Panasonic CD / MP3 player > Reviews (3)

Whenever I’ve had to choose a CD player like this, for me or for a present, the first thing I look at is the battery time. This is what first led me to this player, it advertises 30+ hours of CD playback and 48 hours of mp3 playback (these are for non-stop playback, with no skipping. Using the skip a lot will reduce battery time and giving it resting time between playbacks increases battery time.) Those numbers seemed pretty amazing to me from just 2AA batteries. So I bought it....

The round shape looks great and I can’t see how a CD player could get much smaller. It feels very well built, and it takes very big bumps (unusually big) to get it to skip. The remote control is useful for whenever you are carrying it around in your pocket or a bag and don’t want to have to reach into your pocket and fumble around for the buttons... and then pressing the wrong one. It comes as a kind of half lead, with a connector in the one end that you plug the headphones in so that you can use different pairs with it. A good feature as the free headphones aren’t the best, and you will probably be better using your own pair.

It takes only a few seconds to scan an mp3 disc, even if there are over 100 tracks on there. Coupled with the extended battery time this means it gives you a big advantage over the standard CD only players. Sound quality is excellent, there is a selection of preset EQs that you can use for different music styles, and a very good bass boost. It has different play modes, such as loop, program and random for if you get bored of the standard running order. All the functions are easy to access and use, and the instructions are easy to follow if you have any trouble.

The only disadvantage that I’ve found, apart from the headphones, is the random function. On my player it seems to play loops of 3 or 4 songs every now and again, and I can’t see why. It can be funny if you think about it.... or maybe not.

It costs around £60 in the shops which represents excellent value, especially with the saving you make on batteries. There are similar models available with almost the same features but no remote for around £10 less if you’re happy to use only the buttons on the player.

If you need a CD/mp3 player for under £100 then this is one you should definitely consider buying.