Nakamichi isn't about doing lots of things all at once, it's about doing one thing and doing it well at the highest possible quality level. Simple in it's design, this player is a perfect addition to any car's audio setup. While not the most powerful player on the market, sound quality is still amazing, completely off the chart. This is a deffinate must have for any true audiophile.
I own a audio shop in Houston TX and pretty much have my choice of what I want to put into my car. I tried Nak about 5 years ago and have never looked back. Anyone that is serious about what they put in their car knows that Nak is the best. If you are going for looks look somewhere else. But if you are looking for quality look no further.
I use MB100 before but find the six disc system is easy damaged. Therefore, I changed to this single disc system with MP3 also. Overall, very nice, the sound analysis power is good.
I purchased my nak cd500 oversea when it first available in 2005. The sound is very clean and easy to use. Unlike my alpine 9833, I have to carry the manual. Nak Looks amazing. If you like good SQ, this is the one with 24 bit/DAC CD and Radio. I normally crank the volume up high, the sound is still very crisp and clean. That is why I removed my Alpine 9833 the first place. Once you try Nak, you won't look for anything else.
I had the CD-45Z for 5 years before selling the truck it was in. I installed a CD-500 in my new truck and it sounds very good. The CD section failed after a few weeks and the unit was replaced where I purchased it. This unit really is nice looking (it looks a lot like a stock unit) and has good control. Very nice unit and I highly recommend Nak stuff.
I've bought this deck over a year ago and its the best one I've ever had, especially when its combined with a full Nak reference series amps and speakers. The only draw back is the cd player needs to be taken apart and cleaned at least once a year or else serious skipping occurs, but I've found that normal in any high end equipment and have the know how to do it myself.
