One of the most important things to have in your home is a good stereo system. Whether you like to turn it on full-blast in the morning or simply listen to the radio, it’s a good thing to have a good home stereo.
These days, most stereo systems come with ability to play MP3 CDs and some even come with iPod connection or an iPod dock.
Here’s a review of the best home stereo systems you can buy online today with breakdown by watts of speakers and features.
The Sony LBT-ZX6 is a nice beast for your home.. Sony has been making pretty good stereo systems and good audio systems in general, I don’t see how you can go wrong with them. There’s also an iPod-friendly version here.
Speaker Watts: 560 watts
Multi-CDs: up to 5 CDs
MP3 support: Yes
Price: $399.99 on Amazon
Sony MHCEC7 Mini High-Component System is next, basically a mini-version of the previous Sony.
If you don’t want to spend too much money but still want a good brand, this is the one to get. At 320 watts, you will still get complaints from your neighbors if you turn it up all the way for your next party.
Speaker Watts: 320 watts
Multi-CDs: up to 3 CDs
MP3 support: Yes
Price: $229.95 on Amazon
Next up is the Bose Acoustic Wave System II, which I highly want to get as I have seen so many ads on magazines on this little beast. I also have Bose speaker system in my SUV, which comes as factory default, and I have to say, Bose is pretty good. They pack a lot of sound and bass into small speakers. If you can afford the high price sticker tag, this might be the way to go and look fashionable too.
Speaker Watts: N/A
Multi-CDs: up to 5 CDs
MP3 support: Yes, through iPod/MP3 adaptor
Price: $1079 on Amazon
Polk Audio I-Sonic Entertainment system is great for iPod docking plus it has an HD receiver, meaning you can listen to HD radio. iPod video outputs come in handy too if you want to hook up to your TV. The system doesn’t come with CD option but if you don’t use CD often, this is a good bet as you will also get high-quality HD radio.
Speaker Watts: N/A
Multi-CDs: None
MP3 support: Yes, through iPod dock.
Price: $319.68 on Amazon
Polk iSonic ES2 is not your traditional clock radio. It’s an HD-Radio that receives AM/FM signals in digital High-Definition. That means the sound from AM and FM is superior to that of any other radio. In addition, those stations that broadcast in HD deliver many other programming features not found on standard AM/FM. And there’s no subscription fee required. All you need is an HD Radio and the iSonic ES2 is it and more.
Philips WAS7500/37 Streamium Wireless w/ 80 GB Hard Disk is up next, this Philips beast packs a ton of design and functionality including wireless speaker expandability and 80 gigabytes of harddrive to store your favorite MP3s.
Although the Philips stereo system lacks CD player, you can easily put up to about 500 CDs in the embedded 80GB harddrive. Basically, you are buying a PC without the operating system here.
Also note that the Philips can playback any MP3 files in your USB flash drive, a plus over the other systems.
Wireless speakers can also be added “wirelessly”, meaning you can setup a true surround sound in your home without all the wires.
Speaker Watts:80 watts (expandable wireless with more speakers)
Multi-CDs: No, but store up to 500 CDs in the 80GB hard disk.
MP3 support: Yes, through harddisk or even USB flash drives.
Price: $299 at Amazon
In all, if you are computer-inclined, I’d go with the Philips since you can practically play a LOT of songs and the speaker expandability is a nice feature if you are thinking about upgrading in the future.
There you have it, I just reviewed a bunch of really good systems. Depending on what your needs are, you will be able to figure out which one is right for you. Don’t forget to check out my earbud reviews too if you are earbud-freak like me.
