4-238-111-11(1)

Compact Disc Player

Operating Instructions

CDP-CX355

2002 Sony Corporation

WARNING
To prevent fire or shock hazard, do not expose the unit to rain or moisture. To avoid electrical shock, do not open the cabinet. Refer servicing to qualified personnel only. Do not install the appliance in a confined space, such as a bookcase or built-in cabinet.
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures: Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna. Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver. Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected. Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
ENERGY STAR is a U.S. registered
mark. As ENERGY STAR Partner, Sony Corporation has determined that this product meets the ENERGY STAR guidelines for energy efficiency.

Welcome!

Thank you for purchasing the Sony Compact Disc Player. Before operating the unit, please read this manual thoroughly and retain it for future reference.

About This Manual

The instructions in this manual are for model CDP-CX355.
This symbol is intended to alert the user to the presence of uninsulated dangerous voltage within the products enclosure that may be of sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of electric shock to persons. This symbol is intended to alert the user to the presence of important operating and maintenance (servicing) instructions in the literature accompanying the appliance. To prevent fire, do not cover the ventilation of the apparatus with news papers, table-cloths, curtains, etc. And dont place lighted candles on the apparatus. To prevent fire or shock hazard, do not place objects filled with liquids, such as vases, on the apparatus. This appliance is classified as a CLASS 1 LASER product. The CLASS 1 LASER PRODUCT MARKING is located on the rear exterior.

Conventions

Instructions in this manual describe the controls on the player. You can also use the controls on the remote if they have the same or similar names as those on the player. The following icons are used in this manual: Indicates that you can do the task using the remote.

CAUTION

You are cautioned that any changes or modification not expressly approved in this manual could void your authority to operate this equipment.
The use of optical instruments with this product will increase eye hazard.

Owners Record

The model and serial numbers are located at the rear of the unit. Record the serial number in the space provided below. Refer to them whenever you call upon your Sony dealer regarding this product. Model No. CDP-CX355 Serial No. _________________________

What cords will I need?

Audio cord (1) (supplied) White (L) Red (R) White (L) Red (R)
Getting Started Playing CDs

Hookups

When connecting the audio cord, be sure to match the color-coded cord to the appropriate jacks on the components: Red (right) to Red and White (left) to White. Be sure to make connections firmly to avoid hum and noise.

Amplifier CD player

2ND CD ANALOG

IN OUT

When using another Sony CD player together with this player
You can make the supplied remote effective only for this player. When using the player equipped with the COMMAND MODE selector: Set the COMMAND MODE selector of this player to CD 1 and that of another player to CD 2 or CD 3. Then set the CD 1/2/3 switch on the remote supplied for each player accordingly. When using the player not equipped with the COMMAND MODE selector: The command mode of the player without the COMMAND MODE selector is set to CD 1. Set the COMMAND MODE selector of this player to CD 2, and set the CD 1/2/3 switch on the remote to CD 2.

INPUT CD

If you have a digital component such as a digital amplifier, D/A converter, DAT or MD
Connect the component via the DIGITAL OUT (OPTICAL) connector using an optical cable (not supplied). Take off the cap and plug in the optical cable. POC-15 Optical cable (not supplied) CD player

DIGITAL OUT

OPTICAL
Connecting the AC power cord
Connect the AC power cord to a wall outlet.

Note on placement

Be sure to place the player on a horizontal place. If the player is slanted, it may cause malfunction or damage the player.

Digital component

DIGITAL INPUT
When you connect via the DIGITAL OUT (OPTICAL) connector, noise may occur when you play CD software other than music, such as a CD-ROM.
If you have a Sony component with the CONTROL A1 jack
Connect the component via the CONTROL A1 jack. You can simplify the operation of audio systems composed of separate Sony components. For details, refer to the supplementary CONTROL A1 Control System instructions.
Connecting Another CD Player
If you have a Sony CD player in which 5, 50, 200, or 300 discs can be inserted and which is equipped with the CONTROL A1 (or CONTROL A1) jack and the command mode of that player can be set to CD 3, you can control that player as the second player with this unit. After connecting this unit and an amplifier, follow the procedure below. Be sure to turn off the power of each player before making this connection.

COMMAND MODE CDP-CX355

Audio cord (1) (Use the cord supplied with the player to be connected.) Monaural (2P) mini-plug cord (1) (not supplied)
Connect the players with an audio cord (see also Hookups on page 5).

CDP-CX230, etc.

LINE OUT

To ANALOG OUT

With the label side facing right
After inserting the disc, you can input the original disc titles instead of the disc numbers (see Labeling Discs on page 24) to locate it easily when you start playing.

CD1 DISC

SONYHITS
Repeat Steps 3 and 4 to insert more discs. Close the front cover by pressing OPEN/CLOSE.
The rotary table turns and the disc slot at the loading position is set to the playing position. Always close the front cover except when you insert or remove discs.

Removing CDs

After following Steps 1 to 3 of Inserting CDs on page 7, remove the discs. Then close the front cover. To remove discs easily
After following steps 1 to 3 of Inserting CDs on page 7, press p (DISC EJECT). The disc in the selected slot moves up and you can remove the disc easily. When you press p again, the disc returns back to the normal position. If the disc does not return back to the normal position, reinsert the disc.

Playing a CD 5 4/5

+100 MENU/NO

DISC/CHARACTER

STANDBY

CONTINUE

SHUFFLE

PROGRAM

REPEAT

TIME/TEXT

PUSH ENTER PUSH ENTER
EASY PLAY MEMO SEARCH CHECK CLEAR
GROUP 1 GROUP 2 GROUP 3 GROUP 4 HIT LIST

OFF PLAY

MEGA CONTROL GROUP 5 GROUP 6 GROUP 7 GROUP 8 GROUP FILE

X-FADE

NO DELAY

KEYBOARD

OPEN/ CLOSE

DISC EJECT

See pages for the hookup information. Make sure you have inserted the discs correctly as indicated on pages 7 8. You can play all the tracks on a disc in the original order (Continuous Play). You can also play up to 300 discs consecutively.
Turn on the amplifier and select the CD player position.
Press I/u to turn on the player.
Press CONTINUE to select ALL DISCS or 1 DISC Continuous Play mode. Each time you press CONTINUE, ALL DISCS or 1 DISC appears alternately in the display.

When you select

ALL DISCS 1 DISC
You can turn on the player by pressing I/u on the remote Z

The player plays

All discs in the player consecutively in the order of disc number. Empty disc slots are skipped. Only one disc you have selected
Turn the JOG dial until the disc number or the Disc Memo (see page 24) you want appears in the display to select the first disc (ALL DISCS) or the disc you want (1 DISC).

When you turn off the player
The player remembers the last playing disc and the play mode (Continuous, Shuffle, or Program (see pages 17 and 18)). When you turn on the player again, therefore, the player plays the same disc in the same play mode.
Push the JOG dial or press to start playing. The selected disc is set to the playing position, and the player plays all the discs from the selected one (ALL DISCS) or all the tracks once (1 DISC). Adjust the volume on the amplifier.

To stop playback

Press p.

AMS JOG

OPEN/CLOSE
Pause Resume playing after pause Go to the next disc Go back to the preceding disc Go to the next track Go back to the preceding track Stop playing and remove the disc

You need to

Press P Press P or Press DISC SKIP + once. Hold down the button to skip discs. Press DISC SKIP once. Hold down the button to skip discs. Turn the AMS dial clockwise by one click. Turn the AMS dial counterclockwise by one click. Press OPEN/CLOSE

Using the Display

You can check information about the disc using the display.

TIME/TEXT MENU/NO JOG

Display information while playing a disc
While playing a disc, the display shows the current disc number, track number, playing time of the track and the next disc number.

Current disc number

Next disc number

TRACK MIN

NEXT DISC
Playing time of the track

Current track number

Checking the information of CD TEXT discs
CD TEXT discs have information, such as the disc titles or artist names, memorized in a blank space on the discs where, on normal discs, there is no information. The display shows the CD TEXT information of the disc so that you can check the current disc title, artist name and track title. When the player detects a CD TEXT disc, CD TEXT appears in the display. If your CD TEXT disc has multi-language capacity, MULTI CD TEXT appears in the display. If you want to check the information in another language, refer to Selecting the language of the CD TEXT information on page 13. Display information in stop mode The display shows the disc title. When you press TIME/TEXT, the artist name scrolls in the display. If you press TIME/TEXT again, the display shows the current disc number, total number of tracks, and total playing time of the disc momentarily. Then the display shows the disc title again.

When searching for input characters, blanks and symbols before the first character in the Disc Memo are ignored. When searching input characters, upper and lower cases cannot be differentiated.
After the current disc is played, the next disc you have specified starts playing. If you want to skip to the next disc right away, push the JOG dial while playing the current disc. To cancel the disc you have specified

Press CONTINUE twice.

Playing the Disc Which was Just Inserted Easy Play
You can play the disc which was just inserted only by pressing one button.
Push the JOG dial to select the disc.
Open the front cover by pressing OPEN/CLOSE. Press EASY PLAY. Slot 1 moves into loading position. Insert the disc in slot 1. Press EASY PLAY. The EASY PLAY button is lit and the player starts playing the disc in slot 1.
In Program Play mode, the disc will be added to the end of the program.
To cancel Memo Search Press MEMO SEARCH again.
The Easy Play function can only play the disc in slot 1.
To cancel the Easy Play function
Locating a Specific Track or a Point in a Track
You can quickly locate any track while playing a disc by using the AMS (AMS: Automatic Music Sensor) dial or by using the =/+ buttons on the remote. You can also locate a specific point in a track while playing a disc.

To locate

the next or succeeding tracks the current or preceding tracks a specific track directly Z
Turn the AMS dial clockwise until you find the track Turn the AMS dial counterclockwise until you find the track Press the number button of the track on the remote. When you directly locate a track numbered over 10, press >10 first, then the corresponding number buttons. Press 0 (backward)/) (forward) on the remote and hold down until you find the point Press 0 (backward)/) (forward) on the remote and hold down until you find the point during pause. You will not hear the sound during the operation.
a point in a track while monitoring the sound Z a point in a track quickly by observing the display Z
If OVER appears in the display, the disc has reached the end while you were pressing ). Turn the AMS dial counterclockwise or press 0 to go back.

Press PROGRAM until the desired program number (PROGRAM 1, 2, or 3) appears in the display. If a program is already stored in the selected program number, the last step of the program appears in the display. When you want to erase the whole program, hold down CLEAR until CLEAR appears in the display (see page 20). Turn the JOG dial until the disc number you want appears in the display.

PROGRAM1

You cannot specify the next disc to play during ALL DISCS Shuffle Play. Even if you press p or turn off the player during ALL DISCS Shuffle Play, the player remembers which discs or tracks were played and which were not. Therefore, if you want to start ALL DISCS Shuffle Play again from the beginning, be sure to repeat the procedure from Step 1.
To program a whole disc, skip this step. Turn the AMS dial until the desired track number appears in the display.

TRACK STEP

Track number

Push the JOG dial.

The track being programmed
Creating a program using the remote Z
The disc being programmed

DISC Playing order

To program other discs/tracks, do the following:

>10

Number buttons ENTER CLEAR

To program

All tracks of another disc(s) Other tracks on the same disc Other tracks on other discs

Repeat Steps

CHECK 2 and and to 4
Push the JOG dial or press to start Program Play.
Press PROGRAM until the program number you want (PROGRAM 1, 2, or 3) appears in the display. Press DISC.

To cancel Program Play

The programs remain even after Program Play ends
When you push the JOG dial or press , you can play the same program again.

DISC-[

Press the number button of the disc.
When you press PROGRAM to select Program Play during Continuous or Shuffle Play
The program will be played after the current track.
The program remains until erased
Even if you replace discs, the programmed disc and track numbers remain. Therefore, the player will play the new existing disc and track numbers. However, the programmed disc and track numbers that are not found in the player or on the disc are deleted from the program, and the rest of the program is played in the programmed order.

If you program a whole disc, press ENTER and go to Step 6. If you program a desired disc, press >10.
If you press one of the GROUP buttons to start Group Play, Program Play will be canceled (see page 29).
Press the number button of the track. When the disc has more than 10 tracks, press 0 first then press the corresponding number to enter a track number from 1 to 9.

DISC TRACK

Playing order
To program other discs/tracks, do the following: To program

2 to 2 to 5

Playing Using a Timer
You can start playing a disc at any given time by connecting a timer (not supplied). Refer also to the instructions for the timer if you need help.

TIMER Play mode buttons

Press to start Program Play.
Checking the programmed order
You can check your program before or after you start playing. Press CHECK. Each time you press this button, the display shows the disc and track number of each step in the programmed order. (When a whole disc is programmed as one step, ALL appears instead of the track number.) After the last step in the program, the display shows END and returns to the original display.
Press one of the play mode buttons to select the desired play mode. Set TIMER on the player to PLAY. Set the timer to the desired time. The player turns off. When the set time comes, the player turns on and starts playing. After you have used the timer, set TIMER on the player to OFF.
Changing the programmed order
You can change your program before you start playing. To

Erase a track or disc

Press CHECK until the track or disc you do not want appears in the display, then press CLEAR Press CLEAR. Each time you press the button, the last programmed track or disc will be cleared. Follow the programming procedure Hold down CLEAR until CLEAR appears in the display to erase the whole program, then create a new program following the programming procedure
Erase the last track or disc in the program
Add tracks or discs to the end of the program Change the whole program completely

Fading In or Out

You can manually fade the sound in or out to prevent tracks from starting or ending abruptly. Note that you cannot use this effect when you use the DIGITAL OUT (OPTICAL) connector.
Press MENU/NO. Turn the JOG dial until LOAD 2ndMEMO? flashes in the display.

LOAD 2ndMEMO?

Push the JOG dial. This player starts loading. (Loading takes about one minute.) To

Start play fading in

Press FADER
During pause. FADE appears in the display and the Q indication flashes. The play fades in. When you want to start fading out. FADE appears in the display and the q indication flashes. The play fades out and the player pauses.
If each Disc Memo of the second CD player has more than 13 characters, only the first 13 characters of that Disc Memo is loaded into this player.

End play fading out

Labeling discs of the second CD player
You can label discs of the second CD player or change the Disc Memos loaded from the second CD player.
Fading lasts for about 5 seconds.
Press MEGA CONTROL. The MEGA CONTROL button lights up. Turn the JOG dial to select the disc you want to assign a Disc Memo to. If the disc slot you select does not have any disc, NO DISC appears in the display and you cannot assign a Disc Memo. Press MENU/NO. MEMO IN ? appears. Push the JOG dial. Input the new Disc Memo following the procedure in Labeling Discs on page 24.
The new Disc Memos are stored on this players memory, so you cannot display them on the second CD player.
Playing Alternately (No-Delay Play/X-Fade Play)
When you connect the second player, you can play tracks in this player and those from the second player alternately from any play mode (see Connecting Another CD Player on page 6). Select one of the following methods: No-Delay Play: The current player changes at each track. Each time the current player changes to the other player, the other player starts play without a break in sound immediately after the current player ends play. The other player skips the lead-in portion and starts playing from where the sound actually begins. X-Fade Play: The current player changes at each track or at the specified interval. You can select the interval, 30, 60 or 90 seconds. Each time the current player changes to the other player, the sound from both players is mixed. The current player ends play by fading out, and the other player starts play by fading in.

X-FADE NO DELAY

Press to start playing. The MEGA CONTROL button lights up while the track in the second player is selected.

To cancel No-Delay/X-Fade Play
Press the corresponding button repeatedly until NO DELAY or X-FADE disappears from the display. The current player continues playing.
You can change the method (No-Delay or X-Fade) during play
Press the corresponding button (NO DELAY or X-FADE) following the procedure in Step 2.
You can start X-Fade at any point of the track
Press FADER during X-Fade Play. Even after you have set the X-Fade mode and started X-Fade play, you can start X-Fade manually at any point you like. Note that you cannot do this operation while the sound from both players is mixed.
The play starts from the second player if you start play while the MEGA CONTROL button is lit. When one player has played all the discs/tracks in the player ahead of the other player, the play stops. Do not use the controls on the second player during No-Delay/X-Fade Play. They may not work correctly.
Controlling the Player by Another Unit
Select the play mode you want on each player. When you select No-Delay Play Press NO DELAY. NO DELAY appears in the display. When you select X-Fade Play Press X-FADE. X-FADE appears in the display. Each time you press the X-FADE button, the indication appears as follows: n X-FADE off n at track end n after 30 sec after 90 sec N after 60 sec N To change the current player each time a whole track is finished, select at track end. To change the current player at the specified interval, press X-FADE repeatedly until the interval you want appears in the display.
When you connect the player to a Sony MD deck compatible with the Mega Control function or operate a Sony MD deck by using the computer software like MD Editor, you must set the player as shown below:
Press MENU/NO. Turn the JOG dial until CONTROL A1 ? appears in the display window. Press YES.
To return to normal setting
After following steps 1 and 2, and CONTROL A1 displayed, then press YES. ? is
You can perform the operation above correctly only when you operate Disc 1 to Disc 200. You cannot operate this player correctly from another player which does not have the CONTROL A1 jack. In this case, operate the other player from this player.
What You Can Do With the Custom Files
The player can store three types of information called Custom Files for each disc. Once you have stored Custom Files for a disc, the player automatically recalls what you have stored whenever you select the disc. Note that Custom Files will be erased if you do not use the player for about one month.
Labeling Discs (Disc Memo)
You can label discs using up to 13 characters and have the player display the Disc Memo each time you select the disc. The Disc Memo can be anything you like, such as a title, musicians name, category, or date of purchase. When you select a CD TEXT disc

Turn the JOG dial until the desired character appears in the display.
Push the JOG dial to select the character. The selected character lights up, and the flashing cursor appears to indicate the next space to be input.

To add characters

Push the JOG dial. The new blank space appears next to the selected character, then turn the JOG dial until the desired character appears in the display.

To erase characters

Press CLEAR. The selected character disappears.

To make a correction

Press CLEAR and begin again by inputting the correct characters.
To erase all characters for the current Disc Memo
Press and hold CLEAR for few seconds. All input characters for the current Disc Memo are erased.
Repeat step 2 to change more characters. Press YES to store the Disc Memo.
Repeat Steps 4 and 5 to input more characters. Press YES to store the Disc Memo. The display shows the Disc Memo.

Erasing the Disc Memo 1

Follow Steps 1 to 3 in Labeling discs on the player on page 24 to select the Disc Memo you want to erase. Press and hold CLEAR for few seconds. Press YES. The Disc Memo disappears.
Repeat Steps 1 to 7 to assign Disc Memos to other discs. To change the character type quickly while input characters
Press TIME/TEXT in step 4 above. The character on the cursor changes to the first character of each character type. Each time you press TIME/TEXT, the character type changes as follows:
n A n a n 0 n ! n (space)
Labeling discs using the remote Z
SPACE DISC DEL CAPS Number buttons ENTER MEMO INPUT CLEAR
To input a letter, press the number button corresponding to the letter you want (indicated beside each number button). The cursor disappears and the first space for the Disc Memo flashes. Each time you press the button, the letter changes cyclically among the ones indicated beside the button. To input symbols, press the number button 1 repeatedly until the symbol you want appears in the display.

&!? ABC DEF

Characters assigned to each number button
Press DISC. Press the number button of the disc you want to assign a Disc Memo, and then ENTER. Press MEMO INPUT. The flashing cursor (
Example: To select the letter E Press the number button 3 twice. nD

Press 3.

To insert a space, press SPACE once. Press CAPS and then select number you desire.
Press CAPS to find the letter type you want. Each time you press the button, the letter type changes cyclically among capital letters (AB), small letters (ab) and numbers (12). To select a symbol, you have to select the capital or small letter type. The selected letter type appears in the upper right of the display.
Press ENTER to select the character. The selected character lights up, and the flashing cursor appears to indicate the next space to be input. You can also go to the next space by pressing other number buttons. Repeat Steps 4 through 6 to input more characters. Press MEMO INPUT to store the Disc Memo. The Disc Memo lights up in the display.
Repeat Steps 1 through 8 to assign Disc Memos to other discs.
If you have made a mistake while inputting the character(s) To correct the character
1 Press = or + until the cursor moves to the incorrect character.
Storing Custom File Information Using a Keyboard
You can store the Disc Memo for one disc sequentially using an IBM-compatible PC keyboard* (not supplied).
* Power consumption must be 120 mA or less. Keyboard jack

SONYHETS

2 Input the correct character.
To insert a character between the input characters
1 Press = or + until the cursor moves next to the point you want to insert, and enter a blank space. 2 Move the cursor to the blank space you have just entered, and enter a character.
Connect a keyboard to the keyboard jack on the front panel of the player.
You can label discs of the second CD player
See Labeling discs of the second CD player on page 22.

Labeling groups (Group Memo)
You can label the preset group number anything you like, such as a category, using up to 13 characters. Note that you cannot store the Group Memo if you have not assigned any disc to the group.
Turn the AMS dial to move the cursor to the position you want to change. When the cursor position is on the character, the character flashes and the cursor position is on the blank space, the cursor ( ) appears in the display. To change characters
Press MENU/NO. MEMO IN ? flashes. Turn the JOG dial until the group number you want to label appears in the display, and then push the JOG dial. The flashing cursor ( ) appears. Turn the JOG dial until the desired character appears in the display. The cursor disappears and the first space for the Group Memo flashes. As you turn the JOG dial clockwise, the characters appear in the following order. Turn the JOG dial counterclockwise to go in reverse order. (space) A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U VWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvw xyz0123456789!"#$%&'() *+,./:;< =>?@_
Repeat step 2 to change more characters. Press YES to store the Group Memo.

Erasing the Group Memo 3

Follow Steps 1 and 2 in Labeling groups on this page to select the Group Memo you want to erase. Press and hold CLEAR for few seconds. Press YES. The Group Memo disappears.
Push the JOG dial to select the character. The selected character lights up, and the flashing cursor appears to indicate the next space to be input. To make a correction
Playing discs in a group on the player (Group Play)
You can enjoy Continuous or Shuffle Play within a group.
Repeat Steps 3 and 4 to input more characters. See also Labeling discs on the player on page 24 for details. Press YES to store the Group Memo.
Select the play mode you want before you start playing. When you select
ALL DISCS Continuous Play 1 DISC Continuous Play ALL DISCS Shuffle Play 1 DISC Shuffle Play
All tracks on all discs in the group consecutively All tracks on the specified disc in the group consecutively All tracks on all discs in the group in random order All tracks on the specified disc in the group in random order
Changing the Group Memo 1
Follow Steps 1 and 2 in Labeling groups to select the Group Memo you want to change.
Press one of the GROUP buttons to select the group and press. Group Play starts from the disc which is the most upward number and located closest to the playing position. If the disc at the playing position is put into the selected group, the play starts from that disc.

Product Review
Sony CDP-XE400 and CDP-XE500 CD Players

Reviewed by Gary Galo

Sony CDP-XE400 and CDP-XE500 CD players. Sony Electronics Inc., 1 Sony Drive, Park Ridge, NJ 07656, 800-2227669 or 941-768-7669, FAX 941-768-7790, www.sel.sony.com. CDP-XE400: $160; CDP-XE500: $180. Warranty: one year parts and labor. Sonys CDP-XE400 and CDP-XE500 are the least expensive single-play CD players from the Japanese electronics giant. Inexpensive single-play CD players are becoming increasingly difficult to find, since most manufacturers are pushing CD changers. The CDP-XE400 and CDP-XE500 players are identical except for a few basic features. The CDP-XE400 is a barebones playerno remote, no digital output. For $20 more, the CDP-XE500 adds a Sony Remote Commander infrared remote control, a Toslink digital output, and digital volume control operated from the remote. The digital volume control affects both the line outputs and the headphone jack. The CDP-XE400 chassis contains the receiver for the infrared remote control, so full remote capability (including the digital volume control) is possible with the remotes supplied with many Sony receivers. You may also control the CDP-XE400 with a universal remote, with one caveat: Sonys track-selection system does not allow direct entry of tracks higher than tenall Sony remotes contain a greater than ten button (>10) for this purpose. If your universal remote does not have this button, it may not be compatible with these players. Among the incompatible remotes is the Radio Shack 15-1994 remote I reviewed in aX 3/01.
PHOTO 1: The Sony CDP-XE500 CD player with its supplied remote. The lower-cost CDPXE400 does not come with the remote control, but the internal infrared remote receiver allows you to use it with the remotes supplied with most Sony receivers, as well as many universal remotes.

FEATURES

The Sony CDP-XE400 and CDP-XE500 players include a full array of standard features. Play modes include program play, in which you can program up to 24 tracks on a disc to play in any order
you choose, and shuffle play, in which the player randomly selects the program order. The repeat feature can repeat an entire disc, track, or selected program, or begin another shuffle of the entire disc. The edit/time fade button allows you to produce a program to fit any standard cassette tape length. You can also program the player to fade out at a specific time on the CD. The peak search feature quickly locates the highest recorded level on a CD, allowing you to set the level on a cassette deck at that spot. When you insert a disc in the player, the total number of tracks and total playing time are displayed. If the disc is not played after insertion, the displayed information disappears after a few seconds (the display reads 0 tracks). Pressing the time button restores the total time and track information for about three seconds. The time and track display is always active when the player is in the play mode. The time button also allows you to toggle between elapsed time, remaining track time, and total remaining time on the disc. The music scan feature plays the first ten seconds of each trackwhen you hear the track you are looking for, simply press the play button to play this track from the beginning. You can change the playing time of each track sample to 20 or 30 seconds by toggling the music scan button.

www.audioXpress.com

These players do not contain a keypad for track selectionyou select individual tracks using a rotary control located in the upper right-hand corner of the front panel. Sony calls this control the AMS (Automatic Music Sensor). Direct keypad entry is supported on the remote supplied with the CDP-XE500, or the remotes supplied with Sony receivers. Both players come with standard double-arrow search buttons. You can conduct the search silently, monitoring the time and track display, by pressing the pause button.

INTERNALS

Sony uses what it call a Hybrid Pulse D/A Converter in these players. This chip bears Sony number CXD8567AM and is a combination 8 oversampling digital filter and bitstream-type D/A
TABLE 1 MANUFACTURERS SPECIFICATIONS (IDENTICAL FOR BOTH MODELS)
Frequency response: 2Hz20kHz, 0.5dB Total harmonic distortion: 0.0045% Signal-to-noise ratio: 100dB Dynamic range: 98dB Channel separation: 95dB Line output voltage: 2V with 50k load Recommended load impedance: >10k Headphone output: 10mW/32 Power consumption: 10W Dimensions: 11 (295mm) Weight: 6 lbs, 10 oz (3.0 kg) Supplied accessories: Stereo audio patch cord (both models) Remote control and (2) AA batteries (CDP-XE500 only)

66 audioXpress 8/01

converter with analog voltage outputs. The analog circuitry is about what Ive come to expect in low-cost players. Each channel uses a JRC NJM4558 op amp for analog filtering and output buffering, and a Mitsubishi M5218AL for the headphone amplifier. The M5218AL will sink 50mA of load current, making it suitable for headphone amplifiers. The CDP-XE400 and CDP-XE500 players are surprisingly well-built, particularly considering the price. The chassis and cover are all-metal, and the frontpanel controls have a solid operational feel. The mechanism is quite sturdy, and the CD tray operates smoothly. The isolation feet are mounted with the screw holes off-center to help diffuse vibration modes. Both players bear the designation Made in China and, in case you havent noticed, the quality of Chinese manufacturing has improved considerably in recent years. Overall, these players exhibit none of the chintzy look and feel so prevalent in inexpensive consumer electronics.

PERFORMANCE

At these prices, the sonic performance of the CDP-XE400 and CDP-XE500 cant be beatthese players are as good as any Ive heard for under $200, and better than most in this price range. Although Toslink is not the best digital interface, the CDP-XE500 makes a respectable entry-level CD transport when used with an outboard digital
processor. I recommend a high-quality Toslink interconnect, such as the Kimber OPT1 I reviewed in AE 4/99. Looking for an under-$1000 system for your son or daughter? Try mating the CDP-XE500 with Sonys STR-DE445 receiver (street price $250) and a pair of Boston Acoustics CR-9 loudspeakers ($420 per pair; www.bostonacoustics. com). You can operate the Sony receiver in the two-channel stereo mode or as a five-channel Dolby surround unit (with additional speakers, of course). The receiver has both Toslink optical and S/PDIF coaxial digital inputs, so you can digitally link the CDP-XE500 CD player to the receiver, which also comes with a Sony universal remote to operate the CD player. I assure readers that I havent abandoned perfectionist, high-end audio, but I do find it remarkable what $820 will buy these days, if you pick your components carefully. Over the past two years we at The Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam, have purchased around 20 of these players for use in the faculty studios and music library. About six months ago I installed a dozen CDP-XE400 players in library listening carrels, where students tend to give any piece of electronic equipment a real workout. So far, they are holding up extremely well. My dealer told me that several local radio stations are using these players, with similarly positive reports on reliability. These players typically sell for about $30 below the manufacturers suggested retail price, whether through mail order

or a local retail dealer. If there is no dealer near you, try J&R Music World (www.jandr.com). At these prices the Sony CDP-XE400 and CDP-XE500 are a great bargain, and are my first choices among under-$200 CD players.
PHOTO 2: Inside view of the CDP-XE500 (the CDP-XE400 is virtually identical). The build quality belies the low cost of these players.
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