Audio Reviews

I was looking for a great MP3 player, and I've been very disappointed with some digital products from other companies, so I was very hesitant to purchase one. I also read several reviews about players from some other brands (particularly RCA, which is what I was wanting to purchase), and read about several problems and disappointing findings about the player. I bought this a few months ago and haven't had any problems. Even beyond that, this player surpasses everything I imagined. It is highly customizable, even letting you set how long the LCD lights when you push buttons, has very easy to use and effective software, is small, compact, reliable and even the FM radio (which had nothing to do with why I bought it - it was just a bonus) lets you tune up to .05. I keep finding stuff I can do with it.

It is well worth the price.

I first came across the iAudio CW300 while searching for digital voice recorders. Needless to say, the CW300 128 performs perfectly as a voice recorder, picking up most sounds clearly through its two settings: HQ (High Quality) and UHQ (Ultra High Quality). For HQ I got almost nine hours of recording time and for UHQ I got around 4 hours of recording time. I also found it handy that you can hear what you are recording through your earphones, simplifying the question of whether you are recording what you want (even though the recording seems to pick up even more than what I hear). Starting and stopping recording is easy with just a touch of a button on the face of the CW300. Transferring the voice recordings to your computer via USB is also very easy with the included software.

Of course, the CW300 acts also as a MP3 player and a FM radio and it performs perfectly in both of these functions as well. Maybe 128 is not enough for both heavy MP3 and voice recording usage, but I managed to fit 21 MP3s of 128 kbps quality and still have 2 hours of UHQ recording time left. FM reception is great and can be recorded. Battery life is astounding for just one AA. The company's claim of 30 hours seems about right.

The only drawback I can see is that the jog controls are a bit tricky to get used to (at least for me). But after a bit of usage they proved to be efficient and quick.

You can read about the pro's and con's for this player everywhere, so I will only say that this player has unbelievable sound, and if you buy one, you will not regret it.

I just got mine from J&R Music World a few days ago. Great shipment - fast, double boxed, etc. It took awhile to set the new receiver up, as I had over 50 connections on the back of my previous receiver. I had upgraded from a Kenwood model and the difference is substantial. The sound quality, particularly in music, is substantially better. The number of settings you can tweak for each particular input is awesome. A true audiophile's dream. Right down to being able to set individual crossover points for EACH channel for EACH input! The on screen display/programming is great and makes setup much easier. I would highly recommend this receiver.

If your looking for a receiver that has plenty of power and tons of features. Stop at this one and buy it now. I tried all kinds of receivers from the Onkyo, Denon, and the Sony, but this HK is head and shoulders above them all. The sound that this thing puts out is incredible, nice and rich and perfectly rounded out. The separation in movie soundtracks will blow you away, and the music end of the sound from this receiver is unparalled. If your worried about the low rating of power compared to others, don't fret, because this thing has "pure" power - it truly surppasses the Onkyo rated at 100 x 6. HK has perfected the high current power in these sereis models and you get no distortion at top end. You won't beleive your speakers could have ever sounded like that. As far as features and ease of use - even if you have a little knowledge of audio hook up, you'll have it done in no time. The remote let's you sit there and it will adjust everything automatcally for you. Don't let the price scare you, because you can find it for less - brand new! Just look around, I found it here at Amazon, thank you so much for letting me have it for so cheap! People don't waste your time with anything else, because HK has made this the ultimate machine. Just way too much to list and completely go over, just get it and you won't regret it! Also thank you JR music world for partnering up with Amazon for that price!

I purchased the Harmon Kardon AVR 525 for a newly-remodeled medium-sized upstairs living area. To be honest, I didn't have great expectations of the AVR 525. We have a theater system made up of Parasound separates in our larger downstairs recreation room, and I felt like I was lowering myself to buy a mere receiver! I went with it mainly because it had seven powered channels that would fit it the limited space I had available for gear. However, I have been surprisingly pleased with the AVR 525.

Of note is the ease of operation of the AVR 525. I pretty much set up the entire system without referencing the operations manual; including experimenting with the triple cross-over bass management system (I'll talk about this later). About the only thing that I needed to use the manual for is programming the remote and using the AVR 525's EzSet feature to balance the speaker system. The AVR 525's learning remote is quite good. I was able to program it for my DVD player, CD player/recorder, S-VHS player, plasma monitor and satellite receiver without sacrificing any important features.

I matched the receiver with a Bose Accoustimass 15 Series III speaker system and two Definitive Pro-Sub 200 sub-woofers. I have to admit, I am extremely impressed with the AVR 525. Discrete theater modes sound astounding in both Dolby and DTS. Stereo modes and multi-channel emulations are clear and distinct.

I find the Logic 7 emulation particularly impressive for stereo programming. To the point where I hooked my Creek Audio MC Phono-stage amp and Music Hall MMF-7 turntable to the AVR 525, and have thoroughly enjoyed the last few weeks listening to vinyl recordings through seven channels. If you haven't done this, you have to give it a try!

A few comments on the AVR 525's triple cross-over bass management system. I found this to be a very useful feature. In fact, I achieved much better sound by getting rid of the Bose Accoustimass sub-woofer and using the triple-crossover bass management system for routing the bass through the Definitive Pro-Sub 200s. The ability to tune the bass management system for each of the emulation modes has been very useful, particularly for playback of vinyl recordings.

On the down side, the AVR 525 could use one more set of rear inputs. I maxed out the inputs with my current set-up. Fortunately, I have been able to connect my digital video camera through the 525's front inputs. The AVR 525 comes with two component-video inputs, one more would be nice. The unit runs quite hot. Given that the 525 is powering seventy watts through seven channels, this is not surprising. However, when setting up the AVR 525, ample ventilation space is required. All-in-all, these are minor points given the price-range of the unit.

What's quite amazing is that for around $650 the AVR 525 sounds pretty darned-near as good as my Parasound pre-pro and power amp system, which cost me over $5000. Granted, I am filling a much smaller room with sound. But watt-for-watt, the AVR 525 is a great sounding and full-featured receiver.

This is a great pda/gaming console...there aernt many games out now but you can expect good things :) (never winter nights,mtx:mototrax, tomb raider, and street hoops)
there are already great titles out ..like duke nukem..tony hawk 4 , doom2, and many more...
if you dont like the games or applications made specifically then you can pick up over 19,000 others that are compatible witht the palm os(so says tapwave)...Visit the website and look at the specs and stuff....
BUY THIS PRODUCT YOU WONT BE DISSAPOINTED..(also if you would like to actually try out a zodiac before you buy it then visit your local compusa to try one out...)

I owned zodiac 2 for about 8 months now, and i can say with confidence that it is the best palm OS that i owened and i moved between a few. i can babble on and on about its features and capabilities and it is great speakers, screen, memory, analog pad for games. bluetooth connectivity. but that what not add much to what other people said or what you can find on the website. and nothing is better than trying it. get from www.tapwave.com and if you don't like it just return it within 30days. i know i did that and i decided to keep it.

I'm a long time Palm (and Pocket PC) user and have never really been 100% happy with any device I've gotten. Some came close...my wonderful Sony Clie 710C was awesome in its day. I've enjoyed the Sony Clie line for its superb color screens and cutting-edge features. But they are expensive and more recently, seemed to be falling behind. I was darn tired of having to upgrade the RAM in order to have something useable so when I heard about the Tapwave Zodiac 2 which offered an unbelievable 128 Meg of RAM I was immediately interested. After checking the specs I determined to be one of the first to get one of these devices. Gaming is secondary to it being a good Palm device, but definitely a HUGE plus for me.

My first reaction when I got it was how awesome the screen was! It definitely rivaled any other Palm device out there, and people always comment on it when I show them. The huge amount of RAM is just a joy to have. You can even load MP3s on it, although certainly using a good size SD card works even better. Don't miss the double card slots! Another feature you won't find on any other Palm device.

Video playback is great using MMPlayer (ditch the crappy Kinoma it comes with) and MP3 music is quite excellent. Battery life is excellent compared to other Palm color devices, and landscape and portrait options make things like reading ebooks and viewing photos even better. Bluetooth works great, I have no trouble downloading email over my cellphone.

So, how is it as a gaming device? Compared to other Palm devices, this device blows them out of the water! The number of available games specifically for the Zodiac is still fairly small (although there are some excellent games out there now) but having access to the full library of Palm games means I have more games loaded on it then I ever will have time to play. The included game, Stunt Car Extreme, is excellent and shows great potential for this device.

Overall, as a gaming device alone, I probably would not recommend the Zodiac, simply because there are better, cheaper options out there. But if you need or want a PDA that does multimedia and gaming, you won't find a better choice, and at a very reasonable price.

This is a great player that is so easy to use. The only thing I don't like about it is it uses up batteries fast ,but this player's battery use is a lot less than other players out on the market. I found that if you use the remote the batteries used up really fast. The software is easy to install and really easy to use. I have seen lots of mp3 players and this is one of the easiest to use. A feature that I like about it is the voice recorder. Once you record something you can put it onto you computer and send it in an e-mail or what not. I like my player and use it often. I would recomand this player to everyone.

I read all the reviews on the Samsung Yepp before purchasing it and the most frequesntly mentioned downside was that it eats batteries. Truthfully I haven't found that to be the case at all! I use my Yepp everyday and I haven't had to change them too much at all! I even use the radio/remote and that doesn't seem to drain the batteries either. I can also use this will my many types of MP3 files I have with no trouble. The sound is great! The earbuds feel weird at first, but I got used to them quickly. I found that if I substituted a conventional headset for the earbuds it lost volume. I am so happy to have my Yepp!

i have had this product since christmas 2001 and have had no problems with it what so ever the mp3 player gives out rich sound. plays music with no problem too there are many different choices of how you want the music to sound such as rock or classical. i like the way it is very portable.

The JVC RX-7000 has the state-of-the-art in surround sound processing with built-in Dolby Digital and DTS decoding. Several additional surround sound options are provided, including digitally processed Dolby Pro-Logic surround, 3-D Phonic (Virtual Dolby), and a Digital Acoustics Processor with 5 preset sound fields. Enjoy the most spectacular theater sound at home when you view movies on DVD. JVC RX7000 Features - Multi Color OSD Text CompuLink!...110 watts x 2 min. RMS, both channels driven into 8 ohms from 20Hz to 20kHz with no more than 0.06% THD...100 watts x 5 min. (2 Front, 1 Center, 2 Rear speakers) RMS, into 8 ohms, 1kHz, 0.8% THD...DVD Multichannel Audio Compatible (5.1 channel analog input and 5 separate amps) for connection to existing and future multichannel sources such as DVD Audio ...Multi-Brand A/V Remote Control (VCR/TV/CATV/DBS)...Dolby Digital and DTS decoders built-in for theater quality surround from digital sources...Fully Discrete Outputs to ensure greater fidelity and longer life...Digital Acoustics Processor (DAP) with 5 preset sound fields (Theater/Hall/Live Club/Pavillion/Dance Club) digitally recreates these venues in your own home...3D-PHONIC Virtual Surround Sound creates dramatic home theater sound with just two front speakers...Text COMPU LINK will transmit text data carried by media like CD-Text and MD to display on your receiver and a television...AV COMPU LINK provides simple one touch operation between your JVC audio and video components. For example, pop a pre-recorded VHS tape into the VCR and it will automatically power up your receiver and your television and then turn them each to the proper inputs. ...ENHANCED COMPU LINK CONTROL SYSTEM...Multi-Color On Screen Display simplifies control by allowing you to choose options from your television screen to operate your receiver...Dot Matrix Fluorescent Display with Sound Pattern...Line level Sub Out...3-band electronic S.E.A. equalization with 5 presets and 1 manual setting for each source to give you flexible tone control and minimize sound degradation...Bass Boost, One-Touch Operation...1 Assignable Coaxial Digtial Input that you can designate to any digital source...2 Assignable Optical Digital Inputs that you can designate to any digital source, 1 Optical Digital Output for use with digital recording devices...3 S-Video inputs...2 S-Video outputs...1 Composite Video output...2 Main Speaker Terminals...15 AM and 30 FM station memory...2 Year parts and labor warranty...Weight: 25.0 lbs...Width: 17 3/16" ...Height: 6 3/16"...Depth: 16 1/4"...Banana Plugs for easy speaker connections (Main1/Main2)...High-Rigidity Z-Chassis ...Dolby Pro Logic in Full Digital Processing...Pretty Cool Little Receiver...  

I have always been a fan of JVC. They always manage to squeeze an amazing number of features per dollar into their products. This unit is no exception. The "Compu-Link" feature is a great feature for those of us with other JVC components. It makes the entire system function like one unit.

The sound quality is excellent for this price range. However, I noticed the volume needs to be set relatively high to get decent sound from my speakers. Not a big deal though - the sound quality isn't affected.

The lack of decent speaker terminals for the center and rear channels is disappointing. However, considering the price of this unit I suppose they had to cut corners somewhere.

I bought this receiver when I was in the U.S. from ... for whatI think was a great buy at ($) that includes shipping and handling to Holiday Inn Express in Belmont where I was staying. It came in a huge box full of protective styrofoam. Inside it revealed the JVC box containing the RX-7000VBK (plus accessories) that requires 110V input (not auto-voltage, nor does it have a voltage switch which is important to me since the Philippines is 220V).

Back home I have a modest system. This receiver will actually replace an older JVC RX-801VBK which has been running since 1987 (and still working very well). I have a JVC XV-K503 DVD player (bought in Singapore), JVC HR-J7005UM 6-head Hi-fi VHS, JVC TD-W901 double cassette deck (since 1987 also) and a 25" JVC Interiart Flat multi-system TV. My main speakers are Bose 301 Continental Direct/reflecting system (the Continental edition was limited, for only ($) were sold in the Philippines). With no other speakers at hand, I rushed to a local audio store to buy a pair of US Audio Surround speakers and a center speaker (I did not buy a subwoofer since I want to know if this Amp can pump my Bose). After connecting everything, with particular attention to the COMPULINK cables, I powered on the DVD player, inserted the Terminator 2 DTS DVD and the receiver automatically turned-on and switched to DVD Digital mode(courtesy of the JVC's COMPULINK). My speaker settings were Front=Large, Rear=small, Center=Large, Subwoofer=No. I set the DVD audio to DTS and after listening to the DTS intro on the disc, I had a wide grin on my face. Further "testing" with Saving Private Ryan, Eagles Hell Freezes Over, Metallica S&M, U2 Rattle and Hum, Santana Supernatural and Kitaro, at that price, I'd say it was a bargain.

There are things that you need to set before everything works though. One is setting the digital input and the display properly (page 16 of the manual), the other is the speaker settings (page 14). Read the manual, it will keep you busy for a while.

Convenient features: The COMPULINK system is unbeatable. Insert a VHS tape on the VHS deck, and the system automatically switches to VHS input. Press Play on the cassette deck and the system switches to Tape audio. Turn off the RX7000, and everything turns off (except my cassette deck which has a mechanical switch). One COMPULINK feature I cannot use right now is TEXT COMPULINK, which would allow me to search for genre, title, artist, etc. if I have a 200-disc CD changer from JVC. The remote control allows me to control the entire system and even replicates my DVD's joystick function. Just make sure that the little switch to the right of the remote is in the proper position. Another convenient feature is the one-touch button, which would allow me to set various settings (such as equalization, bass boost, DSP mode, etc.) for each of the input (even each station on FM/AM) and automatically sets the correct mode if chosen.

Wishlist? We'll my old RX-801's SEA allows me to create four named equalization settings on seven bands with individual frequency control. The RX-7000's SEA is not that flexible since it has only three bands and one user preset.

It's DSP modes are flexible. When playing audio CD, my settings are SEA=ROCK, DSP=DANCE CLUB, BASS BOOST=ON, it makes Metallica sound great. For DVD and best surround listening experience, make sure that speakers are positioned properly (page 23).

Should I still get a subwoofer? At this point, I don't need it. Should you need a subwoofer, make sure it is the Active type (powered).

I bought this system for $30, so I don't have a vested interest in it one way or another. I have owned Eminent Technology LFT VIII speakers made by Bruce Thigpen in Florida, who licensed the planar technology to Monsoon. I expected great things, as the LFT VIII's were among the best speakers I'd ever used. I was slightly disappointed, but only slightly. And my results may be in part dependent on my soundcard and computer setup, as all results are. However, I found these speakers, although reasonably accurate at the desktop level, to be slightly grainy and "digital" in presentation. The base module was the most disappointing, but considering its size, I would expect nothing else. It is small; midbass peaks are prominent, and can only be ameliorated, but not cured, by judicial use of the Media Player equalizer and SRS. In the end, a similarly priced Cambridge Soundworks Microworks, in my view and in my system, is simply better. I judge this based upon 15 years of playing in the audiophile game, with over 100k of electronics. That doesn't mean I have better ears, but it does mean I listen carefully. With the Monsoons, I hear notes, but don't get well integrated bass, or musical "sounds." With the MicroWorks, I hear a more "chimelike" sound in the sats - almost tubelike - which leads to longer listening sessions and a more satisfying musical experience. The bass is much better integrated. The Monsoons are very good - and excellent for the money - but in the end, they are perhaps too accurate a transducer. At close range, I don't want to hear digital jitter and crud; a bit of euphany is fine by me. The Monsoons don't make me want to sing and dance; they make me want to take notes about how good they are. Just not quite enough to put them over the top. But good!

When I bought a new computer several months ago, I did some research on my audio options and decided to go with Monsoon speakers. For the previous few years, I had a four speaker system that sounded OK but which provided me with ample opportunities to trip on all the cords scattered across the floor. I was leery of a two-speaker system, though, wondering how in the world it could actually simulate sounds from all directions with just two snazzy but relatively compact speakers. I was tired of tripping over wires, though, and the look and name and reasonable price of this system appealed to me, so I embraced the challenge and dreamed of being engulfed by torrential waves of glorious sound. Hooking the system up was as quick and easy as two shakes of a lamb's tail. You have the subwoofer and two speakers, and that's it. I don't have a lot of space on my desk, but the speakers easily sit on either side of my monitor, taking up little space, and my subwoofer is safely ensconced under my desk. There's a little handheld control unit for muting and adjusting the volume which I can leave dangling over one arm of my chair for easy access when needed. Best of all, there are no wires trailing across my floor to extra speakers behind me.

I am no expert on audio technology, but I can tell you the sound is excellent to my ears. It may take you a little while to get the speakers positioned perfectly, though - with this flat technology, some of the rich sound you want can go whizzing right by your ear if you don't have your speakers aligned correctly. The placement doesn't have to be absolutely perfect, though; it's not as if you have to hold your head perfectly still in order to enjoy the magic of the aural environment this system is capable of creating. As long as the speakers are pointed in your general direction, you are going to get excellent sound. The most amazing sound, though, can only be heard in the sweet spot, and fortunately it only takes a little time and adjustment to find this sweet spot and thus begin hearing your music and games in a whole new way. Songs I have listened to for years suddenly seemed brand new because I was hearing nuances I had never heard before. Game play sound is also excellent; atmospheric games are made more involving and fun than ever - those bad guys sneaking up behind you really sound as if they are sneaking up behind you. DVD sound really comes alive to help create an optimum DVD viewing experience. I love my Monsoon speaker system; it looks cool, sounds fantastic, and saves a lot of space on and around my computer table. I can't really explain how Monsoon's Planar Focus Technology creates such a rich three-dimensional sound from two speakers, but I can certainly testify to the fact that it does indeed do just that. Unless you have more money than you know what to do with, I enthusiastically recommend a Monsoon speaker system for your computer audio needs.

I first heard this set of speakers in CompUSA over a year ago. I was about three aisles away and could not believe the tremendous sound! I made an immediate purchase. I've had them ever since and still thoroughly enjoy them ! I find the base more than adaquate. A superb sound for something so little. I take them along with me when I travel and hook them to my notebook so I can share music with my friends -- they are always impressed. Great sound with DVD also.

The Signature 2.0 Dolby /DTS Digital Processor/Tuner provides unsurpassed performance and the flexibility required of a state-of-the-art digital home entertainment system. Processor Features: Dolby Digital and Dolby Pro Logic Onboard; Six-Channel Direct Inputs for Future Enhancement and Expansion; RS-232 serial port interfaces with home automation systems; Now with DTS processing Onboard; Six Composite and Two S-Video Inputs; Link any Output to any Analog or Digital Audio Input; Six Digital Audio Inputs: Four Coax Data and Two Optical Data; Trigger Control for External Amplifiers; Universal Learning Remote; Record Outputs/Bus that Tracks Main Input or Records a Separate Program; Comprehensive On-screen Menu System; FM Stereo/AM Tuner with RBDS Data system and 30 Presets... There are few brands who can rival the performance of this piece...

I bought a Sig 2.0/2.1 combo because my speakers are 25 years old, the size of small coffins, and have low impeadances. They love current. Even with 45 amps of current, the protection circuits in my old HK AVR500 would kick in under heavy (i.e., cranked to the max) loads, and shut the unit off.

SO, I decided to purchase a Sig 2.0 preamp and 2.1 amplifier. The total price was about the same as as HK's equivalent receiver. That makes it a very good deal.

IMPRESSIONS:

Sound: The 2.1 amp is beautiful. It blows away the amps in my Harman Kardon AVR500, which itself sounds really good. The 2.0 preamp also sounds better, but not to the same degree. It is clean, articulate and uncolored. This is truly a high end audiophile piece of equipment, built in the US by Madrigal, the division of Harman Kardon which makes Mark Levinson and other high priced, high end audio equipment. It appears to use many of the same components.

I did an a/b comparison between the 6 channel out my JVC DVD-Audio player and the HK. The HK's processors are noticably better sounding on PCM, DTS and Dolby Digital sources.

The Good: The tuner has very good reception and sound with lots of presets and RDS, which displays text information sent by some radio stations. The unit has lots of inputs (6 pair stereo RCA, 4 dig. coax, 2 optical, 6 channel direct, 6 component video, 2 s-video) and outputs, and has exceptionally good configurability. Analog inputs can be balanced so that when going from one source to the next, the volume stays the same. It also has lots of processing modes: Pro Logic, DTS 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital Late Nite, Dolby Digital Mono, Mono Plus, four music modes and four movie modes. (However, lack of ability to control delay time between front and surround channels). (It is several years out of date, so it does not have ProLogic II.) Oh! It also has plain stereo. And, it looks good with an uncluttered industrial black aluminum appearance. It is solid and weighs 22 lbs, as much as many AV receivers.

On the downside: It has poor bass management, a cheap universal remote control which is not backlit and which learns from other remotes, but has no built in programmable codes. There is no phono section. The unit makes a little squeeking noise every time my cd changes a track letting me know it figured out the format of the digital source material. The internal DACs do not feed to tape out. Finally, HK went for looks rather than putting enough functional buttons on front.

Wish list - A sleep timer.

Overall, a really good product.

Strengths:
Very good sound quality, excelent value, lots of inputs and outputs and surround modes

Weaknesses:
Cheap remote which is not backlit, no phono section.

If you are like me and find yourself with a surround system cobbled together from a collection of amplifiers and speakers, but don't have a good way to bring it all together...look no further! Don't replace all those amps with an "all in one box" surround system just because it's a hassle balancing all those descrete channels...

The Signature 2.0 processor/tuner/preamp is just what you need. It has an analog 6 channel input for your DVD Audio player, digital inputs, optical inputs, S-video outputs, it's all here... And talk about quiet? This preamp is absolutely silent. Maximum flexibility in assigning inputs, no changing cables, just reroute them via menu (onscreen or front panel) control!

The onboard processors are as smooth as silk, and the built-in effects (to add surround depth to stereo CDs) are subtle and never gimmicy. HK spent alot of time on this one! It is super.

There is only one thing about this unit that I have to work around...the remote sensor in the front panel is rather narrow sighted and I find myself almost out of range a fair part of the time;whos living room is a perfect listening room? I will have to add an IR remote sensor to compensate.

Please note that this is a deep cabnet, and it is heavy. Over-engineered it seems, since the power supply is clearly big enough to handle the consumption of this unit.

The perfect solution for those of you who want to use a couple of stereo systems in combination for a surround sound system! You will love it!

The Cowon iAudio portable digital audio player is a fantastic device! Here is a summary of the various components.

PHYSICAL UNIT: This is a very small (3 in. tall, 1 in. wide) and light (less than 2 oz. including the battery) unit. It has a LCD screen on the front which displays quite a bit of information, such as the name of the current song (which scrolls across the screen), the time remaining, battery life, memory usage, etc. This information is presented in a compact yet clear manner. The LCD had a back light feature that can be programmed to stay on for a set amount of time. The unit is highly customizable with an interface that is quickly learned. Battery life is about 9 hours on a singe AAA battery. Although this does not sound like much, remember, it is for a single battery.

MP3 PLAYER: The 64 Mb model will hold about 20 MP3s (assuming an average size of 3 Mb). The sound quality is very good. The unit has four folders (albums) to organize your music. Songs can be played sequentially or at random, and you can choose from several pre-set equalizer settings, such as rock, classical, etc. I don't have a lot of experience with MP3 players, but I am more than satisfied with this one.

VOICE RECORDING: I originally found this looking for a digital voice recorder. It does a GREAT job! For the 128 Mb model with no MP3s loaded, you get about 4 hours of clear recording time! The microphone picks up well and there is a level indicator so you know how strong the input signal is. There is a quick key combination that puts you directly into voice recorder mode, so if you are in the car and want to record a thought, you can do it without even taking your eyes off the road. There is one drawback for using this as a voice recorder -- there is no speaker, so you would either need the headphones or plug into an external speaker to hear playback.

ANNOYANCES: I have only a few minor complaints about the iAudio. (1) The small plastic protective cover over the USB plug is hard to get off if you don't have long enough fingernails. (2) You can't connect the USB cable to the player while it is in its carrying case. (3) The ear phones are comfortable and sound nice, but they fit loosely in the ear, easily falling out if you are exercising. (4) The software does rip MP3s from CDs, but it is not the most user friendly interface I have used.

While this may seem like a lot of annoyances, they are all relatively small, and don't diminish from the experience. Overall, this is a great product! I have used the MP3 Player and Voice Recorder extensively, and am completely pleased with my purchase. Note, though, I bought the 128 Mb version, and would suggest that or the 256 Mb version.

This is an incredible product and company! Absolutely the best portable MP3 player in its class. It is very small (smaller than a credit card) but has plenty of storage (choose 64, 128 or 256MB version when you buy). Also has a great FM radio, voice recorder, good sound quality and an excellent display & controls. The product is well made and comes with a case, belt clip, decent ear buds, cables & software. It's easy to drop the player into a shirt or pants pocket.

The software is VERY easy to use -- just drag and drop MP3s or files from your CD (it will automatically convert them to MP3). Click a button and it will look up your CD song titles from an Internet database. If you're interested, it also has a utility program that will convert any animated GIF or image file into a logo you can download to the player. Your custom animated logo displays on the LCD when you turn the unit on. Very nice.

When you download an MP3 file to the player, you can choose any Windows font and size for the song title display. I like the hand script fonts -- they make the display look friendly. The LCD has a blue backlight and you can adjust how long the backlight stays on after a button press.

The MP3 player includes a full equalizer. Separate +/- control of bass, treble, loudness & dynamic bass. You can save your settings under a "User" selection, or choose from several preset equalizations (rock, classical, etc.). There are also lots of other options to allow you to customize how the player works (if you want to).

Read the instructions to understand what the buttons do. Other than that, everything else about the player and the software is simple. The player has a lot of nice options to play with, but it's easy to use right out of the box if you're not a techie.

Jet Audio customer service is unbelievably good. I placed my order at the busiest time (one week before Christmas) and they still shipped the same day. The players were ordered through Amazon from the "New & used" option -- that means Jet-Audio fills the order directly. When you place the order, there's no option to choose a shipping method and Amazon says it could take up to 21 days (yikes!). I placed the order & emailed Jet-Audio to see if they could ship faster. They replied immediately and said the product would ship that day -- I received it two days later (in California). I purchased three players and had a problem with one. I sent them an email and they handled the problem that same day. You just can't ask for better customer service.

Great product, great company, great price ---

JetAudio.com is starting a great promotion to upgrade your MP3 player if you wished you had larger memory size. Check out the link... you basically send in your old one, pay them $x and they upgrade the memory capacity to either 128 or 256. Better than having to buy a new one....

This is a great part of your home audio system should you decide to hook your computer or other device with a minijack plug in to it. A good long cable (other lengths are sold both in a M HP-10 and in the THX series). If you are unsatisfied with your current speakers, and have a good hifi system, but lack the digital connections such as S/PDIF out or Optical on your system, this is the way to go.

I previously had tried to connect my PC sound card to my stereo receiver in order to play my MP3's on a real system and not my subpar computer speakers...but the sound I got from those cables, was absolutely horrendous. I quickly did more research and discovered Monster Cable's 20' minijack-to-RCA cable (perfect since my PC and stereo are on opposite sides of my room, I still have cable length to spare) and I was pleasantly surprised with the quality sound reproduction. Of course, the sound coming out of your stereo will depend on the quality of that component itself, but with Monster Cable's dual cable and single length (no extension cords to cause dissipation of the sound signal) you too will want to get this equipment...Especially, if you're an audiophile and listen to MP3's all the time, like me.

If you're like me, you are probably wondering if these little cables are actually worth the money. I was using cheap thin wired connections before, and my receiver would have LOTS of background noise and buzzing, so I thought I'd go ahead and give these things a shot. Afterall, I listen to MP3's all the time on my computer through my high end receiver. I'll tell you what, these things work great, and are worth the extra money. Now keep in mind, I'm an audiophile who is very picky about sounds. So for the casual listener who doesn't mind occasional background hissing or lack of crystal clear sound transfer from your computer to your receiver, you might be able to find a cheaper connection. But once again, I think the extra $$ is well worth it and I HIGHLY recomend these. Your only concern here is an economical one. As far as the product is concerned, these things are top notch. Get the 20 feet if you have to go across the a long wall or room to connect your computer to the receiver, otherwise the 10 ft should suffice.

I mounted four of these speakers in an old truck--two on the floor and two behind the bench seat all hooked up to a cheap, 100 watt amp boosting that old, original factory radio. They sounded great with volume output to spare. I wanted a heavy-duty setup that sounded good and didn't cost very much. They fit the bill nicely. I was going to add a small subwoofer, but that old truck took a dive on me. I have a much newer truck now with a nice-sounding factory stereo system, but I wish I had a place for these speakers still. Maybe I'll get another old truck...

Remarkably good speakers at a great price point.

I have several sets of these speakers, used in various indoor and outdoor applications. In each setting they have performed beyond expectation. Although the bass is not overpowering, it is adaquate. Otherwise, a well balance, versatile speaker.