A USB Enabled Sound Machine?

Opening The Box & Installation, Continued

The AZ2555 Sound Machine includes a display that is located in the upper left of the control area. The majority of the controls for the unit can be found in this area. The LCD display is back-lit and offers a scrolling, seven-character readout. Next to the display on the upper right you'll find the "dB Power Pump Meter." This is more for show than a useful addition. Consumers like things that flash and needles that move, and the AZ2555 Sound Machine tries does not disappoint. In the lower left you will find the mode and play controls; they are of good size and well labeled and offer a slight click when pressed. In the lower right you find the buttons that control the programming, game sound modes, equalizer adjustments, AM and FM switch, and, of course, the wOOx on or off switch that controls the subwoofer of the unit.

The top of the AZ2555 Sound Machine is mostly consumed by the top-loading CD player. The CD player is able to play standard audio CDs as well as CD-R and CD-RW audio discs. It cannot directly decode MP3 files that are burned onto CD-R/ CD-RW media. This is a major disadvantage. Perhaps in the next revision or in an another, higher-end model they will add this option. One other word of note, the CD tray requires you to push down on the lower right hand corner of the lid to open and close it and is secured by a small plastic latch. While the quality of the latch is fairly solid, it is made out of plastic, so some caution should be exercised when opening and closing the lid, so as not to break the latch.

A view of the top of the AZ2555 Sound Machine. This angle can give you a better idea of its appearance.

The top of the AZ2555 Sound Machine also includes the power switch, source select button, and the large volume control. The volume control is so large, in fact, that you will never have a problem finding it. One complaint about the volume control knob is that it is of the endless spin variety, and it could be a little stiffer to allow for more precise volume adjustment. The volume knob worked fine in our testing.

Once it is ready to go, you can plug it in or install the eight "non-included" D batteries to get going. Then, flip the switch and let the music play.