The Bottom Line: You can *not* skip this!! Some cheap parts, but great price, runs forever on a set of batteries... don't abuse the player and it'll be fine for years.

I've been searching for a good skip free cd player than I can hold in my hand while running - now that is a test of a skip free player.

I also really wanted an on-board radio because I get sick of hearing the same cd all the time, and I'm not going to carry extra cd's and change them while running. :-)

I was looking at the G-protection players and also the Panasonic Anti-Shock Level 4 players.

I liked the Panasonic becuase it had a hand grip that you could use while running (that's a big thing, I *hate* having those stupid belts around my waist), however, I disliked the latches they used.. they looked cheap and too finicky.

The sony has excellent skip protection, but I have to put it in a carry case and hold it while running, which is annoying, and the lid feels a like it may become loose down the road. Buttons feel wobbly... not like they're going to break, just... wobbly.

What broke the tie for me were these:

Price: I found the sony on ebay for about $80. I could only find one or two of the panasonics and they didn't have all the features. The Panasonic I wanted I would have to buy from a store (read *expensive*). (Although with the conversion to US dollars and customs on top to ship to Canada, the Sony didn't come in at any great deal)

Battery life: The sony runs for about a billion years on a single set of AA's. I listen to this player for four hours a night during my second job, 4 days a week. I go through a set of batteries (and I mean cheap rechargeables) about every 2 weeks. The package lists 30 hours of radio time. I found it was even longer than that.

Looks: (okay, so it's superficial, but we all consider it!) It's round and thin and all the buttons match... hey, it looks sexy. :-) The Panasonic was this freakshow of black and yellow with silver clasps... looked like some screwed-up killer wasp on steroids.

Note on reception and AVLS: The radio reception was fair. I wasn't shocked at how bad it was, nor impressed at how good it was. Just average. The AVLS (Automatic volume Limiting System) annoyed the heck out of me. It limits how loud your cdplayer can go. I tried it a grand total of two times, and now leave it off all the time.

Oh, and remember when you get it, you have to turn the G-protection on with a little button. You can turn it off later if you want. They suggest that you do that to increase battery life when the cdplayer isn't going to be jostled too much, but I just left it on, because it has incredible battery life anyways. :-)

Conclusion: Excellent cd player for someone who knows the value of a buck and isn't going to throw it in their locker or drop it on the floor in their room. Perfect for adults looking for a high-function player to take on their most demanding workouts.