Sony MHC-EC98Pi price and reviews

I bought this system about 3 1/2 months ago from B&H Photo because Amazon had it on back order. I played $180 for it with free shipping.

I have had practically no problem with the system and I love the sound that it produces. The only problem that I have had with the system so far has been a raspy sound that sounded like the speakers had been overpowered and were dying. I managed to fix the problem by snipping off the tips of the speaker cables and making new ends that I soldered. Now I have no problem. It seems that the tips were not making good contact and were breaking which broke up the sound. From there on out the is a great stereo system.

The sound is really good and you can get a lot of bass out of it especially if you use some kind of equalizer on the device you plug in via the aux jack (I use itunes eq and that works well). I have also used the ipod dock and that works perfectly and is really convenient with the controls on the remote. It is true, as other reviews have said, you have to be able to see the screen of the ipod but as long as you keep the angle from being too sharp it is not that hard and generally you will walk up to the ipod if you want to change major things like changing to a playlist. Audiophiles will not really appreciate the sound because this is not a super high end system, but I would challenge anyone considering this product to find a device that sounds this good in the same price range. The other part to consider is the amount of power these speakers have because Sony has other stereo systems for a similar price but none of them are close in power output.

The sub can be extremely fun to pump up, but because it is fairly low power don't expect to knock down the walls with it. I have heard that the sound would improve if you get a low pass filter for the sub, but I have not found one and therefore cannot confirm this.

The seven preset eq's on the system often get bashed for being limiting, but I have not found it to be that big a problem because with CD's I have not found them to lack in giving good eq and when you use the aux jack you can use programs or players that have their own eq. I also enjoy the ability to turn the bass boost on and off along with the sub. This adds a number of options the the eq settings that are preset.

I am currently using the system in a small dorm room, but I had it set up in my parents house for a while and was thoroughly amazed at how much of the house could be filled with just 2/3 volume.

Aesthetically it is fairly nice. The main part looks really good and is a little bit of an eye-catcher which can be good or bad depending on how unobtrusive and understated you want the system to be. The speakers themselves are basic. The look is interesting and again can be obtrusive depending on you opinion of how speakers should look. The blue accents are really cool and don't bother me. The speakers also look a little cheap from the side and back because of the finish that they have, but that really is not too big a problem.

I am also impressed with how solid the system feels in respect to the build quality of the main unit. The volume control is well damped without being stiff and does not wiggle or creak. the buttons all give a solid click when pressed and feel well built. Sony has had a good reputation as far as build quality and this product seems to hold up in general.

Some reviews that I read before buying the device said the CD player gave out after a month or so, but it has not give me any problem.
I would recommend this device to anyone looking for a stereo with power and with good sound quality. If you need to have crystal clear bass, mids, and highs then you will have to spend more money, but then again the statement "you get what you pay for" holds true for most products. This is a solid sounding system that is well priced. I would recommend that you go to Best Buy and check it out. Most Best Buys will have a display model and that is what convinced me to buy the system.

The 4 stars are for not having perfect sound quality and for the problem I had with the cables. Again I still recommend this to almost everyone.


Update April 25, 2009
I just bought some earphones and found that the computer that I am attaching to this system is, in fact, causing the sound problem I was having and not the system. Therefore I would now give this a higher rating.