You'd Have to Break this CD Player to Get it to Skip (Updated!)
Written: Dec 14 '00 (Updated Mar 29 '01)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Exceptional Shock Protection / Nicely Designed
Cons: A Tad Expensive / Some Gimmicky Features / Higher Volumes lose Bass
The Bottom Line: A Great CD Player Soon to Be Superseded
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| da_anarchist's Full Review: Sony Walkman D-EJ611 Personal CD Player |
Well, I tried dropping it. And hitting it. And flat out bashing the damn thing (the sales model at my local electronics store looks kinda dented now). But, no matter how hard I tried, it wouldn't skip. Before I begin, I must confess that I actually have D-EJ615. However, the actual player is exactly the same; the D-EJ61x series differs only in accessories.
Why did I get It?
I purchased this Discman to replace an old, very basic Panasonic. Not that there was anything wrong with it, it has served me well for years now. Problem is, the damn thing skips by just lightly tapping the cover. Kind of scratched out the "portable" in Portable CD Player. So, I decided to scour the local shops to find a replacement, and decided on the Sony for its looks, battery life, and most of all, the strangely named G-Protection.
Sony's Attempts to Utterly Confuse Consumers with Similarly Numbered Models
A quick rundown of the D-EJ611, D-EJ615, and D-EJ616 (hmm, wonder what happened to the D-EJ612, 613, ...). These are all the same players, but they come with different accessories. The most spartan is the D-EJ611, which includes the player and headphones, and costs about 75$. The next two are pretty similar, the D-EJ615 and 616. The D-EJ615 is quite loaded, and comes with an AC Adaptor, NiCd rechargeable batteries, and a remote. The D-EJ616 comes with a car adapter. Both of them can be had for around a 100$ or less.
Summary of Features for the Curious (this is from memory so bear with me)
-Sony G-Protection (40 second memory and physical anti-shock)
-20 Hours Playback on 2 AA Alkalines
-Digital Volume Control
-Two Levels of Bass Boost
-RMS Track Programming, Shuffle, and Repeat
-The Utterly Useless AVLS (Volume Limiter to Make Absolutely Sure that your Ears Aren't Damaged)
Okay, Why Should I Pay 80$ for this Cheap Piece of Injection Molded Plastic?
What makes this player better than the competition, of the likes of Panasonic, Memorex, et al? Well, it would have to be the G-Protection. Really, its worth every penny if your current player skips a lot when you use it. It allows your Discman to be truly portable; biking, hiking, running, skydiving, whatever, the Sony G-Protection will not miss a beat. Admittedly though, this Discman may not be your cup of tea if you don't intend to move it around much. But, if you want to be absolutely sure that you never experience a skip, look no further, unless you have money to burn on an MP3 player (but that’s another story).
TeChNiCaL Stuff, How G-Protection Works
G-Protection works in two components, physically and through a memory buffer. The physical part is always "on", even when G-Protection is turned off, and helps to stabilize the laser, ensuring smooth playback. The buffer part comes into play when G-Protection is switched on and stores up to 40 seconds of music in case the physical aspect of G-Protection fails. The memory also works to conserve battery by having the laser read ahead for about 10 seconds, shut off, and that read another 10 seconds. This way, the laser is not on all the time, conserving a small amount of battery. Ok, so I'm sure that there is more to it, but this is a simple explanation of how it works.
OK!, Enough Already, How Does the Damn Thing Perform?
Well, in a word, it performs great. The player is designed very nicely, with all of the buttons in convenient locations. The player performs all of the basics well; it’s easy to use and provides good sound quality. Quite honestly, I can't tell a difference between the sound quality of my old Panasonic and the D-EJ615. Both sound excellent. However, the digital bass boost on the Sony sounds SO MUCH better than the S-XBS bass boost on my Panasonic. I highly recommend that it is kept on. The Volume control on this thing is interesting. It can get to be quite loud, but whenever it gets past a certain threshold, the lower ranges (bass mostly) seem to cut out some. Its especially noticeable with the bass boost on. Although it degrades sound quality somewhat, it is not a fatal flaw. The track-programming feature is mainly a gimmick, the effort required to set it up is not worth it. Finally, we have the AVLS (Automatic Volume something). Instead of toning down the really loud parts of music that I thought it would do, it instead just limits the volume control to a really low setting, almost to the point of not being able to hear a thing. Gimmicky and useless.
The Final Word !!! Translation "Come here if you're in a hurry!" !!!
Having used this player extensively for the last couple of months, I whole-heartedly recommend it. While its not the Holy Grail of Discmans, I have not regretted buying it. It is decently built, performs well, and has the added bonus of never skipping. Really, I don't know why Sony chose to name the shock protection "G-Protection". "Sony Skip Free" would have been a more accurate way to describe it. If you can afford the extra dollars, then I actually recommend the next step up in this series, which is the D-EJ615, which has a nice remote and rechargeable batteries. You'll probably make up the cost difference in batteries alone. If all you want is a quality Discman though, be sure to keep an eye for D-EJ611.
Updates
March 29, 2001
It seems that Sony is coming out with their new product line of Discmans. Therefore, I believe that the D-EJ61x family will soon be retired. The model for 2001 to replace the 611 is the D-EJ621. You can find a picture at this address: http://www.sony.co.th/i/p/D-EJ621.jpg Shop around. I am sure that retailers will want to clear their stock soon of 611's, which means big discounts for this excellent CD player ahead!
December 21, 2000
It seems that there is indeed a D-EJ612. It is only sold at Wal-Mart. Same as the 611 w/o a backlight. Well, wonder if K-Mart stocks a D-EJ613 then? And Costco a 614, etc. Bet that if Costco does have its own version, it comes without a cover or something (-;
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
da_anarchist
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Member: Michael Tang
Location: CA
Reviews written: 8
Trusted by: 1 member
About Me:
Busy college student who tries to write good reviews, whenever I get the time...
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