Koss has an easy and cost-effective way to upgrade your cassette-based car stereo to a full-featured, CD-quality sound system. This portable CD player comes packed with everything you need to enjoy CD sound wherever you go, including a cassette-to-CD adapter and power adapter that connects to your car's cigarette lighter. The Koss CDP1689CP portable CD player offers track skip, search, repeat, and random-play functions. You can program up to 24 tracks. Its controls and LCD screen are top mounted for easy access. It also comes with a built-in line-out jack. Headphones and an AC adapter are also supplied. For earth-shaking sound, you'll want to enable the optional Dynamic Bass Boost Sound System (DBBS) feature, which is extremely effective at increasing the output of bass. The built-in anti skip technology resists playback error due to excessive shaking. If you are tired of playing your aging cassette tapes in your car stereo, the Koss CDP1689CP is an outstanding choice for upgrading to CD sound quality. The price alone makes this a steal for both car and portable personal use.
Koss has an easy and cost-effective way to upgrade your cassette-based car stereo to a full-featured, CD-quality sound system. This portable CD player comes packed with everything you need to enjoy CD sound wherever you go, including a cassette-to-CD adapter and power adapter that connects to your car's cigarette lighter.
For earth-shaking sound, you'll want to enable the optional Dynamic Bass Boost Sound System (DBBS) feature, which is extremely effective at increasing the output of bass. While we did find that the enhanced bass level caused some distortion at higher volumes, this is not likely to impact the majority of users.
We were particularly impressed with the high-quality Koss headphones. These lightweight and flexible headphones were the most comfortable pair that we've experienced in our tests, offering a secure fit without squeezing the head.
We also liked the built-in antiskip technology, which resists playback error due to excessive shaking. This feature is a must if you plan to use this CD player in a mobile environment such as your car. The manufacturer claims it has recently enhanced its antiskip technology to better prevent skipping, with a broader tolerance for horizontal shocks, as well as an enhanced laser focus. While we weren't able to access an earlier incarnation of Koss's antiskip technology to verify this improvement, we can report that our CD continued without skip or interruption after we deliberately knocked this player around both vertically and horizontally.
When the antiskip technology is first enabled, it takes a few seconds for the player to fully buffer 40 seconds of music. During this time, the LCD screen contains a graphical icon that shows the progress of the buffering activity. This was a useful feature that we had not seen in other personal CD players.
If you are tired of playing your aging cassette tapes in your car stereo, the Koss CDP1689CP is a reasonable choice for upgrading to CD sound quality. The price alone makes this a steal for both car and portable personal use.
Pros:
- Effective antiskip technology for error-free CD playback
- Comfortable, high-quality headphones
- Good bass-enhancement option
Cons:
- Some distortion at high volume when bass enhancement is enabled
The Koss CDP-1689CP is a personal CD player which plays audio CDs, plus CD-R discs. The key feature to the CDP-1689CP is the included car kit. This kit comes with a cassette adaptor and a cigarette lighter DC adaptor, the two necessary accessories to make any personal CD player vehicle-ready. The forty-second anti-shock system is a huge plus when using the player either in the car or at the running/walking track. In fact, this sort of anti-shock system is good for any user who may encounter surprise jolts and vibrations while commuting, sitting in a coffee shop or studying in bed. The CDP-1689CP runs via the DC adaptor, the AC adaptor, or batteries. To help save battery life, Koss allows you to turn off the anti-skip system when you do not expect rough handling. With four play modes (normal, repeat, shuffle and twenty-four track program) there are many options to enjoy the CD listening experience. Other notable features include: hold, resume, hyper-bass sound and a one-bit D/A converter. The color is a sleek and modern silver. For added hip functionality, the included Koss stereo headphones are a flat black finish, complimenting nicely the CD player.
What's in the Box
Koss CDP-1689CP personal CD player, cassette adaptor, cigarette lighter DC adaptor, stereo headphones, AC adaptor, user's manual and a ninety day warranty.
1 Great CD Player
This is a magnificent CD player. It goes anywhere and does just about anything. It positively will not skip. Battery life does seem a bit short however but disabling the anti-skip functions of the cd player do help this. The headphones could also be a bit better, but the player itself is every bit as good as a Sony or any other name brand.
2 Koss1689-Limited Value-Limited Warranty-Limited satisfaction
I bought a KOSS-1689,for about 55.00... Skips very easily,anti-skip eats batteries. Sounds Great! When it works.. Also-any Cd's that you make yourself--- will not play them!////Guess what? 12 month warranty./// Mine just "died" after 12 months and 1 week.. Anybody from KOSS care to respond? And, no there is no extended warranty on this kind of player.Plus an extended warranty costs too much anyway.I will be purchasing a Memorex to replace this one.
3 It's got a few bugs for Koss to iron out.
For one thing, the buttons are so small that it's almost impossible to hit the right one after dark. Second, the Anti-skip eats the batteries real quick. And the player will beep only when there's just five or six minutes left in the batteries. Not cool. And to make things worse, the one I bought lasted only two months before it wouldn't play anything.
One thing that really works well is the skip protection. Even "washboard" dirt roads couldn't make it jump around while playing. And with Koss TD-60 headphones, the extra bass was really something else. Still could have used more, though.
My feeling is that it's too little for too much. The next one I buy will be a Sony.
4 A Good CD Player
The player itself is pretty reliable. Good anti-skip. Headphones went out about 6 months after I got it. Worked fine until I dropped it. D'oh!
5 Koss Products only last 1 year
I have purchased 2 Koss cd players, and one stereo. Koss products do not last. They are not durable, and will skip if you sneeze hard. My advice is stick with the trusted and true brands. Remember: There is a reason why Koss is so cheap!
6 Don't buy it! Rip off!
This CD player at first looks to be a great deal with its sleek design and fair price, but it's not that at all. I have had mine for awhile now and at first it played just fine with a pretty good sound .Then as time progressed the anti-skip started to take its own time working and the first song would be over before it would even start. And then it started to skip a little (with the anti-skip on!)and finally it refused to play at all. Don't buy it, it's a rip off.
7 good stuff cheap
I just got this Koss cd player in the mail, and it works as specified. It sounds good, everything seems to be working, and its definitely worth the price. You wont find a decent brand cd player with 40 sec AS and a car kit for this cheap anywhere. As far as aesthetics goes, it looks plain, which is how it should be.
8 broken in less than a day
This cd player is ok...but the case breaks very easily...A tiny little basketball hit it and the case broke. but it still plays...I guess I will have to fix it some how...I suggest you invest 20 more dollars in a sony cd player, those thing last longer...KOSS should stick to making head phones...
9 Good for the amout spent
This is a good cd player...I only spent 55$ including shipping...It works great, and it doesn't skip much...It is a very good cd player and it is worth more than I payed...
10 Didn't last long
This CD player lasted about 3 weeks before the anti-skip feature broke. When engaged, the player now inserts random horrific screaming static. I have relegated the player to a shelf in my workroom where it works fine (as long as you don't turn on anti-skip)!
11 Very Nice - Especially for the Price
I got this about two weeks ago, and now I've put it to a fair test: During driving. I think the so called "Shock Protection" saved it most of the time, after all, these aren't the worst roads. But suffice to say, it never skipped. So, it works great! However the car kit that came with it only worked one time when I hit PLAY, and it only made output in the left ear. Good thing I brought batteries! The AC Adapter is included as well and is a nice touch. The headphones included are high quality. Finally, I haven't tried the cassette adapter, for I have no use for it when I could have CD quality =) Why four stars then, and not five? Well, perhaps for the poor car kit, but also for looks. Looks don't matter though, that's a silly thing to judge, right? Go and buy it! $50!
12 A Great Basic Player
I bought this player to use at work, and I love it. It works really well and hasn't broken or anything yet. I only use it with the AC adapter so I'm not sure about it's battery life, and I don't use it in the car or anything so I'm not sure about skippage. However, it is a good model and I have been very satisfied with it. If you just want a basic player for not too much cash, and don't care about all the bells and whistles, go for it.
13 I love it
I got this one as a gift. My what a Gift! First of all, I don't know why some other reviewers hate its look, I really think it looks very modern and chique! It is also very slim measuring around 1" in thickness.
The fifth star was taken of because it does not have a belt-clip ;-(
Until now, it never skipped, not even once. I also like that the PLAY button is kinda hard to push, this is to prevent accidental operation and protect battery. Sound is excellent. A good deal for 50 bucks!
14 not the best
Well, my father won a gift certificate for 500 dollars, and instead of getting a digital camera he got a mider saw and this cd player for me for christmas. It has some minor flaws, to wide, the buttons are in a bad spot, no hold button, cover moves a bit, causing it to stop, anti skip starts up no matter what, which makes you wait...and it drains your batteris, but its ok, my x-girl friend dropped it, and i watched it shatter, so i guess i get $50 outa the whole deal
15 It works Well
I have basically the same model as described except for mine only has 10 seconds of anti-skip I think it is great it works well has good sound quality for the price. I do have to agree that there needs to be some small improvements on the design like a hold button to prevent unwanted battery drain maybe a power saver feature that gives you more battery life and maybe a window to view the cd as it is playing. All in all though I think koss has built a great product even though there are some minor flaws with the design. I was wondering does anybody know if the anti-skip feature is supposed come on when the player is turned on I ask because it does on mine and I just wanted to know if this is normal or not.
16 Koss portable cd player
I basically have this same model listed except mine only has 10 seconds of anti-skip I was hoping to find some info on my particular model but I think from the information listed I can believe that my model is just as good. I would be interested in hearing from anyone who has information pertaining to my model of cd player thanks.
17 Works well for me
Unit works well as a whole in our car - the only apparent audio limits are our car speakers (not a hot-shot audio system!). No skips even while driving through a pot-holed unpaved boatyard. Did notice that while car was idling for more than the 40 seconds, the antiskip couldn't cope with the regular vibration, but not a real problem for me personally. I have a sony discman which skips if you look at it, and I don't find any great unacceptable difference in the audio.
18 Good for casual use, good value, some audio defects
Nice phones, car cassette adapter works great, anti-skip works well, good for the price. Not tops for critical listening, because there there is continuous audible electronic background schmutz in the phones.
19 Cheaply made, FRAGILE!
I bought this CD player a while back, hoping it would solve my problems... I was using a 1989... YES, 1989 SONY discman until now... no antiskip of course, which is why i bought the koss. The first thing to go was the battery door, would not lock. The headphones I must admit were pretty decent, but my ears hurt after 20 minutes or so... i'm an inner-ear headphone person. The cassette adapter was kind of quiet, with poor stereo seperation. The headphone jack developed a bad contact, so I found myself using the UNAMPLIFIED line-out jack. I finally realized this player was on its' way out... so I managed to trade a SONY DISCMAN (1994) with car kit for it, with a friend of mine. A month later, the KOSS broke (LCD cracked)... and NOW, 5 months after (not to mention 5 years)... the SONY works perfectly still! He regrets trading with me. I recommend you go spend an extra 20 dollars and get a nice SONY Discman! KOSS should stick to headphones! I am not an abusive person, my stuff usually lasts VERY long... this player isn't designed for the real world... much too fragile!
20 Satisfactory quality for the price
I got the CD player 2 days ago. I'm pretty happy with it except I found one minor flaw: The door of the CD compartment is kinda loose and it juggles a little bit when you shake it. I think I might buy some more to give away as gifts later on.
21 problems, twice
This is two products in one, which sounds good for $50. (1) It's a discman. (2) It's a car cassette-to-CD converter. That's great if it works as both products.
But for me, it hasn't worked. On the first one I got, the volume control didn't work, so it was no good as product (1): discman. On the second one, the volume control works, but it sounds horrible in the car on anything that has electric guitar on it (ie most of what I listen to). So this second one fails as product (2).
At the time of writing this review, I'm not sure whether or not I will again send back an unsatisfactory product to Amazon. I suspect that the discman part of it is fine, and that a decent car cassette-to-CD conversion thingy would set things right.
But as far as quality goes, I have to score this product as an unacceptable zero for two. It gets one star on the dubious basis of "What can you expect for $50."
22 Great Sound - Some Design Improvements Needed
Nice looking, great sound, good headset, anti-skip works great. I walk everyday and this unit bounces inside my coat pocket or backpack without a skip. Sometimes I jog a little - still no problem.
However - the designers didn't use it like I do: It needs a belt clip - geez, pretty basic - or at least a carrier of some sort.
AND, the control button array is on top and I've found it will turn on if bumped when setting my backpack down. The result is a battery drain.
Finally, the headset plug goes into the side of the unit ruining the narrow width and sleek design. It won't slide into most pockets as a result. They should put the protruding plug along the front or back edge, not the widest, side edge.
23 This CD player is mighty fine
This is a great CD player for the price, ecspecially with all of its features and the tape player hookup. It works perfectly and it has never skipped on me(yet). I don't think this high quality entertainment device with 40 sec. ASP will ever steer you wrong friends so buy it now and enjoy.
24 A cheap & easy way to get a disc man!
Its very light & flimsy which makes it kinda "cheap". But sound wise, its pretty good. Better if you change the head phones. The head phones first of all do not fit your ears properly & there are high pitches at high volumes. The anti-skip functions sucks the life out of your battery & therefore does not last very long. Overall, you can't complain - its cheap if you want a disc man!
25 Outstanding procuct
This is the first portable CD player that I have owned, I can't believe I have waited this long to purchase one. I use it all the time in the car with the cassette converter. The kids enjoy listen to their CDs together in the car.
26 This is an excellent deal.
I dread going shopping for electronic products. I saw the advertisement. I knew I could return it if I did not like it. I enjoy it. It is one of the best buys I made this year. My friends were surprised to see how many attachments it came with. I would definitely buy this produce again as a present.
27 It is a great cd player for the money.
I bought this cd player as my first portable. For 50 bucks it sure works great. The headphones seem a little dinky but they sound great. It miss's a viewing window for the cd though. The stuff it comes with is pretty awsome too.
28 perfect cd player for tiny price
I just recieved my koss cd player yesterday. As soon as i plugged it in i liked it. The anti-skip works real well. If you need a cd player for the car or just for personal use this is the one.
29 Nice, but.........
It's pretty nice and works really well, but it's a tad dorky looking
30 high performance and cheap
Operates flawlessly even during jolting activities like rollerblading. At first I thought it was skipping alot but as it turns out my wallet kept bouncing around in the fanny pack and hitting the 'skip memory' button on the front causing a one second drop out each time.
31 cheaply made
doesn't skip after the first few seconds, but be careful, mine broke after a few weeks.... and i didn't do anything out of the norm to it
32 Too good
It's one of the best in that price range and gives you lots more for less. I didn't even put the anti-skip on and it still never skipped when I went for a walk. It s really a good discman. It was worth the money I spent. Good job, Koss.
It's only defect is that it doesn't look stylish.
33 Excellent play for old, scratched CD's!
I found this item to be a fantastic buy. I use it in my car at work, and at home with my own inexpensive box-system. I can play old CD's which are severely scratched and hear only a couple skips through the entire CD. In the car, it has not skipped for over a week YET! An inexpensive and valuable purchase!
34 excellent bargain
I just bought this and am thrilled! I wanted a CD player for my car but couldn't afford either a built-in unit or a top-of-the-line portable. This comes with everything you need and doesn't skip at all after the first few seconds.
35 Just the headphones are worth the price
Despite the single-star review at this site, I risked the Koss because I knew that I'd get great quality portable headphones which wouldn't hurt my head or ears. I was not disappointed! I'm quite pleased with the rest of the system too: I've tapped and turned the player around to the rhythm of hard rock, and it didn't skip. If you plan to use it while engaging in very active sports it might eventually skip a bit, but for normal use it's a *fabulous* buy.
36 Good Value
Good sound. No problems at all with skipping, despite my best efforts.
37 Fantastic!
It's a great player, especially at this price! the 40 second buffer seems to be underestimated, as I shook, hit, and dropped this thing for a minute straight with no skipping. The previous bad review was probably based on jostling before the buffer is full, which is a problem on any anti-skip CD player. A great value, I highly recommend it!
38 Not enough of a CD player for the money
it does skip a bunch which makes it difficult to listen to when not stationary
