Customer Reviews

Panasonic SL-SW880 Brainshaker X-Treme Portable CD Player (Silver and Blue)

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This player is sooooooo cool. Right when I got it I started testing it. I would run around with it and I would shake it. It never skipped a beat. The one thing that is misleading is that it doesn't have a built in battery pack. You have to buy that separately. Other than that the player is awesome. After I got it and showed all my friends what functions it had, they all wanted one too. Now they're raving to all their parents that it is the best and since they are in sports and stuff it's good for them. I do sports so this player is good for me because it doesn't skip. I would totally recommend it to anyone.

About 4 years ago, I got the Panasonic Sockwave CD player. That's the yellow one. It was great: built like a tank. I never thought it could get better, until I got this one. Overall, I have found that Panasonic makes better quality portable CD players than anyone, including Sony and Aiwa. It has the best sound quality, even with it turned all the way up. The headphones are a huge plus. For an extra $10, as opposed to getting the one with the normal headphones, GET THESE HEADPHONES. They hurt your ears after awhile, but it takes awhile, and then just adjust them. The VMSS is well worth it. The player is durable, and I should know because I go to High School and if it can survive there, it can survive anywhere. Overall, it's an excellant CD player. The only drawback is that the batteries are inside the CD area, but I can get over that. It's well worth the price, even at $200 (retail). Good luck getting it, though, considering it took me a week because they are constantly sold out.

I've only had the SL-SW880 for a couple of weeks now but I am very pleased with its performance.

The metal case makes it more durable but a bit heavier than its plastic-cased counterparts. And the more substantial heft of the player makes it feel "higher quality". There are two latches on either side of unit that hold it closed, and the lid is not spring loaded, so changing discs with one hand is a bit awkward. On the other hand, the unit isn't going to spring open accidentally.

Overall, the fit and finish of the player is very good. The buttons are rubberized but have a positive feel, and they are not so closely spaced that operation is difficult. The headphone, AC adapter, and line out jacks all have rubber gizmos (attached to the player) that fit into the jacks when not in use to seal out dirt and moisture.

I use the player while doing cardio so my issues are: no skipping when bumped, headphone comfort for an hour, good enough volume to obscure gym noise.

Plainly put, I've never had a skip occur with Anti-Shock turned on. The documentation says that the player uses compression to make Anti-Shock work, so there is (theoretically) diminished sound quality. I do not find the difference noticeable in a gym environment, but if I were playing the unit through a home stereo I would turn off Anti-Shock.

I would have given this player a 5-star rating if it weren't for the headphones. I don't like the headphones at all and I don't use them. To me, they're not comfortable, the sound quality is poor, they are heavier and the volume is lower than with other headphones. They are fancy though: remote control buttons at the temple to control volume, play, and track skipping/searching. The bulbous thing on the back of the headphones is supposed to enhance the bass experience when the player's EQ is set to VMSS mode, but it didn't do anything for me. The discomfort comes from the way the ear buds sit in your ears. They are spring loaded so they are always pulling to the rear of your head. Couple that with the "bass bulb" sitting on your neck and any head movement causes the ear buds to dig into your ears. They do come with little foam covers to lessen the discomfort. ...

I believe that the SL-SW880 is exactly the same as the SL-SW860 except the 880 has blue accents whereas the 860 is black, and the 880 comes packaged with the BrainShaker headphones and the 860 comes with the usual over-the-head ear bud type headphones, which accounts for the higher price for the 880...

The headphones are my first concern, because if it really hurts the first time you wear them, then we got a problem. I wore them for about two weeks and it still hurts. And the sad part was whenI accidently pull it, OUCH! I eventually sold them and bought earphones, sonow there's no problem.

Pros : -Great sound -Very solid body -Never skipped when it was not too used -Bass -Remote on the headphones

Cons : -Useless "hold" fonction(No accidents with rubber buttons) -Rather cheap locks -Batterie compartment inside it

This is the coolest Cd player I've seen so far, just because the headphones vibrates(well, behind your neck)!

If you can afford this one and some rechargeable batteries, BUY IT if the headphones aren't a pain. And when you finally dislike the VMSS, just turn it to BASS.

I bought this to use while running, and first tried it out today. At first, I didn't turn anti-skip on, and there was a lot of skipping. After activitating the anti-skip, I ran skip free for an hour. I also found the cd player to be nice and light. Only complaints are that the included arm band is difficult to attach to oneself, especially over winter running gear--instead, I held the cd player. Also, the earphones, although they stayed in place pretty well, were a bit cumbersome, and somewhat painful.

This is probably the most drool-worthy portable CD player in existence. I feel lucky to own one.

The construction of the unit is sturdy, with a silver metal/blue plastic exterior, a neat little display screen, and cute little squidgy gray buttons. The metal exoskeleton makes it much more durable, and small rubber covers for the plugs (also squidgy) keep water and/or grime out when the plugs are not in use. The batteries are housed snugly inside the player, so you have to open the unit and take out your CD if you want to change the batteries. This is a good thing because it means that if you drop the player the batteries cannot fall out.

The unit features an extremely effective anti-shock device (with 40 seconds of memory). However, the player does not skip much unless you are running or jolting it. When walking or when riding in a car or bus, I hardly ever experience skips. When the anti-shock is on, the unit never, ever skips. Great stuff.

The unit features three play modes--normal, resume, and random--the toggle switch for whom is housed neatly inside the player, underneath the CD. The player also features the usual repeat all or repeat 1 modes, as well as a memory/recall system. A nifty orange rubber hold switch, nestled in an indentation that prevents it from being turned unintentionally, keeps accidental button pushes from changing your settings, turning the player on and off, and so on. The volume wheel (which, it is worth noting, is not affected by the hold switch) is made of thick, tough plastic, and is screwed in tightly but still turns easily. It shouldn't break.

Silver plastic clips keep the unit from popping open. Although the clips are sturdy, they could conceivably break if you dropped the player hard enough. For a CD player of this price, though, a case would be a worthy investment. Case Logic is my personal favorite as far as cases are concerned.

The S-XBS (extra bass) function is very effective. Even without it, the sound is crispy clear. Deftones has never sounded better.

Which brings us to the headphones and the VMSS (Virtual Motion Sound System) feature. This is what really sets this already-great player apart from the crowd. The headphones have a very unique design (which tends to draw admirers), wrapping around the back of the wearer's neck and folding up into the ears (see pics). They fit everyone I know who has tried them so far (including me and my average-sized head and neck, my weight-lifting friend's big head and bull-neck, and my petite friend's child-sized head and neck) quite comfortably. The earpieces are not the most comfortable in the world, but do not hurt (especially if you use the included pads, which I don't). The VMSS is incredible! It's like wearing a miniature subwoofer on the back of your head. I use it all the time, although you can turn it off and use the regular or S-XBS modes if you don't like it. I have let many people try the phones out (because they invariably ask about them), and all of them get this fascinated little smile that grows larger and larger as the bass kicks in. Great! All headphones should have this feature; it really brings music to life. (Remember, however, that the VMSS will only work with the player itself. The headphones are not compatible with other plugs, but you can plug other headphones in if you want.)

The VMSS vibration level is adjustable via the main volume wheel on the player. A small, inconspicuous volume wheel on the left side of the headphones, beneath the three buttons (see pics), controls volume only. The aforementioned buttons allow you to play, stop, fast forward, rewind, and turn the power on or off. Very convenient.

If you are looking for a new, durable, unique, all-purpose portable CD player, and you don't need a radio built in, this is the way togo. ...

Long live VMSS! I'm in love! Arriba! Go check your piggy bank right now!

I got this as a gift. Afetr a few weeks, I was amazed. I decided to find out the specs on this thing and this is what I found. Tthe best sound in any CD-Player around. MASH/D or something like that. Great headphones that really use your neck as a base to create more bass. And a remote on the headphones to use if the player is where you can't get it. Very cool design. Rubber buttons that don't get pushed down easily so it doesn't accidently get turned on. It kinda makes the hold buttons useless. Jogger strap to use while jogging. Also little holes at the top of the player to put your fingers. It's a little comfort area for your fingers while jogging or running. 40-Second anti-shock. This is a different kind of anti-shock. Iit's very powerful. It takes a lot of rattling to make this thing skip when it's on anti-shock. There's also memory. Like if you stop the player on track 14. Once you turn it back it on, it automatically goes to track 14. This player is all around great and for a great price. Buy it here. This is the lowest I've ever seen this.

When I was considering purchasing a CD player to replace my old Panasonic one, I began looking originally at Panasonic. Being a picky purchaser, I need something that looks good in its design, as well as performs well. Panasonic has a reputation (along with Sony and Aiwa) of being the best portable CD player manufacturer. I ended up going with one of Panasonic's Shockwave CD Players. Amazon's unique feature of the reviews, helped the greatest. Looking among the various SLSW CD Players, I had my eyes set on the SLSW880 from the beginning.

People do tell the truth. The headphones hurt my head and ears after 5 minutes of putting them on, and apparently, my VMSS didn't even work. Besides that, the sound quality produced is exceptional.

The durability is quite amazing. Being metal, it can take a large amount of beating and dropping, yet still keep playing, definitely living up to Panasonic's name. The latches [aren't very good] quality, but for the time being, they do work. The Anti-Shock is AMAZING! With my old Panasonic, I could shake it up and down and it would not skip, but extremely vigorous dropping and beating would cause a skip. With the Anti-Shock on, nothing will stop it from continuous play. I could swear you could throw it against a wall and it would probably continue to play smoothly (even though it might not last much longer!).

The buttons are sometimes hard to press in order to be able to actually do what you want it to do, but besides that, the overall playing operations and "button pushing" is exceptional. Only problem is the apparent "EQ" is actually only S-XBS (Super Bass) and the VMSS operation. This is a minus. Other than that, the programming, automatic turn-off and many other playing features are excellent. The volume button and hold buttons on the under side may be very large and awkward, but ad to its durability and overall performance and quality. The rubber covers that fit in the extra holes when not in use are excellent features to keep water and dust out and also increase the durability and quality. They make break off after long use, but are excellent and will stay on for a long time.

I think Panasonic has done the best job it could ever do in creating the most durable and highest quality CD player on the market today. Its design appeals to everyone in shiny silver and awesome blue colors. Its sound quality lives up to Panasonic's audio devices name. The playing operation "works" and "works well". Overall, I think this is one of the best portable CD players on the market today and is probably the most durable player to date. It DEFINITELY lives up to Panasonic's name.

Ok, All I Have To Say Is Two Words, Simply Mindblowing! I Bought A Panasonic Shockwave SL-SW870 Two Years Ago, And This CD Player Is My Favorite One I Ever Had. I Am Now Shopping Around For A New One Because The Only Problem With This CD Player Is That The Latches On The Sides For Keeping The Lid Closed.. Are Easily Breakable. But, Besides These Things Being Easily Breakable, This CD Player Is Top Of The Line. It Wont Skip With Antishock On, And The VMSS Is Simply Amazing! People Claim The Headphones Are Uncomfortable, But I Dont Have A Problem With Them, And With The VMSS, I Wouldnt Care If They WERE Uncomfortable! Once I Used The VMSS, All Headphones I Tried On Were Nothing Compared To This! This CD Player Is Quite Costly, But It Doesnt Get Any Better.

Put simply, this thing is the best CD player I have ever seen, I live in a fairly major town. So what this means is my meditations are usually interrupted, until now, between the headphones and the VMSS it's private, Uninterrupted, and very immersing. Once it's adjusted close you're eyes, between the sounds and feel, you're guaranteed to get into the music, at least I do ;) It works, humor me you will not be sorry.