Panasonic delivers a top-shelf product
Written: Sep 16 '02
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Pros: Clear sound, nice design, power consumption
Cons: Headphones
The Bottom Line: Overall this is a solid product that will deliver under most (if not all) conditions, as long as the purchaser uses another set of headphones other than the ones provided.
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| jchristl's Full Review: Panasonic ShockWave SL-SW860 Personal CD Player |
My first major portable cd player was a Sony. One figures they can't go wrong with a Sony. There were 2 other people in my department at work that had them. Alas it didn't perform up to my expectations.
I searched for the next best player - The Panasonic ShockWave Personal CD Player. First, the case is what caught my eye; it looked like it could do more than simply play cds. When I got home I tried them out. Luckily I had another set of headphones. The ones provided were the type that fit over the ears. The image pictured above shows a set that fits over the head. That’s not what was provided with my product. Panasonic just had the type that fits over the ears with two separate pieces. Echk. Luckily I had another headset.
The headphones I had were the larger type that fits over the ears; great range and great comfort. The problem here was there wasn't as much power from the Panasonic to drive the headphones like my Sony had. I guess it isn't that big of a deal, as I shouldn't be playing them that loud in the first place. Incidentally, I bought another smaller set, which sounds fine.
Another thing that I love with this product is the battery life! I generally use rechargeable NiMh, and sometimes I'd swear they were regular Alkaline. I can get over 5 hours with this thing!! I can only imagine how many hours I'd get with alkaline batteries!!! The battery compartment resides under the cd inside the case. Two batteries sit firmly and tightly, no looseness like my old Sony had.
There were some CD's that wouldn't play in my Sony that do play in this one. I'm not sure if its the way they're making some of the cds (to prevent copying) or what, but it's nice to know that this'll play most modern cds created nowadays.
The 'Shockwave' feature is definitely not an option. It is mandatory! Simply walking down the road, and this thing will skip - no 'ifs', 'ands', or 'buts' about it. Nice that the Shockwave doesn't deter, or detract, from the battery life or anything else. Wonder why they just didn't incorporate that directly into the product, instead of making it a separate choice of the listener.
There is an X-Bass feature too, which pumps the lower range a bit. This and the 'Shockwave' selections stay chosen when the product is in the off position, and you return to it for your listening pleasure. They default to non-bass, and non-shockwave only after a battery swap.
Also there is a Random/Regular/Resume choice you can pick. This selection sits just inside the lid. The resume feature was on by default "out of the box". This lets you start back up where you left off, once turning off the player. Not sure why they couldn't put it on the outside with all the other controls.
Panasonic also provided a hand-belt for me to use. I could attach this to the player to give my hand a better grip on it, if I were to go jogging with it. I'll use it if I ever purchase those inline skates I've been eyeing up.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 89
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Epinions.com ID:
jchristl
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Reviews written: 2
Trusted by: 0 members
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