CD Players Reviews

The reviews below are assigned ratings by ConsumerSearch. These ratings are based on credibility in testing, evaluating and identifying the best CD Players. See our ratings criteria

For recommendations of best CD Players, see our Fast Answers page, which summarizes what these reviews say. A longer summary and analysis appears in our Full Story report for CD Players. Our Where to Buy page contains information on retailers and CD Players prices.

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CD Players Reviews Reviewed
Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	CD Players Ratings Comments on Reviews
1. Etown >> Details/Subscribe	Editor's Picks Editors of Etown.com Various Dates		Etown has the most current and thorough reviews we found; the staff clearly knows its audio equipment. The only inconsistency on this site is in how products are chosen as Editor's Picks: Two of the five picks don't receive the overall favorable reviews that we would expect of top players. To get to the informative reviews, skip the Editor's Picks and head to the product reviews section. Writer Kevin Hunt makes a convincing case for the Denon DCM 370, citing its excellent HDCD-compatible carousel.

CD Players Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	CD Players Ratings Comments on Reviews

2. Stereophile Ultimate AV >> Details/Subscribe	Recommended Components 2000 Various Reviewers Apr. 2000		Stereophile lists their picks for the 15 best CD players and offers short excerpts from previously published reviews. These are helpful for comparing products, but don't offer much detail. However, these folks are seasoned audio equipment testers who live with their machines before reviewing them, and Stereophile's test methodology and ranking system are well documented. The Sony SCD-1 is the only player to receive the highest possible rating here.
3. Consumer Reports >> Details/Subscribe	Various Reviews Editors of Consumer Reports Various Dates		Consumer Reports includes 11 CD players in its 1999 review, four of which pop up again in a May 2000 update. Most of the models covered in the first review have been discontinued, but their successors are listed where applicable. A brief explanation describes the tests behind the ratings and what you can expect from the players reviewed.

CD Players Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	CD Players Ratings Comments on Reviews

4. Consumer Guide.com >> Details/Subscribe	Various Reviews Editors of Consumer Guide Not Dated		Consumer Guide separates CD players into Best Buys, Recommended and Budget options, which doesn't necessarily tell you which model is best. The editors also group CD player reviews by type: Magazine, carousel, mega- and single-changers. The reviews themselves are fairly detailed, but basic product ratings are not presented as clearly here as in Consumer Reports. Technics stands out as the brand with the most enthusiastic reviews for carousel and mega players; the SLMC7 looks like an exceptional value.
5. AudioReview.com >> Details/Subscribe	Product Reviews: CD Player Contributors to AudioReview.com Various Dates		This site posts user reviews; products are listed according to the number of reviews and the number of stars they have received. Many CD players get five stars, so you have to be willing to sift through a lot of posts in order to get the information you need. On the positive side, some reviews here are even more detailed than professional articles we found elsewhere, including enthusiastic write-ups about the Sony SCD-1 and CX90ES.

CD Players Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	CD Players Ratings Comments on Reviews

6. Epinions >> Details/Subscribe	Various Reviews Contributors to Epinions Various Dates		Epinions reviews are written by users who are not required to post any background information as to their qualifications or experience with the products. Like AudioReview.com, there are some informative reviews here - you just have to be willing to sift through them. User "buckc" writes an especially informative recommendation of the Sony CX-350, which warns users about the tedious task of programming a jukebox player.
7. Consumers Digest >> Details/Subscribe	Various Reviews Rod Woodcock and Marc Wielage Nov./Dec. 1999		Four carousel players and three single-disc players are reviewed here, including the $700 Sony CDP-CX88ES jukebox. Consumers Digest's recommendation of the Technics SL-MC7 is more understandable, given this unit's popularity with other reviewers. Overall, the uncritical tone of the reviews and lack of comparative analysis prevent this source from ranking higher on our chart.
8. Productopia.com >> Details/Subscribe	CD Players Editors of Productopia Not Dated		Productopia divides its recommendations into quality, style and value picks. The value options aren't significantly cheaper than the quality picks, and the write-ups don't make clear whether the quality picks are actually of superior quality. The Denon DCM-370, Harmon Kardon FL8550 and Pioneer PD-f507 are covered here.

CD Players Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	CD Players Ratings Comments on Reviews

9. Amazon.com >> Details/Subscribe	Editor's Picks Editors of Amazon.com Not Dated		Amazon's four CD player picks are categorized as "Best Performance," "Highway 101," "Single Disk Standout" and "Budget Buddy." The only category that speaks to the best-quality product is "Best Performance," featuring the Harman Kardon FL8370. However, Amazon's glowing review of the Harman bears a striking similarity to the manufacturer's product statement.
10. Deja.com >> Details/Subscribe	Top Rated CD Players Contributors to Deja.com Various Dates		When we visited, Deja.com had user reviews of 15 CD players. While some reviews are fairly recent, most are one-liners that say very little about the product in question.