[fredpb]

What happened to Philips? I have the eXpanium MP3/CD player with line out and it sounds pretty good with line out and a headphone amp. But it's the original model.

 

[Eagle_Driver]

As I said, I currently have no interest whatsoever in the MP3-CD players. But all of the Music CD-only Philips players (Magnavox has been re-introduced as Philips' value-oriented brand) that I've seen have no line-out at all whatsoever.

 

[Eagle_Driver]

The reason I started this thread is that I wanted my top-of-the-line PCDP to be everything. But as I found out for myself, PCDPs are full of compromises. Some have a good (or great) line-out but a crappy headphone-out; some have a reasonably good headphone-out but a mediocre line-out; and still others have no line-out at all whatsoever (but the headphone out of those line-out-less PCDPs vary all over the map).

And I tried my Etymotic ER-4S canalphones on my *broken* silver Panasonic SL-CT470... What a piece of crap its headphone out really is!! With lesser-sounding headphones, I never heard any clipping distortion even at maximum volume. But when I used the Etys, I can clearly hear the clipping distortion from the CT470 at volume levels past 8/10.

As a matter of fact, almost EVERY PCDP distorts at their headphone jacks with their volume control cranked up past 75-80%. So maybe Sony isn't so crappy, after all.

Thus, I don't need no new f**kin' PCDP! I will use my D-EJ721 if I don't feel like carrying an amp - and reserve my D-EJ1000 for those times when I want great sound with an amp.

 

[purk]

Eagle,
Well...now you know... Enjoy the E-J1000's line out.

Purk

 

[Eagle_Driver]

Gah. I hate it when it's very difficult to find those "gumstick" rechargeable batteries from any company. Sony, for two replacement NiMH batteries, charges an astronomical $77 plus tax and shipping!!

And their NiCDs cost $25 plus tax and shipping. (I was unable to find any such batteries at the Sony Gallery - they don't stock those Walkman rechargeable batteries at all; I would have to order them directly from Sony's parts department.) And with the D-EJ1000, carrying that wand that passes for an "AA battery case" is extremely cumbersome.

So, it's back to square one again for my search for a replacement PCDP.

 

[Trawlerman]

In the same boat here.

Got a DE-J955 because I wanted the convenience of being able to take CD's out on the road with me. I was getting fed up of MD and having to record everything to MD first.

Big mistake. The DE-J955 is like the cowardly lion in Wizrd of Oz. Full of bravado on the outside but full of piss and wind on the inside. Skips more times than a little girl with a length of rope and has a really crappy headphone amp. Absolutely, no balls at all.

Next up a Pannasonic 790. Perhaps a little better bit still waaay.... short of the performance I expect for a relatively high-end (price-wise) PCDP. Ergonomic really suck and a cheap and nasty remote. Glad I didn't pay full price - got it from work on a staff discount.


Picked up an old Sony D-141 from EBAY for £28 that sound suprisingly better than both the 955 and the 790. Skips really bad on the public transport though and not really suitable for the everyday rigours of commuting back and forward to work everyday.


Well... I've now gone full circle and have gone back to my trusty MZR900. I'm sorta happy again... But... the new MZ-N1 looks particularly nice.




Sound As Ever
Listening to Sweethearts Dance - Pam Tillis

 

[gloco]

Quote:

Originally posted by Eagle_Driver Gah. I hate it when it's very difficult to find those "gumstick" rechargeable batteries from any company. Sony, for two replacement NiMH batteries, charges an astronomical $77 plus tax and shipping!! And their NiCDs cost $25 plus tax and shipping. (I was unable to find any such batteries at the Sony Gallery - they don't stock those Walkman rechargeable batteries at all; I would have to order them directly from Sony's parts department.) And with the D-EJ1000, carrying that wand that passes for an "AA battery case" is extremely cumbersome. So, it's back to square one again for my search for a replacement PCDP.

I could buy a NiMH gumstick for $15-20 in chinatown, then the NH-14WM model (1400mAh) goes for $30 or less. I have like 5 or 6 gumsticks around the house

 

[taoster]

Quote:

Originally posted by Eagle_Driver Oh, BTW, my D-EJ1000 never came close to its rated 115-hour battery life with both the internal rechargeables and the external AA alkalines used simultaneously. Its actual battery life is only about half as long as the claim.

try it with the volume turned down to zerio.

I hear your pain Eagle_Driver. my Sony DE-885 is showing signs of age and on occassions refuses to read CDs.. some kind of mechanical failure. Looking at the available CDP market is awful, shameful. There doesnt seems to be anything decent for sound enthusiast like us out there.

 

[Eagle_Driver]

Quote:

Originally posted by gloco I could buy a NiMH gumstick for $15-20 in chinatown, then the NH-14WM model (1400mAh) goes for $30 or less. I have like 5 or 6 gumsticks around the house

Well, my quoted prices are for two gumstick cells combined. Your quoted prices are for each cell.

 

[purk]

Eagle,
If you check in Ebay, you might can find the NiMH 14wm for around 12 dollars + shipping cost. Not bad though.....

Purk

 

[divie23]

Say you only want a portable for the line out for strict use with an amp, however an OK head out would be preferable too. Then what would be your best bet from the latest sony and panasonic line???

man, i'm a sucker for the looks of the pana 790

 

[Eagle_Driver]

Quote:

Originally posted by divie23 Say you only want a portable for the line out for strict use with an amp, however an OK head out would be preferable too. Then what would be your best bet from the latest sony and panasonic line???

I can't make any recommendations from either brand at this time. It seems as though the two major PCDP manufacturers are making their headphone-outs crappier and crappier-sounding with each new generation. And some of those feeble-sounding headphone-outs can barely drive even the cheapo headphones that come bundled with the players!

How craptacular can they get?

Quote:

man, i'm a sucker for the looks of the pana 790

Meh, if you buy that model, then don't get the "cheapened" U.S./Canadian-market version! The version legitimately sold in North America has no line-out at all whatsoever, and there are no displays or secondary controls on the unit itself (only on the remote). That means it's a pain in the @$$ to connect a dedicated headphone amp to the American/Canadian CT790: You'll have to connect the remote to the PCDP, then you'll have to somehow connect the cable from the headphone amp to the CT790's remote (and some cables, such as the straightwire that comes with my Total Airhead, are simply too ********* short to reach the remote if I'm going to clip that remote to my shirt), and finally connect the headphones to the amp.

OTOH, you're in the UK, aren't you? Then you'll get the version with the line/optical-out.

 

[Duncan]

NH14WM batteries are sold in the UK for about $10 each

Its funny, the transports on newer players must be really up to crap... My E905, even without ESP2 on doesn't skip when in my pocket walking along, and only does occasionally whilst using public transport... kick in the ESP2, and its as solid as a rock!!

The EJ1000 never skips either (reference Trawlermans probs with the EJ955)... Maybe I just have good luck with my equipment?!?

 

[Eagle_Driver]

My EJ1000 skips only when I let it bounce around uncontrollably inside my PCDP bag (which, incidentally, had been designed for larger, bulkier PCDPs).

BTW, I'm re-testing the battery life/run time between charges of my D-EJ1000, with only the internal rechargeable batteries and with only the remote connected to the player (no headphones). So far, it's going strong after more than 18 hours of continuous run-time. (I set the player on Repeat Entire Disc until the batteries run down.) Under this operating condition, it's very possible that I'll get anywhere close to the 41 hours of run-time that Sony claims (for only the internal rechargeables, according to the owner's manual).

 

[divie23]

eagle, yep i'm in the UK so the 790 would have a line out here. however, i saw the model at a store today and i wan't impressed with the flimsy build quality of the 790. IMO the sony 955, was much sturdier. it said it had an optical out but what about a bog standard analog line out? Or do I just use the connector designed for the remote but without the remote of course?