Geneva Sound System Model L All-In-One HiFi System for CD, iPod/iPhone, Radio & More (Walnut)

The first quality I appreciated in an innumerable list of assets for the GenevaSound Stereo--and the one aspect of this unit which readers will probably be most delighted to read--is the separation of sound this system offers, and the ability of the GenevaSound Stereo to offer TRUE bass sound from a plethora of music genres and styles--and even bass buttons on the remote, allowing for the exact amount of bass the listener prefers! This player far exceeds any other comparable unit I've heard and/or purchased in regard to eliciting bass effectively, and separating it from the midrange sounds. "Midrange" is the target for many single-unit stereos like Bose, who don't mind sacrificing range for efficiency; and from the popularity of the Bose system, their customers don't mind trading quality sound for one-plug simplicity, either. But for those music lovers like me, who actually want to hear McCartney's bass riffs on "Revolver," or the driving bass drum and tom-toms of Philly Jo Jones, and who have purchased Bose and other units, only to be bitterly disappointed when that first CD or Mp3 plays, delivering a flat, bass-less drone of sound, the discovery of the GenevaSound system is a Godsend. This system has so many qualities, I will not waste the readers time by trying to describe them all. Instead, I suggest you review the Amazon.com video which accompanies the GenevaSound sales page; or go to genevalab.com for further insights and information. Yes, you will pay a few hundred dollars more for the quality materials that go into producing the GenevaSound Stereos, the European craftsmanship, and the superior sound. But if you begin with this system (or curtail a seemingly endless search for quality sound similar to the one on which I embarked), you will, in the end, save yourself money foolishly thrown away on inferior systems--not to mention reaping the rewards of the finest single-unit sound system you will ever own.

It was aChristmas gift for my husband and was worth every penny. He enjoys using it to play his favorite music. It is easy to operate and the sound is terrific - I would say better than my Bose.

Back in the day, actually before my time, televisions and stereos were designed to be both functional and beautiful - they were considered furniture, an essential complement to a well-designed room. Now, of course, function trumps form for most electronic gadgets, and most are ugly. With the advent of flat screen LCD televisions at least they don't look like the hulking monstrosities that overwhelm the room like the big TVs of the past couple decades, but it's still true that a decent sound system tends to be a box covered with buttons and indicators, and connected by endless wires to a range of speakers spread throughout the room. That's not necessary if you've got one of these Geneva Sound L systems in the living room. It's an elegant blend of form and function - the sound is astonishing, especially considering that it all comes from a single wooden box. Did I mention wooden? The walnut variety, which is the one I've tried, is not just walnut coloring, it's actually encased in wood, and the metallic grating that covers the multiple speakers inside is just the right tint to match it perfectly. The whole system is small enough not to get in the way, but it delivers 100 Watts of stereo surround sound that can really fill a room for an immersive musical or theatrical sound experience. Geneva Lab is known for setting an early high fidelity sound and design standard for iPod docking systems. This one is at the middle of their range -- they have one that's a bit bigger and one that's a lot bigger and a few smaller ones. I only have experience with this one and the smaller S model. For me and for my living room I can't imagine needing anything more. It feels solid and there is a serious heft to it - the system actually weighs about 40 pounds - it's not filled with cheap lightweight equipment that'll blow out when it gets loud. It can do radio and takes input from a television or other device, and there's a little, almost invisible, slot for CDs in the top, plus a panel flips open when you push it to reveal a universal iPod dock. It works perfectly with my nano and iPod touch. You can put it on the floor or a table, but Geneva Sound also sells a shiny and stable metallic stand that elevates it a couple of feet for optimum sound range. There's an LCD display that indicates the mode (radio with 6 preset buttons on the remote, iPod, CD or auxiliary), the CD track (will play CD-ROM and mp3 CDs as well as standard) and the volume (on a scale of 1-100) and the bass and treble values (each scaled from -6.0 to +6.0). All inputs, including the outlet plug, and L-R RCA input, are hidden beneath the box so that it looks good from behind -- and if you have the stand all cords can run from the device through the stand's support beam for simplicity and appearance. Of course, it's the sound that matters most, and to my ears this really delivers. I've never really wanted a massive sound system in my living room but this one really fills the room with sound, both for watching movies and hanging out to music. While it's all in one box, there are actually two sets of speakers behind the screen - there's a pair of 1" tweeters and a couple of 5 1/4" woofers. While most of the sound is directed out from the front of the box, there's also a sound output slot in the rear, probably to help deliver a more expansive sound. The "sound test" CD that comes with the box is pretty amazing ... you drop it in and can literally hear sound coming from all directions, and this device is set to deliver that experience wherever the recorded input has the information. I didn't expect that level of "spatial differentiation" from a sound system that is this self-contained. I was also very impressed by the range -- even on a low volume it delivers what I can only describe as a "big" sound, that fills the room even without being "loud." But, I'm happy to say, it can get very loud without sounding "noisy" -- I've played jazz and hip-hop, rock and pop, and I'm very happy with the sound performance throughout, at various sound ranges. There are a few problems, though, mostly minor but still annoying. One thing that bugs me about the design is that the buttons on the device itself (hidden along with the iPod dock beneath a wooden flip-up panel) don't do much. There's an on-off button a CD eject button and up-down volume buttons, and an input jack (for mp3 players that aren't compatible with the iPod Universal dock). What that means is that most functions on the system require use of the remote control -- and for me that is a drawback, both because in a house with kids like mine remote controls tend to wander around and are hard to find when you need them most, and because it detracts from the overall simplicity and ease. I imagine they left extra buttons off (pause, stop, song forward and back, mode switching, bass and treble adjust) in the interest of simplicity, but what that means is that the device itself isn't really self-contained, and so is inherently more complex -- to use it you have to have another thing lying around nearby. Of course it's nice to have the remote if you need it, but I like to consider a remote as an auxiliary rather than an essential. Why it's strange, too, is that there's plenty of room near the iPod dock for a few extra buttons that would still be hidden away and not detract from the aesthetics of the device. I like that I can play CDs here directly, and that it plays mp3 CDs, but I wish there was some more control in how it plays them. By default it plays them straight through (no random shuffle) and on repeat mode - and there's no way to change that. I tend to think that if a high end device like this supports a function (like playing CDs) it should support that function fully, not minimally as here. Still, while I'd love to see an upgrade that fixes these annoyances, as a whole I think this is a beautiful device that delivers exceptional sound in an elegant and convenient package, and that's what it's all about. About the video: I shot this as a quick illustration of the overall design of this device - shot against a green screen with a sky background because I like to play around with the green screen. One problem with that, as you'll see: there's a greenish tint on the sound system -- that's because I wasn't taking enough care to separate the lighting of the screen from the lighting of the device.

This is what I have been waiting for...I love the sound and love the look. It is better than I could have imagined.