Sony CDP-XE370 CD Player
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- Device Type: Player
- Number of Discs: 1
- Outputs: Digital Audio Optical x 1
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Great budget CD player
Pros
Great sound at a budget price. Plays almost all CDs and CD-Rs
Cons
Difficult to set output volume; few features.
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
Get this is you want great budget sound, with a few minor flaws
Basically, this sounds great for the price (especially when you can get it for under #50 secondhand). Very detailed sound (especially on the vocal - revealed backing vocals I'd never really noticed before) and great timing meaning that anything beat-driven sounds good. Would be better with slightly more 'driving' sound on guitars, and slightly tighter bass, but this play still sounds way better than anything else I've heard under #200. I'm using it with a Pioneer SJ-130 Midi system, and it goes well with the strong bass but none-too-detailed sound on this; I'm not sure if a higher end amp would show up some more flaws. Played pretty much any CD I put in it - scratched CDs (as long as they're not really trashed)and CD-R promos (blue and silver) all worked fine; also plays audio CD-RWs, but not MP3s. There's a jog shuttle to skip between tracks - this is a bit more intuitive to use than the normal push-buttons, but doesn't make a massive difference.
On the downside, it is low on features (but if you just want to listen to CDs and record the odd track you should be fine - you can program and repeat tracks, but there's no memory after you take the CD out); particularly annoying is that, though the output volume can be adjusted on the remote control, this is reset to its initial (very loud) setting when you power off the player. The player itself can be slightly noisy, with its drive mechanism clicking a bit (especially with CD-Rs), but this isn't particularly noticable unless you either listen to CDs very quietly or stand right by the player and listen out for it. Can take slightly longer than normal to read and be ready to play a CD, but we're talking a second or two. Looks are OK - it's not beautiful, but will look inoffensive in most lounges.
Sony provide a very cheap-looking interconnnect with this - sounds cheap, too! When I replaced this with a homemade interconnect (ex-military silver-plated wire, gold plated plugs, cost #7.50 to make) lots of the flaws I mentioned vanished - the bass was much tighter, guitars sounds more 'live', and the whole thing just sounded warmer. The interconnect on this is well worth replacing - makes it sound like a much more expensive player!
All in all, a great player for the price if you can live with a few minor flaws and factor in the cost for a new interconnect cable.
On the downside, it is low on features (but if you just want to listen to CDs and record the odd track you should be fine - you can program and repeat tracks, but there's no memory after you take the CD out); particularly annoying is that, though the output volume can be adjusted on the remote control, this is reset to its initial (very loud) setting when you power off the player. The player itself can be slightly noisy, with its drive mechanism clicking a bit (especially with CD-Rs), but this isn't particularly noticable unless you either listen to CDs very quietly or stand right by the player and listen out for it. Can take slightly longer than normal to read and be ready to play a CD, but we're talking a second or two. Looks are OK - it's not beautiful, but will look inoffensive in most lounges.
Sony provide a very cheap-looking interconnnect with this - sounds cheap, too! When I replaced this with a homemade interconnect (ex-military silver-plated wire, gold plated plugs, cost #7.50 to make) lots of the flaws I mentioned vanished - the bass was much tighter, guitars sounds more 'live', and the whole thing just sounded warmer. The interconnect on this is well worth replacing - makes it sound like a much more expensive player!
All in all, a great player for the price if you can live with a few minor flaws and factor in the cost for a new interconnect cable.
