Price Paid:  $11.00 from Internet

Summary:
O.k Fistly, I'm no HiFi guru. I don't have thousands of dollars to spend on wacky esoteric gear and i don't worry about which way electrons flow through my speaker wire.......get the picture? I purchased my Yamaha CDX-490 through the net for $11 NZD. It wasn't going, from a jammed door. After getting it going and hooking it up to my GainClone amp, which in turn drives my Image loudspeakers 406's, I was surprised at how good this player sounded. As in the above reviewers comments, it so natural. Now this could have something to do with the system i'm using(i don't know) or not. But my previous players were .a Yamaha CDX-530 and a Technics SLp555. Actually both the Yamaha's ate the Technics up. Of course, for me this was a good deal, as i got the player for a song, but i will not be getting rid of this baby until i can truly move up. And that will take time convincing the misses.......
But i am very pleased with the Yamaha and the quality of music im getting from it. If you search the net and read some of the reviews you always seem to read more or less the same things about Yamaha. They will never be top of the line, but the don't pretend to be. But for value for money they must be some of the best CD players you can get for the sub $1000, or in my case sub $15.....

Strengths:
Seem to have a well balanced sound across a broad spectrum of music

Weaknesses:
1.The player seems to a wee bit noisy when starting up (the disc spinning)
2.The door isn't alligned properly with the front panel; not evenly spaced

Similar Products Used:
Yamaha CDX-530, Technics SLP555

Price Paid:  $150.00 from AudioShop.on.ca

Summary:
I've had this player for about 7 years now. It was one of the last single disc players Yamaha made. For the price there has never been anything better in my opinion. The tonal balance is entirely correct which I feel to be the basis for any good piece of audio. I find most players under $1000 get this wrong. The overall design, ergonomics and aesthetics are really excellently done and very understated. This is a machine that you play day in and day out for years (at least 7) because it doesn't get in the way, it just plays the music correctly.

Strengths:
Very balanced sound. Non-fatiguing. Good bass weight and imaging.

Weaknesses:
Little presence or tactility. The frequency extremes are muted. Some may find this a drawback but I find that subterranean bass from CD is too clinical and similarly the highest treble is full of noise. I'm a vinyl lover. Haven't really heard a good CD player ever. I like SACD quite a lot.

Similar Products Used:
Listened to just about everything under $2000.

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
Not to bad but it has a manufacturer fault the motor that runs the disc it wears of too fast while the rest of the drive is working properly. dont buy this stuff.

Strengths:
Aluminium Plate in the front Dim Display,good low sound response stable power suply,remembers position you left on external analog output.

Weaknesses:
Metalic and too loud treble sound, jitter on some cd-r disc too much cuting in the filter