Sony D-FJ61 Portable CD Player Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This summer, I was telling my eleven-year old niece that it would be nice to have a cd and fm walkman in one. She looked at me like I was so out of it and told me it already existed.
Well, you know Sony would be responsible! I absolutely love my walkman!! I have owned several models over the years and the more Sony builds, the better they become. This model does not skip at all and mine has been through the gym and on hikes! When you get tired of the disc, you just switch over to the tuner. You have the option to program stations (not a new feature of course) and they come in crystal clear. I just love the option, especially when you are planning on extended use.
Very durable as usual and a nice strap to slip over your hand for easy/secure handling.
Sony equates quality!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Sony D-FJ61 Portable CD Player

Click here for more information about Sony D-FJ61 Portable CD Player

Read More...

Sony D-NF340 CD Walkman & MP3 Player w/FM Tuner Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)After searching the net for a day, this was the best CD player I could find. I bought the unit as a backup for my (still functioning well) Sony DNF-430, a unit I'm in love with but I am concerned that when it eventually dies (as we all must), there will no longer be a decent standard CD player at all.
This unit seems to be the successor to the 430. Several improvements have been made over the 430:
It uses 2 batteries instead of 1 for longer play between battery swaps
The controls are much better -- transport function controls that were twitchy on the 430 are larger and better laid out
The remote is easier to use, and the controls are laid out identically to those on the top of the player
It "remembers" where you left off playing a CD and starts from there after being stopped OR (new) even after the door has been opened
The display is much easier to read, especially from an angle
The case seems more solid
The price has been substantially reduced
On the downside vs 430:
Maximum volume not quite as loud as the 430, and very high or very low frequencies are not rendered quite as well
The weather, AM radio, and analog TV receivers have been dropped (doubt many used these functions)
The LCD readout of song titles and artists on regular CDs is gone
No ATRACS (Sony's old compression scheme that had no real advantage over MP3s)
The parametric equalizer is gone (really only useful with low quality headphones)
The body is noticably heavier and larger both in thickness and diameter
The transport buttons are much easier to accidentally press when carrying it about as a portable (use the "hold" button underneath to prevent this).
The remote connector has changed, so only the remote that comes with the unit may be used
Cheezy earbuds and a car cassette adaptor are no longer included
Like the DNF430, the transport mechanism is a bit noisy, although no louder than the sound leakage you would get with good open-air headphones (recommended). No AC power adaptor is included, but there is provision for plugging in separately purchased 4.5 volt AC or car DC adaptor. And opening the lid to change CDs is still a bit awkward. The anti-skip mechanism still works flawlessly.
The important thing, the reason for the five stars, is the sound quality. While sonically not quite up to the DNF430, you still can plug in a pair of good headphones like the Grado SR80 and you've got yourself a personal sound system that rivals a good home theater setup. Other reviewers have spoken of "muddy sound" and "hiss"; I can detect none such. The low distortion and high frequency range does reveal flaws in source material that are not evident when that material is played on a lesser unit. On the other hand, I have heard distinct background playing (eg., a trumpet way down in the mix of a Grateful Dead song, the sound of a pick against guitar strings) I'd never heard on lesser players. When playing big band or orchestra CDs, it individuates instruments so you hear each distinctly instead of a single smear of orchesteral sound. This all refers to standard CD's. I do not use the FM or MP3 features. If you care about good sound, you realize that MP3 compression degrades sound.
Bottom line: for car or personal listening of standard or burned CDs while not too active, this is a wonderful device. While the size, weight, and easily triggered controls make it less than ideal for physically active listening (I still listen to my hearty old Panasonic while working in the garden), it is still quite serviceable in that mode.
I think Sony made a lot of sensible design decisions here, and I hope they sell enough of these to make it worthwhile to keep manufacturing them.

Update after 30 months of (frequent) use:
Just to let you know: it's still going strong. Since my initial review, I've gone through 3 CD players I bought as kinda disposable units for "in the trenches"; gardening and other activities where I did not want to subject my "good" player to all the banging about that heavy physical activity may cause. My rugged old Panasonic the cat killed by knocking it off of a table (not as rugged as I thought). A new RCA unit had poor skip protection. An older Sony model my wife had never used died after less than 100 hrs of use. And the 340 remains the only unit I've ever owned (8 in 12 years) whose controls are laid out so I can operate the unit in total darkness. Enough! For the $15 difference between the DNF340 and the aforementioned cheapos, why mess around? I'm getting another 340. Maybe I should get 2?
BTW, for you who complain about the battery being hard to get at: That's Not A Bug, It's A Feature (as we old computer programmers used to say). The tiny door that accesses the batteries tends to be frail, and with it on the outside, much more prone to breaking during a mishap. If you change batteries in mid-CD, it STILL remembers where you were and resumes play from there. Cool, huh?
For you who find the unit "noisy", I've figured out that it is probably because the unit keeps starting and stopping the CD. Apparently it fills the read-ahead buffer (used for skip protection) and stops until the music in the buffer is played, then restarts. A little annoying under some circumstances, but it does prolong battery life by not spinning the CD until it needs to.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Sony D-NF340 CD Walkman & MP3 Player w/FM Tuner


Sony's D-NF340 CD player brings you the best of the CD and MP3 worlds. Burn MP3 audio files onto CD-R/RW discs and listen for up to 16 hours. Or fire up the digital FM tuner for instant access to 40 preset stations. A simple, one-line LCD displays MP3 information, for easy identification of disc, track, and artist names. And with 12 playback modes and reliable Skip-Free G-Protection technology, you will have a continuous soundtrack of your favorite tunes wherever you go.

FM Tuner with 40 Presets Program 40 of your favorite FM radio stations, for on-the-go access to your favorite shows, the news, weather or traffic reports, or anything else you get from the airwaves.

Skip-Free G-Protection Technology The D-NF340 provides continuous, quick recovery from both horizontal and vertical shocks, to eliminate or reduce skipping during many active uses.

Five-Direction Control Key Enjoy intuitive, single-button control with five individual functions, for an easy and convenient way to control both playback and navigation.

Two-Position Automatic Volume Limiter System (AVLS) Maintain volume output at levels below the distortion threshold, for cleaner sound reproduction.

CD-R/RW and MP3 Playback Capability Plays CD-R/RW discs with MP3 files burned from your CD-ROM or home recording deck. Get hours of music on a single disc, along with a one-line LCD display showing ID3 tags for easy identification and navigation.

Multi-Language Support for LCD Text Displays information on compact discs containing encoded text data that can include the artist name, disc name, and/or track name (in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, or Russian).

Twelve Playback Modes and Bookmark Playback Function The D-NF340 offers 12 different choices for playback of CDs, including: Normal Play, Group Play, Single Track Play, Shuffle Play, Group Shuffle Play, Bookmark Play, and Repeat Play for all play modes.

Digital Mega Bass Sony's DSP technology produces rich, deep bass tones with extremely low harmonic distortion.

What's in the Box Sony D-NF340 CD player, Walkman earbud headphones (MDR-E706LP), circle remote, and user's manual.

Get 2% OFF

Click here for more information about Sony D-NF340 CD Walkman & MP3 Player w/FM Tuner

Read More...

Sony CDXGT540UI MP3/WMA/AAC Player CD Receiver (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I purchased this model for my Nissan Versa without doing any homework on it...a local store was offering free installation along with a sale price, and I noticed it had a front panel USB connector so I was hoping it would play my MP3 files from a flash drive. I wasn't expecting much in terms of quality and features...I figured I didn't need to spend a lot of money since I would be using the 4 pre-wired door speakers that came with my car. To say I was blown away by the sound would be an understatement...I can only imagine what this would sound like with a nice speaker setup. In any case, here's my take on the good and the not-so-good.
Pros: - Detaching the faceplate is easy. Attaching it can be a bit tricky, but with a little practice most
should be able to get it on in under 20 seconds.
- It's loaded with many of the same features of Sony's higher-priced players. There are several
ways to locate a specific track when playing CD-Rs or USB devices containing a lot of files.
- While playing regular audio CDs sounds amazing, this unit really shines in its ability to make
compressed (MP3) audio sound as good as the real thing; an improved sound processor
(compared to the model it replaced), a feature called Digital Music Plus Advanced, plus a
customizable equalizer all combine to give your data files excitement you've likely never heard
before.
- For FM radio stations that comply with the standard, the Radio Data System (RDS) will provide
song information, help you find particular types of stations (News, Sports, Top 40, Rock, etc.),
and can even set the clock for you. The radio can also store the stronger stations
automatically (BTM), but I prefer setting them manually...otherwise, you'll end up with a lot of
presets you're not interested in.
- Although I can't comment on its capabilities with an iPod, it does play my USB flash drives
without a hitch and has several shuffle and repeat play options.
Cons: - The user interface and manual could be confusing and frustrating for some. Most of the
buttons and the dial have to control multiple functions, so finding your way around the different
features and displays requires patience and learning. I still find myself accidentally
changing a setting I didn't want to or just plain getting stuck. Since the displays are different
depending on the source (CD, Tuner, USB, Aux-in) selected and how much information is
contained in the source, you won't always see what you might expect to see.
- The preset buttons are smaller than I would like. Some, like the source/off button and the
seek+ button, are together (like one big button), and it's easy to push the wrong one. The
included remote doesn't seem to help control the unit any better and doesn't include the
ability to access all of the track finding features. It seems best suited for a backseat
passenger.
- Whether it's day or night, you may run into a problem seeing everything clearly. The blue key
illumination takes care of the buttons while driving at night, but the printed lettering above the
keys is almost impossible to read. During the day, bright sunlight can cause glare problems
and wash out the LCD display (in certain vehicles).
- When Daylight Saving Time ended Nov. 1st, even though I had the unit set up to automatically
change the clock, I had to go back into the setup menu, turn it off, then turn it back on again
before the time reset itself (at least it was accurate).
- When using the Zappin feature to hear short clips of songs to find a track to play, you have to
wait about 2 seconds in between each preview on a regular audio CD and at least 5 or 6
seconds on an MP3 Data Disc or USB flash drive loaded with songs.
For me, the pros far outweigh the cons...after all, you don't have to use all the bells and whistles just because they are there. The sound quality of the CD player and music played through the USB port is outstanding, and anyone desiring more from the radio at least has the option of expanding to HD or SAT radio. I recommend this receiver for anyone (including audiophiles), as it offers tremendous bang for the buck.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Sony CDXGT540UI MP3/WMA/AAC Player CD Receiver (Black)

The Xplod CDX-GT540UI is a versatile car audio solution that lets you listen to music several ways with superior sound quality. Connect, charge, and control your iPod, iPhone, Walkman player or other digital music players with USB 1-Wire--an innovative feature that also displays song title, artist, track and more.

MP3/WMA/AAC Playback with DM+ Enhancement Technology Multi-format playback lets you play CDs, CD-Rs, or CD-RWs loaded with hundreds of MP3, WMA, or AAC songs. Hear the music on your recorded CDs and MP3 files in their original vibrancy with DM+ (Digital Music Plus), an original Sony codec enhancer that reproduces detailed and high-frequency sound from compressed audio.
Passenger Control with iPod Display Function Passenger Control lets your co-pilot control the music playing from your iPod device via connected USB 1-Wire, and as they scan through your music, artist and album information is conveniently shown on the receiver display.
EQ3 Stage 2, DSO and 52 Watts x 4 High Power (208 Watts Total Power) The Sony Xplod GT540UI delivers 52 watts of peak power to all four speakers (208 total watts) for increased sound levels.
Supplied Wireless Card Remote Included The included Wireless Card Remote allows you to control the basic functions of your Sony Xplod system while keeping your eyes on the road.
USB 1-Wire for iPod, iPhone, and Other USB Digital Music Players USB 1-Wire for iPod lets you directly connect, charge, and control your digital music player via the USB jack in the front of the unit, as well as view metadata like song title and artist on the front display.
Ready for Satellite and HD Radio The GT540UI integrates seamlessly with the optional Sony HD Radio tuner or satellite radio receivers via built in Sony Bus control so you can receive digital radio broadcasts.
Front, Rear/Sub Pre-Amp Output with Selectable LPF/HPF A built-in LPF (Low Pass Filter) and HPF (High Pass Filter) work to deliver overall better sound, and the LPF features a phase shift function that reduces low-end reverberation.
Quick-BrowZer Feature with Jump Mode and Zappin Feature Quick-BrowZer feature lets you search and select songs by category, including artist, album, genre, or playlist. Jump Mode gets you closer to the song you want by allowing you to fast forward through a music category in 10 percent increments. With Zappin feature, you can play music in 6, 9, or 30-second clips until you find the song you're looking for.
Front Auxiliary Input The front auxiliary input lets you connect almost any portable audio device to your car's sound system.
Radio Data System (RDS) Radio Data System (RDS) feature displays radio broadcast information such as artist, title, and album when listening to compatible AM/FM stations.
What's in the Box CDX-GT540UI receiver, Parts for installation and connections (1 set), RM-X151 wireless remote, User manual

Get 32% OFF

Click here for more information about Sony CDXGT540UI MP3/WMA/AAC Player CD Receiver (Black)

Read More...