Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I'm a newbie at this MP3 thing, so the fact (apparently) that the SL-SV570 doesn't play WMA files means nothing to me, since all I wanted was an MP3 CD player. This is a basic player, though: it does not have a display that can show song, album, artist, etc. But I didn't want to spend $300 to $500 on an iPod or other MP3/harddrive contraption to do that.
This is what you get: a solid CD player than can play audio CDs, including CD-RW disks, and CDs with MP3 files, also on CD-R or CD-RW disks. What I do is put 12 to 15 audio CDs on one CD-R or CD-RW disk and then create a label that shows the albums (Tracks 1-12, Thelonious Monk - Monk's Dream; Tracks 13-22, John Coltrane - Blue Train, etc.)--I use the Fellowes software and labels, which are the easiet and best to use. There isn't room on a label for the name of the tracks, of course. Then if you want to listen to the tracks sequentially, you can do that (there is a very valuable resume feature that starts up exactly where you shut the disk off previously), you can shuffle and listen to the tracks randomly, or you can use the Program feature and easily create up to a 20-track program. I use that to program a specific album to listen to. It works great, the sound quality is very good (Panasonic has a two-level XBS bass-boost feature which I almost never turn off), the volume is good, and the price is fair.
You can buy CD-Rs for as low as five cents each if you look around (although 40 cents is more typical), and you can put 700 MB on on disk. Even at 40 cents per disk, you will spend less than $23 to get the capacity of a $500 iPod. If you want to create temporary disks, you can use CD-RWs for around $1.50 apiece.
I have over 2,000 audio CDs and this is a great way for me to put 15 or so albums on a cheap CD-R, label it with the albums, and carry 15 hours of music around without worrying about losing the original audio CDs (many of which are out-of-print Jazz disks or otherwise really hard to find items), having to carry multiple disks around and load them with sweaty hands while working out, etc.
The radio, though, is not too good, depending on your location; you can forget FM stereo unless you're standing next to the broadcast tower. BUT, the radio is good enough for AM ballgames when you're at the ballpark, FM stations in mono, in most places, and is great at the gym for the TVs that they put the sound through a low-band FM station so you can listen while you're working out.
I gave the headphones to my daughter. They looked uncomfortable and anyway I only use earbuds, so I don't know about them.
You will probably want to get a CD-jogger belt that will hold the player when you're walking around, running, exercising, etc. Panasonic sells one but there are others for around $20. You really want one so you don't drop the thing. It's plastic and hitting concrete will have the predictable effect.
If you want to have a read-out and pick out specific songs, artists, etc., this is not the player for you. This is a basic model: it will play MP3 files loaded onto a CD-R or CD-RW, but it does have some good features: (i) good sound (bass and volume), (ii) excellent resume feature, and (iii) good program feature. If you need more than that, you will have to spend more money, probably. Panasonic sells basically the same model with a remote (which I wouldn't use) but without the radio for around the same price. I'm still using a cheap Panasonic (10-second skip protection only) that I bought five years ago and use every day, so Panasonic seems to hold up well.
UPDATE (August 23, 2004)
I would add one really significant issue that can cause endless frustration with this player. This model plays MP3s in strict alphabetical/numberic order, and that fouls up the order of the albums that you burn, and really messes up the order of tracks in a multi-disk set.
THE FIX: if you use MusicMatch JukeBox 9.0, specify in the Settings in the Recorder feature to name the tracks in the following order: Artist, Album, Track # (you have to check the appropriate boxes and then use the up/down arrows until you get this order; you must have all three elements--trust me after many hours of monkeying around with this). Note that this is the Recorder feature that copies your audio disk's tracks onto the computer, not the Burner feature, which burns tracks onto a blank CD. You won't see any effect from making this election until the audio files are converted to MP3 files; when the audio files are shown on your MusicMatch playlist, they have the complete information but somehow the files are tagged so that when they are converted to MP3 files, the appropriate naming then takes place. That cost me another few hours to figure out.
In this way when the audio files are converted to MP3 files and are burned onto a CD, they are named, for example, Thelonious Monk - Monk's Dream - 01, etc., and then Monk's Dream (a specific album) will play in the original album order. After those tracks, then Thelonious Monk - Straight, No Chaser - 01, etc. will play in order (the actual MP3 titles look a bit different than that, but that's the effect). If you burn multi-disk sets, you may have to play with the disks' titles a bit to get this to work, because of the way that MusicMatch edits long titles. For example, if you want to burn your Stan Getz's The Bossa Nova Years, which is on four disks, you might want to manually rename each disk Bossa Nova 1, Bossa Nova 2, etc., since Music Match can cut off the "(1 of 4)," etc. in the title and then everything gets mixed up again.
This took me many very frustrating hours to figure out, and MusicMatch--which is a great product and apparently a good company--doesn't explain this in any FAQs or online resources, although they do explain that in the Settings on the Burner you also need to uncheck the box that specifies that tracks should be burned in alphabetical order. This is irrelevant, though, since for whatever reason this Panasonic player only plays in alphabetical/numberic order. (The disk will play in the correct order on your computer using MusicMatch, but in Windows Media player on the same computer or on this player (I haven't tried any others) the tracks revert to alphabetic/numeric order. Causing one to pull one's hair out in frustration. With the fix above, it works fine.)
I've noticed a number of comments about the latch on the player, and I believe that it could cause problems. It looks and feels much flimsier than the latches on the other two non-MP3 Pansonic players that I have. I'm careful with it, since it doesn't look like it would stand up to much banging around. Another reason why the jogger belt is a good idea.
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Enjoy your music with the freedom that comes from MP3 CD playback, extended battery life, a built-in FM/AM radio, and high-powered anti-skip technology. The SL-SV570's onboard digital synthesizer tuner lets you store 30 stations in memory (20 FM and 10 AM) and assures that stations stay put once they're selected.Panasonic's exclusive No-Skip technology helps prevent interruptions from jostling during active use. No Skip's unique construction uses rubber brushings to absorb shock, while an anti-skip mechanism and an anti-skip digital servo further prevent read errors; a 45-second CD-DA memory reserve (100 seconds with 128 kbps MP3 files) provides added back up.Panasonic's D-Sound technology enhances digital audio clarity. D-Sound incorporates enhancements such as MP3 Re-Master technology, a digital amplifier, S-XBS bass enhancement, digital auto gain control, and Wrap-It headphones. For clear music from homemade CDs, MP3 Re-Master technology restores music data from MP3 files that may have been lost when compressed from linear PCM tracks. The unit's digital amplifier produces clear, clean sound even at high listening levels, while S-XBS and digital auto gain control (D-AGC) ensure undistorted sound and heightened bass response at high levels. The player's Wrap It headphones feature a digital voice coil and a popular back-band design.Now, battery changes will be fewer and farther between thanks to Panasonic's PowerLast high-efficiency power system, which combines an efficient motor with low-load circuitry for playback time of up to 75 hours with MP3 playback and 33 hours with standard CDs, using just 2 AA batteries (not included).Playback abilities include 24-track random-access programming; repeat and resume (which picks up where the unit left off when last stopped); and skip/search. A hold switch prevents accidental starting, stopping, or track skipping during use or transport. The unit boasts an a thin design with operation keys and LCD laid out logically on its top cover.What's in the Box CD player, user's manual, and over-ear headphones (AC power adapter not included).
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