runningnick's Full Review: Sony Walkman D-FS18 Personal CD Player
The other review on this product by dcoletta was great and pretty much covers everything; I just thought I'd my own 3 cents worth (inflation).
I was in the market for some sort of music-playing device that would play music while I was running without skipping. I had a cassette tape player before, but let's face it: cassettes are a pain. So, not wanting to spend more than $150, I went looking for something that I could take running, wouldn't skip, and wouldn't break. I briefly looked over the MiniDisc selection, but I was turned off by the fact that MiniDiscs can only be recorded in real time, like a cassette tape--you actually have to play out the song. Then I looked at MP3 players. This seemed a viable option to me because of their size, but I decided the flash memory was just too darned expensive and I have a CD burner anyway. Then I looked at MP3 CD players, but I decide they're still a little immature, and that even the top-of-the-line ones didn't look sturdy enough to go jogging with.
So I decide I want a totally indestructable, unskippable CD player. I looked over several lower price sports models, but eventually chose this one, the Sony D-FS18. I'm glad I did.
The player comes with a hand strap that slides through some slots in the back of the player and then loops around your hand. Like dcoletta mentioned, it's surprisingly comfortable; the front part of the player where your fingers rest is made of rubber (although the whole player isn't). I was also glad I wouldn't have to wear a fanny pack to hold the player; somehow I felt it might damage my masculinity :) (this is just me, no offense to fanny pack wearers!). The volume slider seems awkwardly placed at first, but you'll appreciate its position when your hand is strapped in--you can adjust it with your thumb. But lefties beware: if the player is strapped to your right hand, the unit is upside down, and the volume is on the other side. On another note, the player might seem thicker than most, but don't let it fool you; the thick back is easier to grip, and it isn't heavy at all--it just looks like it would be.
The unit is weatherproof, but more importantly, this translates to sweatproof. After taking it on a 3 mile jog on a hot summer day, my strapped-in hand and the back of the unit were soaked. Luckily this is not a problem with the D-FS18.
The G-Protection is great; I've taken it running 3 times now and it hasn't skipped once. It's one of the main reasons I bought this player. While it is possible to make the player skip, you have to be *trying* to make it skip. Jogging/running isn't a problem.
The radio reception is good; I can't pick up 96X very well, my favorite local radio station, but then again I can't pick it up very well in my car either. It holds 25 FM presets -- are there even 25 FM stations around my area? -- and 5 AM ones.
The buttons are conveniently positioned; you can find the right ones oftentimes without looking once you become accustomed to it. The unit also gives you audible clues: 2 fast beeps means you've pushed the Track Advance button, 3 fast beeps means you've pushed the back button, 1 long beep means stop, etc. Some of the buttons Sony didn't think you'd use often -- like turning off G-Protection or changing the volume limiter (a feature that keeps you from turning the volume so high that you damage your hearing) on the inside of the unit, under the CD. (The batteries are also down here, by the way. I wasn't crazy about that at first, but it keeps them in place while running.)
The latch used to keep the CD lid shut is made of metal and is stiff--it won't come apart until you want it to. (One disadvantage is this makes changing CDs a two-handed operation, but I'd rather have the stiff lock than my CDs falling all over the road.)
The player supports regular Audio CDs, as well as CD-Rs and CD-RWs. I especially like the CD-RW feature because if I make a "Jog Mix" that I don't end up liking, or if I just want to listen to a passion-of-the-moment song, I can rewrite over it. The G-Protection seems to function just as well on the CD-Rs and CD-RWs from my HP CD-Writer. But keep in mind the CD-RW discs you make MUST be made like regular audio CD-Rs would--no packet writing or UDF discs here. (That means DirectCD and InCD won't work. I haven't been able to get Nero Burning ROM to cooperate either--it insists on a CD-R. Using the MyCD software that came with the HP works, however.)
Sony says to use only their batteries, which is of course nonsense. My pair of NiMH's work fine. I still wouldn't use the supplied AC adapter and the unit's built in recharging feature though -- the manual is very ambiguous in that it doesn't state if it was designed for NiCd batteries or NiMH's. And the last thing I want is to melt my CD player.
Lastly, the pair of headphones it comes with aren't great when it comes to home listening, but they're great for running. They stay in place, and their open design lets you hear your music as well as what is going on around you -- a very important saftey feature.
So, enough praise: what is wrong with the unit? The price, the price, the price. It's a lot more expensive than other players on the market. But then again it's also got a 1 year warranty. It's also a lot more solidly built. All in all, it's a good investment that you know will last you quite awhile.
Water-resistant portable CD player Built-in AM/FM radio 45-second anti-shock time Requires 2 AA batteries Includes water-resistant head-phones, and ha...More at Amazon Marketplace
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