Sony D-NF600

I really wish Sony takes back my Sony D-NF600 cd player and replaces it with a better model....that's what i expect from a electronic giant like Sony to do..............after all, i've buying sony stuff for a very long time now................

After trying a number of low and midlevel units and owning the best model of its time, the Rio SP250, I have to admit this Sony really rocks. I started with my 1st mp3 player, the Koss cpd 3100. A shockingly good unit for its time and price. I still have it and would use it in a pinch. It lacked only in ID3 support, battery life and handling R3 mix mp3s. My second unit was the excellent Rio SP250. For the right price I would probably buy it again but it was time to move on.

My new choice seemed to come down to a contest between a Sony and an iRiver. The only other possible competition at the moment seems to be Phillips or Samsung. Never got my hands on the Samsung but the one Philips I tried seemed to have potential but it was a lower end unit.

The real question is how good is this model compared to the competition? I wish I had some personal time with the new iRiver units but instead I read all the reviews I could find on them. Comparing them with my knowledge of other models plus my 2+ years experience with my very excellent Rio sp250 I think I have good feel for the market.

I loved my Rio/iRiver sp250 but it has a delicate case, is bump sensitive and has been taking a beating. Reviews tell me the newer iRiver units still have the same problems. They add to the battery problem because of those stupid gumstick batteries. The plus side showed the upgradeable firmware was better than ever and you could play with settings for hours. Is that really the reason for music or a CD player? In reality I stopped playing with settings years ago so uber congurability wasn't a hot point.

When my wife told me she had Sony credit points I could use that made my decision for me. I bought the D-NF600 and so far am very happy. It fits in the pocket well, takes a shaking better than anything I've ever even heard of and the battery really lasts. I'd rather have 2 batteries and 80 hours but it's still 3-4 times my Rio. It has an LED that is supposed to be able to shut off but I can't find the setting. I may also have to return it because my backlight doesn't work on this unit but I have a trip coming up soon and so at the moment you'd have to pry it from my cold, dead hands. If you could have the best of this unit and the best of the iRiver it would make the perfect player. Next stop is a unit that can use DVD media. 9GB here we come.

I hope this review has been helpful. I made it long because I was so tired of reviews that said players were either excellent or sucked with no reference or comparison. I hope this puts things into perspective and please add any corrections or additions.

Damon