My Sony Personal CD Player with AM/FM Receiver named Aiwa
Written: Nov 15 '06 (Updated Nov 15 '06)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Good sound, inexpensive, durable
Cons: Buttons are not intuitive to use
The Bottom Line: Yes, I still use a CD player. You got a problem with that?
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| mmcphee's Full Review: Aiwa XP-ER800N Personal CD Player |
I am so last century. I purchased the Aiwa XP-ER800N Personal CD Player 3 years ago and I still use it today. Made by Sony and only costing around $30 this CD Player and AM/FM receiver with headphones has been an excellent value.
What I Was Looking for
I had started going back to workout at the Y and I needed some form of entertainment. A CD player made sense for music, but to watch television I needed an FM receiver as well. Not wanting to take two pieces of audio equipment I want a unit with both features at a reasonable price. The Aiwa XP-ER800N was just that.
Features
The CD player has an anti-shock system so the CD doesn't skip when the unit is moved around and it plays CD-R/RW. It has both AM and FM tuners with 30 station memory, it receives VHF television audio, and weather broadcasts. The digital display shows what mode you are using, frequency if applicable and battery life. There is a hold slide switch so you do not have to worry about the player accidentally being turned on. It takes 2 AA batteries and had a DC input, which is not included.
Sound
I am very pleased with the sound, whether I am using the included over-the-head style headphones or have it plugged into my speakers the sound is good, especially with the Bass Boost. Reception is impressive, picking up all of the stations as my car and home stereos. The push button volume is on the side of the unit. At the gym while running on the treadmill I am well below the maximum setting and I can't hear a thing other than my music.
Operation
Even after several year of using this unit the button operation is still confusing. There is no on off button, you select band to use it as a receiver or press the play button for the CD player, but there is an off button. All of the local radio stations are set, but I cannot recall how I did it. No combination of buttons seems to allow me to add or delete the presets. While I am sure that information is in the instruction manual that was long ago misplaced. The buttons are far from intuitive.
Overall Experience
I am quite satisfied with my little CD player. It is only around ¼" larger all around than a CD and weighs about 10 ounces with the batteries in so it is easy to carry around. The smooth case can make it difficult to hold, especially if your hand is sweaty. I can't recall every having a problem with a disc skipping but I do not hold it when I am working out, it sits on the equipment so motion is minimal. I've never had it turn on unexpectedly in my gym bag (as far as I know) but the cover has popped open a few times. I now keep an elastic around the case to make sure the CD doesn't fall out. Television and radio reception is excellent. The headphones provide decent sound as well as blocking outside noise. I use the CD player about 4 hours a week and the radio about 15 hours per week and I get 2 weeks from a pair of rechargeable batteries.
Final Thoughts
If you are still in the dark ages like me and need a portable CD player with radio capabilities I highly recommend the Aiwa XP-ER800N for durability and decent sound at a reasonable price.
Lean-n-mean - It's the only way to be!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 30
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Epinions.com ID:
mmcphee
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Member: Mary Ellen
Location: Nutmeg State
Reviews written: 1174
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Back from Disney and catching up!
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