Price Paid:  $600.00 from brick, was a gift...

Summary:
Awesome mini system! best i've heard before. The amp is pretty good, definately above average for Mini systems. It looks very retro (brushed aluminum look) and the wood speakers also look nice. Alotta mini systems these days are built for bass and only bass, but the gx500 (seems to me) as though it is aimed for a more natural sound, which is great for people who listen to real music, as oppsed to genres such as rap. I've sice purchased new speakers and it sounds even better.

Strengths:
-Awesome sound for price, and size. -looks awesome -practical and I dig the remote, as it has alot more functions then a majority of other mini system remotes.

Weaknesses:
The headphone amp sucks, and it's 1/8" thats the only weakness in my opinion.

Similar Products Used:
Thats the only mini system I have, I use it for my darkroom because its handy. All my other equipt. Is older audiophile stuff.

Price Paid:  $400.00 from Bier Audio

Summary:
This is a great system compared to the other mini-systems out there. The sound is amazing for a mini-system; this baby puts my old system to shame. It looks very classy, and you gotta love the blue light around the volume nob. At times the system seems to lack bass, but a good sub would fix that in a hurry. The GX-500 really shines when you pop in a jazz cd. My Chick Corea collection sounds fantastic.

One minor complaint is that the tape recording volume can be too high at times. A few of the tapes I have made have minor distortion in really high sections. I wish that you could manually adjust the recording volume, but you can't.

All in all this is a kick ass system, If you can still find it don't hesitate to buy it. You won't be sorry.

Strengths:
Awesome sound for a mini-system, looks great, quality Yamaha product.

Weaknesses:
Only one tape deck.

Similar Products Used:
Sharp, JVC

Price Paid:  $500.00

Summary:
I'm actually reviewing the Yamaha Gx-505--the Gx-500 was discontinued and its successor has a set of speakers with 5 extra watts each and some minor improvements.

I was searching the net and some outside sources when I came across the November 2000? issue of Consumer Reports and their review on the best minisystems for your buck. On top and currently rated again on top in an update in the Feb 2001 issue was the Yammie Gx-505. It was top for its sound quality,it's functionality,looks,ease of use,and features. I was in the market for a new minisystem and I had to get the best bang for my buck--this system is certainly the best choice and the cherrywood finish is really elegant.

While I plan on eventually adding a subwoofer,the speakers are in need of a little help on bass. Other than that,the system is near perfect. I bought 14 gauge speaker wire to replace the itsy bitsy wire that came with the system and the sound is very full. The main unit is a little noisy so I plan on leaving it somewhere far from my ears. Overall though,the highs and mid-range of the system are tops for minisystems and with a sub-out,optical out,aux in and out and some great and easy to use features,this system is a knockout.

Don't be dazzled by high wattage and needless features--go for a system that looks as good as it sounds.

Strengths:
Looks,tuner,great speakers,ease of use,features

Weaknesses:
noisy rear vents

Similar Products Used:
JVC UX-T1 minisystem,various Sony minisystems

Price Paid:  $22500.00 from crutchfield

Summary:
Overall, a steal at $225. Only drawback is that wood speakers/look is better than black that I purchased due to availability.

Great tuner, good (not great) speakers, solid CD performance & features.

Cruthfied is great to deal with. Very helpful/knowledgeable salesman and overnight delivery for only $5!

Strengths:
Pro: tuner (excellent, the best of any midi systems that I previewed);looks (much classier than cheap looking Awai's and other brands)

Weaknesses:
Remote (big, bulky, and can't tune manually)

Similar Products Used:
awai xmr2000

Price Paid:  $250.00 from crutchfield

Summary:
excellent cd sound from this system. the speakers are also very good. i bought a pair of sony speakers so i could have speakers st all four corners of my room and the sonys sound like toys compared to the yamahas. they have much tighter bass and clearer highs. the radio reception is also pretty good but tuning precisely is difficult. you can't manually move the station from say from 98.75 FM to 98.80 FM. the tuner basically stops at the station that it picks the clearest signal from. but i'm not a big radio listener so this doens't bother me as much. the cd is slow and sometimes 1 of the 3 cd's has a tendency to slip out of its slot, but i'm just being picky at this point. all in all, a great sound value for the money. i've tried similar products from jvc and sony that cost more and aren't near the sound quality.

Strengths:
great cd player, good speakers

Weaknesses:
bad radio tuner, the undimmable bright blue light

Similar Products Used:
jvc,sony