There's a race on between Sony and Matsushita, to determine who can build the smallest battery-operated CD player with the most features. Sony currently holds the lead with its second-generation D-7 ($300), about 30% smaller than the first "pocket" CD, the D-5. Most of the reduction is in height; both players have a horizontal cross-section only slightly larger than the CD itself. The illusion of smallness is further enhanced by an angled front panel with beveled edges.
Several features have been added, most notably the ability to program up to 16 tracks, in any sequence. Despite AHC's carpings, I find this to be a useful feature even for classical listeners, as it permits easy excision of disliked works, or even movements (footnote 1). There is also a "Shuffle Play" mode that runs through the tracks in random sequence. This can add sparkle to pop albums that have gone flat. One may also repeat the entire disc, a single track, or any arbitrary section (footnote 2).
The disc may be scanned during Play, either discretely by track, or continuously at high speed. The continuous scan is even faster when the player is in Pause (but the program is muted). The various play modes are cycled through by a single pushbutton and shown on the LCD, minimizing the number of controls crammed on a tiny front panel.
Despite their size, the controls are easy to find and operate. Unfortunately, the carrying case flap does not have an opening to access them. Worse, when the flap covers the controls there is no isolation. Slight pressure on the flap can switch the player to an undesired operating mode.
Now that the [megillah] is over, how about the sound? I compared the D-7 with my Yamaha CD-2. The Sony came off second-best. Transients were slightly rounded-off, and occasionally sounded a bit grundgy. On simply-miked CDs (such as the [Opus 3]s), the Sony showed a pronounced loss of depth and spatiality, and a flattening of perspective. Voices, especially, lost roundness and focus. This was judged the unit's major failing, and a fairly serious one. It was audible both on Stax Lambda Pros and on Acoustat Sixes. This was with the line outputs; the headphone output further reduces openness, air, detail, and sparkle. As a home unit, the D-7 is not recommended; there are other players with better sound and greater operating convenience, for not much more money. But you don't buy the D-7 for home use (except perhaps for casual listening while doing something else, which is how I'm enjoying it as I write this). The D-7 is a Yuppie toy to be paraded before the have-nots, so you need good headphones for out-of-house listening.
The D-7 is recommended as a portable player (in Class D of "Recommended COmpoennts") for its sound quality alone; it is not recommendable as a "budget" player), if you can find a good-sounding set of headphones. Listen carefully before committing your cash, and don't say I didn't warn you.
Footnote 1: !!—John Atkinson Footnote 2: Pursuant to JA's "!!" I have to say that BS's enumeration of the D-7's "features" only serves to justify AHC's carpings.—Larry Archibald
