Price Paid:  $150.00 from Sam's Club

Summary:
For $150 dollars you are not going to find anything that has this many features and such clean and strong sound even at the full volume. The controls are very logical and cleanly laid out as is the remote control. I am a big fan of JVC products and this one has not let me down.

Strengths:
Great sound and features for the money, nothing comes close to the quality and power at the $150 price range.

Weaknesses:
None that I have noticed, other than the tape deck autoreverse feature is a bit noisy. Afterall, this not a $10k audiophile system but sounds really great!

Similar Products Used:
Other shelf systems owned by friends.

Price Paid:  $170.00 from Sam's club

Summary:
it delivers 240 watts and it looks great i listen to music alot and i know this is 1 of the best cd players on the market if u dont know if u would like this i know u will it has everything u need wether u r a pro listener or just getting into the game its 1 of the best.

Strengths:
its awsome baby

Weaknesses:
nooooooooooooooo weaknesses

Price Paid:  $200.00

Summary:
This is an excellent mini system. The sound is very clear and there are lots of nice features like setting a CD or the radio on a timer so it will turn on when you want it to. I don't really need that feature cuz i have a clock radio to wake me up but the feature is still a nice addition. It's quite powerful at over 200 watts, and unlike the reviewer before me, i don't find the speakers ugly at all. For it's price it is definately a 5 star value and I am very happy I bought this. It is a great mini system and i think it definately deserves atleast 4 stars. Since 5 stars is the best in its class and I haven't used many other mini systems I can't give it 5 stars.

Strengths:
Great sound, looks good, some very nice features, 220 watts

Weaknesses:
It could maybe hold 5 CDs instead of 3, but that doesn't really matter that much to me.

Similar Products Used:
Panasonic ak33

Price Paid:  $250.00 from Amazon.com

Summary:
I bought two of these for my kids. I chose these primarily because they received a Best Buy recommendation from Consumer Reports, and I must say that I'm not dissapointed. This is not the boombox of my generation, it is a legitmate (albeit budget-priced) stereo. The sound quality is far better than I expected for the price, and it has some surprising features. On the back there are jacks for an AUX input, AM antenna and FM antenna, as well as an optical digital output jack so you can run the CD player through an A/V receiver. Also, the alarm function makes this an ideal bedroom setup. Sure, it won't replace my audiophile-level component system, but it definitely represents good value for the money. If you're looking for an inexpensive secondary system for the home, or a stereo for your teenager's room, this is a good choice.

Strengths:
Nice feature set and impressive sound for the price.

Weaknesses:
The speakers are butt-ugly, but that seems to be a characteristic of this whole class.

No balance control.