The Bottom Line: The MHC-EC55 is a very impressive mini Hi-Fi system, with a small number of imperfections. Overall it's a great sounding system that I am very happy to own.
mmpickering's Full Review: Sony MHC-EC55 Shelf System
Portable music systems have been changing substantially over the past few years. They just keep getting smaller and smaller, yet some can still produce the kind of sound you would expect from a much larger system. The older table top and bookshelf stereo systems are quickly becoming a thing of the past, and have been replaced by mini and micro systems. Even the mini stereo systems are becoming harder and harder to find these days. Well my oldest daughter has a mini Hi-Fi system by Panasonic, which she has been extremely happy with, and now that my youngest daughter is at the age of listening to music nearly all of the time, she wanted a system just like her older sister. Well I found that Panasonic no longer had any of these mid-sized systems on the market, so I concentrated my searching toward Sony, which is still a trusted name brand of audio equipment.
Like most other manufacturers, Sony has a lot of really small “micro” Hi-Fi systems. Well for my pre-teen daughter, I wanted something big enough to sound good, rugged enough to withstand a moderate amount of abuse, and easy to understand and use. Of course I also didn’t want to pay a small fortune for it either. Well after doing some searching on the Internet, I stumbled across the MHC-EC55 mini Hi-Fi component system from Sony. It boasts 130 total watts of power (65 watts per channel x2), has a 3-disk CD changer, has a rather simple array of operation controls, and incorporates an easy to read LED display. Since my daughter also has a portable MP3 player, which she listens to for hours every day, I was also delighted to find that the Sony MHC-EC55 has an mini-plug type auxiliary input, located on the front of the main control unit. The MHC-EC55 comes with the main control unit, two detached speakers (w/ speaker wires), an AM loop antenna, a FM line antenna wire, an easy to use remote control, two AA batteries (for remote), instruction manual, and miscellaneous safety, warranty, and registration paperwork. There really aren’t many items in the box, and everything is a breeze to setup. In fact, it took me far longer to figure out how to set the clock and configure some radio presets than it did for me to setup all of the hardware itself. Overall it took me about 15 minutes to have everything setup and completely functional for my daughter.
Although the size of the main unit and speakers is far from small, it is not overly large either. The problem I have with the micro systems is that most are too small and underpowered to produce room filling, full-bodied sound, and their LED or backlit LCD displays are so tiny that you just can’t read them unless you are standing right next to the device. The MHC-EC55, although classified as a “mini” system, is large enough and powerful enough to fill a mid-size room with punchy bass, crisp treble, and the LED display is readable from several feet away. Even at low volume levels the MHC-EC55 produces a rich, full bodied sound. When the volume is cranked up (that is when I have to scream at my daughter to “TURN IT DOWN!”), this Sony mini system can really rock the room! All of the controls, both on the main unit and on the remote control, are easy to read and operate, and I am quite pleased with the large knob on the front for controlling the volume. The construction of the control unit and speakers seems solid and well-built, with enough depth and width to prevent tipping, and with enough weight to keep them in place so they don’t slide around too easily.
Here is a list of some of the most important specifications for the Sony MHC-EC 55:
* Main Unit Approximate Dimensions: 7.9” (W) x 12” (H) x 16.1” (D) * Main Unit Weight: 11 lbs. * Speaker Approximate Dimensions (each): 8.5” (W) x 12” (H) x 8.5” (D) * Speaker Weight: 6.2 lbs. (each) * Speaker Type: 2-way, Bass Reflex * Speaker Drivers (per enclosure): 6.3” Woofer (cone), 2” Tweeter (horn) * Power Input: 120V AC (60Hz), 210 Watts Max * Power Output: 130 Watts Total = 65 Watts @ 6 ohms per Channel x 2 (10% THD, 120 Hz - 10 kHz) * CD Player: 3 Disc Capacity / Tray Loading * CD Disc Compatibility: CD, CD-R, CD-RW (MP3 disc compatibility with all of these formats) * Radio: AM/FM Superheterodyne Digital Tuner - 30 Station Presets (10 for AM and 20 for FM) * Equalizer: 4 Music Type Presets * Bass Boost: YES = DSGX (Dynamic Sound Generator X-tra) * Inputs: 3.5mm Line In (front), AM Antenna (rear), FM Antenna (rear) * Outputs: 3.5mm Headphone (front), Left + and - Speaker Out (rear), Right + and - Speaker Out (rear) * Convenience Features: Power Save Mode, 10-step Sleep Timer, Wake to Music Timer
As I explained before, the Sony MHC-EC55 mini Hi-Fi stereo system sounds really great for its size, it has a nice (yet basic) feature set, and it is quite easy to use. However, there are a small number of things that I don’t like about this model. First of all, the sound equalizer is somewhat pathetic. They only give you 4 preset choices, with no way for you to adjust it manually. Therefore you are stuck with what Sony has decided is best for certain types of music, like Rock, Pop, Jazz, and Dance. While these presets do indeed change the overall sound, none of them sound that great. I also do not care for the CD loading mechanism, which slides open a drawer containing 3 plastic trays, which you must slide back and forth with your finger to load or remove CDs. To me this creates the near certainty of something breaking from routine handling; especially when used by youth. I also do not appreciate the difficulty of performing certain tasks, like setting the clock and using the timer features. My daughter likes to listen to music as she drifts off to sleep, but I don’t like the stereo to be powered on all through the night. Therefore I insist that she use the sleep timer if she is going to use the stereo at bedtime. She is slowly learning the steps needed to activate it now, but the process is far more difficult than it should be. I had to change the clock settings recently (for ending daylight savings time), and I actually had to get out the manual in order to remember the steps for setting it. Again, just more complicated than what it should be.
Overall my daughter simply loves her new Sony mini stereo system. I am very pleased with my purchase, and I think it is a quality product that will last her for years to come. Although she has yet to develop the need for perfection in sound quality, it is nice to know that this Sony stereo is capable of producing excellent sound as her ear for audio quality improves and she becomes more finicky over time. She is overjoyed with the fact that she can use the Sony mini stereo system to play the music from her portable MP3 player (via the “Line In” mini plug on the front on the main unit), and she is even asking me to get her a network streaming music player (aka. “Internet Radio”) for Christmas, to hook up to the Sony stereo as well. Even with the minor imperfections listed previously, I still feel that the Sony MHC-EC55 is a quality audio device, and very worthy of a recommendation. I am giving it 4 stars, and my personal recommendation for anyone looking for a small(ish) mini Hi-Fi system for their bedroom, den, or office. I don’t feel it is powerful enough to produce great sound in a really large room or open area, but for small and mid-sized rooms this stereo is a real winner.
*** Important Note: The North American version of the Sony MHC-EC55 does NOT include a cassette tape player. The included paperwork with this unit will refer to a tape player, but a disclaimer verifies that the U.S. version of this model does not come with a built-in tape player.
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