Hannah101

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
4.00 of 5, 1.00 votes

Price Paid:  $150.00 from SonyStyle Website

Summary:
I used to have a Sony D-CJ01; I'd gotten it as a Christmas present in 2001 after I'd seen it at the Sony Store in Chicago. I used it almost daily for a good 2 years before the laser wore out and I replaced it with a cheaper Panasonic model.

It was my first foray into the whole mp3 thing and the player is my favourite of the ones I've used. The display was good and I liked the CD-Text capability that it had, so even if I wasn't using an Mp3-CD, I could still see the song info of the CD (depending whether the CD I played had CD-Text on it). The size of the player was nice and I liked the circular shape. I also liked the battery life and how when I used rechargable batteries, the player could recharge them.

As far as headphones went, I went through a couple different pairs. I got rid of the ones that came with the player originally because I had a pair that were better (most likely ones from Sony). Whenever I got a new pair, they were usually inexpensive Sony earbuds because those were the ones I could A) afford and B) they were of good quality for under $20. The sound quality was good, and for most times, I could keep the volume relatively low. It also had a line-out port which was nice because ocassionally, I'd use my Walkman in family trips as the mp3 player for the car with an FM transmitter.

Strengths:
The design, sound quality, battery life, CD-Text, Line-Out port, ease of use.

Weaknesses:
No weaknesses, aside from the colour wearing out over time...

Similar Products Used:
Panasonic SL-MP70 (after), and previously: 2 non-Mp3CD players (one a Sony unit, and the other being a Classic unit from Circuit City).

Price Paid:  $75.00 from The Brick Warehouse

Summary:
I bought this unit on clearance from The Brick. They were missing the headphones/remote for the unit, so I made the sales guy an offer on the last floor model there. Great deal for me! What I originally planned to use it for was for my up coming trip to Mexico. What I have so far ended up doing with it is using it as a substitute player for my audio system, following the death of my beloved and much modified Denon DCM-370 (see my review at this site). So its now my main player in my big home system. That is a BIG pair of shoes to fill, and the Sony does a pretty creditable job! While it's not on par with ultra high end players, it DOES compete with the Denon (and the Denon sounded great, BTW) in some areas- mainly in space, image depth, extension at the frequency limits, and in overall musicality. This player sounds great in my big system. It also does well on cans (headphones), prefering high impedance small cans over big one (my AKGs don't get anywhere near as loud as my old titanium Sanyo/Sears LXIs (which still sound pretty good for ten year old cans!) If there is anything to really complain about, it's two trivial things (at least to me)- 1. The unit lacks HDCD capability. I have a few discs that sounded great on the Denon in HDCD, and they lack "something" on this player. I know its nitpicking, but its something that I never realised I missed until the big player went for a dump! I can live without...for now. 2. The second thing, and its a trivial one as well, is the output level from the line output. Its not nearly as loud as the Denon (which outputs at least 2 volts RMS). This just means turning up the volume more on the big system, but its a pain when you know the volume control setting for the old player and expect the Sony to "get up and go" at the same volume setting. Again another thing that I miss from the big player, but something that I'm sure wasn't a priority for Sony during the design phase on this one. So there you have it. I hope this player is a durable as some of the previous reviewers claim. I want it to last for through the trip and as a main player for the time being.

Strengths:
Sounds better than a player in this range has a right to sound. Basic "play the music and forget the toys" operation!

Weaknesses:
No HDCD capability (what do you want for the price- MP-3 or HDCD?). Output level from the line outputs could be louder.

Similar Products Used:
Denon DCM-370 Toshiba 3900 DVD CD rom drive with digital output driving a turtle beach 20 bit sound card.

Price Paid:  $129.00 from Coconuts,Shirley NY

Summary:
Ive had the Sony D-CJ01 now since March of 2003(over 9 months). It looks great,plays great,bass boost works well depending on headphones used,in either position 1 or 2,and depending on music material. I love the mp3 feature because it enables you to put over 100 songs on one CD. I wish it just had a bit more volume to run large home headsets or pro models such as my Fostex T-20,but thats asking alot,and most people wouldnt bring headphones that size around with them every day anyway.They do make headphone amps at "headroom" for those of you that insist on using monster-sized cans. I have a pair of Sony MDR 301 and Koss "something "k-50? (like $20) I forget the number,but they are great for $20. Anyway,,,the Player sounds excellent with both pairs. I have also never heard the unit skip,,and im only using setting number one of the two anti-skip settings. I really think youd have to put the unit on a paint shaker to possibly need setting number two...lol! Im thinking of getting a set of Sennhieser HD600 headphones($350 USD) and a Headroom Headphone amp for it,,,Ill see. I highly recommend This CD player though.

Strengths:
Solid Build,Looks,easy to use,line out jack,remembers last volume and track used,displays titles,sounds great,bass boost,anti-skip,mp3/r/rw/cd,batteries installed inside so you dont have the problem of battery doors opening when in use.

Weaknesses:
Would have liked a bit more volume to handle large headphones,but really its fine.Silver-painted finish could rub off over time.

Similar Products Used:
Other sony units,kenwood,panasonic...etc.

Price Paid:  $150.00 from CompUSA

Summary:
The previous reviews are all accurate. I owned and used this player for over a year. I've dropped it a lot, it doesn't phase it. It's extremely rugged which is unusual in a CD player and worth the extra money alone. It's primary advantage to me are the clear top mounted controls and clear LCD display. Every other MP3 CD player I've looked at is much harder to operate.

Strengths:
Ease of use, stellar battery life, very rugged (it bounces when dropped on edge, and keeps on playing).

Weaknesses:
No fast scan (forward or reverse) when playing MP3s.

Similar Products Used:
Rio, Philips, Audiophase

Price Paid:  $300.00 from Future Shop

Summary:
The best sounding MP3 player among the ones (Samsung, Rio, Panasonic) I could compare. Surprisngly much better than the cheaper Sony too. However, forget about the included earbuds and buy some quality headphones (I use Koss Porta Pro). Smooth and enjoyable sound, though sometimes a little bit "electronic". If looking for a lot of buttons and gadgets, this is not the unit for you, but definitely recommended for audio enthusiasts interested in the sound. MP3 portables do not get any better today.

Strengths:
Sound. Sound ! Did I say sound ? No skipping. Long battery life. ID display. The looks.

Weaknesses:
Very short title display (10 chars scrolling), no backlight. No sampling rate info. No >> in MP3. Included earbuds don't show any of the sound the unit is capable of.

Similar Products Used:
Samsung, Panasonic, Rio