I'm not sure that the mechanism you mention is to conserve battery juice. At least in the case of mine (a Panasonic SL-SX469V, to your SL-CT800 -- whatever those may mean), it's to get around the skipping that often comes with mobile equipment. As I understand it, digital information is extracted and stored for playing over the next few seconds, then another download occurs for the next segment, etc. By compressing those downloads, the jiggle-exposure time is reduced. (I repeat: as I understand it) On my discman there's a button to prevent this, for when one _isn't_ in motion. I'd be surprised if there wasn't one on yours. Since that noise is fairly considerable, and as I use my discman at my bedside for insomniac stretches, I've deactivated that feature. Hey presto: noise gone! Mine has a radio, which I gather is rare. I don't know why. Another mystery is that the instructions are adamant that one unplug the thing when it's not in use. Ridiculous: I've had it plugged in for years without any damage whatever. My key problem is when stations aren't quite tuned in. I've recently taken to performing balletic waves in the dark, moving the wire over my head, toward the ceiling, etc., until better reception comes. Not sure why this happens periodically, since I can also go for months without a hitch of this kind. Another smaller niggle I have is with the volume/radio control knob. It's a considerable wodge of plastic with four buttons, down the wire about half-way between earphones and discman. 'Took some getting used to, as (at least when walking) the wires should go from one ear _behind_ the neck, so with its sister wire this knobby thing can hang off the other shoulder. Yet the thing's weight inevitably makes it drop, making it a total drag. But if you want volume/station control closer than the discman, which I do, I guess it's needed. The toy's usefulness is beyond question, though. A musical discovery per night, just about, with the radio. Last night it was a first recording, back in the 1970s, of some XIIth century music that reportedly sold over half a million copies. Polyphonic singing, and quite delightful. Happy listening. Bert Bailey