Customer Reviews

Sony D-SJ301 S2 Sports CD Walkman

5 star:		(43)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

This is one heck of a cd player rugged too. My old player died and with so many choices this had great reviews and ratings I bought it. Plays great and have used it probably daily and didnt need to change the batteries for a month on the second level my only complaints are the aweful headphones(buy new ones)that are very flimsy and where the shock switch is(right under the cd inside the flap)where you need to open it and remove the cd to change it. On my previous one i had broken off the lid within a week NOT going to happen on this one i've dropped numerous times and it keeps coming back un-harmed. The hand strap is great for running ang biking but is a pain while around the house use. Awesome machine!

This is the 3rd "sports" disc player I've tried this year, and it's by far the best. After running many miles with it -- on trails and on my treadmill -- it has yet to skip. The battery life is great, the thumb-oriented controls are perfectly placed, and the sound quality is more than adequate. My only wishes would be that it had a more "sweat friendly" surface. The metal housing gets pretty slick on hot days. Volume limiting would also be nice, since it's easy to accientally nudge the volume dial while running and give your ears a shock. But overall: If you're a runner, look no further. Sony also makes a version of this player with TV & weather band.

Sony D-SJ301 S2 Discman

Appearance: The D-SJ301 combines stylish looks with excellent durability. The case has is nice and solid and is able to take a beating without causing damage to the internal components. Mine has been dropped several times and has never had any problems. The case opens in the traditional "clamshell" design and closes with a nice metal latch that secures the unit in the closed position. The inside is lined with a rubber seal which seals nice and tight when latched to keep rain and moisture out of the cd compartment. A padded palm strap is included which is great for jogging.

Features: All the play functions are located on a recessed joystick on the top of the player. This allows you access the play controls with your thumb while you're jogging. The volume control is a little wheel that is located next to the joystick that can also be controlled with your thumb. The volume control can be a problem because it is easily bumped. I've had my ears blasted a few times because the volume control has gotten in the way. One of the best features of this model is its excellent skip protection. This is great for running, biking or whatever. I have dropped this thing from 3 ft onto a concrete floor with no interuption to the play! Other features include repeat, programming and digital bass. The headphones are comfortable to wear and kick out great sound.

Power: The D-SJ301 uses 2 AA's and goes nice and easy on batteries. It comes with a 4.5 AC adapter also. There are a couple cool power features that this model offers. One is the batteries are located inside the cd compartment under the CD. This makes the whole unit nice and tight and secure. Another cool feature is the ability to charge rechargeable batteries while they're inside the player. You can buy rechargeables without the need of a recharger. Just hook up your AC adapter, push down on the joystick and your batteries will begin charging. If you use Nickel Metal Hydrides you can charge in about an hour.

Summary: All in all this player is a sweet little machine. The only setback would be the volume control, but that is a minor issue.

I ditched my RioVolt because of the 40-second anti-skip that wasn't nearly enough for my active lifestyle. ^_^ This CD player is great, including the so-called 'flimsy' headphones that put out incredible sound for ANY headphones. I've been using it for about 6 hours straight and my rechargable batteries are still full! All I can say is... wow. SONY hasn't let me down yet! The ONLY bad thing about this is the placement of the volume knob. I think they should've stuck with the digital volume (1-9 ||| for those who remember...). Other than that, its perfect!!!

I've had more CD walkmans than Elizabeth Taylor had lovers, but I can tell you right off the bat that this is definitely among the best. The Sony DSJ301 Sport Walkman NEVER skips any of my CDs, even when I'm running or at the gym. And the sound projects nicely and offers great clarity and fairly deep bass. What's more, the handle that can be attached to this player will allow you to carry it comfortably in your hand while walking. But there are flaws. First of all, the headphones are a tad flimsy and sometimes fall off my head; a better and more sturdy set would have been nice. Also, even though the battery life is a generous 50 hours, the display won't always tell you that it's running low. (Have a spare pair of batteries just in case this happens!) Besides that, I'm really pleased with the Sony DSJ301 Sport Walkman, and I expect a longer life span out of it than the others I previously owned.

I've been through quite a few cd players in the past, none of them could hold up to the beating they received in my hands. I was through with Sony when I got a different model as a gift, the lid hinge was broken, it wouldn't go past song 15 on ANY cd, and it wouldn't rewind songs. With the heavy advertising prior to the Sony S2's release and great reviews afterwards I decided to give it a chance. I was not disappointed, this cd player doesn't cower in the corners or hide under sheets, it takes the hits you give it and keeps on playin'. I'd recommend this cd player to anyone who lives the active life, it will definitely suit your needs.

This is the most awesome CD player I have ever owned for exercising and running. I liked it so much I decided to upgrade to the version with AM/FM radio included. First of all, it really never does skip. On terrain or the treadmill, this walkman will not skip. Also, 2 AA batteries really will last 50+ hours. I've run nearly every day for the past four months and only had to replace the batteries twice. The headphones are a little shabby so I use larger, padded headphones instead. Buy this item - it will be money well spent :)

I like the handle and this puppy doesn't skip. I tend to treat my players like my boys would treat their things--roughly. And it has held up. I did have to take the first one I received back to the store as it was a lemon but the second one was fine. It has a warranty. I have a bit of trouble getting it to change from one song to another but otherwise this one is the best that I have found. And like I said it takes the licks and doesn't skip.

I bought this player around Xmas time and I have been using it about 4 times a week when I go jogging for about a hour or so. For the most part, its preformed to my expectations.

I did notice one slight problem, the battery meter is inaccurate. Sometimes its says you have a full charged battery when in fact your batteries are dying out. I've only noticed this recently when my player started to stop all of a sudden even though it previously showed that the batteries still had a decent amount of charge. That's the only reason why I am giving this 4 stars instead of 5.

The sound quality of portable cd players has been on the same downward spiral that most sound equipment takes when commoditized for the mass market. The reason for this is simple: Joe Duh Average wants FEATURES not SOUND QUALITY. If you read most of the reviews, most people are talking about features. One self-proclaimed "audiofile" (sic) says the "bass sounds good", but mostly mentions features.
Note that the manufacturers don't even list real specifications anymore (like Total Harmonic Distortion - THD, signal-to-noise ratio - S/N, output level, etc.) because Joe Duh doesn't understand or care what these things mean. Joe can't see the op-amp or compressor inside the machine -- but he can see whether it has a remote control or not. (Why anyone needs a remote control on a portable cd player is beyond me.) So when Joe goes to the store to select a portable cd player, he buys the one that has the most visible features. (Joe wants to get his money's worth, after all.) So, what do you do if you are a manufacturer? Where do you invest your money? This is why most portable cd players have a muddy, unbalanced sound these days and this player is no exception. If you look at its specifications, it lists features. The frequency response range really doesn't tell you much, and that is the most you can get out of them. But just listening to it is a real disappointment. It is fascinating to me that people are willing to pay extra for things like AVLS when this is redundant -- just use the volume control! Check this out -- they try to pass it off as a feature: it "guards your hearing by capping your listening level". Thanks, big brother. (Sony doesn't wanna get sued.) Although they aren't going to tell you the output level, it is only about 5mW per channel. It is sturdy and doesn't skip -- everyone is right about that. It is heavy and bulky if you want to carry it in your hand while jogging, however. If you are a true audiophile, I would recommend looking elsewhere. They aren't making good quality portable cd players anymore, and the one I finally found is the best I could get from what is available and it isn't even on the market anymore. I got lucky and found a distributor that happens to have a stock of them and when they are gone, my guess is that there will be no more to buy anywhere. That player does not have the mp3, which is fine with me. It is the Panasonic sl-ct470 and they are going for about $50 (original price on release was closer to $75, I think). The sl-470j is the same player, but it has a remote control which doesn't interest me. It has a S/N of 96 dB and 9mW per channel output level. It is light, not as sturdy as the Sony, but the sound quality is much clearer and the response curve is better. Of course, no one ever uses the earphones that come with any of these players -- I use either one of Sony's MDR series or Sennheiser's P100's for exercising. The results with this particular configuration are pretty good.