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Conference cookie::notes$archive:cd_v1

Title:Welcome to the CD Notes Conference
Notice:Welcome to COOKIE
Moderator:COOKIE::ROLLOW
Created:Mon Feb 17 1986
Last Modified:Fri Mar 03 1989
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1517
Total number of notes:13349

1220.0. "Citizen CDM 1000 for Home and Car Use" by TELCOM::ROSENBERG (Dick Rosenberg VRO5-2/C7) Wed Jun 08 1988 12:59

    I know this has been covered in other topics, but I plowed through
    the conference and couldn't find the answers.
    
    The Citizen CDM 1000 from DAK at $129 looks interesting. I'm having
    some malfunctioning problems with my 3 year old Maggie 1040 and
    am considering this as an addition/replacement.
    
    Questions:
    
    To play the citizen through my car stereo, what would I have to
    buy and how much would it cost? (I think the answer is a cord of
    some sort to run from the cigarette lighter to the unit plus a
    Recoton unit to run from the player to the car stereo (Pioneer),
    but I'm not sure).
    
    What are people's feelings at this point about the Citizen's sound
    quality, durability, etc., in case it ends up being my primary CD
    player? (As compared to other "low-priced" CD players, portable
    or not)
    
    Thanks,
    
    Dick
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1220.1QUARK::LIONELWe all live in a yellow subroutineWed Jun 08 1988 14:237
    Be aware that the Recoton CD adapter (the one that "plays" like
    a cassette) doesn't work on many (all?) Pioneer car players.
    Sparkomatic makes an adapter that plugs into the lighter socket
    and not only provides power but transmits the sound via a low-power
    FM transmitter.  I haven't used one of these to see how well it works.
    
    				Steve
1220.2CSC32::J_PARSONSSony or Pioneer, THAT is the questionWed Jun 08 1988 15:4811
    I have the CBM1000 and have been nothing but pleased with it. I
    have a Coustic car system which has a cd input so I've never had
    to fool with interfacing it to the deck, just plug it in from the
    Citizen to the coustic through the jack in the glovebox. I got an
    adapter to plug in the cig lighter from Radio Shack but never use
    this because I get a lot of engine noise induced that way. I just
    use the battery pack that comes with the Citizen and get about 6-8
    hours of use per each set of 4 AA batteries. I have dropped the
    player off my desk several times and it has never missed a beat.
    It is very durable and sound quality seems to be good. Feel free
    to email me if you have any further questions on this player.
1220.3REGENT::POWERSThu Jun 09 1988 10:548
I have no complaints about my Citizen either.  I've had it about a 
year and a half now.
In the current DAK catalog (with the $130 Citizen) there is the $30 
cigarette lighter FM transmitter.  I just ordered it.  I plan to use
it more for tape than CD, but I'll let you know how that works out 
after I get it.

- tom]
1220.4FRACTL::HEERMANCEIn Stereo Where AvailableThu Jun 09 1988 12:088
    re: .3 by regent::powers
    
    This may be a bit off the topic but I have heard DAK mentioned
    several times.  I don't know to much about them.  Do they sell
    worth while merchandise?  If so I'd be interested in getting a
    copy of their catalog.
    
    Martin H.
1220.5See note 329 for DAK infoQUARK::LIONELWe all live in a yellow subroutineThu Jun 09 1988 14:300
1220.6FM vs. cassette adaptersSTAR::BIGELOWBruce Bigelow, DECnet-VAXThu Jun 16 1988 18:0814
    re: .1 - the "FM transmitter" CD adapter
    
    My wife has the one by Sparkomatic in her car.  It's actually the
    exact same thing as the Recoton in a slightly altered package with
    the button on the other side (I've had them both open!).
    
    At least in her car, it has a constant, high pitched audible buzz that
    it's impossible to get rid of - I've tried everything I can think of
    and it's still there.  It's much better than nothing, but the
    "cassette" type  adapter is significantly better.  Of course, if your
    car doesn't play cassettes... 
    
    B
    
1220.7Auto CD Player adaptersGRANPA::DLEADERFri Jun 17 1988 16:046
    I am using the Sony power adapter (cigarette lighter) and the Sony
    cassette adapter to my Sony D5.  No noise, it works perfectly. 
    The cassette player head is worn using tapes (Blaupunkt +7 years
    old), but reproduces thru the CD - cassette adapter perfectly.
    
    
1220.8Power Convertr for CrownNCVAX1::FISKFri Jun 17 1988 16:173
    I succumbed to temptation and bought the Crown Portable for $68.00.
    Can one purchase a power converter that converts to 15 volts?  The
    unit requires 10 AA batteries.  Thanks.
1220.9UTRUST::TIMMERSemper TECO!Mon Jun 20 1988 12:409
    re .1
    
    I use my Sony D-3 with the Recotron cassette adapter and Pioneer
    KEH-3080 car radio/cassette player without any problem.
    Power comes from the cigarette lighter (much more useful than the
    intended use...) through the Sony CPM-100 mount arm.
    
    Rien.
    
1220.10Thumbs Down On the CitizenTELCOM::ROSENBERGDick Rosenberg VRO5-2/C7Tue Jul 12 1988 14:0722
    Well, I ordered the Citizen CBM1000 from DAK. I ended up being very
    dissatisfied. First of all I had a lot of problems just getting
    the thing (see note 329). But the worst part was the unit itself.
    It isn't very user-friendly, takes a long time to get up to speed
    and start playing the disk and sounds awful. Yes, it's a CD player
    and doesn't have any pops or ticks or hiss. But it does make violins
    sound very metallic and unmusical, is lacking is bass, and seems to
    make what bass it puts out not as clean as other units. I was comparing
    it to a home Magnavox 1040 I own, and then to a Sony D4 I borrowed.
    Both sounded VASTLY better then the Citizen. I heard the term strident
    used in a review of a bad CD player and I think that applies
    beautifully to the Citizen. I ended up buying a Sony DT-3 on sale
    at Lechmere's for $189.95. It has a built-in rechargeable battery,
    sounds wonderful (everything that is a negative about the Citizen
    is a positive about the Sony), and the AM-FM, which had no bearing
    on my buying the unit, really came in handy last night when we had
    a power failure :-). Yeah, I paid $60 more (plus the bath I took
    on the shipping/returning charges), but I'm happy with the Sony
    and wasn't with the Citizen.
    
    Dick _Who_Used_To_Think_All_CD_Players_Sounded_The_Same_
                      
1220.11CALL DAK...TWEED::DEREZINSKINice Planet...Tue Jul 12 1988 18:5520
	Sorry to hear that you didn't like the Citizen.... I have one from 
DAK and have been very happy with it........ Granted, it may not be loaded 
with features, but then again at $129, it doesn't break the bank either. As 
far as your shipping goes, call DAK customer service..... I have returned 
things to DAK before and been reimbursed for what it cost me to send it 
back to them........ Their customer service number is 1-800-423-2866.

	As I mentioned, I have been very happy with my CBM-1000, but I do 
have a question for all you other CBM-1000 owners. When playing a selection, 
and I put the unit in "pause" mode, I notice a soft rhythmic/cyclical 
"ticking or rubbing" sound. I don't believe it's the disc it self as the 
"tick" seems much slower than the disc rotation, so I suspect it might be 
the laser servo or something of that sort. Does anyone else with a CBM-1000 
notice this? 


				Thanks....


					Dave...