Coby MPCD450BLK Portable CD/AM/FM Stereo Cassette Player/Recorder - Black/Silver

by Coby

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 14.7 x 7.7 inches ; 6.8 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00352KD0M
• Item model number: MPCD450BLK
• Batteries: 8 D batteries required.
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)

Product Description

With Coby’s MPCD450BLK Portable CD/AM/FM Stereo Cassette Player/Recorder is a simple yet functional solution for your portable music needs. It features a top-loading CD player that plays audio CDs and MP3 CDs. It also has 2-way cassette recording. The clear, digital LCD display and programmable track memory highlight just a few of its many functions.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars very basic unit, but reliably plays MP3's burned to disc . . ., August 1, 2010

By 

trebe - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Coby MPCD450BLK Portable CD/AM/FM Stereo Cassette Player/Recorder - Black/Silver (Electronics)

I was looking for a boombox that could play MP3's burned on CD's, with a cassette player. Unfortunately, the number of portable units that met these two basic criteria was quite limited. The Colby MPCD450 is one, and it is a basic no frills player that while somewhat crude, delivers pretty decent performance, at a relatively low price.

Players often have issues with reading MP3's burned on certain brands of blank CD or CD RW media. So far the MPCD450 hasn't had any such issues, and has been able to play everything, including material recorded over ten years ago. After reading a CD, the player begins automatically playing the disc.

Sound quality isn't the greatest, mostly treble, with very little bass. You are stuck with what you get, as there are absolutely no tone adjustment controls. Not the best situation for music, but it's not that bad for the spoken word, things like podcasts, audio books, or talk radio programs. Given the size of its speakers, the unit is capable of quite high volumes. Since it favors the treble end, heavy distortion usually isn't a problem.

The controls are basic and quite crude. The knobs and switches feel cheap and flimsy. The AM/FM radio gets good reception, but is tuned manually using a dial tuner, instead of a digital one. Thankfully the CD player has a lighted LCD display. For no apparent good reason, the control buttons for the CD differ from the traditional layout. At a time when almost everything has a remote control, this unit does not have one. There are also no provisions for connecting an Ipod or MP3 player. Aside from a headphone jack on the left side of the unit, there are no line ins or outs.

It's a pretty ridiculous, but cassette tapes almost always fail to seat properly when inserted, so you have to reach inside and tilt the cassette slightly in order to close the door. The buttons are pretty stiff and clunky, and the player auto stops only in the Play and Record modes, not Rewind or Fast Forward. Forget to turn it off, and you may burn out your motor, or drain your batteries. The unit uses eight D sized batteries (12V), which adds to its bulk. The window over the cassette is translucent black plastic, but it is so dark that you need a flashlight to see through it.

If you are interested in high quality audio, look elsewhere. This player is mostly for those times where you just want some basic sounds. The primary function I needed, the ability to play MP3's, it does very well indeed, and I am very satisfied with its performance. The cassette player is also nice to have as well, and does a good job of recording from radio or CD. Hopefully the player will have a long usable life.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Flaws outweigh benefits, February 7, 2011

By 

Geraldine Wright "home2books" (Kentucky) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Coby MPCD450BLK Portable CD/AM/FM Stereo Cassette Player/Recorder - Black/Silver (Electronics)

First, the positive - This player arrived quickly, well-packed, and when I had to return it, I did so with no problems and received a credit very quickly. The player was small and lightweight, which was a plus for me. But alas, now the negative. I was initially pleased to have found such a reasonably priced player with everything I wanted in one device. But, reasonably priced (and I should have known this) translated to cheaply made. First I played a cassette, and though the sound was okay (I'm not a purist), I noticed that the tape deck cover was rather fragile, and thought it might be a problem with much use. Then, I tried the radio, and reception was almost nil, but we are in an area where that happens. Then, I began an audio book on CD. The first CD was fine. That was the last CD I was able to play. The player just refused to play another. To sum up, the seller was great, the product almost useless.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars GREAT FEATURES, BUT SOME DRAWBACKS...., July 8, 2010

By 

Daisy S "Daisy S" (Hot Springs, AR) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Coby MPCD450BLK Portable CD/AM/FM Stereo Cassette Player/Recorder - Black/Silver (Electronics)

PROS:

1)CD/MP3 CD player.

2)Cassette deck

3)FM/AM Radio.

4)Radio has clear sound and picks up lots of stations.

5)Compact size and easy to carry around.

6)Low price

CONS:

1) Not very loud sound.

2) Looks somewhat cheap.

3) Hard to read the labels on CD controls.

4) No sound equalizers.

5) No sleep timer.

6) No remote.

This serves a great portable player for my home office. Also, for an extra player that I can travel with. Considering the low price and the fact that a player with MP3 capabilities and cassette deck are almost impossible to find, I am pleased with my purchase.

*Note: The reason that I gave it a 4 was because it is hard to read the controls for the buttons above the CD area.