Sony RCD-W500C CD Player

I have had Sony CD recorders in the past, so this product now seems easier to use than the first time around. The instruction manual is poorly written, so it is necessary to employ a little trial & error to become proficient at creating your own CDs. A cable is provided that allows you to connect to analog sources, such as a turntable or other CD player, so that you can make your own mixed-song CDs or transfer old LPs to CD. The sound is quite good, in my opinion, even when recording from an analog source.

Although it is possible to make a copy of an entire CD that you have created, the software will not allow you to copy individual tracks from a newly created CD. This has been a big disappointment for me, as one of the Sony recorders I had in the past did allow individual tracks to be re-ordered and re-recorded; however, this may not matter to you.

A bigger drawback is that each Sony RCD-W500C 5-Disc CD Changer / Recorder I've had has conked out after about 15 months - just after the 1-year warranty expires. It either won't record or will record half a CD or will record but then not finalize the CD. Granted, I've used this product quite a bit, but I've expected it to last a little longer. Fortunately, I've been able to find new ones on ebay for much less than many retail outlets.

Overall, I've been pretty well satisfied with the Sony RCD-W500C 5-Disc CD Changer / Recorder...as long as it works properly.

This CD recorder is being used for recording sermons at my church. It plugs right into the analog mixing board. It is easy enough to operate that just about anyone can use it with little training. The finalized CD is ready for duplication - which is great when there's not a technical type of person around the office at all times. The only disadvantage to this machine is that it requires the more expensive music CDs instead of the more common data CD.

Sony has made the best, and now the only, CD recorders. 4X recording speed; easy control; reliable.

The weakest part is the transport. Out of 8 machines I have owned, three developed problems opening and closing CD trays, which immobilizes the equipment and renders the machine useless.

Be sure to verify draws operate smoothly and quietly before buying.

There was nothing to like or love about this CD recorder. After I unpacked it I found that the door to was damaged and the disc trays would not (open) come out. I saw that there was a cd inside where the trays were. The light indicator that shows you that a tray is in use was only lite for tray 3, I found out later that there were 4 cds still in the player. Luckily, I was able to get my money refunded to me.

I'VE OWNED ANOTHER ONE OF THIS UNIT FOR FIVE YEARS, USING IT FOR MY WORK VIRTUALLY EVERY DAY FOR SEVERAL HOURS EACH DAY. AND IT WORKED LIKE A CHAMP EVERY DAY, UNTIL , FINALLY, IT JUST WORE OUT, PROBABLY DUE TO THE FACT THAT I USED IT MORE THAN IT WAS EVER DESIGNED TO BE USED. !! ( every day, for approx. 5 years, several hours a day ) I DIDN'T HESITATE TO LOCATE ANOTHER ONE OF THE SAME UNIT, ON E-BAY, AND QUICKLY PURCHASED IT. AFTER ARRIVING IN SEVERAL DAYS, I SET IT UP AND, ''BANG'', I'M BACK IN BUSINESS. I OWN SEVERAL PIECES OF EQUIPMENT FROM SONY, AND AM SATISFIED WITH THE QUALITY PUT INTO EACH AND EVERY ITEM I USE FROM THEM. ACTUALLY, I COULDN'T BE HAPPIER !! THE RCD-W500C IS BUILT TO BE THE WORKHORSE THAT IT IS, AND IT PREFORMS FLAWLESSLY !!