[Eagle_Driver]

Today I went to Tweeter at Harlem Ave. & Lake Street in River Forest (yep, it's a recently-opened Tweeter store there, at the west terminal of the CTA's Green Line L) - and I pondered over three PCDPs (I am planning to replace my Panasonic SL-CT470 that's been stopping disc play due to a spring that's pushing up on its plastic lid very close to where the lid-activated switch is located at - if I moved even slightly while I have the CT470 in my case, somehow the disc would pause and stop and resume playing even though I have the Hold switch activated): the Panasonic SL-CT790 ($149.99), the Sony D-EJ855 ($149.99) and the Sony D-EJ1000 ($199.99).

After pondering for an hour I've eliminated the Panasonic - it has no line-out jack whatsoever (on U.S. and Canadian market models), only a headphone-out. (And as with most other Panasonic PCDPs with no line-out, that headphone out itself is really crappy-sounding.) Also, its hinge uses the same crappy exposed-spring mechanism that is also located next to the CT790's lid-activated switch, so I may have the same problems of pausing and stopping.

But I have an even tougher time deciding between the two Sonys: The D-EJ855 has no charging stand, but claims the same 92-hour battery life as the D-EJ955 (not distributed in the U.S.), and it is kinda cool-looking - it has a translucent lid made of soft plastic and is surrounded in blue. That makes it more bump-resistant than the PCDP that I eventually bought, the D-EJ1000. So, the D-EJ855 is the better choice of the two high-end Sony CD Walkman players if you tend to treat your PCDPs a little harshly.

The D-EJ1000 won me over with its metal-cast lid, a charging stand and a pair of NH-14WM batteries that are supposed to run over 40 hours between charges (the D-EJ855 comes with a pair of NC-6WM batteries rated for about 18 hours between charges). (Note that their advertised battery-life claim assumes that you'll be using both the internal rechargeables and the external AA alkalines simultaneously - both players claim 71-hour battery life with just the two external AA alkalines in an external battery case.)

Both players come with a stick remote (the same remote as last year's D-EJ825 and D-EJ925); the 855's isn't backlit, while the 1000's is. And both claim to be CD-R and CD-RW compatible.

I am currently charging the NH-14WM batteries, and then listen to the D-EJ1000. I will post my impressions shortly, followed in a few days by a full review (with a comparison to my other Sony, the D-EJ721, and my rickety Panasonic SL-CT470).

cya l8r

Randy

 

[puck]

wow, i can't wait to read a comparison between the sony and panasonic. i have been waiting for a long time for someone to do this but most people here either go only sony, only panasonic, or just bash one or the other without ever actually comparing them.

 

[leon]

Always lovely to have a Head-Fier review something for us.. thanks in advance!

Eagle_Driver, My CT430 (looks identical to the 470 but with less anti-shock and adds an optical out) also suffers from the same symptoms. My solution was to stick paper into the slot where the lid-activated switch is. That way, I have to power off manually whenever I change CDs, but seems to be a good solution otherwise

I took it apart once, which is probably why it's having this problem. *throws my CT780 around like a frisbee*

 

[Eagle_Driver]

Compared to my Panasonic SL-CT470, the Sony D-EJ1000 seems to be louder and a bit laid-back at the same time - and it distorts past half volume when I used earbuds with it. (I have no problems whatsoever when I used full-size headphones with the D-EJ1000.) I think Sony may have screwed around with the gain of its headphone op-amp in its newest CD Walkman players, given its 5mW per channel rating.

That said, I will still give it some more time before I will give it a definite thumbs up or down. So far, the D-EJ1000 works much better with full-size headphones than with small earbuds.

 

[JVOBIKER]

I recently bought the D-EJ955 but I don't suggest anyone spends money on it because it had a problem with the highs. I would hear this high pitched rattling sound as if it was coming from a speaker that wasn't sitting on the ground properly. I checked out some reviews for it at amazon.co.uk (it is not out in the US right now) and someone else mentioned the same problem. I hope the 1000 doesn't have the same problem.

 

[acidtripwow]

I also recently picked up a Sony D-EJ1000. It's a nice little player that has pretty good sound out of the line out. I tried it from the headphone out with the Sony 888 earbuds and did not hear any distortion even at loud volumes. I also checked out the Pan 790 at Tweeter and also didn't buy it because it has no line out. That's crazy for a PCDP in that price range.

 

[Duncan]

Quote:

Originally posted by Eagle_Driver That said, I will still give it some more time before I will give it a definite thumbs up or down. So far, the D-EJ1000 works much better with full-size headphones than with small earbuds.

Exactly my thoughts Eagle, I posted exactly the same comments about 3 weeks ago, I'm glad that for once, someone here agrees with me about something

I hope you like it, and anticipate your review

 

[Eagle_Driver]

One minor problem with my D-EJ1000 sample: The headphone out distorts at volume settings above 18/30 with 16-ohm earbuds (such as the Sony MDR-E888LP, MDR-EX70LP and MDR-A44L) - and the headphone amp is rated at 5mW per channel at 16 ohms. Yet the maximum usable output with extremely low impedance headphones isn't as high as my D-EJ721. The D-EJ1000's usability with 32-ohm or higher headphones, however, is a different story. I tried my Sennheiser MX 500 earbuds on the D-EJ1000 - and I couldn't get the combo to distort until I cranked the D-EJ1000's volume control up so that the MX 500's produced ear-bleeding volumes.

Bottom line (at least as far as my D-EJ1000 sample is concerned): Be careful with the volume control if you use headphones lower than 32 ohms impedance. (This applies only if you want very loud volumes with little distortion - and the D-EJ1000's op-amp can't handle the relatively high current needed for such extremely low impedance headphones.)

 

[impoeticpoet]

But, Eagle_Driver, is it the best PCDP you've ever used? I have a CT570, and it sounds better than anything I've heard before: worth every penny I payed.

 

[Duncan]

line out... probably, seems level with me E905...

Headphone out... YES, to a point ~ with FULL SIZED headphones, it adds loads of warmth to what is normally a sterile sound from PCDPs, sounds really good

With earbuds though, it blows, anything over 3 years old will sound better, but Eagle has explained that already

So, depends on your application....

 

[Eagle_Driver]

I am posting this link to my review of the D-EJ1000:

Sony D-EJ1000 Review by Eagle_Driver

I am closing this thread, so that Head-Fiers will be responding to the review thread (and not this one).