[Mystyler]

I really don't know what to do here.
Both my D-173s are acting up, and that really pisses me off, having skips every 10 secs in my music. One refuses to start sometimes.

I've grown to like this PCDP, nice size, not too heavy, good for the odd short listen - I use my MD units 99.9% of the time. But if I don't get that .1% of CD listening, I will go nucking futs. Sometimes I just need to listen to a CD on the go, or in another room which doesn't have a CD player.

So what should I do? I don't want to spend too much, I don't care for 100+hrs playback (I'll be using AC most of the time), don't care if it is shiny metal/dull plastic made in Japan or made in Malaysia. Gotta sound good (but not like a high-end CD deck, just an honest, good PCDP), go LOUD and preferably another Sony or a Panasonic. Do Sharp make decent PCPDs? No cheapie $40 Akai PCDPs thanks!

Something that sounds good, seperate line out (optical might be nice, but not req'd), CD-R and CD-RW playback might be nice, but not req'd, no remote req'd, don't care about any fancy-shmansie LCDs, track, track time, bass and battery is good enough for me, ESP is not required, perhaps "old school" looks would be good (can't stand the DE-J75X, too round!), something that would take the BP-DM20 battery, since I just spent $40 on a new one.

If it can't, so be it. Not online if I can help it.

Gotta be new too - don't care how old really. Limit maybe $150-$200AUD.
($75-$100US)
For reference, a Sony DE351 (most basic Sony) has a SRP of $185AUD, and looks like my D-173.

Is this too tough? Should I increase my budget? HELP

 

[Flasken]

Get a D25S. I know it's used but nothing else really fits your purpose and price. Forget using it portably (why not just use your md for this?) - but as a transportable unit it's suppose to be grrreat.

Russ did a featured review with pics. Check it out.

 

[Eagle_Driver]

Unfortunately, among currently-marketed models, those that have the "old school looks" and have all of the features that you want don't exist. Unless you can find a used or refurbished old model, all of the current-model portable CD players that have "old school looks" have no line out at all whatsoever - only a headphones-out; and all of those current players that have a line-out are all round in shape.

 

[Flasken]

[edt]

 

[Mystyler]

D'oh.

What if I increased my budget?
Otherwise, I might have to go to Cash Converters and see if they have anything...

EDIT: Hmm, while that D-25 looks **sweet** I think that'll be overkill for what I'll use it for.

So what about any recent PCDPs? The CT570/590 or whatever from Panasonic? The one at Audiocubes. Or the DE-J855?

EDIT EDIT: Any of these anygood? I think people here have said the 490 is...

Panasonic PCDPs

 

[lini]

Mystyler: I'd recommend to check the Grundig Squixx CDP4101 AS10 - good sound, no-nonsense design, 2x 15 mW, 10s uncompressed anti-shock, separate line-out, nice price...

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini

 

[myself, aka me]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=1387442333

If you can find a friend in Canada, it's a D35

 

[Mystyler]

Thanks lini, but the only Grundig PCPD at their AU site was some CD/MP3 playback tacky plastic thing.
It did have 9 band EQ, though...

me, that D35 still looks like overkill. I need something basic, with line out.
Again, what about any of those Panasonic PCDPs?

 

[Mystyler]

Anyone else care to comment?

 

[leon]

Well I was going to suggest some used Panasonic, but I noticed the "gotta be new" requirement, so good luck

Some would argue that earlier Panasonic PCDPs are too muffled, and they have become "clearer" every year since I first heard them (1996), but I really don't have much affection for any Panasonic from 1999 on. They always seem to be lacking something in their sound, both compared to Panasonic cassette/MD portables and other portables. I didn't like my CT430(470), and don't like my CT780 for listening; it's only used for optical/line out these days.

Plus - an increasingly important concern - the perceived quality (construction, buttons, hiss from phones jack, defaulting to S-XBS on every time you remove power...) have really fallen over the past couple years.

It's like listening to an okay album by your favourite band, knowing they can be better, but also realising that they're very, very good given the current context.

Can you still find a CT570?

 

[andrzejpw]

yeah, a 570 sounds nice for you. Btw, what do you mean by the d25 being overkill? I mean, its around $60-70 with an ac adapter. . .

 

[purk]

Hi,
I would think the Panasonic 570 will fit your bill/requirements nicely. Leave the older PCDP alone if your portability issues are important. Still, the panasonic 570 is nothing likes the older/much better sounding pcdps.

Purk

 

[Mystyler]

Well, gotta be new doesn't mean "new new". I can find all sorts of wonderful stuff that are new but have been sitting on the shelf for years.

Anyone got a pic of a 570, so I know what to look for?

andrzejpw, the reason the D25 is overkill, is that ot would be WAY to hard to find here in Oz, and the $AUD isn't that strong against the $US.

I am sure the D25 is a great machine, but for the little amount of time I spend listing to my PCDP, it looks "too good". Still, I know I love fancy gadgets.

Purk, it might not sound as good as older, better PCPDs, but I've never heard much else besides my D-173s, so I'm not "missing" anything.

 

[leon]

When I say used I mean, used used.

Pics of the CT570 (the actual thing is prettier):
http://www.epinions.com/elec-Audio-P...sonic_SL-CT570
http://www.teleplus.ca/cd.htm (bottom of page)

Having recommended that, I don't know if Panasonic ever sold the model in Australia (I've got an issue of Juice from last year, and the Panasonic ad inside implied that they never gave you guys the CT780). Good luck!

 

[Mystyler]

I may have seen that in the store where I got me MR200 serviced! Thanks for those links, I may have to go and pay the service centre a visit.

Well, this seems pretty used used:
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI....tem=1387749937

Should I? Any quirks with this? $49=~$25US...yes, it is old and possibly "overkill", but hell, I can get this, and get it cheap cheap. Must be good, has a gold box.

But looks cheaper compared to the D-25! What's with that? (Why can't I be looking for a new MD?? PCDP is a whole new language

)