Home > Consumer Reviews > Sony D-NS505 S2 Sports ATRAC Walkman Portable CD Player
Sony D-NS505 S2 Sports ATRAC Walkman Portable CD Player
See it at Amazon.com for $225.00Average Customer Rating
(4.0 out of 5)
Amazon Customer Reviews
Most Helpful First | Newest First | + Share44 of 46 people found the following review helpful:
Upgrading
(4 out of 5) by Alexander C. Vonderlinden on Dec 31, 2004 (Groton, CT)I upgraded to this model after my original s2 CD walkman died. I was hoping to find a similar produc in the D-Nss05 and for the most part I have been satisfied.
The new handstrap is a neat piece of engineering, especially the little LCD that can be flipped depending on how you intend to hold the product. However, it isn't as flat as the previous iteration making it hard to put in a pocket when you need both of your hands free.
The ease of use on this model has been dowgraded somewhat in my opinion. Before I was able to control forward, back, and stop from a single joystick, and the volume control was on a mechanical dial that was easily turned with the ball of your thumb. On the D-NS505, it is very hard to reach all of the necessary controls with stratching into uncomfortable positions, especially if you use it in your right hand. Doing that puts the volume on the other side of the band from your thumb, making it difficult to quickly turn down the volume to see what someone is saying.
I have unfortunately been unable to test if I will be able to charge my batteries in this unit, but as the instructions don't mention it specifically I'm afraid it's another reason to reminisce for my old unit.
Those gripes aside, I do have to admit to loving the heft and quality feel of this unit. I have had no problems whatsoever with skipping, even after going so far as to drum on the lid of the unit for a minute.
As the original s2 unit is all but impossible to find I would definitely recommend this unit to anyone looking for a quality CD player, although Ic an't rank it the full five stars as I feel it's a step backwards from th e original unit.
The new handstrap is a neat piece of engineering, especially the little LCD that can be flipped depending on how you intend to hold the product. However, it isn't as flat as the previous iteration making it hard to put in a pocket when you need both of your hands free.
The ease of use on this model has been dowgraded somewhat in my opinion. Before I was able to control forward, back, and stop from a single joystick, and the volume control was on a mechanical dial that was easily turned with the ball of your thumb. On the D-NS505, it is very hard to reach all of the necessary controls with stratching into uncomfortable positions, especially if you use it in your right hand. Doing that puts the volume on the other side of the band from your thumb, making it difficult to quickly turn down the volume to see what someone is saying.
I have unfortunately been unable to test if I will be able to charge my batteries in this unit, but as the instructions don't mention it specifically I'm afraid it's another reason to reminisce for my old unit.
Those gripes aside, I do have to admit to loving the heft and quality feel of this unit. I have had no problems whatsoever with skipping, even after going so far as to drum on the lid of the unit for a minute.
As the original s2 unit is all but impossible to find I would definitely recommend this unit to anyone looking for a quality CD player, although Ic an't rank it the full five stars as I feel it's a step backwards from th e original unit.
50 of 53 people found the following review helpful:
should have bought something in person
(2 out of 5) by Mary E. Ross on Aug 30, 2005 (Somerville (Boston), MA)Quick summary: if you are looking for something to work out with, this player is great. If you are looking for something for your car or commute, it is terrible.
I'm very unhappy with my purchase for purely practical reasons, but everything works and has nice sound quality, so I can't really complain and return the player. The various reviews praising battery life and sound quality as great are correct. I have not tried the MP3 functions of the player yet.
You can't really tell in the picture up there, but the player has a large handstrap over the top of the player. This handstrap, to the best of my inspection, cannot be removed - it houses the 'screen' and playback (random, repeat, MP3 folders) options. The handstrap essentially doubles the size of the CD player. It *is* very nice if you are walking along with the player, but will not fit comfortable in a purse or backpack pocket.
I also find CD loading awkward. The bottom of the player opens with a twist and the CD is held against the body of the discman. Again, excellent for jogging. Plays as well upside down as it does on its side or right-side up. However, this means that you cannot eject or load CDs with one hand (I like to change CDs without breaking pace when walking home). The twisting mechanism makes me nervous about it's lifetime and I'm not entirely comfortable jamming or unjamming my CDs into the player.
So, I basically should have bought a $30 player that would have fit in my purse, have a spring mechanism to open, and probably equal sound quality. If you want this for sports, go for it. Else, find another player.
I'm very unhappy with my purchase for purely practical reasons, but everything works and has nice sound quality, so I can't really complain and return the player. The various reviews praising battery life and sound quality as great are correct. I have not tried the MP3 functions of the player yet.
You can't really tell in the picture up there, but the player has a large handstrap over the top of the player. This handstrap, to the best of my inspection, cannot be removed - it houses the 'screen' and playback (random, repeat, MP3 folders) options. The handstrap essentially doubles the size of the CD player. It *is* very nice if you are walking along with the player, but will not fit comfortable in a purse or backpack pocket.
I also find CD loading awkward. The bottom of the player opens with a twist and the CD is held against the body of the discman. Again, excellent for jogging. Plays as well upside down as it does on its side or right-side up. However, this means that you cannot eject or load CDs with one hand (I like to change CDs without breaking pace when walking home). The twisting mechanism makes me nervous about it's lifetime and I'm not entirely comfortable jamming or unjamming my CDs into the player.
So, I basically should have bought a $30 player that would have fit in my purse, have a spring mechanism to open, and probably equal sound quality. If you want this for sports, go for it. Else, find another player.
24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
Last of the litter--best not delay.
(5 out of 5) by Samuel Chell on Jun 15, 2008 (Kenosha,, WI United States)[Follow up: the Sony site is currently listing only 3 models, with the DN340 most likely the pick of the litter because of its top mounted controls and easy read-outs. Don't be surprised if you end up paying a premium to the current retail Sony price, since these are getting harder and harder to come by. If you find a good deal on a phased-out DN330 or 430, go for it. Sony managed to come up with a sophisticated (overly so), efficient player that will run on a single AA battery--easily outlasting the 2 batteries consumed by a ten-twenty dollar Colby or J-Win.]
If you have a good portable CD player, hang on to it. Of the models currently advertised on Amazon as best-sellers--Colby, J-Win, GPX, Emerson--they're at best very temporary solutions, sure to fail in short order, to consume batteries voraciously, to skip and play erratically, to be deficient in volume. Only the Sony DN series is worth considering, even at twice the price of the others (including the more basic, cheaply-made Sony models in the DE, DF, DJ series) and even if you have no interest in ATRAC capabilities or tuner bands. Unfortunately, these features slow down and complicate operation (I still find it quickest to turn off the machine by simply opening and closing the lid). But most importantly, the Sony continues to work when the others fail. You may wish to look on Amazon for the model in the SONY DN series that operates efficiently on a single AA battery (the 505 requires two batteries).
It's clear that manufacturers are no longer attending to CD player technology, but if you're still a fan of the format, this line of Sony players is probably your best (maybe your last) hope. I'm not sure I understand why the ATRAC compression features of the machine would appeal to some users (why not simply pick up an MP3 player?), but if that's the trade-off for a decent CD player, I'll put up with the gratuitous technology.
If you have a good portable CD player, hang on to it. Of the models currently advertised on Amazon as best-sellers--Colby, J-Win, GPX, Emerson--they're at best very temporary solutions, sure to fail in short order, to consume batteries voraciously, to skip and play erratically, to be deficient in volume. Only the Sony DN series is worth considering, even at twice the price of the others (including the more basic, cheaply-made Sony models in the DE, DF, DJ series) and even if you have no interest in ATRAC capabilities or tuner bands. Unfortunately, these features slow down and complicate operation (I still find it quickest to turn off the machine by simply opening and closing the lid). But most importantly, the Sony continues to work when the others fail. You may wish to look on Amazon for the model in the SONY DN series that operates efficiently on a single AA battery (the 505 requires two batteries).
It's clear that manufacturers are no longer attending to CD player technology, but if you're still a fan of the format, this line of Sony players is probably your best (maybe your last) hope. I'm not sure I understand why the ATRAC compression features of the machine would appeal to some users (why not simply pick up an MP3 player?), but if that's the trade-off for a decent CD player, I'll put up with the gratuitous technology.
23 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
The Best CD Player Ever For The Price
(5 out of 5) by Amazon Customer on Nov 24, 2004This is a great CD player. It can play CD and MP3 CDs, with MP3 playback formats of ATRAC3Plus, ATRAC3, and MP3 format. The ATRAC3Plus format can store up to 490 songs on one CD! Thats amazing! It also tells you which song you are playing! It is also VERY durable (sony sports products are always VERY durable)! You can bring it anywhere with you, even when jogging. It even has h.ear headphones that are superb, which includes mega bass. It includes a hand strap, and the portable player is water-resistant. This is a must-buy for sports fans who really want a water-resistant sports portable CD player!
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
CD Player
(5 out of 5) by Gerry Konzelmann on Oct 24, 2007 (delaware)Great product. Active gardner and woodworker. Keeps the dirt out when I am using the soil tiller and sawdust out when I am sanding wood. Ear plugs are very comfortable. I had a hard time finding a player/headset that could be heard over machinery, including a rug cleaner, and not skip while I am operating outdoor machinery - ie, tiller. I have owned a number of cd players of the sports variety and this is the best. It has been dropped on the driveway a number of time and the cd inside does not dislodge, and it keeps its place. Highly recommend.