Sony S2 Sports CD Walkman: Durable, Affordable, and Functional

I was gifted my first portable CD player in early 1996 (along with the Foo Fighters self-titled debut). The featureless Sony Discman was fine enough, and up until about 1998 I used it with no issues—of course then the cover broke off.

So in late 1998/early 1999 I purchased my second Sony Discman. This time, it had anti-skip protection many sound options and though shaped the same was silver and seemed significantly sturdier than my original. But of course after years of pounding and accidental drops it too faded into the sunset.

Today, there are many more options and choices when it comes to personal/portable audio devices. There are in addition to the usual CD players, MP3, mini disc, and various other types of units. I’m not particularly adventurous and considering the only MP3 player I would even consider is $400 I settled back into the idea of buying a CD player. After researching a number of options online, I decided it was time to make a trip to Best Buy. It seemed that their prices on this particularly hearty Sony CD Player was significantly better than that publicized on other sites.

Sony is certainly not the only competitor out there (though they do have the best and longest reputation and their products have served me well over the past seven or eight years). Other options include Philips, Panasonic, Memorex and a few others with overall very cheap looking and feeling products. I wanted something that could withstand some amount of abuse and something that had plenty of options. I knew in the old days that Sony had a yellow-and-black sports line intended to serve this purpose. A bit of research showed that this particular line was no longer the same, but I did discover that Sony has a less gaudy Sports line intended to serve athletes including joggers, bikers, and walkers.

Upon finding this out, I found there to be two portable CD Players of this kind from Sony. The first was fine, but lacked a radio. The second was virtually the same just with a radio built in. That is the moment I decided to purchase the Sony S2 Sports CD Walkman D-FS601 from Best Buy for $99.99. And I made this choice based on the fact that the same product was thirty dollars more expensive at Circuit City and the exact same price at Amazon.com.

As mentioned, the Sony S2 Sports CD Walkman was designed with the active body in mind. It is attractive looking with a largely white body with black and orange accents—certainly not as obnoxious as the old style Sports electronics. The case is also very sturdy though not heavy. Sony boasts that it is water resistant, virtually skip free, and packed with features. I have to agree with each of these three claims. Sony has once again managed to affirm my already steadfast belief that they make one of the best portable CD players on the market (if not the best).

With the athlete in mind, Sony also included a black grip on the right side of the unit, reflective hand strap, and easy joystick control. But the features don’t stop at the functional. They are also fabulous. See, the D-FS601 is much more than a mere CD player. It is also a radio and includes (surprisingly) both a TV and weather band tuner. And yes…these features work. If reception is bad, Sony suggests that consumers extend the headphone wire. I found that solved most of the fuzziness issues I have experienced in the past. And there are also plenty of preset options with 7 television, 4 weather, 30 FM, and 10 AM. It is hard to imagine a unit with more capacity.

But that CD player…that too is an amazing improvement over my last (not Sports) portable CD player. The tray itself is kept dry by an orange rubber seal. Batteries are also mounted from the inside of the tray rather than outside once again in an attempt to further weatherproof the Sony S2 Sports CD Walkman. To actually operate the unit, insert the disc as you would with any other player and lock the top down with the clip on the left side. This is where that joystick control really comes into play. Simply thumb the control to one side to play and to the other to advance and push it down to stop playback entirely. Simple, simple, simple.

Included in the packaging are over-the-head earphones, an AC adapter, and the aforementioned hand strap. Add-ons include personal travel speakers, car connecting pack, car DC adapter, and worldwide compatible AC adapter. I have had some trouble adjusting to the earphones, but this is just a matter of learning to get used to the newer and sleeker design. The sound is great—no complaints there!

Lucky owners may also program the CD player to randomly play back songs or to play them back in a specific order. Sony also has made sure that both CD-R and CD-RW discs recorded in CD (not MP3) format can be played. Sony does have a MP3/CD player for some $50 more that boasts essentially the same features as my player. Is it worth the money for the extra functionality? Maybe, maybe not depending on how important it is to you to be able to pop a CD into the player with a hundred rather than just fifteen songs.

I have been very satisfied with my Sony S2 Sports CD Walkman D-FS601. It was the best solution to meet my needs. I wanted a rugged CD player preferably with a radio—but the radio was not a necessity. Then again, this perk adds to the overall appeal of the product. Kudos are in order to Sony, they’ve done it again!

Specifications: (from Sony.com)
• New S2 Sports™ Design
• Water Resistant**
• Built-In AM/FM Synthesized Tuner With TV/Weather Bands
• 51 Station Preset With Direct Preset Keys(7TV/4Weather/30FM/10AM)
• Joystick Operation
• Ultimate Skip-Free* G-Protection™ Technology
• 40 Hours Continuous Playback With 2 “AA” Batteries
• CD-R/RW Compatible
• 64 Track Rms Programming
• 9 Playback Modes
• Rechargeable Battery Capable
• 2 Position Automatic Volume Limiter System (AVLS)
• Hand Strap Supplied