[chillysalsa]

OK, my friend is in the market for a good MP3 CD player. Which are the best quality for the lowest cost. Looking for the most anit-skip and smallest size on a budget. Headphone power and sound quality not that critical.

Currently they were considering the Panasonic SL-MP35.

Are there better offerings from RioVolt, Sony, or iRiver at the same price? ($80-100)

 

[skagen]

For the money, I like the Sony DC-JO1 for anti-skip, sound and physical durability. It is actually not that heavy too.

Some who have tried the I-river 350 swear by it, but it seems that the battery life on that unit is somewhat short.

One key thing is that the Sony also has the advantage of being able to swap in either AA rechargibles or alkalines internally, without using that annoying external battery pack. That accounts for the extra thickness of the Sony, but still it is not that heavy (7oz I think).

Also, the Sony has display and full set of controls on the main unit. The US version doesn't come with a remote but you can buy one and add it. Or you can buy the Japanese version that comes with remote. www.audiocubes.com sells that. The I-river has display only on the remote and a limted set of controls on the main unit.

I think Sony also just announced a new version of the DC-J01 that goes by a different series of model number. Someone here may know what that new model # is. That probably also means MORE discounting on the old model....

 

[ssblood]

Also, the sony doesn't have upgradable firmware, doesn't have the snake game, has alot of problems playing vbr mp3s. Search the forums for a comparison.

 

[jpelg]

If you plan to use a separate, portable amp, the Sony has a better line-out.