Panasonic's vision of the digital future is driven by the needs and aspirations of its business customers and millions of consumers around the world who use its products every day. The company shares their dream to live a fuller life by providing ways of working smarter and enjoying the rewards of technological advances.PRODUCT FEATURES: D.Sound: Digital Amplifier for high sound quality, Digital Audio Gain Control (DAGC), S-XBS for clear bass;New Stereo Earphones for high quality digital sound;MP3 playback1 (supports ID3 tag);Digital Remaster for High Quality MP3 Playback;CD-R/RW playback2;CD round form design, ultra thin and lightweight;Up to 117-hour3 playback with two Ni-Cd rechargeable batteries (included) and two AA alkaline batteries using the supplied external battery case;Remote control ready for ID3 tag display on dot matrix LCD;No-skip anti-skip system;5-preset equalizer [normal, S-XBS (extra bass system), S-XBS+, train (high cut), live];AC adaptor included.
Representing a happy marriage of high style and high convenience, Panasonic's ultra-slim, MP3-friendly SL-CT710 CD player offers the convenience of pocket-slim sizing, remote control operation, and nearly
five straight days of MP3 file playback (at 128 kbps). The player's No Skip technology combines rubber, shock-absorbing brushings and an anti-skip digital servo with 45-second CD memory reserve (400 seconds for MP3) for added back up.
Panasonic's Power Last system uses a highly efficient motor with low-load circuitry for drastically improved playback time, helping the player derive up to 117 hours of MP3 file playback from two supplied Ni-Cd rechargeable batteries in conjunction with two standard AA batteries in the included, optional-use external battery case (AA batteries not included).
Advanced D.sound amplifier technology harnesses four components that work in concert to elevate your listening experience. A digital amplifier reduces distortion and helps deliver crystal-clear sound, even at high listening levels. S-XBS+ and Digital Audio Gain Control improve bass response at higher volume levels, while MP3 Re-master technology (on/off) enhances sound quality from compressed music files.
The SL-CT710's digital-to-analog converter is Panasonic's single-bit MASH (multi-stage noise shaping technology) DAC, designed to virtually eliminate distortion and deliver all the subtleties and nuances that make digital recordings so rich.
Playback options include 20-track programming, repeat (track or disc), and random play, and a 5-preset equalizer lets you tailor the sound to your preference--including S-XBS (extra bass system), S-XBS+, live, and train (high cut). A hold function prevents unintended interruptions in playback and saves batteries by negating playback when the player is stopped.
What's in the Box
CD player, stereo ear bud headphones, wired remote control, 2 Ni-Cd rechargeable batteries, external battery pack, user's manual, AC power adapter.
1 medium
This portable has what you need for listening to music. it soounds good and it looks good and it is priced much better than sony. the thin batteries are great and it lasts longer than i expected. optional dongle included too.
Shortcomings:
Headphone wires are just the annoying length that they are never fitting in any application. Too short and too asymmetrical in an annoying way. sound quality is good but they are not comfortable.
Also the unit looks more solid in the pictures but in reality it is slightly fragile in feel.
overall: for the price, great. if you want to pay more just get an ipod.
2 Enjoyable, if you're not too picky...
As far as portable audio goes, I'm a Sony fan through and through, having grown up with the WALKMAN and being accustomed to its distinctive sound (although their reputation has been soiled indefinitely.) I thought I'd return to Panasonic just this once, since they haven't disappointed me too badly in the past, and they can be counted on for reliability.
I bought the SL-CT710 at my local Circuit City because it was the best model they offered in terms of the BS factor---you know that feeling of security you get from purchasing an elegant, expensive piece of hardware? This particular model was penultimate to their "flagship" cd player (the SL-CT810), plus the reviews from all of those satisfied customers both here at Amazon and at circuitcity.com got my hopes up, but not too much. I knew I was fighting a losing battle, trying to satisfy myself with a store-bought item, but hey, I'm lazy and impatient, and let the buyer beware.
The other reason I didn't get my hopes up is because this Panasonic lightweight contender was going toe-to-toe with my three-year old (and suffering) Sony D-EJ2000, which cost twice as much as its would-be successor. Yes, I know I'm stupid for trying. The D-EJ2000 wasn't perfect either (in terms of sound quality), but nothing can beat the build quality of a high-end Sony discman, least of all the Panasonic SL-CT710. The Panny's build quality is good enough (for a Panasonic), but shows some blemishes of mass-production and compromise, almost like its body was de-frocked to make it affordable. (my feelings are, why stop there? Why not either go all the way, or just forget about it?) Sony's high-end cd players, and most of their MD player-recorders are meticulously designed, and it was evident where the other $100 went when I held the Panasonic unit in my hands. The SL-CT710, to me, looks nice from a distance, but feels a bit cheap (save the little metal plate in the center of the lid with the Panasonic logo on it.) The native controls on the player have an interesting gimmick: they light up, but not for function's sake. When a disc is playing or idling, the buttons (one at a time) glow green in a random display, which is disabled (quite logically) by activating the hold switch. While the batteries are charging, the play/pause glows red. Be weary: passersby will stare at it. :)
And now to the sound quality:
And let me remind you that I bought this thing to play CDs, not mp3s, so I won't be reviewing its mp3 playback capabilities. And people, if you're going to be playing mp3s, get an mp3 player.
Now then, my purchase would really have been for nothing if not for the sound quality, which from what I've read is excellent. From what I've actually heard, pretty good. The bass is not as strong, but cleaner here than on my old Sony (a huge plus in my book;) a bit grainy, but not nearly as 'windy' in quieter passages---on the Sony unit the bass noticeably breaks up on low volume, but the Panasonic stays faithful throughout. However, for some reason, it makes me feel farther away from the music. The mids are stronger, but some of the minor details in the highs are less present. That's the WALKMAN sound for you, it brings the music closer (and when Sony does it right, which is rare nowadays, it's more enjoyable and less fatiguing.) I found myself turning up the volume on the SL-CT710 for no apparent reason, other than that I couldn't hear those little details I'm so familiar with. (note: I tested this with a pair of Koss PortaPro2's and a pair of Sennheiser HD-580's.) The aural signature of the Panasonic brought in some new details with it, but not the ones I'm usually used to hearing, and I didn't feel as emotionally involved. Not to say that the Panasonic's sound isn't enjoyable, but the Walkman has spoiled me. T'were the Panasonic my first cd player, I probably would have treasured its aural signature.
I recommend the SL-CT710, if you can find it for less than $100. It's better sounding and better looking than most, if you're restricting yourself to store-bought items. I'm planning on sending this one back, first of all because I need the money, and second of all because I'm lusting after a piece of portable audio that doesn't exist. A conservatively-styled but sexy-looking Sony S2, with a remote, detachable hand strap, line-out jack, 50+ hour battery life, SACD and DVD-A compatibility, tested and developed by music lovers, and that sounds as good as or even better than my home system.
Either that, or I'll just wait for Hi-MD.
3 Player
I bought this instead of a straight up MP3 player because I like to actually listen to the actual retail albums I buy. The MP3 CD option is great though. Works well for trying out new bands or whatever instead of burning seperate cds for each album.
Unit has great battery life (if you use the additional compartment, that is). The sound quality is EXCELLENT(in box headphones are lousy of course but my music has never sounded better on my good headphones). No hiss at all and full flavoured sound all around on standard CDs. Panasonic really came through in this department. MP3s are a little different of course but it even does a pretty good job of cleaning them up as well with its built-in software. The EQ presets are a nice touch but some of the presets seem kinda useless. If Panasonic wanted to go the extra mile I'm sure they could have included a fully customizable EQ.
The antiskip is very good. You have to really torture the device to make it skip on a normal CD.
The biggest problem I have with this player is that not all the functions are available if you don't have the remote stick. So if you lose or break that remote (which is quite likely because it's kind of ackward to use and the clip that's attached to it is VERY WEAK. I constantly have to keep adjusting it in my jacket pocket and it comes loose all the time) you're stuck with the EQ settings and lose the ability to shuffle songs etc. That's just poor design as they could have included an alternative function button on the main component for back up (or if you just don't want to hassle around with the remote at all).
I'm sure most people will be more than happy with the volume output but personally I like the max setting for volume to hurt. If you have a really high quality pair of headphones you'd probably want the full spectrum of volume available and this player doesn't quite deliver.
I haven't had this player for very long but just from handling it I've become very wary of the construction. It's made in Japan but the case is plastic and the player lid does not seem very sturdy. Plus the surface on both sides of the player is quite slick so I have to be extra careful about handling the player (it's not very fun juggling the external battery case, remote clip and CD Player at once)
In the end, if I take good care of it, and with a bit of luck, I'm sure this player will last me a long time and make me very happy.
4 Excellent CD/MP3 player
I have wanted an Ipod for a while now, since I have all my CDs ripped on my computer. However, the cost has been a deterrent for me. When my last portable CD player stopped working, I decided to get other Panasonic.
There are several reasons that I was already leaning toward getting a Panasonic. They are known for having the best sound quality among the portable CD players...most "audiophiles" that get the crazy amplified headphones buy Panasonic portable CD players. Also, the last one I had was a Panasonic. I mentioned that it stopped working, but that's not Panasonic's fault. I accidentally dropped it when on a roof. It rolled off and fell ten feet, landing on a concrete sidewalk. I was so sad, because I liked it so much. When I gathered it up from the mud and snow, the batteries had fallen out, and the hinge to the lid was cracked. I was surprised it was still in one piece. I was even more surprised when it worked after I put the batteries back in! It worked for a couple more years, but I had to clamp the lid shut with a big paper clip.
Needless to say, I'm impressed with the quality and durability of Panasonic. I love this little cd player. It is remarkably thin and light. The small rechargable batteries have excellent life. They are advertised to last a continuous 20 hours in ideal conditions. (playing mp3s) I have observed mine lasting over 15 hours, better than I expected.
The actual cd player does not have a screen, but the included remote has a good, backlit screen. Some functions are controllable only through the remote, don't lose it. Overall, it is pretty intuitive and easy to use. The EQ is good, it has flat, S-XBS, S-XBS+, train, and live settings.
The sound quality is excellent. I wish my computer sounded as good, but I would need to get a high-end sound card. Now I usually plug this cd player into my high-power THX speakers because it sounds so much better.
The included earbuds are easily the worst part of the package. They're not the worst I have heard, but they're pretty uncomfortable. Get the Sony MDR-EX51LP Fontopia Headphones, even if you don't get this cd player. They are by far the most comfortable in-ear headphones I've ever used, and rival the sound quality of my $100 Kenwood studio headphones. It sounds like you have a sub in your head.
Other reiviewers complained that this cd player does not search through mp3s, which is true. If you hold down the fast-forward or backward buttons when playing mp3s, it skips through folders. (a handy function when you have a folder for each album) It would be nice to have, but I don't search through songs often, so I'm ok with it. (You can search through songs when playing a regular cd)
If you are looking for an alternative to a hard-disk mp3 player, this is a great option. You can fit 700 megs of music on a burnable cd, (more than most flash memory players) for less money, and almost the same size in this cd player. Better battery life, to boot.
5 Amazing MP3 player
Being a student and having to work to buy this kind of things, I searched for different options for an MP3 player. After reading reviews from dozens of players, I finally decided for the SL-CT710 by Panasonic, which seemed to be the best option. And now I can say I made the best decision to acquire it; I got exactly what I expected:
-Amazing sound quality, the best quality anyone can expect. The equalizer settings work well. The volume output is good enough, even for a loud envirnoment (playing audio tracks or MP3 files). And really, it does not skip.
-The rectangular NiCd rechargeable batteries last for days and days. You may use either the rechargeable batteries or the external tube for AA batteries, or both.
-It can play MP3 files from different encoding sources, even my really old files from more than 5 years ago.
-Reads a CD full of MP3's so fast, ready to play in a matter of seconds.
-Really light and sleek design, better than what I was expecting when I ordered it!
-The remote control works amazing, easy to use, also with different display settings (Album, artist, file name, song title, just whatever you may want to read). It's great when carrying the player on your backpack and using it at night (good backlight).
About the pause function: Pressing the Play/Stop button once pauses the track. To continue playing again, press Play/Stop once more.
This is the list of the minor flaws that The SL-CT710 presents:
-Cannot search forward or backward within an MP3 track.
-No software for managing MP3 music files.
-Cannot play unfinalized MP3 discs.
-The included heaphones are terrible. You must buy a separate set of headphones along with this player.
I gave it 5 stars because I do not care or do not need any of those features. And for all the previous reasons, this player is outstanding, the best one you might buy. It's worth the price. I absolutely recommend it.
6 Awesome sound
I recieved this Discman a few weeks ago - so far everything is excellent. The only complaint I have is the ear bud thingys. Quite frankly, they make your ears sore, and the left one falls out frequently because for some reason they decided to make that cord shorter then the right side. I would suggest using another pair of headphones with this - I got Panasonic RP-HS71 Clip-Type Stereo Headphones and they work great with the SL-CT710!
7 A Great Buy Despite Some Minor Problems
The sound quality of this CD player is great! But the only thing I don't like about this is the headphones. When I try to turn my head, sometimes the left earpiece falls out. I would suggest buying a different pair of headphones. Another problem I have with this CD player is the rechargeable batteries. I prefer just regular Double A batteries because then if your going to travel, you don't have to worry about finding an outlet to charge it with. But besides the headphones and the charger, the CD player is very lightweight and fits right into my pocket. I was looking for a CD player that I could use while I was exercising.
The sound quality is something I never heard before with my Sony CD player. It's nice and crisp and clear. I would suggest buying this CD player!
8 panasonics a +
this panasonic is fantastic.
i love its features such as its design.
what worries me about this model.
is that i owned a model simular to it
it was slim like this model.it had the controls
located on the top instead of the side.same gum stick batteries.
it only played cds.but one day i acciedently droped it it fell
the lid broke off.i just hope the same sinario doesnt happen with this model.
9 has 2 major flaws
PROBLEM#1: WON'T PLAY UNFINALIZED MP3 DISCS.
This is very inconvenient, because mp3 discs can hold hundreds of songs and sometimes i don't wish to finalize a disc that's half empty,
(so i can add more songs to a cd in the future until it is full).
Most other MP3 cd players will play discs unfinalized, but not this Panasonic.
problem#2: TOO LOW OUTPUT POWER
I have bought a new panasonic unit every couple of years and every new model gets less and less output power.
(but it was always enough to be useful with high quality headphones)... With this latest model it is NOT.
If you upgrade to good headphones like Sennheiser, the player's volume is at max just to get a barely adequate loudness level.
The output even "distorts" because the power is inadquate. This cd player would need a seperate portable headphone amp to use quality headphones.
10 A jewel of a player!
I use this to listen to Old Time Radio Shows and Audio Books recorded in MP3 format. Ease of programming and a back-lit remote were high on my list of priorities. This CD player is an absolute jewel! The remote is intuitive and easy to use. A "long" push on the joystick skips to the next album, while a "short" push skips to the next track in the album. Press "mem" and your selection gets added to your program list... what could be easier?
Absolutely superb!
11 Worth the price!!!
I bought this CD player last month while I was visiting the US. I had irrepairable damage on my previous Panasonic mp3 player, and I was apprehensive to shell out money on this one. But I did it anyway, and I don't regret it at all! This CD player is a gem, and the included rechargable batteries are a bonus. The sound quality is excellent, and I beg to differ from some of the other reviewers about the earphones: they're really good, if not the best.
The instruction manual is comprehensive to the T, but easy to understand and follow. The remote's a really cool addition too, and for those who didn't find the Pause button: pressing the Play/Stop button once during play pauses the track. To start playing again, press Play/Stop once more.
If you have money to shell out on an mp3-CD player and aren't sure which one to get, don't hesitate in getting the SL-CT710. Its worth the price!!!
Enjoy!!!
12 SL-CT710
I've had this CD player for 3 days and it works great. It is so small and lightweight that I could hardly believe it. All of my other CD players that I've used could never fit in my pocket, but this one slips right in. The remote on the cord is great and really useful. The only thing that I don't like about it is the headphones. I suggest to buy a new pare of headphones for it. Otherwise this CD player is amazing. 5 out of 5 all the way.
13 Great CD Player
I was extremely hesistant on purchasing this product at first, but now I've received this, I am glad I made this purchase. The CD player itself is really slick and light. The cover of the player also acts as a mirror~
Pros: Player is very slim and light. Cover is reflective, acts like a mirror. Great battery life, and rechargable which saves a lot of money on disposable batteries. It charges while the batteries are in the player, so don't have to take them out. The little remote is very responsive and easy to use. Different EQ such as S-XBS, S-XBS+, Train, Live are great sound features. Players CD, MP3s very well, very minimal loading time for the MP3s. While playing, the button lights on the player will flash randomly, which looks cool. Was hoping to have some ligh flashing on the remote too, but no.
Cons: The remote doesn't have a pause button. The wire of the remote is a bit thick. The earphone that comes with player is not great.
I recommend the Sony fontopia EX71SL to go along witht this player, the bass will hit you so hard that it'll hurt.
14 Best CD Player i've ever owned!
This CD player is one of the most convienient i've ever owned. IT's small and easy to use. The sound is also very clear when the music is played. The only thing i disslike about it is that the head phones are too short.
I really recomend this cd player to anyone who is interested in a small slim cd player.
15 Wonderful
I got this MP3/CD player for my birthday. I like almost everything about it. The sound quality is great (especially at S-XBS+ mode). The higher sounds are not cut as much as it's made out to be. If you want, you can set it to "Live" EQ mode anyway. It's played all my regular CDs, a non-writable 700MB mp3 CD, and a rewritable data MP3 CD. It's even played a badly damaged CD perfectly where everything else choked on it.
In MP3 mode, the songs start playing after it scans the CD for about 5-10 seconds.
The CD player itself looks very cool and is thin. The manual is comprehensive, but there's no software included (which could have made it easier to burn songs in sorted order)
These are only things that bother me:
- Included earphones are too short.
- Lights on CD player constantly flash when playing.
- SXBS+ mode cuts higher pitch sounds a bit
- Recharging the batteries takes a while.
- Extra battery compartment is slightly inconvenient.
They're all minor problems though. The sticker on the back says it's made in Japan, unlike other flimsy junk you can find.
Definately worth buying.
16 Great Job Panasonic!
This CD player is so great. Even the earbuds are good! It has a very light, sturdy, stylish design. The remote is easy to use and id3 tagging works fine with it. The buttons on the side light up and change colors when playing or charging. Like the review above I have had 2 Sony CD Walkmans (D-E350) in the last two years. UNCOMPARABLE! The panasonic is much better. It seems all of their products are wonderful!. I have a Panasonic cell phone, 2 home stereos, and an in dash CD player, all from Panasonic and they work great. The LCD remote has a backlit display that is bright so you can see it at night. Overall, this CD player is a funtional, stylish, light, and just WONDERFUL CD player. Highly recommended.
17 Beats Sony Down
Let me start by telling you a very long story. I have had 3 Sony players in the past, and all 3 of them have broken down, or sounded so bad that I had to return them. I am being serious here...Sony is seriously declining. Their products are becoming more and more terrible. Everybody at my school seems to own a sony CD player but I personally think that they are terrible. They have everyone brainwashed that just because its a SONY, its the best quality you can get! HA!!!!
When I returned my second Sony CD Player that day to Circuit City, I saw this player and it looked very stylish, not to mention the D Sound logo that caught my eye. I was able to go on the Circuit City website from there and read lots of reviews for this player. Everyone seemed to like it. So I bought it (majorly because of its battery life) and got in the car. This was my third CD player I had bought today. I was very nervous on opening it because...what if it was bad?
I first had to charge the Ni-Cd batteries for approx. 3 hours. After that was done, I tried it out (without the extra AA battery pack). This player was not only the best of my lifetime 5 CD players, but THE thinnest and lightest. This CD player sounds so incredible that a Sony customer would probably throw away their CD player to have this one. The bass is incredible and the treble is just awesome. There are 5 EQ settings: EQ Off, S-XBS, S-XBS+, Train, Live. I think S-XBS+ sounds the best. The player itself takes 2 "gumstick" batteries, making it able to become extra thin. This thing is so awesome because I can fit it into my pocket easily and its not heavy enough to weigh my pants down. There are the main buttons on the player: Play, Stop, |>>, <<|, and volume control. There is also a hold button on the player. The top of the player is silver and feels very durable/light. The best part of the player is the remote.
The remote has a LCD screen with all the buttons you need (EQ, Mode, Display/Menu, Hold, and all the play functions that are on the player. It supports ID3 tagging and has a backlight on the remote so you can see what you're playing at night. Also, the buttons on the side of the player light up when you are playing music and/or charging. I thought I wasn't one to like the LCD type remotes because if you lose it, then you have no screen. But to my surprise...it works out very well. I guess I just had to try it for myself.
I was very curious about the battery life at first. Without the AA battery pack, I wondered how much life it would get out of the Ni-Cd batteries. Well its about 23 hours for MP3 playback and 14 for CD Audio. With only the AA battery pack, its 97 for MP3 and 53 for CD Audio. With both, its 117 for MP3 and 65 for CD Audio. Even though the battery pack can be annoying sometimes, it works out quite well and I can understand why they did it. I love the battery life on this thing!
As for the headphones, I haven't even tried them because I know they will probably stink but when I opened the CD player up, I put on my Philips HS500 Street Style Headphones and it sounded like BLISS.
Just about everything on this player is perfect. As I said, this is the best portable I have ever had, and for now on, I am sticking with Panasonic (as does Consumer Reports. They seem to like Panasonic) and I am NEVER GETTING A SONY AGAIN. One last thing. Say, if you have 300 MP3's on your disc, this player reads them ultra fast and there is no pause between switching tracks. The MP3 playback is beautiful.
Overall, a COMPLETE gem. The only player I would compare this with in quality is the iriver IMP 350. But did you know that the iriver has only, like, 30 or so hours of playback? This one has so much more!
BUY IT NOW!!!! You won't regret it. I promise.
18 NO SKIP-REALLY!
On the blister package of the Panasonic SL-CT710 it claims NO SKIP, a claim often made and less then often true, but in the case of the Panasonic SL-CT710 it REALLY does'nt skip.
I rated it 4 stars - the reason it did'nt qualify for that fifth shining star is due to distortion, when connected to an external amp thru it's earphone jack. If the volume of Panasonic SL-CT710 is set less than 10, a very audible(and annoying) hiss sound is heard, in fairness the Panasonic SL-CT710 owner's manual does instruct users to set volume from 10-15 when connecting to external stereo amp. Strange though even the cheapest CD players never caused this audio distortion - must be the units unique and powerfull amp.
Finally. I contacted Panasonic and asked was there a menas of adjusting the bass level presets(XBS,XBS+) sadly there is'nt I strongly urged them to integrate a custom configurable EQ, Because to me for many songs the XBS swallows all the highs, thus making the music sound like it coming from a big clay pot.
