The Panasonic SL-MP75 MP3 CD Player: A Serious Dark Horse MP3 Contender
Written: Jan 09 '05 (Updated Oct 01 '05)
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Pros: MP3 and CD audio, excellent sound quality, surprisingly capable headphones, attractive design, effective skip protection
Cons: No AC adapter included, somewhat flimsy looking lid and hinge
The Bottom Line: See Overall Below
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| symbiosis's Full Review: Panasonic SL-MP75 Personal CD Player |
Background
During this last holiday season, I found myself on several rather long airplane rides. Those long, boring rides made me really wish that I had a MP3 player. So I started researching MP3 players. Of course, the current industry standard is the mighty iPod. However, iPods are quite expensive, and many suffer from short (less than 8 hours) battery life. Then I happened to see the Panasonic SL-MP75 CD MP3 player in a local retail store.
I had a MP3 CD player before, several years ago. The brand was RCA and it was one of the first sub-$100 MP3 CD players. That player was absolutely rubbish. So I wondered how much these players had advanced in the last few years. With a fairly liberal return policy in mind, I decided to give it a try. Here is what I discovered:
Appearance and Construction
The SL-MP75 is a nice, compact CD player. The color scheme is an attractive silver and blue, with a dark gray base. The CD player is only a little bit larger than a CD, and nearly perfectly round. There is a display screen at the top of the player. The four main buttons (play/pause, stop, fast forward, and reverse) are on a ring around the center of the device. The other buttons are small but well spaced and located closer to the edge of the player. Overall, I think it is a very aesthetically pleasing design. The placement of the batteries is a little bit odd, as you have to open the player to get to the battery compartment, which is inside. The hinges and lid of the player seem a little bit fragile and might not survive significant abuse.
This device has a two line dot matrix display. When normal CDs play, the track and time elapsed are displayed. The unit can read ID3 tags and will display the artist name and track title when playing MP3s. The display is not backlit, so can be hard to see in low light situations. Backlighting also uses up batteries more quickly though, so this is a trade-off.
What is Included?
The SL-MP75 comes with the CD player, 1/8th inch plug stereo headphones, and two alkaline batteries.
Performance
I really did not know what to expect from the SL-MP75. As I mentioned earlier, my first MP3 CD player was immensely flawed. However, I expect more from Panasonic than RCA.
First I played a regular audio CD. This player has all the normal functions, such as random play, program play, etc. During normal CD play, the display shows only the track number and time elapsed in the song. There is a hold switch that will stop all the other buttons from functioning. This is useful in a number of ways, like when you want to start the player and put it in your pocket or when you want to make sure the player does not accidentally get turned on so that the batteries do not get worn down.
I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of the sound during CD playback. The SL-MP75 features a digital amplifier. I wasn't sure if this would actually make a difference, but the sound was very clean and the player seems to have enough power to drive most consumer headphones. I have found that it can easily power any 16-32 Ohm headphones. Big deal, right? Shockingly, this CD player can also power my Sennheiser HD580s without straining. This is quite a feat, as the 580s have an impedance of 300 Ohms, and often require a headphone amplifier when used with other portable sources.
Next I tried listening to MP3s recorded at 320 kbps. For optimal battery life, Panasonic recommends recording your MP3s at 128kbps. Many people say they cannot tell the difference between CD audio and MP3s recorded at 128kbps. I think these people have very untrained ears or really horrible CD players. I can hear a lot of compression related issues at 128 or 196kbps. If you doubt this, try listening to the same song on CD and MP3. Focus on individual elements such as the voice of the lead singer. Listen to the range and depth of the voice. Notice factors such as any echoes from the recording studio or any quick breaths the singer takes. I always find that the compressed (MP3) track has less subtle details and range. So I record at the highest supported bitrate. This Panasonic supports bit rates from 32kbps(yuck!) to 320kbps. At 320 kbps the compression related issues are only very slightly noticeable. I probably wouldn’t be able to notice in a car with road noise. Anyway, the sound with high quality MP3s is really good.
Panasonic claims that the SL-MP75 is virtually unskippable. That is quite a statement, but not that far from reality. I have repeatedly dropped the device from about three feet up onto a sofa. It would not skip. I have held it in my hands while jumping up and down. It would not skip. I have accidentally tried to reach for something and pulled it off my desk, causing it to fall on the floor. It didn't skip. I have shaken it while it was upside down or sideways. The player has never skipped. You could definitely use this CD player while walking, riding a bicycle, riding in a car or bus, etc. You could probably even use it for running or jogging.
The Headphones
Headphones are a really big factor in the purchase of a CD player at this price point. Will you need to purchase better headphones, which would significantly increase the price? I didn't expect much from the included headphones, especially since the whole package only cost about $50. The headphones are the behind the head, street-style headphones. Again, I was pleasantly surprised. These are excellent headphones for the price. I compared them to my much more expensive Grado SR-125 headphones, a Stereophile recommended component a few years ago. Of course, the Grados were better. The included Panasonic phones were comparatively a little bit boomy, not quite as detailed, and introduced a very small amount of static. However, the Grados cost more than twice as much as the entire SL-MP75 package. Considering the price, the included headphones are really superb and will be good enough for most people. I would also say that they are more comfortable than the Grados. I can wear them for several hours without discomfort.
Battery Life
Battery life is also a major factor in portable audio devices, and one area where many hard-disk based players, such as the iPod, often fall short. Under ideal conditions, Panasonic says alkaline batteries will last up to 85 hours for MP3 and 50 hours for CD audio. Playing MP3s recorded at higher bit rates, CD-RW disks, using the EQ, or other special functions will shorten battery life. There is an input for an AC adapter, although this is not included. With the AC adapter plugged in, the SL-MP75 will recharge rechargeable Ni-Cd batteries. As a safety precaution, it will not recharge normal batteries. I have also tried the newer, better Ni-MH rechargeable batteries and it does not seem to charge them either, although it has no problem playing using Ni-MH batteries.
How many MP3s can you fit on a CD, anyway?
The short answer is quite a few. At 320 kbps, I can get about 5 hours worth of MP3s on a single disk. I have not tried lesser bit rates, but some simple math tells me that you could get about 10-12 hours of music at 128kbps or around 8 hours at 192kbps. That is quite a bit of music, and you could always add more by just recording a few more disks. At 50 cents or less a pop for CD-Rs, this is a very cost efficient way to have access to a lot of music.
In walks Debbie Downer
There must be some downsides to this product, right? Well, yeah. I really wish that Panasonic would have included the AC adapter with the package. It would probably only have cost them a dollar or so. Now I know, sell a million units, save a million dollars. But it still seems kind of cheap to make it optional. Other than that, I have no complaints.
Optional Accessories
AC Adapter (RP-AC46) (street price $7-$10) - This is just a normal 4.5 volt AC adapter. I had one from an old Sony CD player. I tried it, and it worked fine.
Car Power Adapter (RP-AK45) ($20) – Batteries can be charged with this connection.
Car Cassette Adapter (RP-CC20) ($20)
A Side Note
Panasonic also makes another model MP3 CD player, the SL-MP77, which is virtually identical to the SL-MP75. The only difference is that for about $10 more, the SL-MP77 has a remote with basic functions that plugs into the headphone cord.
Overall
The market for MP3 players is very hot right now. Players such as the iPod sell for ridiculously high prices ($300-$500) and do not have great battery lives. The SL-MP75 is fairly small, sleek, attractively designed, and offers excellent capacity (700Mb.) Additional capacity requires only burning more discs for a miserly sum of 50 cents or less each. The SL-MP75 has excellent sound quality for MP3s and also has the capacity to play normal audio CDs. The included headphones are far better than expected. The skip protection is unbelievable. I am very pleased with this player and give it my highest recommendation.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 50
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symbiosis
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