Could Have Done Better, Could Have Done Worse
Written: Apr 24 '01 (Updated Jul 10 '02)
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Pros: Lightweight, FM/AM Digital Synthesizer Tuner, Sound Quality, Battery Life
Cons: Cheap (Really Cheap) Headphones, No LCD or Display on Remote, No Cover
The Bottom Line: A good US spec model that lacks a lot of the features of the international models.
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| seyring's Full Review: Panasonic SL-SX469V Personal CD Player |
I'm a demanding buyer and spend time searching for the best, so it's a disappointment when I can't give high marks to a new purchase. Unfortunately, this is one of those times.
This is my second Panasonic portable CD play in five years. I bought the last one - international model, lightweight, excellent sound, LCD backlit remote with pause button - in Hong Kong. Last month, in a moment of jetlag, I left it on the seat of a Delta flight from Santiago and haven't heard from it since. With the same features as the last one on my required list - plus FM/AM tuner - I went searching for a replacement. After looking at all the Sony G-shocks at Best Buy, I ended up purchasing the Panasonic SL-SX469V from millionbuy.com (great store).
For me, the most important attributes in a portable CD player are sound quality, headphone comfort, LCD backlit remote, battery life, weight, FM/AM tuner, and cover. The SL-SX494V hits on some and goes far wide of the mark on others.
Sound Quality. I like the sound quality of Panasonics and, once you ditch the headphones, this one stacks up well. With high end headphones fidelity is excellent at all sound levels. My only gripe here is that the maximum volume on some CD's tops out at a respectable but sub-earthshattering level. Not a big deal unless you really like to crank your tunes. The XBS enhancement is basically a frill, although it's an absolutely essential feature if you expect to get any performance out of the standard headphones.
Headphone Comfort. Big zero here. I can't begin to imagine whose cranium they used to design these things. Probably something from an archaeological dig. The sound quality may not be that awful - it's just that I could never the earpieces close enough to my ears to tell. The headphones hook into a remote which already has cord on it, so unless you buy upgrade replacements designed specifically for remotes you're going to find yourself with a lot of extra cord.
LCD backlit remote. Don't expect to find one here. It's a four button with no backlit LCD and no pause button. I spend a lot of time on night flights so I miss the backlit LCD most. My last Panasonic had LCD backlit remote with pause button and battery indicator. In my search I couldn't find a US spec Panasonic model that offered those features with FM/AM tuner. Big disappointment.
Battery Life. So far so good. Uses two AAA batteries that keep the weight down. Also comes with clip-on AA battery pack that can handle rechargeable batteries.
Weight. Very, very light. In fact, so light and so much plastic that it almost feels cheap. It doesn't exactly inspire confidence in the durability department, but I never had a durability issue with my last one and have no other real reason to believe that I will with this one.
FM/AM Tuner. Does what it says it does, but not a lot more. Reception is decent for FM stations and so-so (read expect some some static) for AM stations. The headphone cord functions as the antenna, so I guess you can count all that extra cord you're going to get with your replacement headphones as a feature benefit. The player has 5 direct preset keys on it and the capability to put an additional 30 stations in memory. If I were do to it over again I would jettison FM/AM tuner in favor of getting more of my high priority features listed above.
Cover. Not. That's too bad because Panasonic makes a pretty good cover that allows you to slip the CD player in and out with minimum hassle while providing decent protection.
All this advice probably isn't going to get you into this portable CD player. But wait, don't give up on it yet. I still think that in the price range it is among the best US spec portable CD players with FM/AM tuner and remote. A US spec alternative at a similar (slightly higher) price point is the Sony D-FJ75TR.
But at the end of the day, if you're really serious about your portable CD player, go someplace like minidiscmall.com and check out the the international models from Sony or Panasonic. You'll pay a little more, but avoid the feature compromises.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 113
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Epinions.com ID:
seyring
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Reviews written: 6
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