Review on Sony D NF430 Walkman: Your Ultimate Portable Compact Music Player by Charlie Maadhadians

I'm always looking for a good portable CD player as I only listen to classical music. Classical music challenges the best out of a Hi-Fi system and MP3 players just don't work for me. I bought the D-NF430 because it also has FM/AM/TV/WB, which will come in handy when the next natural or man-made disaster strikes. (Shortwave?) Like most Sony hi-fi systems, the D-NF430 produces very clear and pleasing sound over a pair of good headphones. The digital processor inside the unit does an excellent job of reproducing the rich sonic spectrum of the masterpieces of Beethoven and his like. This model is also faster than my previous D-NE320 from start to finish. The radio works well too. However, compared to Panasonic's portable CD players, of which I own several models, Sony's "players" are generally more difficult to use. The D-NF430 has a very odd button layout, and commonly used functions like shuffle and EQ settings are in a hard-to-reach menu system. Panasonic, on the other hand, lets you do everything with dedicated buttons. The position of the hold button on this device is also unconventional. (Hint: it's at the bottom.) Also, this block is relatively bulky. Made in Malaysia (a country hostile to the US), the build quality isn't the best; For example, on my new device, the "Tune+/Group+" button feels very weak, like it's about to fall off at any moment. On a positive note, the player offers amazing battery life on a single AA alkaline battery. In short, this is a good budget player that offers good quality sound and good radio capabilities. You can also play MP3 files recorded on CD-R/CD-RW discs for up to 30 hours on a single AA battery. The interface could be better but the price is reasonable.