Feeling bored listening to the same songs over and over again on your CD player? Want a player that plays a different tune throughout whole day without changing the disc? Take a look at the new Kenwood DPC-MP727 CD player.
The first CD player to support the Windows Media Audio (WMA) format, the Kenwood DPC-MP727 reads and plays WMA music files as well as MP3s directly from the CD. This allows more than 22 hours of music to be stored and played back from one CD.
Why is this possible? Well, WMA is a compressed audio format, just like the MP3. However, because it allows compression of CD audio files down to five percent of the original size, compared to 10 percent for MP3s, more music data can be stored on a CD. Currently, you can use Windows Media Player 7 to convert CD audio files into WMA files.
Other than being WMA-compatible, the DPC-MP727 is pretty much similar in features to the other MP3 players out in the market. Its silver top cover and simple overall design gives it a quality look. But at 32mm thick and 260 gram (without batteries), it is not exactly a very small device to carry around.
As an MP3/WMA CD player
One of the features we like about the Kenwood player is its ability to display ID3 tags, a text display function used for naming MP3 files. Though it can only display 12 characters (not including the .mp3 extension) of the title, it makes it much easier to search for the desired song.
While it is true that the sound quality depends very much on the song's recorded bit rate and sampling rate, it is generally good on the Kenwood CD player, with hardly any noise in the background. The bass boost function did much to provide a deeper and more enriched sound experience. And like most other MP3 CD players, the DPC-MP727 comes with a Digital Anti-Shock Circuit (DASC) feature that automatically stores up to 110 seconds of music data to prevent music skipping due to shocks and vibrations.
The only complaint is that the music access is slow. Somehow, the player takes about 20 seconds to start its first track and about five seconds to jump to the next song. In addition, the playback functions are rather limited. You cannot fast forward or rewind an MP3/WMA song or even deactivate the resume function.
As a CD player
As with all portable CD players, the Kenwood DPC-MP727 comes with all the standard playback functions such as track search as well as repeat and random play modes. You can choose to switch off the DASC function or operate it at 40 seconds or 10 seconds.
In terms of sound quality, CD audio tracks seem to turn out slightly muffled on the Kenwood player. Also, the bass boost effect on CD music could not match the quality of the bass system that Sony implements in their portable music range.
Battery options
Shipped with two AA-size nickel-metal hydride rechargeable batteries, the DPC-MP727 can last for up to eight hours on a single charge with the AC adapter. When used with the external battery case and four alkaline batteries, it can play continuously for up to 22 hours.
Besides the rechargeable batteries and charger, the full package also includes a pair of remote control earphones. We find it useful to have a remote control because it lets you throw your CD player into your bag and control it without bringing it out. It's a pity though, that it does not come with a LCD display.
Otherwise, we find the Kenwood MP3/WMA CD player worth a second look, not only because it can play WMA files, but because it is a complete portable CD solution.
Kenwood DPC-MP727
Company: Kenwood Electronics Australia
Price: AU$449
Distributor: Kenwood Australia
Phone: 1800 251 697
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