Summary:
Although this player has a good, clear sound, my unit didn't last even a year under normal conditions... ...no drops, no water, no touching the lens...
On top of this is has always disliked CDRs, which is exremely annoying.

Strengths:
Excellent sound
Good looks
Recharges batteries

Weaknesses:
Doesn't play many brands of CDR
Lasted under a year

Summary:
So far, I've absolutely loved this player. So much better than a similar priced Sony model that I can't even believe it. That player skipped almost constantly, where I can shake the living daylights out of this player and it still goes strong. The sound is not bass-heavy, but a detailed, crisp audio quality that is easy on the ears and wonderfully smooth. It's also a very nice size- smaller than than the Sony unit that I had. I also like how the CD sits securely in this player, while the Sony player seemed to be a looser fit. The Sony player also broke about after 4 months- just stopped playing one day.

So, in conclusion I think that this is an absolutely great player for the cost($59.99 or so, I believe) and I'm highly recommending it. I don't see why some people don't like Aiwa products: this is just another in a line of products I've bought from them that I've been highly satisfied with. I've been so happy with this player so far I've been thinking about writing the company to tell them so.

An easy 5 stars.

Strengths:
Doesn't skip at all; wonderfully clear sound.

Weaknesses:
None yet.

Summary:
I have owned 8 personal CD players (including four Sony D-368's) and this is the only one that actually works right (except for one time when the motor went into anti-skip speed, without the player going into the mode and without the sliding switch for the shock protection being turned on). (The fix to that problem is taking the batteries out and leaving it unused for 2 hours.) Aside from this episode the unit works great and the 10 second shock protection creates no audible artifacts. The sound quality is mellow, with a very slightly recessed treble output that in most cases makes my music sound great, but in some cases it is a little too mellow. That disadvantage only happens when I use my Sony MDR-501LP headphones, which are also mellow. This particular CD player uses Aiwa's DSL active equalization technology that adjusts the amount of bass boost according to the output volume. DSL also adds some treble boost, which results in a sound that is very easy to listen to, without the muddy sound that most bass boost schemes produce. The XP-V50 has very little features and is not a good choice for people that utilize track programming because it has none. The XP-V70 and its variants have tons more features and the same sound quality, along with a switchable 10/40 second shock protection and a backlit display.
Now for the quirks of the unit:

1. The unit turns on and/or changes playing modes whenever a connecting cord is inserted into the headphone/line out jack. It was designed this way, but the people in technical support don't know that (I had to call Customer Support to find out that answer). This "quirk" sometimes happens when headphones are put into the jack at a slight angle.

2. The level of the sound from MIN-2 on the volume control is very quiet, then jumps up when it goes above 2. This only happens when the DSL is on.

I have stated those quirks because I am sure somebody will notice those things and mistakenly send it in to a repair shop, deducting from the time that you can enjoy the great sound of this unit.