Portable CD Players: Reviews

Updated January 2008

While the iPod and other MP3 players have driven portable CD players to the sidelines for many, they still provide great sound and good value for those not ready to abandon the disc. ConsumerSearch finds the best of the breed, with a big helping hand from the owners who know these players best.

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Best portable CD player

Sony D-NF430

*Est. $60 Compare Prices

Reviewers rave about the sharp sound quality of the Sony D-NF430. This portable CD player comes with all the bells and whistles, including an FM/AM tuner, a weather band and audio TV stations. It can also play both… expandregular CDs and MP3 files burned to CD-R/RW discs. A three-line display lets you view title and track information. This Sony player comes with a long battery life (about 41 hours), "G-Protection" to prevent skipping and a user-friendly remote. The downside is that it costs twice as much as other CD players -- and about as much as a small-capacity MP3 player. collapse

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Expert & User Review Sources:

Amazon.com: About 60 owner reviews give the Sony D-NF430 a good average score, roughly three-quarters scoring it four or the maximum five stars.

PC World: About ten user reviews posting to the PC World website give the Sony D-NF430 a very high average score, and they uniformly praise the sound quality.

Epinions.com: A handful of owner reviews give the Sony D-NF430 a good average rating, most liking the sound but disliking the small control buttons.

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Buy from
Amazon

for $69.99

Basic portable CD player

Coby MP-CD521

*Est. $20 Compare Prices

A low price and the ability to play MP3 encoded CDs are the attractions of the Coby MP-CD521. However, this model is definitely not for the jogger -- most reviewers say the anti-skip system is ineffective. The Coby… expandportable CD player uses two AA batteries, and an AC adapter is included. The Coby doesn't have a radio tuner, but most owners say it's good for simple CD playback. collapse

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Expert & User Review Sources:

Amazon.com: About 60 owner reviews give the Coby MP-CD521 a middling average score, with positive and negative reviews nearly evenly divided.

Overstock.com: A handful of users give mixed reviews to the Coby MP-CD521, a couple saying the headphone plug doesn't fit in the jack.

Buy.com: We found just a couple of owner reviews here, one liking the Coby MP-CD521 and the other saying it's difficult to use and had some assorted problems, including the door not closing, after a few days of use.

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Buy from Amazon for $21.95
eBay for $34.77	eBay for $26.98	J&R Music and Computer World for $19.99