[gloco]

Ok, i own this piece of garbage, and i think it sounds terrible. Why do you guys think this actually sounds good? Do you use it specifically with an amp (i dont have one yet, so maybe my POV might change) or do you use it directly with a pair of cans ( i assume it would sound worlds better with an amp). I find it to unable to drive my cans to LOUD levels (in comparison to my Sony discman) and it just sounds grainy and lifeless compared to my Sony DE561. Which by the way has a 15mw jack, and it sounds sweet with the bass extension turned off. Just curious to know how and why many folks on this forum think this Panasonic player actually sounds good. Thoughts are appreciated!

George

 

[Eagle_Driver]

Well, I can't tolerate even 0.0005mW - it's still way too loud for me!

And BTW, the only "good"-sounding PCDPs skip all too easily even with a feather touch! AARRRGH! If that's the case, and those "good"-sounding PCDPs must be left completely stationary just to be even usable, then you're better off with a non-portable unit.

 

[cdub]

how does the 470 compare to the 570? Is the 570 better or worse? Does anyone know if the 470 and 476j are the same machines except for the remote and "jogging" accessories? Help...

 

[Eagle_Driver]

gloco, I can't recommend any of the Sonys made since 1996 at this time. Granted, PCDPs have been more trouble-prone than home CDPs, but an alarmingly high percentage of Sony PCDPs sold in the past five years have had all different sorts of reliability problems (versus Panasonics and other major brands), such as their headphone jacks cutting out on one or both channels, or their players stopping play in mid-disc for no reason whatsoever (and with very fresh batteries, at that), or their mechanics making an annoyingly high amount of noise and vibration - and those Sony models that have proved reliable sound even more grainy and lifeless than the Panasonic CT470 that you disliked. And the worst part about the reliability of recent Sony PCDPs is that even when the labor part of their warranty has just expired (even by just one day), you'll have to pay almost as much as a brand-new unit just for labor charges! AAAARRRRRRGHHHH!!!

Oh, BTW, gloco, what color is your 470? From what I've heard the 470A (blue lid) sounds grainier and more lifeless than the plain 470 (silver lid). The "crappy" 470 is the one with the blue lid; the "good" 470, silver.

 

[Gluegun]

Through an easy to drive set of headphones like the Koss KSC-35's, my silver american version of the Panasonic SL-CT470 IS AWESOME!!

Not hissy, it gets loud, has a nice, big soundstage, detailed, the sound compliments those headphones well, has great features, a nice antiskip, etc. etc.

Is your version working properly?

 

[Deuce_Bigalow]

I had the blue Panasonic 470 so that might be why it sounded so much worse than my Sony D-E446CK. The biggest advantage is that the Sony is a lot more durable. The Panasonic is really light and cheaply made and it broke completely after one fall to the floor. The Sony took a lot more than that. When the D-EJ__ models all came out that was when the reliability problems with Sony PCD's started. The headphone jack problem and all of that. My Sony has never once turned off on its own except when it smashed on the floor and the battery fell out.

I do recommend most of the Sony's made around 1997-99 era. Or better yet, the best one is the D-777. The D-E301 which Eagle Driver had did have a problem where the lid switch would start to not contact and it would shut off on its own. Some had this problem and some didn't, I talked to people who fixed it themselves with no problem.

I wouldn't buy any of the new pcd's, Panasonic or Sony they all look cheap to me, and are built cheaper. I'm gonna try and make my old one last a few years longer.

 

[Gluegun]

I have the D-E301 and the CT470.

They seem about as durable as each other, both fairly plasticky/cheaply made....

The Sony is brighter and more powerful, but I think it hums more. The Pana also reads damaged disks better.

 

[Eagle_Driver]

One more thing, I did borrow a Sony D-E441 from a friend, and forget about using that unit on the move! It skipped repeatedly during a slow walk even with the ESP2 turned on!

 

[Gluegun]

Anyways, I emailed the five stores that appeared to have the CT470 for cheapest at shopping.yahoo.com to find out which still was taking orders for the damn thing!!

We'll see what turns up.

 

[gloco]

Quote:

Originally posted by Eagle_Driver gloco, I can't recommend any of the Sonys made since 1996 at this time. Granted, PCDPs have been more trouble-prone than home CDPs, but an alarmingly high percentage of Sony PCDPs sold in the past five years have had all different sorts of reliability problems (versus Panasonics and other major brands), such as their headphone jacks cutting out on one or both channels, or their players stopping play in mid-disc for no reason whatsoever (and with very fresh batteries, at that), or their mechanics making an annoyingly high amount of noise and vibration - and those Sony models that have proved reliable sound even more grainy and lifeless than the Panasonic CT470 that you disliked. And the worst part about the reliability of recent Sony PCDPs is that even when the labor part of their warranty has just expired (even by just one day), you'll have to pay almost as much as a brand-new unit just for labor charges! AAAARRRRRRGHHHH!!! Oh, BTW, gloco, what color is your 470? From what I've heard the 470A (blue lid) sounds grainier and more lifeless than the plain 470 (silver lid). The "crappy" 470 is the one with the blue lid; the "good" 470, silver.

How the heck can a company design a PCDP and it can differ just based on the color? Mines blue by the way

I definitely believe the defective or very poor quality of the Sony discmans. Mine skips like a person but still sounds much better than the 470. However i use a Sony MD when on the go and have never experienced problems with it (at least not skipping). But its really bothering me right now that sound quality can differ between two identical models, the only difference being color of the lid. We need some new blood in the PCDP market. Just give me a 20mW jack and no skipping, AND resume play and i'l be happy.

George

 

[Eagle_Driver]

Quote:

Originally posted by gloco How the heck can a company design a PCDP and it can differ just based on the color?

Apparently, that's the same thing Sennheiser has been doing when that company came up with the HD 490 and HD 495 headphones! The 490 sounds dark and boomy; the 495, neutral (as in being a smaller version of those famous HD 580s).

 

[Gluegun]

Yea, it seems to be the 470 and the 470a or something.....

and the wierd one is blue, and more expensive, and, of course, it sucks.

 

[Eagle_Driver]

Gluegun: When I bought my CT470 last week, I was very lucky to get the "good" silver one. The next unit behind it was the "crappy" blue CT470A.

 

[gloco]

AHHHH..very pissed now. I cant believe i got stuck with this pile of crap. lol. Eagle Driver the problem i have is that the 470 blue and silver have the same model# therefore should have the same guts, sounds very fishy to me.

George

 

[Eagle_Driver]

gloco, that just makes me wonder if the headphone op-amps used in my CT470 and your CT470A are really the same... I guess not.

The blue CT470A, from hearsay, sounds much like the SL-SW860 Shockwave Metal PCDP - which means that both models are overpriced for what you get! At the same store where I bought my silver CT470, I found an SL-SW860 selling for the same price! LOL! Someone back at HeadWize had compared 11 PCDPs (the RS CD-3904 and CD-3905; the Sony D-EJ825, D-EJ925 and D-EJ01; the Panasonic SL-CT470, SL-CT470A, SL-CT476J, SL-CT570, SL-CT580 and SL-SW860) - and kept one of the silver CT470s.