I previously owned a Panasonic Portable Cd player with 3 second skip protection. I purchased that about 4 years ago. With that getting old, I decided to give it to my little brother and try something new. I bought the D-EJ611 because it promised long stamina and virtually no skipping. For the price I paid this was a bargain. All the promises that Sony makes for this cd player are true. I replace my batteries maybe once a week, with reasonable use each day. Not only does it not skip, with the skip protection on, I have had the protection turned off for the last few months without any sign of a skip either. My roommate tapped on it for solid minute without a single skip. I think it's amazing. The included headphones are ok. I bought a pair of "ear buds", also made by Sony. The sound quality is exceptional. The bass boost works wonderfully. I appreciate how all of the features are available right around the LCD screen. This makes single handed usage a snap. The size of the player also fits into my hand much more comfortably than other, larger, cd players. Anyone who wants a great CD player that doesn't skip and uses batteries efficiently should buy this. I will be keeping this player around for a very long time.