MP3 Reviews


Related Subjects: Audio
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Buyer reviews for "MP3" sorted by average review score:

Toshiba SD-P2000 Portable DVD Player
Made by Toshiba
  • 8.9-inch widescreen TFT active-matrix display offers sharp, bright image
  • Plays DVD-Video and high-resolution DVD-Audio discs, as well as MP3 CDs, DVD-Rs, and VCDs
  • ColorStream PRO progressive-scan component-video outputs (for use with compatible TVs and monitors)
  • Surface-mounted keypads grant "remote-free" operation of all essential functions
  • 3-hour battery life, picture zoom, and stereo speakers for headphone-free listening
Amazon base price: $
List price: $899.99 (that's NaN% off!)
Buy one from zShops for: $370.00
Average review score:

Great Picture, No Sound
This DVD player has a wonderful picture but without using some kind of head phones, the sound is almost faint. I've heard others and the sound on both Toshiba Portable DVD's (the 8 and 9 inch) is very low and "tinny" even when turned up to the highest volume, you can barely hear it. It's a shame because the picture is beautiful.

Great Picture. Poor Sound
I bought this player for long trips in the car. Player has a great picture and plenty of features. The only drawback is you almost have to use headphones unless you are in an extremely quiet room. Ive noticed other portable dvd players have the same problem so I don't think its that big of a deal. I still think it is well worth the money

Ditto, this is the one to have.
Prior to our purchase of the SD-P2000 I did quite a bit of study on the other units available and decided on the Toshiba for various techno-features, top of the list being the quality of the screen. I could carry on with techno-babble but we'll leave that for others.

Semi-short and to the point, most reviewers see this as being a superior product, I agree. Some express concern about the quality of sound output and that's the main reason for my authoring this additional review.

If one reads the manual bundled with the player it's easy to glance over the sound output options but they're important features to note. There are three different basic sound settings, one standard and two enhanced. For those having trouble hearing, 1) use headphones (the only logical way to limit background noise and 2) use the "Dialog" mode for sound output, you will find this makes all the difference in clarity and output volume in most cases. A few other reviewers have mentioned noise cancelling headphones. I'f you're spending this kind of money on a portable player the additional dollars may put you over the top. If you're willing to go all out, look into the Bose offering, a bit on the spendy side but wow do they work well.

This is a wonderful unit, look no further.
DC


Apple 5 GB iPod (M8697LL/A, July 2002 Version)
Made by Apple Computer
  • MP3 Audio
  • Discontinued by manufacturer, replaced by model #M8976LL/A
  • FireWire interface for fastest digital transfer available
  • Download audiobooks from Audible.com; keep up to date with new calendar/scheduler and built-in clock
  • System requirements: PC with built-in FireWire or Windows-certified FireWire card; Windows Me, Windows 2000, or Windows XP Home or Professional
  • Includes remodeled headphones, Musicmatch Jukebox Plus software and support for optional remote control
Amazon base price: $
Average review score:

If your a yuppie with a wallet deeper than the oceanitsgreat
Apple iPod is a total waist of money. No way is it worth more than 200 dollars. If you want a good mp3 player you can get one for less than 200. The Arthos 10gb studio jukebox holds 2x the standard capacity of the ipod 5 and costs 1/2 as much. Also the firewire is a pain in the behind its just more money you have to throw away. Get another brand that is designed for windows. The only thing i liked about it before i replaced it was the LCD with 6 lines that was hot. But that doesnt add up. Dont buy it save your money for something better.

think twice
I bought my ipod new 1 year and 1 month ago and it has simply stopped working. After days of trying everything in the knowledge base and being blown off by the 'applecare' staff I went to an authorized apple repair service who told me to just forget about it and buy a new one and save the repair expense. He also said to be sure to get a case for it and handle it very carefully because if you happen to drop it or even lay it down on a hard surface with too much gusto, kiss it goodbye. It was swell while it lasted but I can spend a lot less on a disposable product.

Sure beats a clunky portable CD Player
I knew my boyfriend loved me when he got me one of these for my birthday... it sure beats using a mini radio or CD player when I go to the gym because even though it is only 5 gigs, i have over 1200 songs to choose from to help get me pumped up and stay energized during my workout. Of course, the newest models are even flossier, but 40 gigs... that blows my mind! It's like over kill! This model suits me quite well. As my boyfriend, an Apple user for years describes the iPod in one word: "FLOSS."


iRiver iFP-195T 512 MB MP3 Player
Made by iRiver
  • 512 MB built-in memory
  • Supports playback of MP3, WMA, and ASF music files
  • Integrated digital FM tuner with presets and built-in voice recorder
  • Record to player directly from FM tuner
  • Comes with Sennheiser MX300 earphones, custom carrying case, adjustable arm band, neck strap, AA battery, USB cable, and printed manual
Amazon base price: $170.89
List price: $299.99 (that's 43% off!)
Used price: $139.00
Buy one from zShops for: $218.00
Average review score:

4.5 stars, a wonderful mp3 player
Pros: Half a gig of memory, FM tuner, FM and voice recording, small size and light weight. It uses a single AA battery and will run for about twice as long as any hard drive player. I'm getting an estimated 12 hours of real world use per battery. Compared to hard drive based units this can't be beat. Since it uses a single AA, you won't have any down time waiting for the unit to charge. The software that comes with this unit is stable, intuitive to use and works as advertised. I use this mostly for audio books recorded at low but adequate bit rates. Usually 24-48 mbps mp3's. Half a gig will hold about 30 hours of audio books. More than enough to take on vacation. Sound quality is as good as my iPod. The controls are not as intuitive as the iPod or Rio500 but if you spend 20 minutes or so with the manual everything will make sense. Navigating through content is a breeze. It's firmware upgradeable to support other formats and add or change features. Battery life is outstanding. Cons: Pricey. Subjectively cheap materials. Metal endcaps and a lanyard ring would have been a nice touch in a product that costs as much as this. I'd guess they used plastic to keep the weight down but I'd gladly sacrifice a quarter ounce for something that has a more 'quality' feel. If you're close to the end of a long audio book and stop the player, it seems to think you're done. It loses the marker and requires you to search for where you left off. Frustrating. A dedicated bookmarking button would have been nice.

Conclusion: this is probably the first go anywhere mp3 player with enough memory and battery life to be truly useful. Battery life far exceeds any hard drive player and doesn't require an electrical outlet. Simply pop in an AA battery and you're good for at least an honest 10-12 hours. Feature packed and mature in design. Hard drive players like the iPod, Karma and Zen are in a different catagory and shouldn't be compared directly with solid state players. If you need gigabytes of storage you'll have to go with a hard drive player. If you're ok with about four hours of high quality music or ~30 hours of high quality audio books, the iFP-195T is probably the best choice at the moment.

Technology Not There Yet
This is a very nice player. It's the first one that I've owned so I have nothing to compare to. However, I have used flash memory drives. In retrospect, I should have waited until they came out with USB 2.0 and the ability to PnP without having to install custom drivers (Like flash drive, digital camera etc.) Why they haven't adopted these technologies yet is beyond me.
Good: Usability, Sound, Battery life, Capacity.
Bad: USB 1.1. Packaged software did not work. Had to download latest version from vendor web site. Does not come up as PnP logical drive letter like a flash drive.

Excellent MP3 player, but not perfect
I've had this for about 6 months and its still working great. I'm definately happy with my purchase.

Pros:
Very small: not much bigger than the AA battery it houses.
Decent memory: about 4 CDs fit on it at a time
Good sound quality: the headphones that come with it are good and the device puts out good quality base and high end
Power: Uses 1 AA and it lasts a long time
Features: FM, record voice or FM, lots of settings for equalizer and play modes (repeat, shuffle, repeat folder, shuffle all etc), power saving featuers and more...

Cons:
Cant upgrade the memory
No AM radio
Its difficult to put the tracks in order (to mimic an album)

I saw some reviews saying that the parts were low quality, and while it does feel a little flimsy, mine has not broken or shown any signs of problems. I've dropped it plenty of times and it works good as new. Pay $15 for an extended warrenty if you're worried about it.


Fujifilm FinePix 40i 2.4MP Digital Camera /MP3 Player, Silver
Made by Fuji
    Amazon base price: $
    List price: $499.99 (that's NaN% off!)
    Buy one from zShops for: $200.00
    Average review score:

    Small on Size and Features
    It's the perfect size, but the lack of a zoom lense kills it. Also,the indoor photos have a redish tint and the quality of the photos fell far short of the Canon Elph 300. The only zoom on the camera is digital zoom -- just like cropping a photo on your computer.

    The MP3 player software forces you to convert via a special process, but if you can get the music on to the camera then it's a great plus.

    My first digital - this is a camera!
    The instructions...very poorly written. English as taught in Seoul. I immediately bought extra batteries and a speed charger at Radio Shack. Have not regretted it. I've had it about two weeks. I love it. Never was big on cameras but being able to erase bad shots, edit good ones, email, print, take close ups from 6-8 inches. It is fun. Fits in my shirt pocket, sometimes I forget I have it with me. I am tempted to upgrade the memory but I have not reached its capacity yet. The picture quality is excellent. The video capability is a lot of fun too. It seems too tiny to do so much. Everyone who has seen it is impressed with it. I would buy it again.

    missing batterys
    were not included in package received as specified on web site ?


    HP iPAQ 4355 Pocket PC
    Made by Hewlett Packard
    • Slim, sleek, and affordable
    • Dazzling Transflective TFT color with LED backlight display
    • Pocket versions of familiar applications like Outlook, Word, and Excel
    • Removable/rechargeable batterand integrated keyboard
    • Integrated Bluetooth
    Amazon base price: $
    Used price: $399.99
    Buy one from zShops for: $474.99
    Average review score:

    DO NOT BUY THIS PIECE OF JUNK!!!!
    I bought this three days ago and have had nothing but problems. It is going back tomorrow and I will never buy another iPAQ. I had an older model iPAQ (3800 series) that I had gotten used in December. I had started having major problems with it crashing on me about two months ago. I debated over getting a new iPAQ after those problems and the bad reviews on Amazon for HP's in general. I had decided to go with Dell but my husband took me shopping for our anniversary and all we could find was this HP. It was so pretty and cool that I forgot my plans and bought it because I just had to have it NOW! What a mistake.

    The machine itself works great, it was when I started trying to install the software that the problems started. Active Sync would not install properly and ended up crashing the first computer I tried installing it on. (Putting the computer in permanent Safe mode.)I thought at first that it was a problem with my computer so I tried loading it on my other, newer one. Same problems with Active Sync only this time I was getting a message saying that the software was not compatable with Windows XP and might mess up my computer if I continued to try syncing it. This was strange since on the box it says it IS compatable.

    I contacted HP today and yes, their customer service IS as bad as I've heard. They of course denied that it could possibly be a problem with their machine or software - BOTH of my computers must have messed up at the same time, coincidentally when I got the PPC! They were basically no help at all.

    My husband spent 5-6 hours after work getting the first computer fixed, quite a job since he's not a computer expert. He finally got it done and I started over. Well, guess what - I got the software loaded, well only Active Sync - Outlook wouldn't load so I stuck with the version I already have on there. But of course when I tried to sync the computer could not detect the PDA, just like yesterday before my PC crashed. I tried it over and over, even using a cord from my old PDA. Then tried it all on the other computer. NO, it does not work at all and yes, I did get a message AGAIN about incompatible device drivers for XP like I got yesterday. (And the HP support people swore this is impossible.) There is supposed to be a Logo on the product box that says XP compatible, which there is not.

    So I have this very expensive calendar/phone book/calculator/To DO list and that's about it. I can't download e-mails or add programs or anything if I can't connect to my computer. It basically useless. I'm so didgusted I want to throw it as hard as I can. Now I have to drive one hour each way and waste all that gas money and time to return this stupid thing. I have six children - I don't have time for this garbage! I just want to cry and HP could care less. I told them all of this and they just said, "See your vendor." Who's going to repay my husband and me for our wasted time and money dealing with the problems this machine has created???

    I am taking this back. I might get a Dell but honestly I'm so disgusted that I may just forget PDA's entirely and stick with old-fashioned pen and paper. It's not fancy and may not be as easy to carry around but at least it's reliable and if it does get lost or messed up it's not that expensive to replace.

    Pretty Cool
    This is a pretty cool PDA. I got it for my third year of medical school and I haven't been disappointed. It's lightning fast, and the OS seems pretty stable. The only thing I'd do differently is not place as much importance on having a physical keyboard. I initially thought that the keyboard would be a great plus, but I rarely use it. For the times I do use it (typing passwords on web forms when I don't trust my scribbling), I could easily use the pop-up screen keyboard.

    Another issue, which has been raised here before, is its wireless capabilities. The thing only supports the older WEP authentication, and not the newer WPA (which is more secure). I had set up my home network with WPA, but I had to downgrade it to WEP to use the iPAQ. This is annoying, not to mention puzzling. I mean, it's 2004 and they still haven't implemented 802.11g?

    I guess this is partly the fault of the OS, which superficially resembles Windows XP. A problem I've had with the OS is that when you hit the 'x' in the upper right of the window (x=close, one would think), it only minimizes the program (it seems to stay on in memory and you have to shut it down in memory). This is retarded. A minus sign would be a more accurate representation.

    A word about HP support. Their online knowledgebase is almost useless (I was searching to see if the iPAQ had 802.11g support), and no matter what you do, don't use their online chat support. The chat tech support guy I had was completely clueless, took 5 minutes to answer each message I sent, and didn't even bother acknowledging his ignorance. He just sent me a word document and told me to read it. The only thing he was good for was giving me the HP supprt phone number (which was wrong, but they automatically transferred me). Get their phone number (it's supposedly hidden deep somewhere) and call them. The phone tech support guy I talked to (after a long wait) was professional, helpful, polite, and knowledgeable.

    Finally, if anyone else is using this for medical school, note that your friends will probably have Palms. They'll be beaming their cool programs to each other (for free), while you stand idly by with your incompatible iPAQ. On the other hand, our school has moved their records electronic, and they've chosen iPAQs. Take a look at what your colleagues and schools are using before you spend the big bucks.

    I love this thing!!
    I have had my 4355 for approximately a month now, and I am blown away by it's set of features.It literally has everything one could want from a handheld. The built in WiFi effortlessly recognized our home network, I bought a BT GPS receiver on ebay, which gives me wireless GPS navigation, while leaving the SD slot free for my memory cards.
    I, personally love the keyboard. I have never been a fan of handwriting recognition, and I have larger than average hands, so the size is actually perfect for me. While it's a bit longer because of the keyboard (1 inch longer than the 4150), the device itself is very thin. My girlfriend bought the 4150, which aside from the keyboard, and a slightly smaller battery has the same features.
    Battery life is better than average, although like every other device, heavy WiFi use drains it pretty quickly. Simply buying an additional battery for emergencies would suffice for just about anyone's usage.
    The keyboard is a good size, making thumb typing very easy. If it has a drawback, it's that there aren't stand alone number keys, so typing alot of numbers is a bit of a hassle at times. But that's really nitpicking. Overall, I can't really find anything not to like about this handheld. Except the terrible case that HP gives you with it. I'm still waiting for others to hit the stores so I can replace it.


    Aiwa HP-X222 Home Headphones (Closed Type, 38-MM Driver)
    Made by Aiwa
    • Behind-the-head design for comfortable fit
    • Closed headphones keep your sound in and external sound out
    • Straight-line .125-inch plug with included .25 inch adapter
    • Single-sided oxygen-free cord resists tangles with less distortion
    • Headphone mute jack
    Amazon base price: $
    List price: $29.99 (that's NaN% off!)
    Average review score:

    Great headphones.... a little TOO great.
    This refers to the HP-X223 version of the headphones.

    I needed headphones for my PC because I live in a dorm and dont want to bother my roommate with my Digital Audio projects and such. I bought these because of thier impressive 5-25,000 hz frequency response. These headphones are great. They provide a "true to source" reproduction of the sound. That means that all the flaws of MP3s can be heard through these headphones. It also means that these headphones wont boost bass or cut treble, you will have to do that yourself with your source EQ. Not a problem with me.

    What did bother me was the amount of interference I heard from the headphones. My desktop computer is all crammed on my small desk. These headphones are SO GOOD at a wide range of frequencies that it was picking up frequencies within the computer and monitor. I could hear my mouse cursor move across the screen, for example. It was a light fuzzy noise, not a big deal when listening to loud music, but when the audio is off or I was working with editing audio, it became annoying.

    I plugged these headphones to the rear audio jack of my sound card, and the interference was less, but that is where i plug in my speakers and I didnt want to have to change the plugs out every time I wanted to switch between speakers and headphones.

    So the moral of the story is, these headphones are GREAT if you have a high end, high quality sound coming into them from a high quality source with minimal interference.

    Comfort wise, I have a huge head and these headphones were comfortable, they are huge.

    I returned them and will probably get a model with less frequency response and an in-line volume control, which is helpful for computers you dont have to keep changing your system volume every time you want the headphone volume to change.

    Hearken: a splendid investment!
    First let me say that I regularly entrust Aiwa to all my audio needs, so I guess I'm a devoted customer. Still, that fact aside, this is a great purchase, and it certainly fulfills the need for a pair of superb headphones. As someone who can't stand bass, it is [always] nearly impossible to find a pair of closed-cup headphones that doesn't have "enhanced bass," "extra bass," or the like. However, even though this pair claims to provide a "deeper, stronger bass sound," it isn't as bad as the other headphones I've had the immense displeasure of trying, and tweaking one's equalizer can easily compensate for the unwanted bass. Rephrased, I hate bass and bass-heavy music, and I don't understand why headphones have built-in mechanisms to add bass; companies could at least allow you to turn it off at will, but I digress. Nevertheless, these headphones provide good-quality sound (minus the excessive bass), they block out your surroundings, thereby allowing you to be enveloped in your music, and the cord is of an adequate length. Moreover, the price is quite affordable--certainly worth the sound quality that you receive--and the headset is both comfortable, as well as flexible and articulated. These headphones do lack the volume control option I've seen elsewhere, but so what?! Likewise, the 'mute' button must be held down to be employed, but that doesn't bother me because it's a rather useless option.
    In conclusion, I'm not going to claim that this product is perfect, however they are the best closed-cup headphones I've tried (hence the 5 star rating), and I recommend them to all whom are willing to listen (no pun intended)!

    NEW FAVORITE PAIR
    I got these headphone because I had HP-CN5's (aiwa's noise canceling ones), but I managed to snap the headband, so thats [money] down the drain. So I looked around and got the HP-X222's.

    First - The sound is terrific, I havn't heard sound like this out of headphones before.

    Second - I think these are very comfortable, heck I wear them even if i dont have them plugged in, in the 2 day's I've had them I can't even tell their on anymore.

    Third - The sound quality is great like I stated before, it handles high's well, and also lows alot better then I thought they would. Although they can't get DEEP bass, they do not get distorded at hi volumes either. I also have a pair of Sony's that cost [more] and I believe the HP-X222's sound just as good if not better.

    * - Only thing I don't like is the mute button on the left side, I constantly accidently press it while adjusting the headphones.


    RCA RD2201 Lyra 32 MB MP3 Player
    Made by RCA
    • Check the "See more pictures" section for a rebate on additional memory cards and carrying case
    • Upgradable for future or alternative audio-compression formats
    • Create your own MP3 or Real G2 digital music library by converting your existing CD collection
    • Store files on removable CompactFlash memory cards (comes with 32 MB card)
    • Includes headphones, batteries, software, CompactFlash, and CompactFlash Reader/Write
    Amazon base price: $
    List price: $249.99 (that's NaN% off!)
    Average review score:

    Worthless proprietary trash
    I got one of these as a gift along with tha rest of my team at a former job. I can say with certainty that I'm glad I did not [PAY] for this piece of junk. Every so often I figure I'll dig it out and see if I can make some use of it again, and soon find out just how much of a waste of time that is.

    These days it's evem worse that it had been when it was new. Sure, you can [IN THEORY] upgrade the firmware, but that's only if you have [precisely] the sort of system configuration the developers thought you were allowed to have. Since this is from Thompson/RCA, who own the Frauenhoffer patent the MP3 format uses for encoding, and therefore have a vested interest in proprietary formats, they will likely [never] support the competing OGG Vorbis format. Tough luck if that's what you've been encoding all your vinyl recordings in.

    Also, since it's so anal about how you upload your music to it, it seems you can't even use a newer card without some weird formatting utility for ity. (...)

    unbelievable sound
    this things sound is awesome it has by far the widest range of volume. i own this item but before i bought it i researched mp3 players and trust me the diomomd rio is not the way to go. if you want a lot of sound, a lot of rock, and a lot of boom, for your buck lyra is the way to go. i bought a 96 mb memory card and i am using it for this item it stores tons of songs off napster, cds, or anything. and about batteries... trust me it lasts plenty long. just pop in a couple duracel ultras and this bad boy will run for 10 hours or more nonstop. so what i am saying is i strongly earge you to buy this if you are in the market for a mp3 player.one more thing... comparing this to the rio as far as sound is concerned is like comparing a tape player to a dvd player.

    Amazing highly flexible and expandable MP3 player
    I received this MP3 player with 32MB of memory from my sister as a gift around a year ago and for the first six months never used it since I had a MiniDisc player, a portable CD player, and a high speed CD burner.

    The initial reluctancy to use it was the low amount of memory. However, with the significant drop in compactflash card prices, I bought a 128MB card for under $100USD and another 64MB card for around $40USD recently. With this expanded memory, the Lyra is awesome. It's sound is almost CD quality, and I now use Microsoft MediaPlayer software to play and to download songs. Very fast and high compatible. I agree with some of the other reviews as to this player eats up batteries.

    Using Duracell Ultra's seems the best, I find that I can use the device longer with them. With a 128MB card, I can fit over 20 songs in the highest quality format. Also, what I found out that if you were willing to sacrific sound quality, you can opt for lower data quality files (96K) to have more songs on the same size memory card. However, I do not recommend this.

    Now that there are 512MB+ cards available on the market, this MP3 is the best. It has great sound quality, the volume is very loud, uses upgradable reasonably price compactflash memory, has quick download speeds unlike MD's, uses regard AA batteries, is relatively small compared to a CD player, does not skip like CD's, and runs upgradable software right from the compactflash card.

    The only drawbacks are that it could a a bit smaller, the light shuts off two quick, and it could us less power.

    Nonetheless, all in all an amazing MP3 player even after a year.

    HT


    Creative Labs Nomad II C 32 Meg ClamShell
    Made by Creative Labs
    • MP3 Audio
    • 32 MB of built-in flash memory
    • Plays both MP3 and WMA files; upgradable to future formats
    • USB interface for fast digital transfer; compatible with Windows and Mac
    • Expandable using SmartMedia memory cards
    • Comes with one AA battery and USB cable; does not include docking station, carrying pouch, wired remote control, or headphones
    Amazon base price: $
    List price: $149.99 (that's NaN% off!)
    Average review score:

    Nice MP3 player
    I got a 0MB refurb from Creative when they were clearing them out. I recommend the standard II (non C) model with a 128MB SM card and a docking station. While 128MB is good you'll tire of the music quickly and, at that point, you can listen to the radio (C has no FM tuner.) The docking station makes charging the batteries and dumping new music easy. Changing MP3's is enough of a hassle that you won't want to do it all that much. I really like the wired remote and headphones supplied, throw the player in your pocket and you have complete control with the mini remote in your hand. Some complain of lack of volume, but you REALLY shouldn't listen that loud anyways (loud headphones are very bad for your hearing!) My unit does very occasionally lock up and I don't know if this is a result of the beta firmware(required if you want it to recognize 128MB.) Overall this is a good value for a compact, skip-proof MP3 player (ideal for phyiscal exercise.) I only with it came from a better company.

    A great little player
    I bought the Nomad II C from Amazon at Christmas and got a great deal on it, and I only paid $.... The 32MB built-in memory isn't really enough, so I recommend that you add at least another 64MB of memory (Amazon has some great deals on SmartMedia cards too). The sounds quality is brilliant but some don't come with headphones, and the ones that come free aren't that good, so I suggest you get a new set of those too. Only other complaints are that you need to take the battery out to the remove the SmartMedia card (if you need to, say, clean it), and that the instructions on how to use the voice recorder are minimal, if not non-existant. I still haven't figured it.

    The best things include the quality of the sound, immense battery life, compact size, easy navigation of the menu and the fact that the headphone jack is tight enough to hold onto the MP3 player if you drop it - almost like a safety cord.

    I won't lie - this thing isn't stratchproof, and the lack of a leather case is a bit galling, but the silver finish is great and really makes this MP3 player one of the best going for this kind of price.

    Oldie but a Goodie
    I had bought my Nomad II (32MB onboard) sometime in 2001 for $69. I cannot beleive that I got it for that price and still it stays at that price two years later. It has great sound and with a 128MB card you have plenty of music to last you. It is a great piece and everytime I look to get a new one or a better one, I can't find anything that is much better for the price. I am keeping my mine until the price of MP3s drop drastically.


    Creative Labs 20 GB Nomad Jukebox
    Made by Creative Labs
    • MP3 Audio
    • Hold up to 340 hours of digital music
    • Available line-in jack for recording anywhere with an add-on microphone
    • Manually adjust the amount of bass, treble, and mid ranges with onboard Digital Signal Processing
    • Large 132 x 64 pixel backlit LCD display
    • USB connection to your computer for quick transfer of digital music
    Amazon base price: $
    Average review score:

    Disappointment
    For me, it's all about the sound quality. I have an MP3 CD player, and am very happy with it, but I wanted to try something with a little more storage. And don't get me wrong, this is a great piece of equipment in every regard but one: sound quality. I was shocked at how bad it was. It has almost no bass, and when you turn it up it immediately distorts badly. Over half of the EQ presets were unuseable due to high distortion, crackling, and so on. Turning up the volume past about three-fourths produced distortion on almost every EQ setting. I returned it to the store and went back to my excellent sounding MP3 CD player within a week.

    I'm Happy With It...
    When I was thinking about purchasing the 20 GB jukebox back in December, i was deciding between it and the I-Pod. Overall, I am pleased that I chose the Nomad because I would have used the full capacity of the more expensive I-Pod 5 GB hard drive already but on the Jukebox I still have a lot more room.

    There have been a few annoying things about the Jukebox:
    1) It doesnt put your songs in alphabetical order
    2) Occasionally there are some buggy issues with it where it will shut itself down after I transfer songs to it from the computer. Also, of my 850 songs, it refuses to play one of them even though its in MP3 format
    3) it turns on too easily
    4)The battery gauge is completely inacurate (even tho the battery kife is pretty potent at about 4 hours per set of batteries)

    In conclusion, the few flaws do not mar the great looks and monstrous storage space of the Nomad Jukebox 20 GB... its a great value and it is of good quality.

    very useful
    the nomad jukebox is not perfect. the main flaw's i've seen have been 1. crazy battery gauge. it goes to almost empty as soon as i turn on the device. however the EAX menu tells you the exact percent of battery you have left, which is accurate
    2 it has frozen once or twice, but that only happens if i push too many buttons while it is switching songs
    3 unpredictable battery use. i have managed to suck 5 or more hours out of the batteries, but dont count on it. expect 4, cause thats what you'll get. for your information, turning the device on uses 20-30% of the battery sometimes. if you can, leave it on when its on.
    however these dissadvantages are minor compared to the advantages. my computer cannot handle more than 150 songs. but by storing music on my mp3 player, i can still have realtivly quick access to all my music. i dont have to carry around cds, and it is create to have such a flexible playlist. i usually put all my favorite and play them in random. i'll admit my nomad has some scratchs, but it still works great. the backlit screen is easy to see in pitch black, and the most important feature is the size i dont think i'll every come close to filling it.


    Philips EXP401 Pocket eXpanium CD-MP3 Player with 100 Second Anti-Skip
    Made by Philips
    • Enjoy more than 3 hours of music from one 8-centimeter MP3-encoded CD
    • Supports MP3 and AAC formats, audio CD, CD-R, and CD-RW
    • 100-second electronic skip protection (above average)
    • 3-hour playback with 1 AA alkaline battery
    • UDF support (record data files using drag-and-drop); earbud headphones and AC adapter included
    Amazon base price: $
    List price: $149.99 (that's NaN% off!)
    Used price: $50.00
    Buy one from zShops for: $114.99
    Average review score:

    Great Idea - Needs work.
    Bought this for my wife to use at work; was impressed by the resume ability and 2-minute ESD. The resume ability was for her to listen to long audiobooks; as the resume ability does not work (see review by "An electronics fan"), that idea is down the drain. Secondly, also mentioned in "An electronics fan"'s review, the machine turns off if you take a particularly hard step while walking with it in your hand. Pitiful. Will be giving this away and buying a better one.

    Overall great product, but some things to consider...
    This is an overall great product. I have no qualms about its sound quality and features. And a 50 cent Pocket CD, which holds (for me) about 3-4 standard CDs in MP3 format, is a lot cheaper than more memory for other MP3 players, so throwing 10 Pocket CDs (equals about 30-40 regular CDs!) into my briefcase is very livable.

    HOWEVER... This unit absolutely DESTROYS batteries. It uses one battery per day EASILY, and more if you listen to music all day. So having to plug into the wall with the AC adapter (included, thankfully) removes some of it's portablity, which is presumably one of the reasons one would want a unit like this. That's one strike.

    Also, it's a bit thicker than I would have suspected from the online advertising. It's almost an inch thick (about 3/4"), which again, for a "portable" unit, is a bit less than desirable. And one other minor irritation: the DBB (bass boost/enhance) doesn't stay "on" between uses. You have to explicitly turn it on each time you start the player. This could be a power saving feature (as with the ESP skip protection), but it's a minor irritant since I always want it on.

    Otherwise, this is a great product by Philips and would easily warrant a 4-4.5 star rating outside of its carnivorous battery usage, its thickness, and the DBB issue. The sound and other features on the unit are more than satisfactory.

    Small, Allows MP3 CDRWs, AAC-compatible
    I've been waiting for a good MP3-CD player for a while now, and after having tested the Philips EXP4011 ($...) against the Compaq IPaq PM-1 ($...), I like the Philips much better:

    1) You can't complain about the compact size. The Philips is just the perfect size to fit in a Lowe digital camera bag (LPD10, $12.99).

    2) I don't mind the 3-hour battery life (1 AA battery), because I always carry 3 extra batteries in the camera case anyway. (The IPaq has better battery life, but using 2 AAA batteries.) You can boost the battery life to 5-6 hours by turning off ESP. If you're using the Philips for a 45-minute subway commute or for a marathon 5-hour library studying session, you don't need ESP anyway.

    3) I don't mind having to purchase 8cm media, because the Philips supports UDF -- and you can playback CDRWs created using DirectCD. A five-pack of 8cm CDRW sold for $..., and these are good for hundreds of erase-and-rewrites.

    4) The Philips also supports AAC. Using PsyTel 1.5, you need to encode WAV-to-AAC using the -lc and -adif command line options; the downside is that you cannot seek within the song when playing the AACs using WinAmp (e.g., with the out_aac.dll plugin). 64K-encoded AAC files sound just as good as 128K-encoded MP3 files. Since the AAC files take up half the filespace, you can fit twice as much AAC-encoded music on your CDRs or CDRWs.

    5) ...


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