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Customer Reviews Collected from sony.com |
Sony - 420W Portable Party Speaker System with Apple iPod and iPhone Dock - Black
Average Customer Rating:
4.5
Rating breakdown 26 reviews
5 Stars
20
4 Stars
3
3 Stars
0
2 Stars
1
1 Star
2
79%of customers recommend this product.
(
11 out of
14)
Customer Reviews for Sony - 420W Portable Party Speaker System with Apple iPod and iPhone Dock - Black
Customer Rating
5
Simply Amazing Quality
on December 30, 2013
Posted by: Tinman18
This is a great speaker system. $350.00 well spent on a good quality of speaker system. It is big and not the most portable system at 30 lbs, but the sound is well worth it if you love bass. Great buy!! Happy New Year to my self!!! Can't complain at all.
Written by a customer while visiting sony.com
Customer Rating
5
A MUSIC SYSTEM WITH MANY NAMES —
on December 23, 2013
Posted by: BeJay2
AND JUST AS MANY FEATURES/USES....
Call this “Portable Party System w/Bluetooth & NFC” as Sony does on this website, or call it “Personal Audio System” as in the printed users’ manual, or even call it “The Official Personal Audio System of the 2014 FIFA World Cup (Brasil)” as marked on the rather substantial shipping carton.
Wisely, Sony has nicknamed this music system the “G-Tank”, so for short I will, too. And its no wonder they chose that name, because this elegant audio device really is built like a tank – 30 inches tall and 30 lbs. of sleek and gleaming black – it is definitely not a sling-it-over-your-shoulder boom box.
But, set it down on a table or ledge, or stand it up vertically on the floor; plug it into an AC outlet, and you have the makings of a formidable 2-way speaker system with dual woofers and tweeters driven by 420 watts total RMS power. There are 11 preset equalizer settings to choose from [such as Flat, R&B, Pop, Hip-Hop, Rock, Jazz, Salsa, Dance – you get it…]. If that sounds too tame for you, select the Bazuca bass boost, just don’t say I didn’t warn you!
Add a music source and you can project it from whisper soft to room-filling loud. A large room, or your terrace or patio. The Volume display LED goes to “50 - Max” but you are likely to rattle your windows or your neighbors – I’m finding I mostly set it between ‘20’ and ‘35’. Did I mention the G-Tank’s multi-color LEDs (14 music-synched patterns with strobe) and Isolator/Flanger DJ effects? Call it: Instant Party Time!
What strikes me about the G-Tank is its versatility and ease of use. I can control all of it’s features and settings using the included palm-sized IR remote control (RM-AMU166). Sony even includes two AA/R6 batteries for it. There is a built-in Clock/Timer, a 30-minute Standby mode, and even a Child Lock feature (think about that).
Clip on the included FM/AM antenna and the G-Tank becomes a stereo/mono broadcast receiver with 20 FM and 10 AM presets. Sony’s One-Touch Listening capability allows me to connect the G-Tank with any compatible device via Bluetooth or using an NFC tap. Also, there’s a stereo RCA-type Aux-In jack on the back for almost any music player that can output to a headphone.
If you have an iPhone 5 or an iPod Touch (5th generation) or an iPod Nano (7th gen), you can place it directly into the front-panel’s neat dock/charger with 8-pin connector, or connect it via the USB slot just beneath the dock. I don’t normally use an iPhone or iPod, but I did connect an older iPod 4Gb (A1051) by simply plugging it into the Aux In jack I mentioned. I used a 3.5 mm stereo mini-male to RCA audio cable that I had, which I now leave connected to the back panel to easily switch between several attached devices as needed.
Curious, I decided to see which music sources around my house I could connect to my G-Tank. I used the built-in NFC capability to wirelessly connect my Android Tablet (it is a Sony Xperia Tablet Z). I dug out my Sony Discman ESP CD Compact Player from 1997 and used the Aux Input with that 3.5mm Male/RCA cable; then I did the same with our 1997 boom-box-styled Sony CD/Radio/Cassette Corder (via its headphone jack). It would have been a nice touch if Sony included a 3.5mm Male/RCA cable in the box, there was none.
Before you accuse me of nostalgia for ancient Sony music players, think about it, those 16-year-old Sony machines still work and I can listen to them in 2013, which bodes well for the useful lifespan of Sony’s G-Tank! [Actually, I don’t really recommend trying to listen to such old cassette tapes…]
Now what are my current listening alternatives? Almost unlimited, really: FM/AM local broadcast; CD or Cassette; any internet music, audio, game or video sources via Android apps on my Xperia Tablet Z; most other auxiliary sound inputs, such as an iPod, my MacBook Pro, or my LifeStyle 20 that I’ve replaced with the G-Tank for HDTV playback; or, USB thumb drives (FAT16- or FAT32-formatted): AAC, MP3, WAV, WMA files; etc.
Uh, Karaoke not … too bad there doesn’t seem to be a simple pathway to add Karaoke to my B-Tank parties, like connecting a microphone in tandem with another sound source. I suppose one could attach some pre-amp/mixer type of black box, or am I being naïve?
BTW, the first CD I listened to was the Giogio Moroder soundtrack from the movie Midnight Express that I popped into my resurrected Sony Discman, set the G-Tank to ‘DVD/PC’, equalizer to ‘Flat’, volume to ‘35’, and ‘Bazuca’ bass boost – wow!
My only real issue so far is that the printed users’ manual falls short of this device’s capabilities. Some sections are too brief to be helpful – such as p.13 Connecting iPod/iPhone to the USB port – which forces a user like me to look elsewhere for answers and solutions. I would have much preferred a detailed how-to video from Sony.
Here’s a helpful hint: whether the party is at your place or you bring the G-Tank to the party, everyone is likely to want to connect their own devices and playlists – so, Keep Control Of The Remote!
I highly recommend the Sony “G-Tank” for its overall value, quality sound and quality build. It is incredibly versatile and easy to use; best get one for yourself before the next party!
Written by a customer while visiting sony.com
Customer Rating
5
Love it!
on December 1, 2013
Posted by: Lincroy1
This is a great system. Even more so because I got it for $199.99!! I was going to purchase the BTX500, but since they were the same price it was an easy decision. It is big and not the most portable system at 30 lbs, but the sound is well worth it if you love bass. Great buy!! Happy Birthday to me!!
Written by a customer while visiting sony.com
Customer Rating
5
Bought this to use for my FlashMob
on October 9, 2013
Posted by: Dancerbythesea
This BoomBox really cranks! I was planning an outdoor FlashMob at our community Farmers Market and needed something that would be loud. This stereo really filled the air with quality sound and the whole group heard it without any problems. The place was packed with people and the sound still carried well. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Bluetooth Technology and I was able to use the music off my iPhone without any problems. I was able plug it into a portable energy source without any difficulties. There was no hum or static...total music perfection. We wheeled in the system and turned it on and we were good to go. The Bazuca Bass is really a nice added choice. Overall, I am VERY happy with this purchase and know that I can rely on it for our next FlashMob. For use at home, I wish there was a way to turn off the disco lights.
Written by a customer while visiting sony.com
Customer Rating
5
best stereo ever
on September 11, 2013
Posted by: lucifert
good product, excellent sound.
Written by a customer while visiting sony.com
Customer Rating
5
Party Starter
on September 11, 2013
Posted by: bignim
Everyone who sees this in action at my place, either wants it, or wants to borrow it.
Very pleased with product, however am tired of everything revolving around the iPhone. The fact they placed dock for it right smack in the middle of unit, takes away from the aesthetic beauty... maybe iPhone users should just be told to get a bluetooth adapter
Very pleased with product, however am tired of everything revolving around the iPhone. The fact they placed dock for it right smack in the middle of unit, takes away from the aesthetic beauty... maybe iPhone users should just be told to get a bluetooth adapter
Written by a customer while visiting sony.com
Customer Rating
5
Portable Party in a Boombox!
on August 21, 2013
Posted by: Onnan
I absolutely love the B-Tank. It's definitely a portable party system. You can bring it anywhere and just connect your Bluetooth device to get the jams going.
We just came back from a family vacation in Rosarito, Mexico and this was the main item to show-off. It was the perfect system to have outside the rented condo blasting to the ocean (since it was low season, no-one else was around and we were able to pump it all the way up).
This is a great boombox and my family loves that I gave it to them as a gift for the BBQ area in the house, but it's also great to bring it along for trips (if you have space to transport it, that is).
Disclaimer: I am a Sony employee but this review represents exclusively my personal point of view and experience with the product. I do not receive any incentives by Sony in any form.
Written by a customer while visiting sony.com
Customer Rating
5
It's A SONY
on July 14, 2013
Posted by: Anonymous
what a great radio...the Bluetooth,USB, DJ effect, LED colors are great...what do you expect...its a SONY.........I LOVE IT...........
fuhgeddaboudit
fuhgeddaboudit
What's great about it: IT POUNDS!! Great Features
What's not so great: the LCD should've gone vertical also
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting sony.com