Sony Discman D-F411: How did I get along without it?!
Written: Feb 04 '00 (Updated Feb 04 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Digital tuner, 5 six-station preset modes (4 FM and 1 AM) for a total of 30 possible preset stations, ESP2, portable, fits into my jacket pocket :-)
Cons: ESP2 wears down the batteries, and the radio reception isn't always top-notch
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| lizzamay's Full Review: Sony Walkman D-F411 Personal CD Player |
For years, I had your basic Discman - 10 second skip protection, car kit, and digital bass boost. I recently got my new D-F411 Discman with its Electronic Skip Protection (ESP2) and digital radio tuner, and I'll never understand how I got along without it!
Since I make use of a ride-share program to get to and from school, I usually have to stay on campus until six o'clock. This leaves me HOURS with nothing to do but go online, listen to music, study, or do all at the same time. I can't listen to the same thing all day, so I got into the habit of lugging my clunky shoebox-sized 40-CD case around in my backpack every day so I could vary my listening habits depending on my mood.
When my old Discman malfunctioned (under warranty) for the fourth time, I brought it back to Circuit City and replaced it with this lovely gadget. Their price was $99, not including the 3 year service plan I got, so don't think you'll have to pay $149 like the listing price states. You can do better than that.
Now that I have the option to listen to the radio, I don't have to bring all those CDs! (Now I only bring twelve ;-) heh heh) The Discman allows you to preset 24 FM stations and 6 AM stations, but it allows you to separate them, so if you live far from home, you can set FM1 for home stations, FM2 for work/school stations, etc. This feature is VERY useful because without it, you'd have to flip through your presets until you found the local stations.
The radio reception can be rather mediocre at times, particularly when you get to hilly areas or when you bring the Discman very close to a computer, but it's usually pretty reliable. I have more trouble with the AM stations than with the FM stations, though. This only occurs sometimes, though; usually the radio reception is fine.
Of course, radio gets pretty redundant after a while, but hey - that's what the CD player is for! Pop a CD in, and play away! You can program the Discman to only play your favorite songs, or you can put the player on my favorite setting, the "shuffle" one - aka "random play." You can set it to play continuously, or to only play the CD once through.
You should just slide the "resume" switch over the first day you get it and leave it there; that allows you to pick up where you left off on the CD when you last listened. The "hold" switch is particularly useful because the control buttons are flat and can easily be pressed when you slip the Discman into your pocket, briefcase, or backpack.
If you're walking around, you definitely want to use the ESP function, but if the player is on a desk or some other stationary object, turn off the ESP; you don't need it, and leaving it off will preserve the batteries (2 AA). Using the radio also reduces the amount of wear on the batteries. When the batteries are too weak to play a CD, switch to radio and you'll still get some listening time.
You might want to spend another few bucks and invest in a decent pair of headphones; the pair that comes with the Discman is ok if all you're doing is listening casually and don't care whether or not you have a long cord or good bass sound. These headphones don't allow for much movement, and their capability to handle heavy bass sounds is somewhat inadequate. Your best bet is to leave the Discman on the "regular" or "bass" setting; the "groove" setting, which is the loudest bass setting, will sound quite blurry and unpleasant with the provided headphones. I use the regular headphones when I'm at school, but at home, I use my nice pair of Panasonic headphones with an extra long cord. My parents sure love it, because now I can listen to my Discman at home instead of playing the stereo!
Included Accessories:
AC/DC adaptor: Plugs into any standard outlet.
line-out cord: Allows you to connect the Discman to a stereo or other system.
Standard Sony headphones: Sufficient for every day use, but if you don't mind spending a few extra dollars, you should get a better pair.
Not Included:
batteries, car kit, remote control.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
lizzamay
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Member: Lisa, aka Lizza
Location: Southern CA
Reviews written: 88
Trusted by: 147 members
About Me:
I was gone... but I'm back!
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