Sony D-NS505 S2 Sports ATRAC Walkman Portable CD Player

I bought this for listening to audio books. It will pick up where you left off when you stop. Allows you to set bookmarks (which you probably won't need since it will pick up where you left off by default). You can fast forward and reverse without having to go all the way back or forward a chapter, for those times you missed something and want to hear it again. Basically it has every feature I wanted in a device to listen to books.

[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--outlasting by far 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, 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 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 gadgetry.

The unit arrived "dead." Sony is replacing it, but I should have read the Amazon reviews more carefully. Buyer beware.

I love listening to books on CD. Our library has a very good selection you may borrow. I wore out my old player and found the newer version of Sony player to be an excellant replacement. I purchased the Sony D-NS505 S2 Sports ATRAC Walkman Portable CD Player. The sound is great and I have dropped it several times and it is still playing when I pick it up. My only complaint is opening and closing the cover. In order to keep it drop proof you seal the lid to the bottom. This is very tight and hard to do. People with small hands, arthritis or lack of hand strength will have problems. I have to use one of the rubber jar openers.

I purchased the Walkman Portable CD Player so that I could listen to educational CDs while I was walking around the local golf course or the park for an hour. In that way I could combine my need for exercise and my passion for learning new things. I have finished one course and started on another. The earbuds have to go on under the temple pieces of my glasses or they pop out. I had to change batteries earlier than I had expected but otherwise, everything is fine with the CD player.