Sharper Image SA248 CD Audio Shelf System
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- Number of Discs: 3
- Sound Type: Surround
- Functions: CD Player
- Output Power: 20 Watt
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Nice unit. Will appeal to certain buyers more than others.
Pros
Very stylish. 3 separate CD drives. Good tone controls. Subwoofer output jack.
Cons
Lacks bass output.
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
A nice looking system for those desiring the high-tech look. Clear sound. Fun to play with. Can carry it from office to bedroom to garage. Good quality. I'd recommend it.
The Sharper Image SA-248 can still be purchased on ebay and on the internet. It was a fairly popular unit at one time. It originally cost $299 at Sharper Image, but you can usually find it for approx half that price now.
This unit was replaced by the Sharper Image SA-260, which I will also review.
I owned the Fisher SLIM2000 which I believe to be the identical twin of the Sharper Image SA-248. I am basing my review on the Slim2000.
This unit has some features which were very high-tech when it came out. It's few inch depth allows placement very near a wall or can be hung on a wall.
It features speaker systems which can be attached or detached. When attached, this unit is actually portable. There is a recessed handle at the top-rear of the unit and it can be carried from room to room as needed. That's a nice feature.
It has 3 individual CD players built-in. That is quite different from many compact audio systems and portable systems which feature an elevator type CD exchange or CD turntable tray. By actually having 3 separate CD drive units, switching from CD to Cd is quicker. Also, I imagine that if one CD unit were to fail, the other two would still operate. Not so with the other CD exchange systems mentioned above.
Speaker systems are ok. Woofer cones are fairly large, approx 5.25 inches, but do not deliver much bass due to the size of the speaker cabinets themselves. Tweeters are cone type and are clear and crisp.
Tonal controls are nice, if the same as the SLIM2000. Separate Bass/Treble controls. That's always a cut above preset eq controls in my opinion. They allow for much finer and varied tonal adjustments.
Bass boost control to enhance low-end, especially when playing at lower volumes.
Adjustable Surround Sound. That impressed me. You can select one of several levels of simulated surround sound. Many lower priced systems and boomboxes feature only an on/off surround sound effect that many times may suite one type of music but not another. I like being able to adjust the surround sound level to my preference.
Bass response is lacking, but one has the option of connecting a powered subwoofer via the subwoofer output jack. With a sub playing, this system sounds quite good. Sharper Image even makes a portable subwoofer.
Display is nice. Blue light displays are the "in-thing" right now. Personally, I think the old yellow backlit displays were easier to read.
The blue light illumination of the CD compartments is over-rated. They don't really do much good. They look "cool" I guess, if you're 15.
This system played all the CDs I tried, including burned CDs. Radio reception was good and sound was good as well.
I would never have paid $299 for it, but for $100-$150 it's not bad. It has a style that is very popular right now and the 3-CD configuration is nice for those who don't want to change CDs every minute.
This unit was replaced by the Sharper Image SA-260, which I will also review.
I owned the Fisher SLIM2000 which I believe to be the identical twin of the Sharper Image SA-248. I am basing my review on the Slim2000.
This unit has some features which were very high-tech when it came out. It's few inch depth allows placement very near a wall or can be hung on a wall.
It features speaker systems which can be attached or detached. When attached, this unit is actually portable. There is a recessed handle at the top-rear of the unit and it can be carried from room to room as needed. That's a nice feature.
It has 3 individual CD players built-in. That is quite different from many compact audio systems and portable systems which feature an elevator type CD exchange or CD turntable tray. By actually having 3 separate CD drive units, switching from CD to Cd is quicker. Also, I imagine that if one CD unit were to fail, the other two would still operate. Not so with the other CD exchange systems mentioned above.
Speaker systems are ok. Woofer cones are fairly large, approx 5.25 inches, but do not deliver much bass due to the size of the speaker cabinets themselves. Tweeters are cone type and are clear and crisp.
Tonal controls are nice, if the same as the SLIM2000. Separate Bass/Treble controls. That's always a cut above preset eq controls in my opinion. They allow for much finer and varied tonal adjustments.
Bass boost control to enhance low-end, especially when playing at lower volumes.
Adjustable Surround Sound. That impressed me. You can select one of several levels of simulated surround sound. Many lower priced systems and boomboxes feature only an on/off surround sound effect that many times may suite one type of music but not another. I like being able to adjust the surround sound level to my preference.
Bass response is lacking, but one has the option of connecting a powered subwoofer via the subwoofer output jack. With a sub playing, this system sounds quite good. Sharper Image even makes a portable subwoofer.
Display is nice. Blue light displays are the "in-thing" right now. Personally, I think the old yellow backlit displays were easier to read.
The blue light illumination of the CD compartments is over-rated. They don't really do much good. They look "cool" I guess, if you're 15.
This system played all the CDs I tried, including burned CDs. Radio reception was good and sound was good as well.
I would never have paid $299 for it, but for $100-$150 it's not bad. It has a style that is very popular right now and the 3-CD configuration is nice for those who don't want to change CDs every minute.
