When you buy a CD player there are a few main criteria that need to be met and this CD player meets most of them. Unlike a normal MP3 player it can also play ATRAC3plus files. This is a compressed file type which gives similar sound quality to MP3, but about half the size. Put simply, you get more tracks on your CD! Like all MP3 players it can handle both recordable and re-writable CDs, as well as standard audio ones.
One feature which is very useful is the ID3 tag facility. This means that you can choose a track by its name and then see the artist and album name. This applies to both ATRAC and MP3 files. As an added extra for MP3 CDs, you can also create personalised playlists when you create the CD. Also, if you put in an audio CD with ‘CD Text’ then you can also see track names on the display.
The sound quality of the player is very good, although it doesn’t go very loud. There is a AVLS (automatic volume limiting system) which is designed to stop your ear-drum getting thrashed by too much loud music, but in my experience I’ve found that too quiet, especially on a noisy bus! If it’s bass you’re after there is a simple extra-bass and extra-extra-bass function. Unfortunately, the earphones aren’t that great so I tend not to have it on the extra-extra setting.
Battery life is absolutely staggering and one of the main reasons as to why I chose this player. It runs on two AA/LR6 batteries and can last as long as 80 hours if you’re listening to an ATRAC CD. If it’s MP3 it’s a bit less and a normal audio CD a bit more less. It can run for so long as it stores a set amount of a file from the CD into memory and then stop spinning for a while. This also acts as a shock-proof system, which incidentally is excellent. I’ve even dropped the player on the floor and it never lost its place. The player comes with a transformer too, so if you’re listening in the bedroom you can plug it into a socket and not use up battery power.
Selecting tracks is relatively easy because of the jog dial, which features in so many of Sony’s products. Simply turn the dial to select tracks and albums. As I have mentioned the player shows track names and album names so it’s easy to choose a track. Whilst playing you can also jump between albums at a press of a button. There are also the usual CD functions, which include repeat and shuffle.
Now of course as this is an MP3/ATRAC player then you need to create these CDs if you want the benefit of listening to them. The software provided will convert existing CDs into ATRAC and also MP3s into ATRAC, although I’ve heard of people having problems with some MP3s. Despite some people saying that it won’t let you put on tracks downloaded from the Internet, this is not true [so I’ve heard ;-) ] The software is easy to install, use and burns effectively. The only problem is that ATRAC files take ages to encode (which makes sense as they cram more in!) so expect to leave a 650 MB CD burning over a whole afternoon.
Priced at just over £60 when I bought it, I thought this player was an absolute bargain. Apart from the low volume, which may be a result of the earphones supplied, sound quality is very good and battery life is outstanding. The ATRAC software supplied is very easy to use and works fine on my PC. Don’t forget you must have a PC with a CD writer! I would thoroughly recommend buying this CD player as an ‘entry level’ MP3/ATRAC player as it has enough functions and good sound quality, as well as being reasonably priced.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Precision Drive 3 Mechanism for fast, stable and accurate playback Playback of DVD-RW/-R ... more
/-R DL (VR mode w/o CPRM) Playback of JPEG, MP3, AAC, WMA, Audio CD-R/RW, Super VCD discs DivX® Playback Fast / Slow Playback with Sound TV Virtual Surround (TVS) Quick Set-up M&S is a member of the WEEE Distributor Take Back Scheme. Recycling your electronic waste has never been easier! Click here for more information This product is not available for international delivery. Find out more
Postage & Packaging:£3.50 Availability:Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Breathe new life into your DVD collection. The DVPNS718H DVD player upscales your existing ... more
DVD collection to spectacular 1080p HD resolution via an HDMI connection. This DVD player is also equipped with BRAVIA Sync which gives you one-remote access
Postage & Packaging:Free Delivery Availability:3-7 days
Stay entertained for that next long flight with the durable and compact DVP-FX730R ... more
portable DVD player. With its 7"" screen and long battery life, you can enjoy more of your movies in stunning Sony color and clarity. You will also appreciate the
Postage & Packaging:Free Delivery Availability:3-7 days
Advantages: Compact with an excellent battery life and great sound quality, audio cd, mp3 and atrac compatible, the atrac cd creation software is very user friendly Disadvantages: Atrac software only works on windows pcs, not macs, included headphones feel cheap, doesn’t feel particularly robust
Nomad1970 21.12.2003 ·
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Sony CD / MP3 player
Advantages: nice design, great battery life,bookmarking,ease of use Disadvantages: No software for playing atrac cds on computer, less max volume, no equalizer
manumohan 26.01.2004 (26.01.2004)
·
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful
Review of Sony CD / MP3 player
Advantages: Good quality sound, looks good, includenots mp3 Disadvantages: slightly expensive, battery life decreased with any less than the most expensive batterys
Hsaxo 22.03.2008 (22.03.2008)
·
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of SonyCD / MP3 player
Advantages: No skipping, batteries last long, good sound system with good headphones Disadvantages: Little pricey, Buttons layed out funny, No fast foward for MP3 tracks
cyclone88 16.11.2002 ·
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of SonyCD / MP3 player
Dec 22nd, 2003
very helpful by (97%):
helpful by (3%):
