Panasonic SL-SX460 Personal CD Player

I bought the Panasonic SL-SX460 soon after it debuted in early 1999. The player's 40 second anti-skip, slim design and rechargeable batteries attracted me, so I bought the player without much consideration or research. Because the CD player was relatively new at the time, I couldn't find any consumer or professional reviews on it, so I guess I really took a chance.

Luckily, the impulse purchase was a worthwhile decision. The SX460 was my first portable CD player, so I didn't realize just how wonderful it was until I tried other CD players and was disappointed. The sound quality on this unit is truly amazing. I am by no means an audiophile, but even my untrained ears can hear the difference: the music is simply clearer and free of distortion and coloration. The headphones that come with the player are absolutely horrible and don't do the player justice but once you get acceptable headphones, you can really appreciate the clear fuzziness-free output of this player.

There are also two equalizer settings: S-XBS and Live. S-XBS is generally good if you had thin, weak headphones or listen to music mostly at lower volumes; otherwise there is too much bass distortion. The Live setting sounds kind of hollow and tinny, like a live concert hall. I use it sometimes to simulate the concert effect, but it can quickly get annoying. There is also a line-out jack so that you can connect the player to an outside stereo system or powered speakers. The only drawback I can think of here is that the volume wheel is analog and can't be put on hold, so if you have the player in your pocket, you could potentially hit the volume switch to max and blow out your eardrums (yes, this speaker can go pretty loud). This happened to me once, although I was being careless at the time.

The SX460 also has standard player features: a hold switch, programmability, repeat mode and 40 second antishock. Operating anti-shock doesn't seem to eat the batteries too much and really makes a difference, since the player's inherent design is not very shock resistant—even the slightest bump will cause the player to skip without anti-shock on. In use, the player is pretty resistant to shocks, except when the battery is running low. I've taken the SX460 running with me, and it'll usually last 15 minutes completely skip-free, before it begins to succumb to the bumps and shocks of constant foot-falls. I must note though that I've only recent tested the anti-skip function with running, and the player is about five years old, so maybe age has something to do with this.

At the time the SX460 came out, it was one of the slimmest players on the market and its still smaller than most other CD players I've seen. It's barely larger than a CD, and a little thicker than your average CD jewel case, allowing it to comfortable fit in a large pant pocket. It's also remarkably light. The compact design owes itself to the use of AAA batteries. Normally, I would prefer AA batteries just because they are cheaper and provide nearly three times the power of AAA batteries, but the player is remarkably versatile in its power use. The unit comes with rechargeable AAA batteries that last about 6-8 hours of use, and can recharge in the CD player with the included AC adapter. This is usually enough for me, although Panasonic includes a battery case so that you can always have a spare pair with you. If you like AA batteries, you can screw on an external battery pack that gives an additional 28-30 hours of playtime. I've tested this unit with Rayovac NiMHs and these work fine too, although the user manual warns against using third-party rechargeable batteries.

The SX460 is also remarkable durable. Although I've generally taken good care of it, I've dropped the player maybe half a dozen times from my desk (about three feet) and it plays just like new. It is particularly adept at handling scratched or dirty CDs, and will play a lots of CDs that won't play on other CD players. It'll also play any CD-Rs that I have, although it won't play CD-RWs. There isn't any MP3 support or FM tuner, but again keep in mind that the player is five years old.

I had a difficult time deciding to purchase a new CD player because the SX460 has provided me with so many years of faithful service. The player still works like new and the rechargeable NiMHs are still retaining their full charge of 6-8 hours (with anti-shock on). In the end, I broke down and purchased a Sony D-NE510 because I wanted the MP3 support. I'm happy with my new CD player, but the sound and build quality aren't quite as nice as this Panasonic. It's an older player and it's relatively no-frills, but if you can find it used for cheap, it's really a great buy. You get awesome anti-skip, good battery life (43 hours with 2 AAs and 2 AAAs) and great sound in a slim, compact unit.