Sony doo it again !!! (Sony CDP-XE 330)

Member Name:

Product:	Sony CDP-XE 330
Date:	28/11/00 (1088 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cheap

Disadvantages: Old Model Now !!!

A little while ago I tested the CDP-XE530, which is closely related to this model. At £130, the 530 cost a little more than the object of my attention here, but the specifications included a number of value added features, including CD Text, an output attenuator that operates on the digital output as well the analogue one, a headphone socket and more.

The CDP-XE330 is the companion model. Aside from the minor switching they look identical, even sharing their instructions booklets. Differences concern price, and the feature set is shorter and more conventional. Their audio circuits are also related.

The best feature by far is the indented rotary track selector, which enables tracks to be preselected at blinding speed, although track search itself is much tardier. The display is bright and clear, with a calendar-type track readout, but it can't be dimmed or switched off.

An output level control is available, which attenuates the analogue output down to -20dB. A fader function provides automatic fades at the beginning or end of tracks, and the output can be adjusted down to -20dB, but the last two operate on the analogue output only. The optical digital output (there is no electrical equivalent) is unaffected.

The remote control is a simplified version of the 'stick' remote that comes with the senior models, and is similar to most recent Sony handsets: it handles well, is a clear design and is a little more ergonomic than some. The player itself is a flyweight, and no better built than you'd expect at the price - but at £100, who's counting?

Sound Quality

The Sony was received surprisingly well for such an inexpensive player. It has a straightforward honesty that meant it easily held its own at the price - flattered, perhaps, by the standard of the group as a whole.

On the Alice in Chains track, the panellists commented: "Good rhythm, pace and speed without harshness"; &qu
ot;cymbals a touch splashy, almost slippery, like silicone on Teflon"; "fairly robust, rounded sound," and "tight bass, but lacks some detail."

The Kissin piano recording was felt to lack "dynamic differentiation" and "warmth in the lower midrange", although a minority felt it sounded "lively and responsive... [with] transparency and speed". The Corrs song was notable for its "excellent separation", but also for being "slightly distorted" and "grainy". The excellent Mahler recording, however, was outside the Sony's compass. It sounded "vivid but sterile" according to one listener and "small scale" according to another.

My listening was in line with the panel view. The Sony does sound rather thin and lightweight, and although there's plenty of detail, this is partly because the rather grainy and congested mid/top tends to dominate the sound to the detriment of the solidity and structure that better players are able to capture.

Conclusion

Not for the first time, an indifferent musical performance is rescued by a low selling price. The difference is that this player is not as indifferent as some, and by any standards the price is very low indeed.

Summary: