Customer Reviews

RCA RP2800 Personal CD Player

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

I use a portable CD player on a daily basis, primarily to listen to audiobooks (i.e. as MP3 players have almost obsoleted CD's; except there is a very large selection of CD audiobooks available at your local library!). Here are my requirements for portable CD player:
- anti-skip: don't buy one without it, since the player isn't really portable without it; otherwise every little bump creates havoc, sometimes even skipping tracks. Without it, this will even happen in a car with it laying on the front seat!
- LCD display: I need to sometimes note the track# and time, so I can mentally bookmark my location if I get preoccupied with something else during my listening; a bunch of portable players have NO display.
- lock/hold: I need to have mine in my backpack, so it's also annoying to bump one of the controls and have it go into repeat track mode, or stop, or something stupid like that. The 'lock' button will disable the button controls until you unlock it.
- battery life: the trick is to buy AA NiMH 2000mAh+ batteries and charger; I get 10-12 hours listening time. (Alkalines get you half of that, if you're lucky.)
- auto-off on CD end: nothing like finishing a CD, and having to remember to turn it off (to save batteries); this one will go off by itself.

This RCA rp2800 has all the above, so I recommend it; especially since it's at a good price point compared to the alternatives. Plus, it has the following which makes it better:
+ the display is on the edge, which makes it convenient when needing to remeber a track#, when it's inside a bag/backpack. (
+ the volume controls are also on the edge, also convenient when needing to adjust the volume; the lock button is next to these same controls, also handy when having to unlock it to adjust it.

I use portable CD players mostly to listen to audiobooks. Having gone through two Sony players in about three years, I wanted something that would be (hopefully) a little more durable. Anyway, I decided on this one. The sound is fine, but unlike the Sony players that I have had, this player does not remember where you left off when you turn off the CD, but always starts over at track 1. This means I spend a lot of time skimming through the tracks, trying to remember where I was before I turned it off. That seriously bugs me. Also, the volume automatically resets itself at level four when you put in a new CD or turn off the player, which also annoys me. All in all, it's a good little player (and it's blue!), but it's not so great for audiobooks.

I got this CD player for my birthday. It worked great, but it had a little trouble with the tracks. I had it for 1 and a half years before it finally died. It has held up through being dropped by all my three siblings, being left out in the rain and being dropped numerous times by me. It's very durable.

I tried this cd player, to replace a prior model, which was refurbished and worked great, but wore out. I tried four cds, including one that played fine on a car stereo. There was only one that worked. I tried the same four cds on a Sony model, and they played fine. There were no scratches or defects in the cds. I am in the process of contacting the manufacturer. I'm very disappointed with this and will not buy RCA again. I will say that the seller (Uncle Joe's) was great. It's a shame they got a bad product (the manufacturer is at fault). Also, the front display makes it hard to see the progress of the track, etc.. Good luck with anyone buying it but you've been warned.

I've got 3 of these and am very pleased with them.
Rugged, long lasting and reasonably priced.

In short it is a "try to be hi-tech" light-wieght piece of plastic that does not play a cd. Please don't waste your $. If I had saved the box (just assumed at it's cost it would work) I could have returned it. Anyway it is in recycled trash.

I bought this item through amazon to listen to books while I walk. It will not play at all, and it is time consuming and tedious to return anything to amazon. They will not take back the carrying case which I purchased . It has to be returned to the manufacturer! What a total waste of an otherwise lovely day.I will not be purchasing electronics from amazon again.

This is a good little player. Sound seems very good, the controls easy to understand, and the batteries seem to last for a really long time. We use it with the ear buds it came with, as well as with a very inexpensive set of over-the-head earphones. Very satisfied, and delighted to have found such a good product among the very few of these CD players on the market these days. Have not tried the radio.

Flaws:

The annoying "ear police" feature that turns the sound down each time play is stopped (but not when paused).

Frail battery compartment door on the outside, making it vulnerable to damage if dropped.

It does not "remember" where you were if you stop playing a CD before it's through. Again, OK when it's just paused.

A bit more bulky than most walkman-type players.

The anti-skip feature occasionally fails to function smoothly. It will jump ahead or skip back a second when bounced about. I've noticed this more when using it in the car than when just carrying it around.

The usual useless earbuds. Panasonic RP-HT21 Lightweight Headphones with XBS Port make a good budget set of earphones for this unit.

BUT, Bonus Points For:

The thing that matters most to me is audio fidelity (I don't do MP3s), and this thing sounds very good. Running "flat" (no equalization), I find it competitive with my beloved Sony D-NF340 CD Walkman & MP3 Player w/FM Tuner.

The three equalization settings are all useful. The "Pop" setting seems to boost the upper midrange, the "rock" setting boosts the bass (good for earbuds or other cheezy headsets), and the "surround" setting creates an artificial sound field by using reverb and out of phase channel mixing--a pleasant effect for making the audio sound "bigger". Nice in the car.

Controls are simple, accessable, and intuitive. You won't need the manual.

The price, even with the flaws, still make it a bargain. I'm considering purchasing a spare.

It looks nice.

I waited with anticipation for the discman. After returning from vacation and finding it waiting I opended the package, searched for 2 new batteries, and grabbed my favorite CD. Read all the info and was ready to go, but the discman "got up and went". It played 1 and 1/2 CD's, never to play again. It is going back to the shop and they can sail it away. Loved the sound while it lasted. I guess I will have to grow up and buy an Ipod.