Sharp CD-BH950 Sharp 240W 5-Disc Mini Shelf Speaker System with Cassette and Bluetooth

OK - here goes: I received this system today. Being old fashioned, it was VERY difficult to find a decent "stereo component system" with a multi-player CD built in, with AM/FM, that even plays cassette tapes (I think I have one or two laying around somewhere). Doesn't play 8 tracks (I think) and no turntable, but I have that somewhere else (yes, I still have vinyl). Only "con" so far - the speaker wires are exactly 46" long - so if you want your speakers more than three feet away from the main unit, get some bell wire, electrical tape, and wire strippers. It took me about 30 minutes to set the thing up where I wanted it. Today's normal teenager would not be able to set this thing up (just kidding). The AM and FM reception is good - no fading out, etc. And you can set stations. There are separate external antennas for both AM and FM. Everything I wanted to do so far I found (eventually) in the instruction manual. The print is VERY small. It's another device where you will probably not use 50% of the functionality. I know I won't. The sound, however, is surprisingly good - better than the old "component system" it replaced. I've had Sharp products before and liked them. Playing five CDs right now on "ALL REPEAT" mode - ya gotta read the manual to figure out how. Sinatra sounds good. The "x-bass" mode works well, sounds good. Using the remote you can adjust the bass/treble settings. Took me awhile to find the CD "open/close" button - NOT on the remote - only on the unit itself. But that almost makes sense since you will be inserting/removing CDs and you can't do that remotely. The black cases look good. It has a USB port so you can play your music from a flash drive. I'll close with "so far, so good." If I run into problems I'll update this review. BTW - it's NOT made in the USA as another review stated.

I brought this system because the one I had was about, 29 years old!! I brought it when my ( now Grown children) were 4 and 5 years. When it started to only play , a minute or the CD’s … I knew it was time to get a new one. It Really broke my heart to replace it because I’ve had it throughout my kids childhood. They are now 30. If we could have, buried it and have a funeral for it. We would have done it. But we Did have a little ceremony for it and give it our last words and told him how much it meant to us. As silly as it may seem the stereo we had, was a part of the family, and it was not going to be easy to replace it!!! So, it took Months and Months to find something that we would all Love and Enjoy. And , That’s when I found this system. It has more features and instead of a 3 CD player, this is a 5 CD player, which is a Plus!! The sound is about the same as the system We had before, Which is Still a Good thing for My Family!! I also hooked up the speakers from the old system because they worked Great, I wasn’t going to get rid of the speakers!! Even without the old speakers, the system sounds Great. Thank you So Much!! And the Price was Very Reasonable!! I hope we have this system for Many Years!! We are Enjoying it Already!!! Thank you.

I recently purchased the Sharp CD-BH950 for my 91-year-old grandmother, and after setting it up and testing its features, I have a solid impression of the product. Here’s what stood out—both good and bad.🔹 Setup & First ImpressionsEase of Setup: Pretty straightforward—I was able to wire up the speakers and get everything running without needing the instructions.Instructions: The included manual was folded like a cumbersome map rather than a booklet, making it annoying to reference (not a dealbreaker, but inconvenient).Design & Display: The digital standby display is cluttered and not very aesthetically pleasing, especially compared to older stereos I’ve owned.🔊 Sound Quality & FeaturesExtra Bass Feature: I was pleasantly surprised—for a two-speaker system, the sound quality was solid. The bass boost helped, but…Subwoofer Input? Nope. Even my grandma, who is legally deaf, noticed the absence of her subwoofer. This wasn’t a factor in my purchase decision, but I wish there was an option to connect one.Controller & Button Layout: Functional but awkward. The button flow isn’t as intuitive as it could be.Disc Play Mode Confusion: I spent 10 minutes trying to figure out how to make discs play sequentially and never found an obvious solution.🛑 Build Quality Concern: Flimsy Disc TrayThe disc tray feels flimsy and is not designed for push-to-close.Grandma instinctively tried to push it shut, but it doesn’t auto-close like some older systems.If you’re used to older CD players where you nudge the tray to close, be careful—this one requires the button.🔗 Modern Features: Bluetooth & Alexa ConnectivityBluetooth worked great! I was able to easily pair it with an Alexa Dot and stream Prime Music for my grandma, which she thought was "way cool." Pro-tip: Alexa has to be within 3 feet to pair but afterwards can move your smart device farther. Mine, once paired, is about 10 to 15ft from the player and connects fine.Multi-Format Playback: I mainly bought it for the 5-disc changer, but it also supports Bluetooth, cassettes, and CDs, making it a versatile choice for someone transitioning from older tech.⚖️ Final Verdict: Solid System with Minor AnnoyancesFor $273 on Amazon (cheaper than Best Buy by $50), it was worth it for the features included.✔ Great sound for a compact system✔ Good bass (even without a subwoofer input)✔ Bluetooth connectivity is a huge plus✖ Bad instructions, busy display, awkward controller layout✖ No subwoofer input, despite decent bass boost✖ Unclear disc playback order (should be easier to control)Overall: If you want a compact shelf system with multiple playback options and decent sound, it’s a solid buy. Just be ready for a few quirks and some old-school tech limitations.