[nanahachi]

i am an indecisive b@st@rd

my dilemma: i need a new PCDP (the RCA one i bought and failed to finishing reviewing is going back to amazon).

my 1st priority: sound quality. also, i want at very least an analogue line out (digital would be wonderful in ADDITION to the analogue, like my japanese sony d-e525). while i havent bought one yet, the new player will be used with an amp. my headphones: beyer dt231 at work, sony ex70/d66 eggos on the go.

for the last few days ive been really thinking about a panasonic ct570, all purpose PCDP. id use this at work with an amp, and on the go, esp b/c it has shock protection. cost ~$100. ($85 through panasonic + 8.95 shipping + CA tax; similar prices found online at soundcity.com)

just today i began thinking about a sony d-25s for stationary use at work, with an ac adapter. price only ~$50 for great sound.

*** ive read one review, but can anyone help me by stating if the difference in sound quality is tangible between the d-25s and the ct570?

then, i began thinking i should buy BOTH...(tho really i dont want to spend money at all). i would use the pana 570 in my work bag and at cafes, etc, and the sony d-25s would stay at work. but this option would be around $150.

BUT, for ~$150, i could get a sony 955, or EJ1000 for a little more (ive seen it for $170 US).
i keep reading ppl's threads, but need your input here: is the sound of the 955 or 1000 better than the pana570? better than the d-25s?

Basically, would getting a new sony solve the redundancy of buying 2 players by combining portability with good line-out sound?

if you were me, what would YOU do?

thanks all. but damnit, headfi is really causing my wallet much pain.

 

[Jeff Guidry]

I have owned both the D-25s and the Pana 570, so I feel qualified to make comments about the sound of those two players.

Advantages of the D-25s: a very robust headphone out, which should be sufficient to power all but the least efficient headphones currently made for home use. They have what is described as an analytical sound, cold, but very clear and sharp. A good match with a laidback or warm phone like a Sennheiser.

Disadvantages of the D-25s: NOT a portable player in the current sense....no anti-shock protection, so it must stay still. Proprietary battery for the unit is expensive and does not last more than a few hours, but since you say you would be using an adapter, this will not be a problem. This unit is NOS, so it may or may not give you a long life of service.

Advantages of the 570: for a modern portable is has a pretty beefy headphone out, though it is only good for powering low to mid-impedance headphones. Anything over 100 ohms impedance will probably be too tough for it. The 570 has a warm sound and is forgiving of poorly recorded material, and makes a superb pairing IMO with the Sony MDR-V6. It has two choices for anti-skip, a 40 second compressed anti-skip or a 10 second uncompressed anti-skip, very advantageous if you want really good sound and still be able to move around. The unit comes with an adapter and two rechargable AAA batteries that can be recharged in the unit, or can be removed to use other batteries.

Disadvantages of the 570: In comparison to the D-25s, the 570 is not a very tough player. I have dropped mine a few times and it has still kept working, but the lid does not quite close perfectly anymore. I imagine that a fall in the wrong place might cause the unit serious damage. The two AAA battery powersupply is rather wimpy and does not last very long if you use the rechargable batteries.

I don't know anything about the other units you have quoted, but the EJ1000 is a very well received player. I suggest that you buy the player that meets all of your criteria, rather than finding two players that each individually only satisfy some of your criteria. In the end, I think you will be more satisfied that way....

 

[purk]

nanahachi,
If you willing to carrying an extra headphone amp(meta42, cha47..and....), get yourself a D-EJ01, D-EJ925, D-EJ1000 or D-EJ955. These player have a very good sounding line out. However, headphone out is a let down. The headphone out on these players are very distorted, and lack of details. I would suggest you to get the newer top of line Sony(s), if you can take the horrid headphone out.
I would suggest you to pick up both the Pana and D-25S for about the same price as the EJ955, and have the best of both world. Use the D-25s in your office and pair it up with your headphone amp, this will bring out the best from your Discman. On the other hand, take your Pana with you on the go, and enjoy its headphone out. I'm very sure that D-25's line out is a step better than those of the newer Discmans and probably 2 or 3 steps better than the Pana (My D-303 line out is significantly better sounding than my Sony D-E900, and my Panasonic SL-S651c, SX-500, & SL-S700). Though, I never heard the D-25S and the Pana, but I'm very experienced with other Sony legendary discmans (take a look at my profile) and 3 very highend Panasonic(s).

 

[nanahachi]

damn, you both make so much sense.

similar to howandrzejpw wanted one b/c they seem so cool and are renound for great sound/line out, i too desire the legendary d-25s. but do i really need one.

jeff has a great point, get ONE PCDP that covers all my needs:
sounds great
line out
portable (can carry and use anywhere...i never use anti-skip however)

so, for fun, im playing with the idea of the new, nicer sonys:
955, 1000, etc...please offer up more.
can anyone offer anything for any of these? im going to search for posts on these today, but your input would be GREAT!

so ill compare those against the panasonic and i guess make a decision sometime this weekend or early next week, the sooner the better!!

 

[x1lexure]

nanahachi

post some of what you find here id really like to see it...

 

[nanahachi]

here are some threads if you want to check out what ppl said on the following topics:

eagle driver reviewed Sony d-ej1000 in comparison to pana 470--> Sony wins, but NOT a good match for earbuds!!
http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showth...threadid=11356
ill prob not get the 1000 now, since ill be using my ex70s for the interegnum btwn now and acquisition of etys and an amp (maybe not til january). maybe a headphone amp through line out would correct this, but from what i remember, eagle wasnt using an amp.

** jlo mein's thread on new sony PCDPs: sony 915/825/725/925/1000 --> 925 (+amp) and 1000 are good.
http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showth...threadid=13001
The Quality Guru has an excellent post stating that if you're going to use an amp, get a sony with a line out, otherwise get a pana570 since it is one of the few recent PCDPs with good headphone out. this sentiment has been echoed all over the place. i personally may lean towards the pana570 because i will be getting an amp, but would like the flexibility of not *HAVING* to use one to get decent sound.
he also says that from what he's read, sony line outs are slightly more refined than others.
in his conclusion, much wisdom:
"There is no doubt about the fact that you'll be getting better sound from the used 925 and JMT combo than you will be out of any other new PCDP alone. "



my inclination of the moment: get a 570 and then save up for a nice transportable meta42 from JMT (with 843 board, power cord to plug into wall, also slot for batteries,...). by getting one player i can take everywhere, and a great amp for work/home, i'll be cutting the redundancy of 2 players and 2 amps (big JMT meta42 and a small FIXUP supermini meta)

ill edit this or post replies as i find more stuff in the archives of old threads

 

[nanahachi]

if anyone can post their thoughts on this, it would really help.

is there a tangible difference between the pana570 line out and the sony 1000/925/955? if ill be using an amp anyway, how big is the difference in sound quality going to be if i choose the pana570 over a sony that costs $50 to $100US more?

im falling asleep at work, so if that made no sense, kick me.

also, can anyone say anything about the Sony D-EJ955 ?
does it have a line out? an optical out?
sound quality out of the headphone out and line out?
any other impressions?

 

[leon]

Well the EJ2000 and EJ985 (and EJ885) are coming out shortly...

nah, I don't suppose they're to be recommended. The EJ2000 even runs on just one gumstick.

http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/av/do...3/sony5_15.jpg
http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/av/do...3/sony5_13.jpg
http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/av/do...3/sony5_14.jpg

 

[taoster]

Quote:

Originally posted by leon Well the EJ2000 and EJ985 (and EJ885) are coming out shortly... nah, I don't suppose they're to be recommended. The EJ2000 even runs on just one gumstick.

new models! cant wait.. my e885 is slowly dying on me(losing ability to track) i hope it can hold out until some killer model comes out

my ideal PCDP will run on AA (gumstick suck!), get rid off the built-in recharger and instead spend it on a killer DAC for the lineout.

 

[meithkiller]

Among others, I have all three, the D-25S, SL-CT570, and D-EJ1000. They all serve a purpose to one degree or another. If I were to pick only one of the three, it would have to be the 570 since it is the most versatile. It sounds good via line out, headphone out, it is pretty tough, and functions well for stationary or portable applications.

If I were to make the choice between owning either the EJ1000 or both the 570 and D-25S, I would pick the two and ditch the D-EJ1000. The older Sony is ideal for desktop or office situations, and will power practically anything via its headphone output, and you can always hook up an amp if you want.

I really like the D-EJ1000, having the world's smallest PCDP is a pretty cool thing, and it fits a lot of places the 570 doesn't, but having to deal with the proprietary gumstick batteries can sometimes be a pain, and it's incredibly small size makes it more fragile too. I don't feel right about tossing this around like I do my Panasonic 570. Of course if you think you might ever need a PCDP with a digital out, the 1000 would fit the bill. Don't get me wrong, I could easily live with the D-EJ1000 as my only PCDP (I do really like it), I'm just glad I don't have to.

-Keith

 

[nanahachi]

UPDATE

im so very close to ordering a panasonic 570, but still the uber thin sonys are tempting me...

what ive just discovered in the last day or so are the sony d-777 and 905. there was an auction on ebay for the 777, which ended at $206, but ive seen them for sale on the net otherwise for ~$150. i cant seem to find the 905 for sale anywhere.
EDIT: i think i probably flubbed up and in fact see the d-E777, NOT the d-777...daaaaaaaaaaaamn!

through various PMs/emails, i'm basically hearing that sound quality wise, from the head phone out, that 905 surpasses the 777, which greatly surpasses any of the new sonys 925/1000...as far as the line-out quality, i really dont know. please chime in if you know anything.

does anyone else have any input on these two players, and if they recommened either over the pana570?

im a gadget nut, and love how thin the sonys are (from 777 to the 1000), but would the extra $50-100 in price over the 570 be better invested in an amp, interconnects?

sorry to be redundant and indecisive, but im trying NOT to start a collection of PCDPs and wanna limit it to one.

thanks everyone

 

[andrzejpw]

Personally, I sort of got over my lust for the d-25s. It's definitely not a portable player, its more of a luggable player. You take it, and set it down where you need it. Although if one came along. . .

anyway, I say go for the 570. I have one(or, rather, I conned my sister into getting one for herself. . .

), and its a great little pcdp. As for the 905/777, you'll have to decide that for yourself. They both have great line outs, iirc, and their headphone outs are great for pcdps as well. But part of the reason they are so expensive is because of their "legendary" sony status. They are some of the best players sony made, and you have to pay a premium for them. Is that worth it to you?

Now, about finding a new d-777 online for $150. . .

if some place has it in stock for that price. . . GET IT.

 

[fiddler]

The CT570 is a good all-round player. It has a nice headphone out, good line out, good size, decent battery life, pretty good looking, and has the option of 10 second lossless anti-shock, which I use almost all the time.

 

[purk]

Quote:

through various PMs/emails, i'm basically hearing that sound quality wise, from the head phone out, that 905 surpasses the 777, which greatly surpasses any of the new sonys 925/1000...as far as the line-out quality, i really dont know. please chime in if you know anything. does anyone else have any input on these two players, and if they recommened either over the pana570? im a gadget nut, and love how thin the sonys are (from 777 to the 1000), but would the extra $50-100 in price over the 570 be better invested in an amp, interconnects? sorry to be redundant and indecisive, but im trying NOT to start a collection of PCDPs and wanna limit it to

Hi,
Now I can give you some comments on the D-777 and D-E905. I have both of these georgeous discmans, and believe me they worth their price tag.

To me there is no winner b/w the D-777 and D-E905 in headphone out sound quality. It is depended on what do you like...bright sounding or a warm souding pcdp. And for sure, these two are a notch or two above the CT570 (still I've not heard of it, but I'm sure that my SL-S700, and Sl-S651 are better sounding).

If you like warm sounding Discman with absolutely powerful headphone out, get the D-777. D-777 produces the punchiest bass sound of any of my discmans. Sound quality has a very liquid feel to it. Midrange is great, and soundstage is good. It has 10 Secs ESP that doesn't effect the sound quality in anyway. On the other hand, Sony D-E900/E905 has an excellent soundstage, midrange, and clarity. The bass information on the D-E900 is far from the D-777, but still very good. In additional to that, D-E900 really give you a send of air in recordings and I found this to be a very touch on this player. The D-E900 has 10 Sec ESP^2, again, when activated, doesn't effect the sound quality.

Both discmans are truely portable and has the same chasis. The difference b/w this two players are: sound quality(warmer Vs. brighter), esp type, battery rating (1000mah VS. 1400mah), 1995 vs 1998 model, and color (gray Vs. granite blue), line out (D-E900 is superior sounding to D-777's).

If you can find any of these two Discman, grab it, and you will be very happy with your puchase. You will get the best of portable listening session, and 2 of the best sounding portable Discman ever produced by Sony.

purk

 

[daycart1]

I went the both route. The d25s is perfect sitting in my office, while the CT570 is great at the gym. Either line out can sound better than the other depending on the particular CD. I haven't heard the new Sonys, but I find it convenient to have the 2 machines.