Don't know about yours, but my desktop - literally the top of my desk, on which my computer sits - is too crowded for my liking: books, CDs, speakers, lamps, Rolodex, a picture of my fiancé, not to mention my Mac, keyboard, trackball, and wristpad. The last thing I need is another space-grabbing peripheral. Or so I thought: Despite its moniker, the Sharp XL-520 Desktop Audio System isn't XL at all, but rather a microcomponent rack with a 6- by 9-inch footprint. The wee unit houses a clock, timer, AM/FM radio, CD player, and single-cassette deck, all in a space not much bigger than a phone book.
I set the XL-520 up in five minutes flat and popped in Fluke's Risotto. I was startled initially at the quality of sound pumping through the two-way speakers: Clear, digital-quality treble was balanced with punchy, athletic bass; the X-Bass function on the miniature remote allowed me to sculpt my desired equalization. The unit bottoms out at peak crankage, but chances are slim I'll need it that loud in my home office - I've got neighbors, after all. Two other features make this gadget even more desirable: A digital-out port allows me to record from the XL-520 direct to minidisc or DAT, and an auxiliary input lets me listen to signals from my PC or VCR.
Plenty will choose this petite system for use in their RVs or minivans, but some PC users may view adding another CD player to their workspace as redundant. That's understandable. Still, for its excellent audio signal and sheer compactness, the Lilliputian soundstack is hard to beat. The XL has a new home on my cramped desktop. Seems we can always fit one more necessity into the tightestofallpossiblespaces.
[an error occurred while processing this directive] Sharp XL-520 Desktop Audio System: US$239.95. Sharp Electronics: (800) 237 4277, on the Web at www.sharp-usa.com/. [an error occurred while processing this directive]
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