Price Paid:  $46.00 from ebay

Summary:
I purchased this CD player for my girlfriend to go along with her Sony TA-1000 ESD receiver. The unit has proven to be very good and plays CDs from loading very quickly compared to my Onkyo or the Yamaha I bought for my dad. I have had problems with Sony CD players emitting a light (but just enough to be VERY annoying) "whirring" sound after significant use, however this player shows no such signs of doing so. On ebay it can be a great deal on a rock-solid unit.

Strengths:
Optical Digital output, CD-Text feature that automatically reads certain CD names, play exchange

Similar Products Used:
Onkyo DX-C730, Yamaha ?, Sony CDP-235

Price Paid:  $165.00 from home theatre stores

Summary:
Overall this is an excellent value! I've had it for a couple of years and played a zillion discs thru it, I love the CD-text feature (BTW, to the guy that asked earlier, Sony record labels;columbia, epic, etc, have factory CD-text)-If your computer had a burner and Adaptec CD Creator, you can burn your own discs and label the songs anyway you like! I use the exchange feature all the time in making compilation discs/tapes you can keep loading the trays while recording the output. I like the shuffle all disc feature of not repeating a played track until you eject. Programming is easy, has a nice sound (great for the little $) You know the Sony rule; NEVER buy the first of a new product or design and don't buy the top or bottom of their lines and you'll be fine... I know-I sold them for years!

Strengths:
digital output, plays cd-rw's, CD-Text, exchange feature nice

Weaknesses:
sometimes eats a disc, slight slaps skip it(i KNOW-don't slap it!!)

Similar Products Used:
Tascam CDRW-700

Price Paid:  $200.00 from Crutchfield

Summary:
This is overall a very good CD player for the money. I've had it for 3 years, and am very pleased with it. However, advice to anyone who buys this is to bear with it. Sometimes when you press too many buttons too quickly, and relocate CDs, etc, it has a tendency to "eat" CDs. By "eat", I mean that the CD skips out of the tray inside the machine. I solve this problem by opening the tray, then turning off the power... then I unplug the CD player and shake it (gently).... Usually the CD will just fall out, unharmed. Granted, this isn't exactly an ideal situation, but hey, if you've got more $$$, buy something better. This CD player has tons of great features... and like I said, if you're not trigger-happy with the remote, it shouldn't swallow up any of your CDs anyway.

Price Paid:  $189.00 from Good Guys

Summary:
Nice unit for all the same reasons. Both CD player and my MD unit went out as soon as warranties expired. DON'T BUY SONY WITHOUT EXTENDED SERVICE PLAN!!!

Strengths:
Good features, randomn play on 1/all disk option, optical ouput.

Weaknesses:
Started skipping as soon as warranty expired.

Similar Products Used:
Sony MDS-JE320 Mindisc Recorder

Summary:
I received this product for Christmas just one year ago after purchasing a Harman/Kardon AVR20II. It works great with my receiver and I was happy with the taste of my parents who purchased the CD player for me. I love all the great features that it offers, including the CD Text and "Exchange Disc" options. I have no complaints about the sound quality and was told by an audiophile who owns a Denon player, that it is comparable to the higher end units. I highly reccomend this CD player for the first-time audio enthusiast. If anyone can let me know where to find CD Text enabled CD's and what label they're under, I'd appreciate it!

Strengths:
Great Sound Quality, Load of Extra Features, Works Great with Hi-Mid-Fi Equipment

Weaknesses:
None besides the track changing between discs.