Sony CDP-CE500 Compact Disc Player

Lets face it in these days of iPods and streaming digital music systems CD players quite simply arent seen as sexy, the big tech blogs don’t talk about them and the hi fi magazines inly really cover them at the back in the “Top 10″ section. So maybe Im a fool but I still think any serious music fan probbaly has some CDs knocking about (or in my case several thousand). So when I got offered the Sony CDP-CE500 to have a look at I wasn’t really jumping for joy but being the kind of character I am I wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth and accepted the offer.

On removing the Sony CDP-CE500 from its box the unit looks pretty nice, its finish is good and the buttons all have a good feel to them. A couple of minor niggles for me were that the front panel is fairly busy, certainly not the minimalist frontage you tend to get with higher end models but some of this can be put down the the fact that each of the 5 disks in the carousel has its own separate button. The remote conversely is very simple and to the point without much in the way of bells or whistles. The second minor niggle I have is that the overall build seem a little lighter than I would like, Im not 100% sure this unit would do well in a busy living room.

Sony CDP-CE500 CD Player

Check Amazon for Current Pricing

At the basic level the Sony CDP-CE500 is a home consumer level 5-disc carousel CD player that supports a lot of different digital media formats (Redbook CD, CD-R, CD-RW, and MP3, WMA and AAC digital files both off CDs and via USB Flash Drives) in fact during testing there wasn’t much I could find that it wouldn’t play. One extra nice feature is the ability to record directly form a CD to your attached USB flash drive CD SYNC functionality. All the usual features of a 5 CD changer are here, shuffle, track listings and basic 5 album playback and so on.

But to be honest these features are not where the Sony CDP-CE500 shines, the real reason I took notice of this box was the basic sound quality. It sounds exceptionally clear and untarnished by any tinges of digital coldness or harshness. The Sony CDP-CE500 does exactly what its supposed to do, give an extremely accurate reproduction of what you feed it so you can decide how you wish to hear it. For a unit aimed at this market and at the price it is selling for, the clarity the Sony CDP-CE500 delivers is excellent. If you want a decent package with the emphasis on sound quality at this price point the Sony CDP-CE500 is one hell of a bargain.

Manufacturers Specifications

  • 5-disc CD changer
  • Supports CD, CD-R, CD-RW, MP3, WMA, and AAC formats
  • CD SYNC supports music recording from a disc onto USB storage device as an MP3 file
  • Erase audio files or folders stored on your USB storage to free up space
  • Digital optical output jack lets you connect digital components like a digital amplifier or D/A converter
  • Programmable remote control lets you pick tracks or files to be played back in a certain order with up to 32 items
  • Front-panel USB port lets you conveniently connect USB storage device
  • Displays song title, artist name, and album title when available for MP3 disc or USB device
  • Elegant design and high-gloss finish blends with any decor
  • RRP: $149.99 (Check Amazon for Current Pricing)
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November 2, 2011 · Aiki · No Comments
Tags: , , , ,  Â· Posted in: CD Players

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