Best Portable CD player currently?
Jun 19, 2004 at 6:41 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 40
Fafner

Fafner

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What's in your opinion the best portable CD player currently available in terms of sound quality (which doesn't necessarily mean "bass")?
Currently, my "portable" equipment in based on an Iriver Slimx 550, an Emmeline XP7 headphone amp and Sennheiser's HD650 headphones. Are there better portable sources out there?
 
Jun 19, 2004 at 8:06 PM Post #2 of 40
If you are speaking of line out quality, pick up Sony D-303, D-311, and D-515. These three models are excellent w/ D-303 being the best. Sony D-303 has sound quality rivals entry level component CD player. Your SlimX is far from it. I used to have the original slimX and the sound quality is night and day in comparison to the legendary discmen. Sony D-555, D-E900, D-900, and D-777 are also very good. BTW, you can find these players from used markets like Ebay or Sell/Trade forum.
 
Jun 19, 2004 at 9:26 PM Post #3 of 40
You could do slightly better than the SlimX by going for one of the current Sony D-NE series of PCDP's. I would say if the redbook (non-MP3 CD) sound is important to you, I would pick the Sony.


But I wouldn't say the difference is worth selling the iRiver at a loss and buying the Sony. I would also say the same for the 'classic' PCDP's. I've listened and directly compared over an extended period the D-555, D-303 (borrowed), D-25S and the D-777 (borrowed) as well as a few other 'classic' PCDP's to the iMP-550. Some are actually worse than the iRiver, and that's with Shockfree enabled. And even if they are better, none are what I would consider an earth-shaking improvement, especially with the huge loss of portability in comparison to current PCDP's. You're better off saving your money for a HDD DAP to change the way you listen to music.
 
Jun 20, 2004 at 8:03 AM Post #6 of 40
John that's what I meant by changing the way you listen to music, well sort of.


An HDD DAP allows you to store if not all then a significant portion of your music library. It's amazing (to me at least) how different your listening habits become once you own a HDD DAP. But I still have the need to play back CD's and in that case I wanted the most versatile PCD player available. That happens to be the iMP-550. It's certainly not the best sounding as I outlined, but the difference is small enough for me to get over it most of the time.


As I also said, if you were buying a PCDP from scratch and it's mainly for non-MP3 CD use I'd suggest you go for the new (high-end D-NE's, but don't buy them in the UK) Sony players, but I really don't think the difference in sound is worth taking a hit by selling the iMP at a loss and replacing it with a Sony as far as the original poster of this thread is concerned.


So I view the PCDP as complimentary to a HDD DAP. You may not use it much but if you have it, it gives you the option of playing back CD's on the move. If you buy a lot of CD's while travelling like me that's useful.
 
Jun 20, 2004 at 8:38 AM Post #7 of 40
Thanls for all your suggestions! Thus, I think I'll keep my SlimX 550 for the moment...
280smile.gif
 
Jun 20, 2004 at 9:55 AM Post #8 of 40
I've got the D-NE1 and love it. I can charge it and it will run forever...
 
Jun 20, 2004 at 10:25 PM Post #9 of 40
Quote:

Originally Posted by archosman
I've got the D-NE1 and love it. I can charge it and it will run forever...


i upgrade my iriver imp400 to the dne1 adn i love it also. it takes 3 hours to charge and i can use it for the next 4-5days. the only strange thing is that the remote show the battary as full for the first 90% and then the battery run out very quickly after that.

as for the sound, it is a noticable improvement over the iriver. the treble become less harsh and there is a better instrument seperation.

i miss the iriver custom features and the various fastforward speed up to 6x though. also i never scratch my iriver once but my dne1 get new scratches daily.

certainly not the best, but it sound good, battery last long, looks nice, very slim and relatively cheap (comparing to other competitions, got mine for $135), therefore i am very happy with it right now.
 
Jun 21, 2004 at 5:07 AM Post #10 of 40
Thus, it seems that the D-NE1 is the best portable cd player currently available soundwise. For currently available I actually mean currently sold by retailers...
 
Jun 21, 2004 at 7:43 AM Post #12 of 40
Quote:

Originally Posted by terrymx
i upgrade my iriver imp400 to the dne1 adn i love it also. it takes 3 hours to charge and i can use it for the next 4-5days. the only strange thing is that the remote show the battary as full for the first 90% and then the battery run out very quickly after that.


Same here... seems to just run forever for me.

Quote:

as for the sound, it is a noticable improvement over the iriver. the treble become less harsh and there is a better instrument seperation.

i miss the iriver custom features and the various fastforward speed up to 6x though. also i never scratch my iriver once but my dne1 get new scratches daily.


Agreed on the fastforward as well. I keep mine in it's little grey bag!

Quote:

certainly not the best, but it sound good, battery last long, looks nice, very slim and relatively cheap (comparing to other competitions, got mine for $135), therefore i am very happy with it right now.


I found mine at a Tweeter here in a display case. They haven't bought another one to replace the one I got there. Guess they don't move alot due to cost.
 
Jun 22, 2004 at 4:11 PM Post #13 of 40
Following the recommendations in the review section, I just bought a D-311 from ebay. I'm curious to hear the results coming from my Emmeline XP7+HD650 combo...

I owned a D-211 for many years: it was my first cd player and I was very sad as a part went broken (the one where you put ythe cds on). And now it's considered as one of the best ever made cd players...who had guessed that? In fact, I never was as satisfied as I was with that player soundwise. And this even with cheap earphones (my amp-headphone combo is very young).
 
Jun 22, 2004 at 4:30 PM Post #14 of 40
Quote:

Originally Posted by bangraman
The NE800/NE900/N10 are slightly better is all. The reason to move from an iMP-400 is portability. From an iMP-550? The D-NE's are actually thicker.


even thought the dne1 is thinner i thought it is less portable. first off it is more fragile so i am more afraid to drop it. iriver cd players are built like tanks. second i dont like carrying it with my hadn or putting it in my pockets since usually its already filled up. they didnt some with a carrying pouch where you can strap to your belt, iriver did.otection includes.

but i know that most people hate that belt pouch with their guts, i like it though. i bought myself a $25 sony belt pouch for my dne1 but it was too big and goofy and was purple. it had its own belt that was 3inches in width and i had to cut it off.
 
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