Conference cookie::notes$archive:cd_v1

I have the Sony CDP-101 and have been quite pleased with its performance.

I use the IR remote control whenever the phone rings to pause the unit
so I can talk, then I restart it after I hang up.  Note that AR has
a tape loop remote control that can be used to mute during phone calls.
The IR is also useful for restarting the disk.

I tend to listen to discs from start to end, the only time I have
wished for programmability has been when there was one particular
selection that I wanted to avoid, but the Sony's repeat will also
allow you to skip so I can get around the selection with a little
more work.

I highly recommend getting a unit with a timer switch so that the unit
will start playing when powered on.  My stereo is connected to a BSR
utility switch so I can turn it on and off remotely, my favorite trick
is to turn the unit off then on from my bedroom (not line of site so
IR won't work) to restart the current disc in the player.  I also plan
on getting the BSR timer (they now have one with battery backup) so I
can wake up to my stereo rather than my weak Sears AM/FM alarm clock.

In my looking at players, the biggest difference performance-wise
between them was in mechanical noise that the unit makes.  The Sony
101 is not the best performer in this regards, but then when I bought
it (last September) there weren't many other options for the IR.

I also wish the CDP-101 had the TIME button on the IR control.  I would
like to be able to switch the display to show time remaining without
getting up (we are talking serious laziness here!).  My current TV
doesn't have remote control, but you can bet the next will!

                                                -Dave

I agree with your comment on remote control TV.  I used to think it was
a ridiculous feature but bought it anyways.  Now, I'm hooked on remotes.

Jim Pappas

I have a Yamaha CD-X1 (something like that) which I like very much.  It
doesn't sport any of the remote features, etc. you are looking for.

I personally can't see much use for the remote control on the CD player
(on a TV - that's a whole 'nother can of beans).  I normally play disks
from beginning to end.  Since a remote control won't load the next one,
I have to get up anyway.

I use the programming feature rather often.  There are a few albums which
have cuts I'd just rather not hear.  It only takes about 10 seconds to
set it up (I know where the cuts are, so I can punch in the pattern fairly
fast after a few tries).  Practice makes perfect.

The operation is simple and nearly foolproof.   Unlike my turntable, which
is surrounded by barbed wire and electric fences, I let my 5-year old load
up disks (under supervision, but still...).

- dave

I have a Toshiba X-ZR70 (or maybe it is Z-XR70, those Z's and X's always
confuse me).

It has full IR remote control and programming features. You can also program
from the remote control (in fact, the remote control has everything that
the unit itself has, except power and load/unload).

If I didn't have remote control I might use the programming features; but
as things stand I don't really need it. The player has direct access (one of
the fastest) and skip up/down. I find it much easier just to press 'skip up'
if there's something I don't want to hear.

The mechanical noise is negligible; you can hear the search if it is 
absolutely quiet otherwise. When playing, you can hear no mechanical noise.

The display contains all you need (track/index/time). The time can switched
between track elapsed time, total elapsed and total remaining.

It's also one of the few with direct access to the indexes (though I haven't
seen discs using it yet).

I paid about $500 for it half a year ago. It is cheaper now.

RE 22.4
I havn't seen this model around here, are you in Europe?  Also, $500.00 is
cheaper than the prices that I've been seeing.  I understand that prices 
will be falling later in the year but for now, the are around $700.00
on the average.  What is your reading on CD player prices there?

Jim Pappas

That Toshiba might be on sale in US too, but maybe under another name...

there are at least two 'look-alikes': The NAD player which is mechanically
the same as the Toshiba player, but has no programming or remote control.
I don't know whether the rest of the electronics is the same. Haven't seen
the NAD player here, in Finland it's selling for about DM 940 (abt $ 350).

The other one is Kenwood which has exactly the same features as the Toshiba,
though  Kenwood claims the electronics is their own design.

Anyway, the price scale here is nowadays is about DM 1300-1500 for the fancy
models, and around 1000 for the less fancy ones. The 'first-generation' models
are usually sold well under DM 1000 (I think the rate is about 1 dollar to
DM 2.70 at the moment).

I'm expecting the next phase of the price war in fall; things tend to be quiet
in the summer. The last was in springtime with many models dropping DM 300-400
in price in just a few weeks (and haven't gone up since then).

I think the more interesting factor is the disc price; if you have any 
reasonable collection of discs, it will cost much more than your player.

There hasn't been much movement in that area here; special offers (mostly pop)
are arount DM 27 ($10), normal pop/rock/jazz etc. around 30-34, classic around
32-40. But I just read an article saying that the price war is just starting,
the Japanese have built 11 (yes, eleven) CD plants this year!! According to
this article, the cheapest CDs sell for DM 19,95 in some cities in Germany now.

I have a Sony CDP-101.  I didn't want a remote control,  I wouldn't have
bought the unit except for the discount I got.  The remote control was
used for a few days and then ignored.

Then a housemate broke her back.  We set up a mirror so that she could use
the remote control from her bed.  She counldn't change the disk, but it
did let her have some comtrol.

I also find the control useful when I want to do careful listening to a
disk, backing up to catch a section
or to replay a track.  You don't want to walk to the other end of the
room just to catch a phrase.

I also miss not having the time_in_track/time_to_go button on the remote
control unit.
						B.J.

I reciently purchased a Hitachi DA-3500. There are several features I wish it 
had.
	1, Lighted controls (I enjoy listning by candellight, flat black
			is difficult to see in low light)
	2, Automatic play when powered up (Just about everything else in my
			appartment is on a BSR power controller)
	3, Remote control to solve #2

	4, A headphone jack so I could use the player without powering up the
		amp.

The unit has programability but I only use that for recording purposes when
making mixture tapes for the car. Overall I am pleased with the unit but if it
only had.........

	happy listning
	
	paul

 I have a toshiba zx-70(or whatever, I forget it two seconds after looking 
at it) like 22.4.  I got it on sale for $599. I wonder why it was cheaper 
oversea?  If I'd know I'd had one sent from overseas.
 Anyway I like the features that came with it (remote control time/track 
etc.) although I don't use them much. I usually put in a disc and play it. 
I look at the time left if I'm going somewhere and want to know if the 
cut is almost over. The power up start feature is nice but the interface is
too expensive for me now (cost/useage. One interface = many CD's).
 CD's beat listing to record noise anyday. Although I agonize over buying
some CD's that I have in records.

I always thought that certain features were unnecessary, 'cause I never had 
them.  Direct access to a specific cut or repeat, for instances, were always 
too hard to do on LP or tape, so I adjusted, and didn't require them.  Now I 
have these features on my CD, and I find myself slowly starting to utilize3 
them.  

Regarding the remote issue, has anyone experienced a problem I like to call 
the multi-appliance remote control interference (MARCI)?  When I had remote 
cable control and VCR, fast scan on the VCR changed channels on the cable.  
Anyone know of anything that can be done to predict such problems?

						     
							- JP

    Re/ .10:
    
    There was a note in the video notes file (DSSDEV::VIDEO) about this
    recently.  Apparently putting polarized filters over the remote
    and the receiver does the trick, but make sure you've got the
    polarization aligned correctly.