Rating: 
Summary: no problems yet
Review: if you want a dependable, portable cd-player, you know you haveto pay a little extra. those cheap 30 dollar contraptions you getfrom [cheap stores] just don't cut it. that's why i got this sony player. i paid a little much for it (it sells for [more money] at a lot of stores i've seen it in), but it was worth it. i've had it for about 3 months, which isn't that long, but i've used it a considerable amount. it's only skipped on me once, and i never put the g-protection on, because it's so good even without it on (i believe that with that extra skip protection the battery drains faster, but i might be wrong). i had the player in my backpack and i was running pretty fast to catch the damn bus, and amazingly it was only a very subtle, quick skip. nothing to worry about, though, because everything's been flawless since. the sound is quite good for what you can get from a little portable. feel free to destroy the headphones they give you though; they're worthless. the added bass boost works well, depending on the kind of music you're into. if you're gonna be jogging around with this thing, which seems mighty inconvenient with any object you have to carry, then i guess that extra protection is necessary, but i don't run with this thing anyway. either way, though, this sony is a great investment if you want something reliable and good.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointed...but it's a Sony...
Review: It's a Sony, it's consumer-line, and therefore it's not going to be professional-quality in most ways. An average 1-bit DAC, a poor bass-boost circuit that doesn't linearly increase bass with master volume, and a generally lousy set of headphones would deter most high-end audio fans.This unit has several problems not mentioned elsewhere that I'm uncertain others are experiencing. Several CDs I have are mildly scratched, and this unit has an unbelievably difficult time reading them for some reason. It constantly skipped on areas in which I never had any problems prior whatsoever. I tested the afflicted CDs on another unit, and it produced the same results, so this is not an isolated problem. I'm not sure what's causing this, but comparing that area of performance to other portables, this is simply unacceptable. However, I have several CD-Rs I burned that used to skip frequently due to some burner problem, but this unit read them without any problem - even with the G-Protection off. That's about the only real advantage I found for myself in buying this product. As for anti-skip performance besides the aforementioned, this unit is superior to the others even without using G-Protection. G-Protection merely has the laser "find" the appropriate spot on the disc, so it's almost impossible to skip it theoretically. The G-Protection "off" switch is also misleading. There is a BUILT-IN memory buffer of roughly 3 seconds that uses data compression, hence loss of audio quality. This disturbs me greatly since I absolutely hate the loss of high-end frequencies due to the compression. Most people can't hear the difference though. In conclusion, it bothers me that the inconsistency of the laser's performance throws off a potentially break-through anti-skip technology. For a portable in this price-range, I have seen better (Panasonic anyone?) in nearly every area except the anti-skip technology. I would recommend this for anyone that has nearly perfect-condition CDs, uses CD-Rs, doesn't mind "average" audio quality, and wants the best anti-skip possible. This would apply to most middle-upper class suburb dwellers today I guess. I highly discourage audiophiles from buying this product, but what kind of audiophile would consider a consumer-line Sony audio product? As for me, I'll try to "repair" the problem CDs and enjoy the convenience of nearly unstoppable anti-skip.
Rating:
Summary: Skip free workout with D-EJ611
Review: The D-EJ611 portable CD player is one of the most satisfying products I have ever purchased from Sony. I use portables on a daily basis in the gym, when riding bicycle (safety aside) and at home while cleaning. The Sony is virtually skip-free (even on the stairmaster!) because it has a digitally based system that has 10 times faster shock recovery than conventional systems. It also does not eat up batteries - unlike some portables I have owned. Another outstanding feature is its ability to read "home made" CDs like MP3 to WAV conversions. The sound quality is good and the unit offers nine playback modes with repeat of tracks or disc, shuffle, 64-track random programming, and resume play. Unbelievable for such a small package. I have even come to appreciate the automatic volume limiter system which maintains volume output at levels below distortion (though I would prefer to let distortion be my choice - not Sonys) Finally, the player comes with an AC adapter, stereo headphones, a hand strap and a line out feature for connection to a receiver or pre-amp. It really is a quality unit for the money and offers a lot of unexpected features. Kudos to Sony.
Rating:
Summary: Greate for people who move around a lot.
Review: This is a great gift for someone who likes to jog or move around a lot. This features the "G-Protection", which means that it's skip-free. The batteries that you put in it can last up to 32 hours straight, which is good for me, so I don't have to go out and buy batteries that much. If you purchase this item, you'll really get what you paid for, and it's a great gift idea.
Rating:
Summary: The best CD player I've ever owned, if out of date now.
Review: Well, I'm buying a new CD/MP3 player tomorrow, and that means my faithful Sony will be delegated to a shelf... But it pains me to do it. I love this CD player. I've had 3 portables, and this is by far the best of them. This thing... What can I say. I've had it for years, it's been dropped more than once... Sound quality is great. I don't care about over-powering bass, it really takes away from music more than adds to it, but if you want it, it's there. The included headphones aren't anything stellar but free headphones never are, if you want better sound you need to pay money for a decent set, really... But the headphones aren't being reviewed here, the player is. I can't remember this thing ever skipping. In years. At first I remember wondering what G Protection was. Whatever it is, they can call it Pixie Dust Protection if they want to, it works. If I bought a scratched up CD, I'd play it on this thing to see if it worked. There were more than one CD this player played flawlessly that wouldn't even be read on my stereo, a 200 dollar Sharp. It looks great, that doesn't matter but it's always nice... Also, the design is great. I carry it in my coat pocket, on its side... The buttons are simple and you quickly know the position, so you don't have to see it to do what you want, and the volume controls are on the side, very easy to access. Heck, many times I didn't even take it out of my pocket to switch CDs, I'd just pop it open, make the switch, and be all set. Battery life, this thing excels. I always find myself surprised at how long batteries last in it. I can't give an hour estimate, but trust me, it won't be a problem for you. I don't know what else to say. If anyone is still buying CD players, I really doubt you'll do better than this thing. Sure, there are always newer better ones, but why bother when this model is so great?? I'm only buying a new one because this can't read mp3s - oh, but it does read normal audio CD-Rs, whether that feature was intended or not. If there was a way to make it read mp3 CDs I wouldn't have a reason to get a new one at all, and this thing would probably accompany me for years to come. But things being as they are, like I said, it'll go on the shelf. It's going into retirement after a record career, and the next player I get has some big shoes, or well... A big pocket, anyway, to fill. If it can do as well or better than this little guy, I'll be all set for years.
Rating:
Summary: The best CD player I've ever owned, if out of date now.
Review: Well, I'm buying a new CD/MP3 player tomorrow, and that means my faithful Sony will be delegated to a shelf... But it pains me to do it. I love this CD player. I've had 3 portables, and this is by far the best of them. This thing... What can I say. I've had it for years, it's been dropped more than once... Sound quality is great. I don't care about over-powering bass, it really takes away from music more than adds to it, but if you want it, it's there. The included headphones aren't anything stellar but free headphones never are, if you want better sound you need to pay money for a decent set, really... But the headphones aren't being reviewed here, the player is. I can't remember this thing ever skipping. In years. At first I remember wondering what G Protection was. Whatever it is, they can call it Pixie Dust Protection if they want to, it works. If I bought a scratched up CD, I'd play it on this thing to see if it worked. There were more than one CD this player played flawlessly that wouldn't even be read on my stereo, a 200 dollar Sharp. It looks great, that doesn't matter but it's always nice... Also, the design is great. I carry it in my coat pocket, on its side... The buttons are simple and you quickly know the position, so you don't have to see it to do what you want, and the volume controls are on the side, very easy to access. Heck, many times I didn't even take it out of my pocket to switch CDs, I'd just pop it open, make the switch, and be all set. Battery life, this thing excels. I always find myself surprised at how long batteries last in it. I can't give an hour estimate, but trust me, it won't be a problem for you. I don't know what else to say. If anyone is still buying CD players, I really doubt you'll do better than this thing. Sure, there are always newer better ones, but why bother when this model is so great?? I'm only buying a new one because this can't read mp3s - oh, but it does read normal audio CD-Rs, whether that feature was intended or not. If there was a way to make it read mp3 CDs I wouldn't have a reason to get a new one at all, and this thing would probably accompany me for years to come. But things being as they are, like I said, it'll go on the shelf. It's going into retirement after a record career, and the next player I get has some big shoes, or well... A big pocket, anyway, to fill. If it can do as well or better than this little guy, I'll be all set for years.
Rating:
Summary: Very Good Walkman
Review: When I bought this, I was thinking about all of the bad things I heard about it. The cover is barely that wobbly. I don't know how you would notice that because it doesn't do anything to the sound. I would recommend getting new headphones (like something in the Street Style series) because the ones that come with it are so very cheap and do not handle bass that well. Only one more complaint: There is an annoying sticker on the cover showing you were the headphone jack is and it took me a lot of frustration getting it off. Other than that it has 2 levels of bass, great sound quality, and that G-Protection is nothing like i've ever seen before. I've tried everything to skip it and it won't. Sony makes another great product.
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