Home > Consumer Reviews > Sony D-NE518CK Silver ATRAC/MP3 Car Kit CD Walkman

I can't understand people's complaints about the low volume level on this great mp3/cd player. When initially powered up, the volume is set at virtually zero. However, once you've turned it up it's plenty loud enough, and my car stereo is nothing special, believe me! HOWEVER! If you are using the supplied power lead via the car cig lighter, AND HAVE NO BATTERIES IN THE PLAYER, the volume level will reset itself to the default low level when power is switched off. All you need to do is to keep some batteries in it to prevent this happening, AND IT WILL ALSO THEN RESUME from the point you switched off instead of going back to the beginning of the current cd. I suspect the people with complaints are not turning volume control on player right up, and it defaulting to low level after power off.
To be honest, due to a dislike of wires everywhere, i'll probably not use the remote commander, and just use the supplied DC cig lighter adaptor for long journeys, normally using rechargable batteries. My only dislike is that it has no recharge circuit built in, but i knew about that before ordering it.
All in all a great player, bargain price, and with the included freebies of the excellent case and 5 sony coloured cdr's, even better!!

I haven't had a portable music device for quite a while now and wanted something that was truly adaptable. Sometimes I'm in the family car, sometimes I'm in my car and sometimes I need to travel by train. I also work away from home pretty regularly. This device is fantastic for all situations.

My previous car had a 10 disc changer in it, my current car has a BOSE tape/radio system in it which is excellent quality and I didn't want to get rid of it. I can fit over 11 hours of MP3's on one CD with the MP3 format @ 128 kbps - Who needs a 10 disc changer!

Other comments about the sound are just plain wrong. As another reviewer says, the volume will reset itself if there are no batteries in it, it's not difficult to turn up and it is more than loud enough for me at 50% volume on the headphones. I even think the standard headphones are ok. Mind you I'm no pretentious muso who can tell if you use gold connectors or not. I'm just normal. When it's played through the car stereo the volume is more than loud enough for anyone. The people who haven't got this working ok must be like the walls of a castle. I didn't do anything special and it worked brilliantly straight away.

I haven't tried the ATRAC thing and I probably won't. I usually rip my mp3's at 128 kbps and they sound fine to me and the format suits my other compatible devices. ATRAC would limit my discs to this portable device or at least playing them through it and I don't see the point. An 11 hours plus cd allows for variety and if you take the time to put compilations of songs you really love on a cd how many could you possibly need?

In short, I'm really pleased I bought it.

Despite the reviews warning of the problems with the sound when using this in-car kit I trusted Sony and bought it. First time I used it in the car I was horrified when, as warned by some reviewers, there was virually no sound to be heard. However I needn't have worried as reading the fault diagnosis suggested playing the flip side of the 'tape' and hey presto perfect sound. The dial control of the car kit is very easy to use. The file compression software can even be used by a clutz like me and allows for over 100 tracks [dependant on length of track of course] per cd which gives you all the benefit of a cumbersome auto changer without any of the hassle.
Can't fault anti jog or battery consumption.
ps I dont work for Sony

I was initially outraged that other reviewers were disagreeing with me, but I tried again, and I was wrong and they were right. It can produce plenty of noise in my car now. The diagnoses offered were wide of the mark: I knew about the single channel and had tried flipping the autoreverse on my stereo. That just changed it from "off" to "barely audible". I had done all the fiddling I knew how to. The volume was at full on both CD player and car stereo. What seemed to make the difference this time around was the hefty, annoyed yank I gave the cable just as I was feeling vindicated. The Pet Shop Boys deafened me. I suppose what I had done was brought the cassettes mechanism into proper contact with the playback head on the machine. This may say more about the nature of my car stereo's azimuth alignment than the Sony gadget, but I had tried it on two other cars, remember? And my old Goodmans adaptor worked fine with my minidisc player. This product obviously wants a playback head that does all the work i.e. moves towards it: the mechanism inside the cassete itself won't contribute to the marrying of the components the way floppy magnetic tape does. Still, I'm happy to be wrong, I've now got the piece of kit I wanted, even if I do have to publicly admit mild incompetence. So persevere: if you're having the problem I had it's probably mechanical - fiddle until the cassette's metal contact is offered up firmly to the playback head on your machine. I am writing this less than one hour after solving the problem. It remains to be seen whether the marriage of cassette and playback head will stand the rigours of the handbrake turn and farmyard track at 90mph. It's a bit disappointing that the whole thing isn't a bit more robust and forgiving - I wasn't the only person to mention this problem on the reviews page - but I suppose nothing's idiot-proof when you're talking about a really high-quality idiot like me.......

Great I thought: 30cds on one cd-r
: play mp3/atrac/cd da discs
: complete with car kit and remote control

Unfortunately I soon discovered a downside, the volume on this machine even at maximum with the AVLS set to off is woefully low. Connected to my Hi-Fi i needed the amplifier volume set to 2/3 for the music to be listenable. In the car (where its designed to work) i had to crank the stereo up full so that i was greeted with loud hiss and barely audible music. I emailed Sony who says that the volume level is a 'feature' of this player.