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In market for a new portable CD player.. any suggestions?

post #1 of 34
6/21/01 at 2:08am
Thread Starter 
I'm currently using an old Sony D-131 portable CD player. It's great. No skip protection, powerful output.. but I'm afraid that it is on its way out. It skips on CDs that do not skip on other players, and I've tried cleaning the lens with soft-air and micro-cleaning cloths, but to no avail.

I'm so tempted just to drop $49 or $59 at Bestbuy on some portable; but I thought it would be much wiser to ask you guys/gals (Timerider, you there?) for any good tips on buying a portable.

I'd probably also like this thing to have optional skip-protection as I've just turned in my lease car and now I'm driving a car without the convenient built-in CD player.

Thanks for any help.
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post #2 of 34
6/21/01 at 2:57am
Radio Shack CD-3904 will fit your bill. I got mine for $35. Might be a bit more now since I got it on a coupon deal. This player sounds darn right incredible for $35. It sounds better than the Sony D-EJ01 (the sony slot loading CD walkman that ran $350!). But if you buy the player, realize it's only for sound quality. The build quality is decent, but the design is a bit strange (Blue, silver and clear...its passable), and the battery life is 8 hours (without skip protection on). But it takes AA's, so just grab a 40 pack at Costco Sounds its finest with a Total Airhead, BTW, otherwise it's a bit hissy as well.
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post #3 of 34
6/21/01 at 3:49am
Thread Starter 
Thanks Ian, I'll check them out tomorrow. I think Jude picked up one of those silver/blue RadioShack thingies a while ago -- I'll just have to try his at the office and compare it to my Sony D131.

$35! That's fantastic. If I lease it for 48 months, my payments should be around $1.35 per month.
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post #4 of 34
6/21/01 at 3:58am
yeah, the radioshack player is the best choice at that low a price range. I was going to reccomend the Panasonic SL-SW860, but it's $150 (very good player though).
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post #5 of 34
6/21/01 at 12:09pm
I got myself a Panasonic SL-CT480 the other day at Best Buy. Cost $60, and sounds pretty good. The only bad thing is, as far as I can tell, the anti-skip is always on, no way to turn it off. Still, I think it's linear, so it's not too bad. And it does indeed work, couldn't make it skip while vigorously shaking the thing up and down.
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post #6 of 34
6/21/01 at 12:14pm
Quote:
Originally posted by dhwilkin
...couldn't make it skip while vigorously shaking the thing up and down.
Note to self.....do not lend portable CD player to dhwilkin....

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post #7 of 34
6/21/01 at 1:06pm
LOL! Hey, nothing wrong w/ a little tough love every now and then.
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post #8 of 34
6/21/01 at 2:00pm
I recently purchased a Philips EXP 103 CD/MP3 player after reading a good write up in a UK magazine. It sounds pretty good. It has good detail and clarity. I think is sounds a little better than my Panasonic SL-SW860. There are a couple of things that I don't like though. For one thing it is very cheaply built for a $150 CD player. There is just plastic everywhere. The buttons for ESP, DBB, and Resume/Hold seem like they could fall off at any minute. My Panasonic is built like a tank. Another thing I found was it disables bass boost when connected via the line out. That's just annoying! Also, it just doesn't play that loud. I usually find I'm at 8 on the volume knob before I know it. If it wasn't for the very good sound I probably would return it.
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post #9 of 34
6/21/01 at 2:05pm
Quote:
Originally posted by acidtripwow
Another thing I found was it disables bass boost when connected via the line out. That's just annoying! Also, it just doesn't play that loud. I usually find I'm at 8 on the volume knob before I know it.
acid,

Line outs I think are intended to bypass all the tone controls and the like on pretty much all components (whatcha usin' that bass boost for anyway? )

And I checked out your profile, and most of your listed headphones look like efficient models -- watch those ears, my 8-volume friend.
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post #10 of 34
6/21/01 at 8:54pm
Thread Starter 
Panasonic -- when I was younger I vowed never to buy Panasonic equipment as my Panasonic cordless phone, corded phone, and portable radio went to crap.. all around the same time!

Okay, not all Panasonic is crap. My dad's 4410 laser printer has lasted five generations or so.

One of the guys here at the office has two Panasonic portable CD players -- and both of them play right through my CDs that skip considerably in my Sony D131 and Jude's RadioShack CD player. Have any of you guys experienced this with your Panasonics? It's really amazing -- I mean -- these CDs skip like crazy, but in the Panasonic it's smooth sailing. Maybe I just answered my own question of what I want to buy next!
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post #11 of 34
6/21/01 at 9:48pm
My Panasonic SL-CT470 plays really scratched cd's really good, same with the Panasonic SL-S200 that I sold a while back. My dad's Technics 5 disc changer (made by Panasonic) is the same.
My Sony D-E446CK isn't quite as good with scratched cd's but its better than most.

And Acidtripwow, most cd players don't have bass boost in the line out. My Panasonic 470 does, and I know why most of them don't. It f%*cks up the sound! Bass boost sucks. My headphones are Koss Sportapro and Sony ex70's so I really don't need bass boost.
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post #12 of 34
6/21/01 at 11:04pm
Wondering, I was looking for a good set for under $100 myself, and everyone and their mom on headwize was reccomending a certain panasonic model for that price (think it was a blue cd player?). Well, since I can't really search the archives anymore, anyone remember what model this was?

-Chu
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post #13 of 34
6/21/01 at 11:30pm
Jude, I found most portables to sound pretty thin without bass boost. My Panasonic 860 does pass the bass boost signal on the line out which I like when I connect the TA.
I know I usually like more volume than most people. I guess it goes back to my younger days when I listened to a lot of Hard Rock music.
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post #14 of 34
6/22/01 at 3:35am
Get the Rio Volt at Buy.com for $150. Excellent sound quality and features. It's a little big but can still fit in my pocket. Even if you don't need mp3 compatibility now, it is still a great player.
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post #15 of 34
6/22/01 at 9:23am
The bass boost depends. I found on my Panasonic 470 I could hear distortion in the bass at any volume on any headphones.
My Sony D-E446CK has 2 levels of bass boost and the first one (megabass) works fine with the Sony EX70's in case I'm listening to some rap and I want to feel like I'm in my friends T-Bird with the 2 10" subs in the trunk, hehe. But the second level (groove) distorts at almost any volume level.

The sound is much cleaner and clearer w/o any megabass on.
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