Gadgets Blog » stereo

Sony revolutionized the world of portable music with the introduction of the Walkman. These days though, the electronics giant has been relegated to the back-seat in the market they once helped define. With MP3 players like the Zune and iPod making up the vast majority of the market, Sony has needed other ways to stay relevant in the playing field. Luckily for us though, the company still turns out some great gadgets, like today’s Cool Item on a Budget, the Sony MHC-EC79i BoomBox. Priced at around $120, this stereo packs a lot of punch in a small package, making it great for the bedroom or office.

First and foremost, the marketing guys over at Sony need to do something about their product names. The “MHC-EC79i” is no exception, either. With its seemingly random alpha-numerical title, it’s not likely to bolster any sort of recognition like competitior products such as the iHome. Yet by the same token, this makes our gadget an excellent buy for the consumer, as we don’t have to pay premium for brand recognition. The stereo comes in a compact shape, featuring a CD player as well as a dock that works with any Apple iPod products. Unfortunately the same dock only works with Apple products, so if you have a different brand of MP3 player (including even a Sony player), you’re out of luck.

Despite these limitations, the sound quality on the stereo is quite high. With two plastic cabinets, the acoustics aren’t anything a serious audiophile would appreciate, but the balance of bass, mids, and treble make for a solid player for casual use. What’s more, the issues with the iPod dock can easily be skipped over via the axillary port on the back of the unit, meaning you can play music off of any device with an 1/8 – inch jack on it. This is great flexibility for such a small unit, and allows the stereo to play music from computers, MP3 players, and most cell phones.