Sony RCD-W500C CD Recorder and Player

This multi-functional CD player and recorder from Sony features a 5-CD/Dual Deck with 4x high speed dubbing and CD/CD-R/CD-RW/MP3 playback as well as CD-R and CD-RW recording capability, Super Bit Mapping Recording for amazing sound quality, high speed finalizing, and CD text entry.

Overall User Ratings (based on 261 ratings)
  • Overall:
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Sound:
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Features:
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Ease of Use:
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Quality:
    3.5 out of 5 stars
  • Value:
    3.5 out of 5 stars
  • Manufacturer Support:
    3.5 out of 5 stars
  • The Wow Factor:
    3 out of 5 stars
Overall: 3 out of 5 stars
(261) (see rating details)
Submitted December 1, 2006 by a customer from mac.com

"Great Home Studio Mixdown Deck"

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars
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This review has been selected by our experts as particularly helpful.
This is an excellent unit for Home studio's and hobbyist's. I may upgrade to something with Word Clock and SMCS free, but I keep the Sony for my live gigs, So even if it breaks, replacing it won't break the bank !
Sound
I use this unit in my home recording studio and it sounds fine. The AD and DA converters actually sound more pleasing than my Kenwood CD player. The Super Bit Mapping really helps the sound.
Features
For the price of this unit, the feature set is un-beatable. You could copy selected tracks from 5 Cd's to 1, or high speed dub a CD, input CD text using the remote, plus finalizing is pretty quick too! The only downside is ...you MUST use Music CDR's. Computer CD's will NOT work !!! Nor will DVD+-R like a previous poster tried.
Ease of Use
Takes a little getting used to reading the display, but Sony was wise to include the option to allow to user to change display views .... waaay cool.
Quality
It's a comsumer piece... don't expect pro quality build. I take mine out on occasion to live gigs, but I know to be careful.
Value
Given the feature to price ratio .... I would say, this is a really great value
Manufacturer Support
I have a friend who is a tech at Sony, and he is the best !!!
The Wow Factor
I'ts not a bad looking piece. It blends in nicely with my pro audio gear.

Musical Background:

Singer/ Songwriter

Musical Style:

R&B, Dance, Gospel, Reggae & Soca
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Submitted December 18, 2005 by a customer from rochester.rr.com

"Great sound, but watch the learning curve. Be patient and you will find this the best out there. No patience, don't Buy it"

Overall: 3.5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
It will be a long time. I would imagine 5 to 6 years before I outgrow it. Withe 500 records, 200 casette tapes, and 20o 10.5 " reel to reel tapes it will be years. There are also some wonderful recordings still on records that make good cd's.
Sound
There was somewhat of a steep learning curve to figure out some of the nuances, but once I purchased a better phono cartridge and a good equalizer to get a good sound going in, I found that the unit produces great recordings. Very picky about which cdr's you use. No luck at all with Memorex discs on a spindle. Almost sent the unit back until I moved to individually packaged Sony discs. USE HIGH QUALITY CD'S!!!
Features
No accessories came with the unit. The title feature is very clunky, so I will be transferring the recordings to my computer cd recorder with Pro-Tools lite, and covers with Adobe Illustrator. If they could make one with a keyboard adapter for the same price, or a little more it would be an excellent feature.
Value
yes it is
Manufacturer Support
I have not had to deal with the company. The product works very well by itself without help from the factory.

Musical Background:

hobbyist, son of a recording engineer at CBS

Musical Style:

Jazz, Classical
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Submitted January 3, 2011 by a customer from bellsouth.net

"Happy to own two of these."

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Happy to own two of these, as is the case with other musical gear.
Sound
this unit is to supplement the first one I had bought about 6 years ago. the first one still works for a couple discs at a time, then starts to fail. I really like these units. they work well. I have made a lot of discs over the years I have owned the first.
Features
Dubs my discs really well. Works great in analog ot digital modes.
Ease of Use
Easy learning curve on the first unit, and of course on the second.
Quality
My first unit lasted trouble free for over six years before any glitches. Now I use it for 2 hours, of less at a time.
Value
Well worth it's price. Seems like a bargain.
Manufacturer Support
N/A
The Wow Factor
Practical addition.

Musical Background:

Active Musican

Musical Style:

Country and Rock
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Submitted November 23, 2007 by a customer from yahoo.com

Sony RCDW500C CD Recorder Customer Review

Overall: 1 out of 5 stars
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Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
I hope to replace this with a computer soon and will record direct and edit on the computer. Then the recorder will be only a extra gadget around which I likely will seldom use.
Sound
Doesn't sound bad, but it's hard to get it to record. I record live to it from a Mackie 20 channel mixer for church. Live music and sermons. It records pretty well except that it only is reliable on Sony brand CD-R Music cds. Most other brands only work 1/2 the time and onl;y Music cds work at all. Ita always amazes me that if I take a disc recorded on it home and use it on my computer Nero always tell me that the disc is copywrited! I ahve a soSont DVD recorder at home and it is too fussy about the discs too. I replacxed it with a Samsuing. Would replace this unit too but I can't afford a Tascam.
Quality
I use mine in one place but judging by waht I have seen I would not trust it to be moved much.
Value
It is worth it because of the price, but you will have to buy thr higher priced Sony Music CDs only for reliabile recording

Musical Background:

Live sound tech.

Musical Style:

Cgristian
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Submitted August 3, 2010 by a customer from aol.com

"Great buy!"

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Haven't seen anything better
Sound
Have been using this for several years. Over 500 discs recorded.
Features
optical in/out. Program record.
Ease of Use
Easy to start getting good sounds, harder to dig into it deeper.
Quality
Like a tank
Value
Great for the money
Manufacturer Support
Never had to use it
The Wow Factor
It's smart to have a stand alone music CD recorder (read wav file) instead of MP3.

Musical Style:

Rock, Pop, Jazz, Country
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Submitted August 5, 2009 by a customer from aol.com

"Sucks for making mixes from other CD's. :("

Overall: 3.5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
I'll buy a better featured recorder when I feel like it. I would guess that to be within the year. I'd be thinking Tascam or Alesis at that point, though.
Sound
The sound is fine.
Features
This is the area where this unit is most disappointing. I have an 8 year old Yamaha dual deck recording unit, and it does everything that this one does, but it includes the extremely valuable "single synchro" recording option as well. If you just copy CD's for your personal use, or if you record analog sources, this will still be fine for you. If you like to make mixed discs from several CD sources, then the lack of the single synchro function makes this a worthless piece of garbage--more of a 5+1 cd player than anything else. Why did I buy this? I bought it to make mixe3d discs, primarily, and to have to manually press play on the remote once it's standing by, then to switch the remote to work the other deck, then press play on the other deck, then wait patiently until the song is over to press pause so it marks a new track is simply retarded, way behind the times, and a really poor move by Sony should they expect that to impress me enough to buy anything else they make.
Ease of Use
I found the manual to be mediocre in its clarity, but I was able to use it to figure out how to do what I wanted to do. Sadly, what I wanted to do needs to be done completely manually with this machine.
Quality
I'm going to give this a 6 for quality. Why? Everything else I've ever bought from Sony, except my PLaystation 2, has been junk. No kidding--I bought the stuff, treated it well, and it either worked poorly out of the box or began to work poorly within a few months. We'll see about this unit.
Value
I bought this one at a discount. Supposedly previously opened at Best Buy, but it was still wrapped up and appeared unused.
Manufacturer Support
No idea--haven't had to use it.
The Wow Factor
I didn't really want it, I just wanted a CD recorder to replace my old one. Now that I have it, I'm just hoping it lasts long enought to justify the $170 I paid for it.

Musical Background:

hobbyist

Musical Style:

multiple genres
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Submitted May 13, 2009 by a customer from hotmail.com

"the sony cd recorder"

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
I expect to have many years of use
Sound
this recorde is the best that money can buy I would tell anyon to by this recorder
Features
they are eazy to use and at your finger tips
Ease of Use
itput out great sounds
Quality
I have never had any trouble with this player
Value
cant find any thing beter fr the money
Manufacturer Support
yes
The Wow Factor
it loks good in my studio

Musical Background:

Recording Engineer

Musical Style:

Gospel
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Submitted October 3, 2007 by a customer from roadrunner.com

"Failures!"

Overall: 0.5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
It doesn't work!
Features
no acc. included most needed is a pc keyboard input to label cd title and tracts...very time consumiong otherwise! Writing on face of recorder is too small.
Ease of Use
Extremely difficult to use, manual is complicated...
Quality
This unit started failing...the dreaded TOC error...with digital audio discs... always after a live recording!!!!!. When this unit works, it is crystal...but who can afford a 66% failure rate...I've sent it back!
Value
I would have paid $100 more for a cdrecorder that worked.
Manufacturer Support
I'll find aout how good support is soon...Long's electronics denied that they have had any failures with this unit...search the internet 1st.
The Wow Factor
I would not wish this unit on anyone

Musical Background:

hobbyist

Musical Style:

all
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Submitted February 11, 2007 by a customer from verizon.net

"I'm through with Sony product. Wish I had half my money back."

Overall: 0.5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
I would never consider Sony product of any kind. I was warned but I didn't listen. I would replace with a Phillips, Pioneer, Teac, etc. Anything but a Sony.
Ease of Use
The manual is terrible. I am new at this and I wish I had never undertaken this hobby. I can't even get the thing to record. Keeps saying nothing but "Blank Disc". What a nightmare!
Value
It's not the worth, but the coplexity of the thing. The everyday person will be lost. Sony,,, you are hurting your business by selling the every day person something they will never be able to use.
Manufacturer Support
I have many Sony products and try to always buy Sony, buttttt I will NEVER have a Sony product in my home. You better be electonics literate or it is hopeless. It's a shame they don't cater to the every day person who ALSO buy their product...I'm through with Sony.
The Wow Factor
For the life of me I can't see one thing sexy about this thing. I have a hard time relating SEX to this rascal. I would be able to keep my mind on what I was doing.

Musical Background:

Hobbyist

Musical Style:

Country & Oldies
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Submitted December 15, 2005

"BEWARE do NOT buy"

Overall: 1 out of 5 stars
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Sound
PURE waste of money probably designed by deaf people sorry to be so harsh but it is just 1 point afloat of pure garbage. might as well get any cheapo chinese junk that floats b y your way, will sound same or even better. too many problems to list, using even own sony dvd-r disks sony should stick to TV and walkman, since 1982, its all downhill for them try it, before you even think of buying this me-too garbage. tks
The Wow Factor
would not wish it on my enemies even. well.. maybe on the enemies..ya.
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