Aiwa XR-X7

CNET editors' review

• CNET editors' rating: 3.0 stars Good
  Detailed editors' rating
  Overall score: 6.0 (3.0 stars)

• Reviewed by:
  Michael Gelfand
• Reviewed on: 05/09/2002

With its good looks and impressive volume, Aiwa's XR-X7 delivers all of the basic features that you'd expect from a relatively inexpensive three-piece shelf system. Unfortunately, this Aiwa's speakers sound a little flat, and compensating with EQ offers middling results.With its good looks and impressive volume, Aiwa's XR-X7 delivers all of the basic features that you'd expect from a relatively inexpensive three-piece shelf system. Unfortunately, this Aiwa's speakers sound a little flat, and compensating with EQ offers middling results.

Slick design
The XR-X7's sleek, minimalist design mixes faux brushed steel, clear plastic, and implied heat sinks in a stylishly squat base unit that has the potential to slip into any decor. A recessed, backlit, color LCD panel sits behind a partially clear plastic mask and adds flair to the rest of the X7's understated aesthetic, while a motorized, top-loading, clear-plastic door reveals the CD tray. As an added bonus, the tall, unremarkable-looking speakers come with three pairs of interchangeable grilles, which allow for a small degree of color customization. If we had a complaint to register, it was with the 12-color pulsating glow that assaulted our senses in demo mode. Thankfully, however, you can toggle the light show off.

We found the X7 easy to use and even easier to set up. Most of the important features are located on the top of the unit as opposed to its face. On the top, you'll find standard CD/tuner controls and signal-source buttons. Along with an attention-grabbing LCD, the front panel hosts a 1/8-inch headphone jack and a button that engages Aiwa's proprietary Q Sound surround circuitry. A multijog dial on the far right of the faceplate adjusts volume, time settings, and sleep duration, and two adjacent buttons to its right let you toggle through treble, bass, T-Bass low-frequency boost, and timer settings.

For its product class, the X7 offers pretty decent connectivity options. The rear-panel array consists of an optical digital output, an auxiliary input for external devices, stereo RCA line outputs, and a line out for a powered subwoofer--in case you want to pony up for one. The two-way speakers measure 10.38 by 3.88 by 7.63 inches each and are magnetically shielded so that you can place them near your TV. The remote accesses most of the functions that can be found on the base unit itself. Continue reading

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Recent user reviews

• Average user rating: 4.5 stars out of 5 reviews
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• Showing 3 of 5 user reviews

• 4.0 stars

  "Solid system, much better with Sub"

  on January 27, 2005

• 3.5 stars

  "Great Little System for the price"

  on December 29, 2002

• 5.0 stars

  "An excellent micro system for the clarity listener."

  on September 21, 2002

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