Customer Reviews
Great CD Player! 
2008-06-29
I bought this CD Player for my 19yr old son who drives a 1967 Ford Ranchero with no working radio. This is perfect for him, not too big and good sound.
Excellent combination of value, portability, and performance 
2008-06-28
POSITIVE: Small, lightweight, well constructed. It feels solid and performs similarly. For a single, mono speaker it sounds pretty good; no where near audiophile quality but good nonetheless. It looks nice, the spinning disk is cool. The radio gets very good reception. It doesn't have trouble reading even very scratched discs. It is efficient with batteries... I've had it for a month and have used it extensively and I haven't had to replace them yet.
NEGATIVE: Doesn't play mp3. Too quiet for some situations. Sitting on the beach, for example, the waves drown out the music unless you are within about 5 feet of the unit. This could be a positive thing if you dont want to disturb the people around you. If you do want to be able to entertain a group of people in a larger area however, this is not an ideal product. The player does not remember your place on a CD or in a track if it is turned off... for most people I doubt this is a problem, but for me, it can be. I listen to hour long, single track mixes from DJs and it would be nice if I could turn it off and then resume my place on the track. If you turn it above 80% volume, it distorts the music (especially bass heavy music).
OVERALL: For many applications, this is an excellent travel radio. It is inexpensive, very portable, and in many situations, works very well. I am not dissatisfied at all and would purchase another without hesitation. I wouldn't buy this radio if you need: 1. MP3 functionality 2. the ability to produce LOUD music
Very pleased 2008-06-23
I thoroughly enjoy the Emerson CD Player. The sound and dependability are great. It is small and doesn't take up a big area yet meets all my needs. Smart purchase.
Emerson's portable CD player performs well 2008-06-17
The Emerson PD5098 Portable CD player with AM/FM radio works very well for the money. The sound is clear and I can listen to my books on CD or listen to music and understand every word. All functions work and so far I've had no problems. The only thing I wish were different is that every time you stop the play for awhile and come back to listen again, it starts out playing at the beginning. I wish it would only do that if I open or remove the CD. Using 'pause' for a long while runs the CD for too long. I think for the price, this is a great little CD player and takes up very little room, unlike many of the monsters out there.
Newer version is much,much better 2008-06-03
There are 2 versions of this unit.
The first is what most people are reviewing.
It is distinguished by a red LED CD display.
This version was subpar and sold up until the end of 2006.
In 2007 the second version is distinguished by an LCD CD display.
The build quality is much better as well as the sound.
Apparently Emerson switched manufacturers as both unit s have different OEM
codes on the ID plates.
I have both versions and this is how I know this.
The first one I purchased at Walmart in December 2006 and it stopped reading cd's.
I returned it about a month later and received the second version.
The store had to have received new shipments and even the box looked different.
What a difference!
Much much better. And a bargain for $20 too!
Is it a high end model? heck no! but for the price it's good.
Portable Radio/CD player 2008-07-20
The only thing I didn't like about the radio is there is no place to store the electric cord. It has to be removed and stored somewhere else when using the radio with the batteries.
Broke after only 3 months 
2008-07-19
This machine often gave us error messages when playing a cd (the cd played fine in other machines) and sometimes would just spin the cd without any sound. After only 3 months it is totally broken.
disappointed 2008-07-17
This model only played one and a half CD's of my audio book before it went bad. The drive mechanism stopped, followed with erractic spins of a few seconds at a time or no movement at all. The radio still worked, so I don't believe there was a power problem. I gave up struggling with it and threw it away.
Great Portability Without the Bulk 2008-07-05
If, as I do, you like to do house and yard work to the accompaniment of recorded books, you will find this unit provides good sound and easy portablity. Unlike bulky boom boxes, its sleek and ergonomic shape makes the Emerson PD5098 an attractive and inexpensive buy, fitting easily into tight spaces around the house. A minor related drawback is that its small footprint also makes it easy to accidentally knock over. I liked the unit so well that in case Emerson decides to stop making this model, I bought an extra just to stockpile for the future.
Be aware that starting the CD is a two step operation. The player will cue up, counting the number of tracks and so on. After that's done, the CD will stop spinning. Then you push the play button and begin listening. Highly recommended.
No frills, handy CD player, radio 2008-07-01
This is a nice looking CD/radio combo for your office desk or kitchen table. The sound quality is OK for such a small unit, but this is not the product for you if you want to fill a big room with a full sound. I found the FM reception to be adequate. The unit can be run plugged-in or using two "C" cells. The latter makes it useful to have in the house for emergencies as a backup radio.
