Excellent sound quality for a portable device. Cheap price.

Slight scratching noises when shock protection is engaged.

I believe this player has been discontinued as it will only play cd's and not mp3 files. It's a shame because I believe it represents a breakthrough at this price level as most portables tend to sound thin, bright or veiled. When played with its bass enhancement (first level) it sounds full, rich and is very enjoyable to listen to. It also has excellent clarity and resolution for a portable player. For years the only portable I could stand to listen to was a Radio Shack CD-3400 and I could not listen to that for a long period before getting fatigued. The Aiwa clobbers the Radio Shack and is also far superior in sound quality to a newer Sony D-FJ410 and Apple Ipod that I have bought for my daughter. Pair this player up with a decent set of headphones like Koss KSC-35's and you have a great sounding portable setup for very little money. Like most portable players, the headphones that come with the player are not very good and should not be used. Although the Aiwa sound good on its own, I have found it benefits from the addition of a headphone amp. I have it connected to the "mint" version of a cmoy amp that I purchased for around $50. This combination sounds great, rivaling a good home cd player in performance and is not out of place driving Grado RS-2 headphones. Battery life has been very good so far. The shock protection works ok but the player tends to make some occaisional, barely audible scratching type noises when the shock protection is engaged. Not annoying but noticeable. It has a remote control, which seems silly, since the cord it is on is not very long. Although this player is a good buy at its full list price, it is a great bargain at the closeout prices it is currently being sold at. It's ironic that as the portable cd player enters into what must be the twilight of its existence (due to the advent of mp3 players) that the sound quality and value offered by some of them has finally reached acceptable levels. Highly recommended.

Similar Products Used:

Radio Shack CD-3400 Sony D-FJ410 Apple Ipod Mini