Rating: 
Summary: if you want mp3 support go elsewhere
Review: Sure it's a cool design. Overall it even sounds ok. I tried 2 units because I really wanted it to work but the mp3 playback was horrible. Random screeching sounds were very common and note the word random (it isn't my disk). I returned it and bought a mp3 boombox for half the price and it works great. It doesn't look as cool and unfortunately it doesn't get quite as loud. However, it is playing my mp3's perfectly and that is what I really wanted. Good luck with it.
Rating: 
Summary: A piece of Junk
Review: The unit skipped (screeching sounds) with brand new mp3's disks from day one. I had the unit serviced and the problem still remains. The problem is not the disks, but the unit since the cds work fine on my other player. Unlike every other boombox I have owned, the AC adaptor is on the plug and is enormous. The sound is only marginal. ...
Rating:
Summary: Believe the skeptics: Dissapointing product
Review: There seems to be two schools of thought on this product among these reviews: those who claim that it wouldn't play mp3 file cds as it should, and those who claim that this feature worked fine for them, and they don't know why this feature wouldn't work for others. One reviewer claimed he seriously believed those folks who couldn't get it to play some mp3 files were doing it wrong.
File my opinion under the former. I am no stranger to burning cds and I have an exstensive music collection which I have been making mix cds from for a few years now.
I burned 87 mp3 files onto a cd-r disc. Both my computer and my dvd player (which also was made to recognize mp3 discs) listed all files on this cd as being mp3, and also successfully played all files.
I put the very same disc into this boom box, and it skipped over several tracks, claiming via the on screen display that they were "NOT MP3", even though another mp3 device and my [expensive] Dell computer said they were.
I then put in a disc of old radio shows, all mp3 files. My dvd player and my computer both listed all files as being mp3, and were able to read and play them all.
Needless to say the boom box didn't. It refused to play the first nine files on the disc, claiming they were "NOT MP3."
In conclusion, while I will say I *love* the look of the boom box, very sleek and stylish, unlike so many other boom boxes one sees, and the sound is incredible in its' clarity, even at high volume, and the radio tuner is dead on perfect; I get no drift when I listen to stations, and the controls are simple to learn and easy to use, this boom box is not 100 % capable of doing what it claimed it could, play mp3 discs, which is the primary reason I got it, which is why it's going back where it came from, and which is why in the future when I look for an mp3 boom box, it will be to a maufacturer other than Sony.
Rating: 
Summary: Good Performance and Sound Quality
Review: This boombox is a solid performer. It plays MP3 CDs and CD- Audio perfectly. The sound quality is fine!
Rating: 
Summary: S-2 for Listening to Recorded Books in MP3 Format
Review: This is a review of the S-2 model ZS-X3CP which accepts MP3s (after purchasing the mere CD playing model by mistake -- which looks identical from a distance.) I have only tested MP3 discs in it, assuming it will have no problem with regular CDs or radio reception. It is attractive and feels like quality, but weak in the brains department--a bimbo of boomboxes. It takes some time to scan an entire MP3 disc before playing. On initial test, it appears that about 11 of 12 MP3 "verbal audio" discs I burned will play well on it (regardless if burned in MP3 format or in recommended ISO9660 format). One book title can be read only 4 out of 60 files (claiming that the others are not MP3s -- which of course is not true, as I checked that the "nonplaying" files play just fine on a computer or a smarter MP3 player). So one partially read MP3 disc out of 12 is not good, but not entirely bad either. Oddly, the files that won't play, are "right down the center" in terms of what the player wants to see: 128kbps at 44.1 khz, altho it could be that these are VBRs (I can't find variable info in iTunes so I don't know). The Sony S-2 instructions says it wants fixed rate. I notice that the S-2 is relatively forgiving of other kbps rates that are outside its recommended zone. (Oh, and the Sony instructions on how to burn your MP3s, and what is acceptable, is sparse indeed, but marginally sufficient to figure it out if you're experienced.) As you might suspect of a bimbo-box, no memory of where you were once you stop listening mid-file, so it's the old 'fast forward' game for people who listen to books, unless you stop listening at the end of a file or just leave the thing ON and PAUSED. I guess the mid-file issue is not a big deal if it's plugged in and PAUSED--just don't hit the STOP button or you're back to the beginning of the file. And if you press the OFF button, then you're back to the beginning of the entire disc. No memory, like more sophisticated MP3 players. Navigation is nice. A joystick helps you find your file fast. ID tags scroll across the screen. Files can have long names (64 characters). And it handles embedded folders just fine, so getting back to where you were is not incredibly painful, unless you stopped in the middle of a 45 minute file; then you're stuck fast forwarding for a loooong time. Sound quality is nice.
Rating:
Summary: Cuts off the last 14 seconds of MP3 files.
Review: This player cuts off the last 14 seconds of the current MP3 file while it loads the next MP3 file. This is during regular playback (file 1, file 2, file 3, etc...). I didn't try shuffle or program playback--what would be the point. How did this player ever make it to production? Fourteen seconds is a lot to lose for many tracks! MP3 track scanning was also dreadfully slow. It must have taken 60 seconds to scan to the end of a 10 minute track. Normally I build the most compatible MP3 CDs out there and the one I tested in this player does play fine in all other players I tested. Go figure. "Sony.... Bony." --Crazy People (1990 movie)
Rating:
Summary: Sleek looking, but ......
Review: This unit claims to play MP3 discs, but it would not read the home-computer created CD-R or CD-RW MP3 discs that I have no trouble playing on either my Rio portable or Pioneer DVD players. I took some sample discs to a Circuit City store and tried them out unsuccessfully on a display model. Allowing for the possibility of a defective or broken display, I went to a second Circuit City store and got the same results there. They had a store-copy, commercially produced (by MP3.com) sample disc that worked just fine, but none of my Roxio or Adaptec burned CD-Rs or CD-RWs had any function. So, if you like creating your own MP3 compilation discs, and you're looking for a portable box unit that will play them --- this one's NOT for you!
Also, there are no tone controls or equalizer pre-sets to choose from on this player. Except for the bass boost, one sound setting fits all.
Rating: 
Summary: Does exactly what I wanted
Review: Very nice little boombox. Easy to haul around and operate. Sounds good although the MegaBass seems to have no affect whether it's on or off. Plays MP3s without a hitch. Has a random play feature which is very nice when you put an MP3 disc in with over 200 songs on it. You basically never have to swap the disc out unless you use it a lot. Radio works very nice. Pulls in stations in rooms in my house that other radios can't. I recommend this player without reservation.
Rating:
Summary: Does exactly what I wanted
Review: Very nice little boombox. Easy to haul around and operate. Sounds good although the MegaBass seems to have no affect whether it's on or off. Plays MP3s without a hitch. Has a random play feature which is very nice when you put an MP3 disc in with over 200 songs on it. You basically never have to swap the disc out unless you use it a lot. Radio works very nice. Pulls in stations in rooms in my house that other radios can't. I recommend this player without reservation.
Rating:
Summary: Go anywhere, do anything
Review: Whether you're doing chores around the house, or car camping with friends, this is a sturdy boom box to keep the tunes pumping. The sound quality is good for background listening, but if you're looking for flawless sound reproduction, look elsewhere. My unit has played every manner of CD, CD-R, and MP3 CD I've fed to it. It's never skipped in ESP mode, and I'm still on my first set of batteries (it takes 6 D) after a few months of use. Radio reception is good, and the antenna swivels. The bass ports on the back have rubber padding, so you can also sit the unit on its back for an even smaller footprint (but it doesn't sound as good). Finally, it has a sleek, futuristic pod look that will turn heads, especially if you walk around with it up on your shoulder, blasting some Jay-Z, as I am prone to do in my neighborhood.
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