My Sony D311 was sold to me by vwap a couple of weeks back. It came NIB. Not a scratch on the unit, nor did it looked like it ever had been used. It came with everything you need for the unit less a carrying case. The whole cd player is made up of metal and has a very solid feel to it. The lower portion of the player and the top shell is of a cifferent color and finish. Somehow or rather, this player does not look as good in pictures as it is in person. As I mentioned it is of solid feel, much like the D303 although it's top shell opening mechanism operates much smoother than my previous D303. However, the DZ555 is by far the best built and most solid cd player.
How does it sound? Great! Through my Koss KSC ear clips they sound quite fantastic, although I'm quite sure they would sound much better if I had better headphones. I'll be comparing the Sony D311 with my Girlfriend's Panasonic SL-SX500 which has faithfully served her for more than 4 years now.
Test Source:
Bet.e & Stef - Day by Day
Pat Metheny Trio - Live
Bet.e & Stef – Day by Day
5. I’m There
I choose this track as it’s the first single from the Day by Day album. Hopefully people will be able to identify with the song.
On this song the D311 produced very articulate bass. It was also very musical and has a very wide soundstage. The separation of voices from the guitar and bass was clear and not cluttered. The D311 also has a very fast attack, making it very musical.
The Panasonic SL-SX500 was brighter and less warm and in my opinion just a little more brittle. Its bass was also more bloated It also seemed have a pace slower in its attack However it has an equally wide soundstage.
I then decided to try the D311 w/ bass boost as suggested by Duncan. Immediately I noticed what seemed to be wider soundstage. There seemed to be much more ‘black space’ present. The bass also seemed to have more just a little extension and depth, it also enjoyed more presence. Yet it was more articulate. The bass boost also made it much more musical and has surprisingly good rhythm.
To my disappointment the SL-SX500 w/ bass boost had a cluttered soundstage, it also seemed more distance and less involving. The bass was also murky but deep.
For the 2 tracks I choose to use D311 w/ Bass boost at level 2 and no bass boost with the SL-SX500 as it was just too boomy and murky to analyze the music.
Pat Metheny
1.James
On this track the D311 has a good bass presence. Once again it was deep and articulate. It presented good treble, very warm and sweet sound. You can hear the pleasant clash of cymbals in the background. It emitted very good soundstaging and once again a very warm midrange. It has a good attack in its rhythm and was much warmer than the SL-SX500
The SL-SX500 has cooler sound, smaller soundstage, less bass presence. However it had a good analytical midrange but IMO made it less musical.
The Bat
This is one of my favourite tracks on the Live album. The D311 produced a very dark and warm midrange that was perfect for the song. The recording on this track was particularly good and you could hear the ability of the D311 to reproduce detail. With the deep bass presence you can ‘feel’ the physical pulling of the strings. Every minute detail was present even the slight circling rattle of the snarl drum. The soundstage was also very wide and mentioned above, more ‘dark space’
The SL-SX500 had again a more analytical and brittle sound, yet one could hear a loss of detail too. As I didn’t use bass boost the bass presence was almost non-existent compared to the D311. But it’s expected as I was using bass boost on the D311.
In conclusion, I find myself a very happy camper with my D311. I love its warm musical sound and wide soundstage. Its powerful headphone output also makes it compatible with a lot of headphones. I’d recommend anyone who can find one to get one.
Although I might seem very negative towards the SL-SX500, I do like the player a lot. Once just went for around USD$45~ on ebay, making a good candidate for portable uses. It has a 40 second anti-shock memory and is of good built. Unless you’re doing A/B test with other legendary cd players and are very fussy about getting the best this player would more than suffice. I do think it would give the D777 a run for it’s money. It’s still a great sounding player but I like the D311 more.
Box
Accessories List
Front
Inside
Headphone + Line Out
Rear DC Connector
Battery Pack
Remote
