Aiwa XP779 Portable CD Player

The XP-779 portable CD player was fairly easy to set up, especially using its car or AC adapter. The only glitch we hit was that turning the unit on wasn't that intuitive. You have to slide the "Hold" switch to "Off" to begin playing CDs. The backlighted LCD display was easy to read, even in a dark car.

The XP-779 comes with an outstanding array of output and power adapters. With the included headphones, you can use it plugged into the wall with the AC adapter or running on regular or rechargeable batteries. The unit also includes a DC car adapter and cassette connector that routes the audio through your cassette player and car speakers. The unit can recharge its own rechargeable Nicad batteries, which made it easy to maintain (you will have to buy those batteries separately, however). The battery indicator was another handy feature. There's nothing worse than slipping in your favorite CD at work and finding you're out of power.

It also boasts a wide range of advanced play features. We especially liked the Resume feature, which lets you pick up where you were when you switched the unit off. We were able to program up to 24 tracks, and we liked being able to use the repeat feature during program play. The electric anti-shock system (EASS PLUS) seemed to reduce the incidences of skipping, even over bumpy gravel roads. Overall, the XP-779 was a superb machine to carry along in the car, during exercise, or at work. Its light weight and rechargeable capabilities made it a pleasure to listen to CDs anywhere.

Pros:

• Anti-shock system reduces skipping
• Unit can recharge with Nicad rechargeable batteries
• Includes headphones, AC adapter, car tape adapter, and cigarette-lighter adapter
• Three-stage battery indicator lets you anticipate battery replacement

Cons:

• Slightly confusing to turn on and off