OEM In-Wall Mounted Stereo System

Product Description
Get that great stereo system sound with an architecturally correct built-in wall unit! In wall stereo systems allow you to place a complete stereo system in the listening area and not take up valuable floor space. The OE… More >>
$249.80
OEM In-Wall Mounted Stereo System


September 1st, 2010 at 6:40 pm
The only reason I got this particular unit was because I was replacing a 20-year-old, broken, in-the-wall stereo, and this one was the only one I could find that would accommodate the speakers and volume controls that were already installed and wired to the old unit. (This one accommodates 8 ohm speakers, and it seems that most newer units require 16 ohm). I could have gotten a much better system, but then I would have had to replace all my speakers and volume controls, which would have made this prohibitive.
Some flaws:
There are no controls for bass/treble, and the sound is a little tinny. Hard to imagine you can have a stereo system and not control bass/treble. (Admittedly, they have a few preset “sound quality” settings to toggle through, but that’s an antiquated and unsatisfactory way to handle this.)
The volume control doesn’t go up very high. You can’t “crank it up!” Another odd and seemingly unnecessary limitation.
The price seems high for a simple radio/CD player. You can get MUCH better systems (boom boxes, for example) for a third of the price. The only thing this unit has going for it is that it’s made to install in-the-wall, which is what I needed.
If you were starting from scratch, and weren’t limited by having to accommodate 8 ohm speakers, I’d go with something that produced good sound.
Rating: 2 / 5