV in the living room, but rather as a companion to a small secondary TV.
Build Quality
Although it is difficult to predict the reliability or durability of this system, I can state that it seems to be well-built and should last a long time, provided there is no abuse.
Recommendation
I recommend this system if you want a compact system with a tuner and 5-disc CD changer that can play MP3 and WMA that has good sound and doesn't cost an arm and a leg.
