Product Description

The ultimate gym or running companion, the Rio Forge Sport combines rugged design and practical flash-based technology. With 256MB of memory, you can store up to 8 hours of music, or up to 120 songs and a 24-hour battery life ensures a non-stop work out. The Rio Forge features grippy, protective rubber and a shiny stainless steel faceplate; simple menus and intuitive controls; stopwatch; lap timer; USB 2.0; FM tuner and FM record; USB port; CD-ROM drive; 5-band adjustable equalizer with presets; 64MB RAM; 35MB available hard drive space; upgradeable memory up to 1GB and compatibility with Windows and Mac platforms. Includes comfortable sport clip earphones, carrying case with armband, installation disk and Quick Start guide. Available storage capacity may vary. Made in USA. ... Read more

Features

• Stainless Steel Face
• 256 MB
• Stopwatch
• 8 hours of Music
• Upgrade up to 1 GB

Reviews (41)

Do not buy this product
This is my second Rio Player and both have been useless within a year of very mild use.When a Rio player breaks outside of the 90-day warrentee period, there is no support and no replacement.

DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT.

Not bad
I bought this player as refurbished for 80.00 with a 20.00 rebate and after reading the reviews I hedged my bet and bought the extended warranty.All I really wanted was a MP3 player to take with me while I was running and so far so good.I updated the player as soon as I recieved it on the recommendation of other reviews, FM radio reception is good enough for my uses (running and working in the yard) and the player has worked just fine, I have even dropped it and crashed it into the door once (accident) still no problems...stays on no random shutting off...if I start having problems I'll update my review but for 60.00 so far can't beat it!

Very unhappy....
I've had my Rio Forge 256 for 7 months.I only use it about 2-3 times a week no longer than one hour each use.Over the last couple months, I've been experiencing problems with my unit.More recently, it turns off for no reason.It sounds like a lot of people are experiencing problems with this unit.If you go to the Rio website, they have a Q&A of issues, I've experienced most of them.I'm still working with Rio to figure out a way to fix the problems I've been experiencing.This unit is made for active use and it doesn't seem like it's holding up very well.I'd recommend looking into a different brand if you're shopping for an MP3 player.

Three out of three ain't good..
I bought a 512 rio forge for my wife in December.It was great, and I bought a 256 for myself in January and another for my son in February.Then the problems started.

I am not sure what problems my son had, but I know he sent his back for warranty work once and then got the seller to take it back and let him buy another brand.

Then my wife's 512 stopped working -- It would only turn on momentarily.Customer support told her to send it back, which she did.

Three days ago, mine stopped working.It will not turn on at all.While I was talking to the customer support two days ago, I asked about my wife's.The tech said it was on the way back, but then realized they were returning a 256 instead of the 512 she sent in.

But not to worry.Since my 256 had to be sent back, I should keep the 256 they were sending, and they would return a 512 to me.And to make up for my trouble, they would e-mail me something I could use at UPS to send it back at their expense.

The e-mail never came.When I called back this morning, I was told it was going out today.If so, it did not arrive.I left a message with the woman I was dealing with this afternoon -- she was talking to someone else -- and told her I wanted to get the the thing repaired as quickly as possible, was willing to pay the mailing costs, and asked her to call back and tell me who to send the machine to.She didn't.And no e-mail arrived.

The 256 they exchanged for my wife's 512 arrived today.It does not work.She cannot turn it on.

In sum:three buys, three duds; a 100 % failure rate and very poor customer service.

Broken in 4 months
I bought the Rio Forge 256 Sport as a Christmas present for my 13-year-old daughter. I liked the fact that it used flash memory with no moving parts to break. It is also expandable with an SD card, but I never tried it. I paid $135 from Amazon at the time.

She used it happily for four months. It only "crashed" once with a weird memory error that wasn't obvious to reformat, but I figured it out somehow.

Last night she told me it was broken; the VOLUME DOWN button wouldn't work. UP worked fine, but she couldn't turn the volume DOWN. I knew the unit was out of the 90-day warranty so I opened it. I found the volume-down switch separating from the circuit board. Rio wants $99 to replace it, so I'm going to try my best to fix it. Either way, I'll never buy another Rio product.

I gave the unit one star since the cost of ownership in my experience is about $30/month. ... Read more

Product Description

Available storage capacity may vary. ... Read more

Features

• Personalize your music with this value-priced RCA Lyra player
• Plays back MP3 and WMA files
• With the 256 MB memory, you can enjoy up to 8 hours of WMA music
• A single AAA battery delivers up to 20 hours of play

Reviews (15)

Wonderful device !!!!
This MP3 player is a very god choice if you just want a simple, light and small device. Downloading is very easy and the software included with the package, Musical JukeBox, is really great to manage your files. You can transfer your favorites CDs in MP3 format on your personnal computer within minutes.

Headphones are not incredibly confortable, but OK. The sound quality is great compared to other players. If your files are from high quality recording, power isn't an issue. I haven't used the FM receiver that much, but you need to be quite close to a good reception to enjoy this feature. When you can, you can record good songs from the air.

Basic sound options are available, but equalizers are well balanced by default. Managing files with the player's intern software is very simple. It is easy to find a song you are looking for within hundreds of files.

Finally, if you are looking for additional memory, buy a low priced SD card. I got a 1 Go card for about 65 $. Extern memory is much less expensive than default intern memory, so it's better to buy seperate cards than having a 512 Mo player for a much higher price.

NOT USB 2.0 Compatible
This player is advertised as USB 2.0 and it is NOT USB 2.0. The transfer rates are very slow, they act like USB 1.1. Other than the poor transfer rates this is a good player. Tech support personel for RCA / Thompson are dumb as rocks. They tried to tell me the audio bitrate of an mp3 affects the transfer rate from computer to the portable device. They also said that MusicMatch made the trasnfers faster which is not true as well, as the device is made for drag and drop functionality. If you want USB 2.0 DO NOT buy this player. Also check out the circuit city website link here about the same issuses other people are having 4th one down on this page http://www.circuitcity.com/rpsm/oid/93719/pageno/2/helpfulAction/1/helpfulOid/99664276/sortby/1/order/D/originURLEncoded/http%253A%252F%252Fwww.circuitcity.com%252Frpsm%252FcatOid%252F-12952%252FN%252F20012898%2B20012952%2B40001382%252Flink%252Fref%252Frpem%252Fccd%252Fcategorylist.do/rpem/ccd/productDetailReview.do#tabs

4th one down on this page as well http://www.circuitcity.com/rpsm/oid/93719/originURLEncoded/http%253A%252F%252Fwww.circuitcity.com%252Frpsm%252FcatOid%252F-12952%252FN%252F20012898%2B20012952%2B40001382%252Flink%252Fref%252Frpem%252Fccd%252Fcategorylist.do/pageno/5/order/D/sortby/1/order/D/rpem/ccd/productDetailReview.do#tabs

Couldn't ask for a better 1st MP3 player.
I did a little research on MP3 players and found this to be the best choice for the price.I love the fact that it is near-infinitely upgradeable through the SD memory card expansion slot.Not only does this allow me to fit insane amounts of songs on it, I can also use smaller memory cards to load music for which ever mood I am in without having to erase everything and start all over.Just switch memory cards and I am set to work out, snowboard, chill out, or get crazy within seconds instead of a half hour or so.I was also hyped to find out that this player can load my music into seperate folders based on nearly anything, artst, album, mood, tempo, are just a few. The Musicmatch juke box program that came with the player was a little tricky to use, and I am dissappointed that I am as of yet I am unable to transfer music from Real One player to Music Match.I understood in the manual that I can take other music files and transfer them to MP3 Pro format with Music Match.Perhaps I just need more time to figure it out or I just misunderstood the manual.
I had read the reviews and some people think the controls are a little clunky, but I find them to be extremely easy to use.The only thing I would have liked to see is a waterproof model and maybe a slightly slimmer design.In regards to battery life I have used mine for at least 50 hours and am still registering all three bars on the display for the AA that came with it.
I would highly recommend this player to anybody.

Thought it was great until...
it would no longer turn on.The customer service is atrocious at best, bordering on non-existent.When my player would no longer turn on, I followed the instructions and sent it back to the service center with a note describing the problem.Well, they have had the unit since Jan. 18 and still no sign of it.After being given misleading information over several calls, I was finally told that I would have to wait until Mar 14 before they will negotiate a 'buy back' price with me.Adding insult to injury, they make the customer responsible for keeping track of the progress of the repair (no callbacks or e-mail notifications available).I hope you all can benefit from my painful experience.Do not buy anything from RCA/Lyra; it is not worth the risk.

Great low cost player with expandable memory & FM recording
I waited a couple of months to write this review just in case there were any surprises. So far, so good. This is a great player if you want a reasonably priced player for exercising or moving around a lot. It's also good for people who use WMA files (from Windows Media Player), want expandable memory for more songs, and want to listen to and record FM radio.

I would definitely buy the Lyra again, although I'd get the 512MB or 1GB internal memory instead of 256MB. I use the internal memory for background music that I always want to have available and the external memory (SD card) for the music that I change a lot. With WMA files at 128 Kbps (average quality), I get about 45MB per album (or about 5-6 albums on the 256MB of internal memory). FYI, when you record radio, that also goes on the internal memory. I bought a 1GB card that stays in the player at all times with more music and for trips I carry an additional 512MB card for more song selection. Keep in mind that even with frequent sales on SD cards I doubled the price of the player by buing the extra memory.

WHY I CHOSE THE LYRA:
* Flash-based memory seemed more stable for use while in motion.
* Plays WMA files (which are smaller than MP3 and don't require conversion after ripping in Windows Media Player).
* Has ability to take SD/MMC card up to 1GB for memory expansion (some other players only accepted smaller cards).
* Receives and records FM radio.
* Doesn't require special software to get files onto the player.
* Uses standard AA battery (so I can use my rechargeable and not keep up with special chargers for the player).
* Good price (...).

POSITIVE DISCOVERIES SINCE MY PURCHASE
* Headphones loop over the ear and don't come off accidentally. They sound decent. They irritate my ears after a couple of hours, so I sometimes switch out with my ear buds.
* With a rechargeable NIMH battery, the single AA battery lasts for a long time.
* When you plug in the player to your computer, explorer shows both the internal and external memory in a way that makes it easy to drag and drop music onto the player. You can also copy music onto the player from Windows Media Player if that's already where you're managing your music (or any other music software, for that matter). You can also use a card reader to copy files to the SD card without the player being involved.
* Before I bought the Lyra, I was a little concerned about other reviews mentioning the profile feature. This isn't a big deal at all. It's just a scan of the disk to build a list of available songs and ID3 metadata
* The display is small, but you can see a lot of data for a small player. Back lighting works well for night usage.
* Radio reception is better than I expected. Portable players are never perfect for radio, but I can hear (and record) what I wanted.

NEGATIVE DISCOVERIES SINCE MY PURCHASE (NOTHING TERRIBLE HERE):
* Carry case is pretty lame if you're fidgeting with the player a lot to pause and change songs. It doesn't account for the SD/MMC card and doesn't protect it well. It fits slightly askew with the headphone cord in the player. But if you're running/exercising, the case and arm strap will work fine.
* Battery cover is very light plastic and feels like it will break when I take it off. I dropped the Lyra on my desk today and the cover flew off, but fortunately didn't break.
* Headphone jack is at an angle which seems like it will put added stress on the connector over time because it gets bent so easily. No problems in the short-term usage.
* Navigating to another song with the controls isn't intuitive, but you can learn how. The player does maintain folder structure, so if you organize well before putting the music on the player it benefits you in the end.

WHAT I'D LIKE TO SEE IN THE NEXT GENERATION OF LYRA PLAYERS:
* Built in (at least to case) mini USB connection (like 1" cable) that I can carry around with the player.
* Better case that allows access to buttons, protects the external card better, and does not cover any of the display. Also, case should have space for 2 extra SD cards and possibly a spare battery.
* Memory of what song was paused or playing when the player is powered off (auto resume). I saw that another reviewer said his remembered the song but mine does not.
* Way to go back up to the folder containing the song currently playing without having to stop the song playing.
* Timer recording for radio (currently have to manually press record to start and stop recording).
... Read more

Product Description

This bright ocean blue and ultra-slim iAUDIO U2 512MB MP3 player includes an FM radio and is palm and pocket portable. iAudio is a cNet Award Winner for their new industry first, MP3 file filtering and sound enhancement technology and their proprietary MP3 chipset is now redefining MP3 sound and taking the MP3 audio experience to the next level. The player has up to 20 hours of continuous playback, an FM stereo radio and voice recorder with microphone. The player also includes a wide graphic LCD with an indigo-blue backlight that displays lyrics. Also has high-speed USB 2.0 downloading at 20Mbps and uploading at 25Mbps; an easy-to-use 5-direction navigation jog button; an AC adapter and high-quality Cresyn earphones and fashion carrying case and necklace. Supports MP3, WMA, ASF and WAV formats, plus is Mac and Linux OS compatible. Available storage capacity may vary. Imported. 7/10Hx1Wx2-9/10L". ... Read more

Features

• Wide graphics LCD with lyrics display
• Supports MP3, OGG, WMA, ASF, WAV and OGG
• High speed USB 2.0
• Lithium rechargeable battery w/20 hours of playback
• Voice recorder with FM radio

Reviews (5)

Good flash MP3 player, especially for jogging
I've had this little player for about two months now.I am very satisfied with it.I use it primarily to listen to audiobooks while jogging:

Pros:
* Light and small
* No moving parts, reasonably durable
* Charges through USB, no batteries to worry about
* Good audio quality, with non-stock headphones.Have not tried the headphones that it comes with
* Carrying case that comes with it protects reasonably well from sweat when jogging, although there are openings for buttons
* Doubles as USB drive
* Wealth of settings that can be configured to your preference: equalizer, base enhance, recording volume, how songs are sorted and how titles are displayed, the speed of fast forward/rewind, etc. (see PDF manual on manufacturer's website for complete list)
* Can bookmark specific location in a song
* When powered up, it starts playing at the same location where it stopped when was powered off.Handy for long audiobooks

Cons:
* Froze up once while I was transferring an audio file.Once I reloaded the firmware it started working again.This may be due to the fact that I use Windows 98, which is a piece of junk.
* Some secondary text on display is pretty tiny.May be too small for older people
* No armband.However, the case has a place where external armband can be attached

Simply wonderful!
I received this as a gift for Christmas and so far, so good!The sound quality is excellent, the controls are easy to learn and easy to use.I didn't even use the manual to try figure out how to use it.It's very stylish and I like that you can charge it via USB (with a cable or USB connector provided) or the AC adapter that also came with it.The LCD screen was also easy to read and transferring songs was simple - just plug it to the pc, select the songs you want, and copy it right over to the mp3 drive.The only negative thing I'd say, which is probably true for many portable audio is, the included ear phones were ok.They also didn't fit in my ear well but maybe b/c my ear canal is small.Also, the necklace that it came with can get easily tangled, so a clip would have been nice!!!

best flash-based player!
This is a tiny player with decent sound and a great interface.The best feature is that you do not need any software on your computer - just drag and drop files to the player as it shows up as a drive.

Great sound and size!


I have now used my U2 player for 1 month and I have to say I am just getting happier and happier every day!

Pros
+ Sound!!!
+ Size
+ Voice Rec
+ Radio
+ USB drive

Cons
- Earphone
- Price

Even better with the firmware 1.10 upgrade
I've been playing around with my new iAudio U2 512 MB for about 5 days now.For someone who doesn't want or need to carry every song in their library, this little device is incredible.I am a commuter in Los Angeles (yes, they do exist) and radio + MP3 is great for variety.I haven't even begun to test/use all the capability, but here are my initial opinions.

Firstly, there is a firmware 1.10 upgrade available on iAudio's Korean site (parent company, Cowon, is Korean).The English site doesn't have any available yet, although I hear there might be shortly.For those of you, like me, who don't read Korean, the link is:
http://ihome.iaudio.com/iaudio_board/zeroboard/zboard.php?id=C08&category=&no=149&bmenu=C&category=70.Scroll down almost to the bottom of the page where the last screen shots ("Bookmarks") are located.Just under them is a link to download the upgrade, which you have to unzip.It will automatically install, and then you have to launch the Firmware Download which will be in the Cowon program shortcut on the start bar.This firmware upgrade installs several functions onto the unit, chief of which is the clock and auto-wake/record function.The upgrade process and the firmware are in English.

Now, for some more specifics...

General controls are very simple.The joystick is effective and intuitive, which is good, because the .pdf manual is pretty skimpy, and doesn't cover the firmware upgrade.

The MP3 player supports .WMA in addition to MP3 and other formats that I haven't tried.I understand it won't support the encrypted .WMA that you can buy off the 'net, but that future firmware upgrades may include this ability.Play back is easy and has all the modes like random and repeat that you'd expect.You can either use the included JetShell software to transfer music files to the device rapidly via the included USB 2.0 cable, or you can sync with Windows Media Player 10, the latest upgrade.If you do sync with WMP10, make sure to choose the "Create Subfolders" option if you want your music files organized.Lastly, you can treat it like a USB flash drive and transfer files directly using Windows Explorer.

The radio has decent, but not great reception.When the signal is strong, the sound is great. The antenna is the earphone wire so perhaps a set with a longer wire would help.It's not bad enough to make me want to return, but you might have trouble getting a clear signal if your tastes run beyond ClearChannel, say to NPR for example. You can easily preset stations and then either move through the FM range in 0.1 MHz increments or by jumping to presets.You can record while listening, or set it to awake and record (with the firmware upgrade).

I haven't used the voice recorder other than to remind myself to do something later, but you can hear some sample lectures at http://eng.iaudio.com/ in the Downloads Voice Files (SC4) section.

The headphones are adequate.I'm not a super-discriminatory audiophile.Bass is a little weak, but hard to avoid with earbuds.They fit okay in my ears, but I've read others who've thought they are too big and fall out easily.Should not be a deal breaker.

The amazing thing is the size.It really is about the size of a pack of gum - easily fits into a pocket.It comes with a case which allows all for all functions, including attaching the USB cable to the bottom (no case opening like earlier models.)I've dropped it while in the case and no harm done.

Be aware that the standard box contents will only allow you to charge the player through the USB connection.If you want an AC adaptor, it's extra.I didn't get it, and don't anticipate needing it.Rechargable batteries are great, but I can't tell you how long these last, because I haven't used them more than about 3 hours without hooking it up to the USB to adjust content.Manual claims 20 hours - I've seen 17 reported.

Overall, I think that this is great value if, for example, you commute like me and want the variety of recorded and FM music, with the extra ability to voice/radio/line-in record.No moving parts to damage if dropped, either.256 MB seems too small to me.You'd really have to be willing to change the contents frequently, and you don't have much breathing room for things like FM recording.Now, don't lose it! ... Read more

Product Description

Though designed specifically for athletes and active people, these wearable, splash proof digital audio players make no sacrifice to audio quality.Featuring three hours of skip free audio, they can be worn securely on the arm or around the waist, pushing crisp digital stereo through sport headphones designed to sound great while staying put.Add no-look buttons, smart wire management, ten hour battery life and you've got a portable audio system that stays with you from your morning commute, to the treadmill at the gym, or running outside in any weather. ... Read more

Features

• Approx. 10 hours of battery life per charge
• Backlit Digital LCD Display
• 128MB of built-in memory
• Plays MP3 & WMA (Windows Media Audio) formatted content
• Flash upgradeable for future formats

Reviews (1)

A great MP3 Player!
I've been waiting a long time for an MP3 player and after spending a lifetime looking at the many there are, I finally chose this one. I chose it because I liked the shape of it. It's easy and comfortable to hold. The only reason it got 4 stars and not five is because:
1)The headphones it comes with you shouldn't even try to use them. But then again, I was already planning on using my other ones.
2)You can't upgrade it. The memory that it comes with is it, there is no place to put a memory card in.
Other then that, it is wonderful. The carring case looks good and has no problems that I know of but I have never used them, I just put it in my pocket. I used to have a regular CD Player before this and it was so big and bulky I couldn't carry it around. Now I can have music anywhere I want because it is so compact. I use MP3 files and can hold between 20-25 songs. It all depends the size of the songs. You can also use WMA files but I don't know how to use that. The sound quality is great! With a large download into the MP3 Player, the battery life will soon diminish. But it does come with a battery charger. Although I was very dump and put a non chargeable battery in it and it spilled battery acid everywhere the first day I got it. The battery it comes with is rechargebale. It is a great MP3 Player and should serve most people's needs. ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description

Grin and wear it. The Philips 2GB Micro Jukebox packs an entire music library into an ultra-lightweight unit you can tote in your pocket or wear using the included fashion neck strap. Cruise through your day with 500 MP3 or 1,000 WMA files at your fingertips, plus a built-in FM tuner. USB 2.0 compatibility lets you carry other data too. Managing and playing music files is a breeze with Music Manager software, in-line remote, SuperPlay, SuperScroll, ID3 tag support and a backlit 5-line LCD display. Digital bass boost plus a customizable 5-band equalizer with 4 presets ensures great sound quality too. All this comes in a light but durable magnesium body that you can dress up with colorful groovy stickers. Jukebox comes with CD-ROM with software and manual, high-quality in-ear headphones and a multi-voltage adapter/charger. Available storage capacity may vary. Made in USA. 3-1/3Hx3/4Wx2-3/4L”. ... Read more

Features

• Hold up to 500 MP3 or 1000 WMA
• 2.0 gig memory
• In-line remote
• USB 2.0 connect
• Music Manager

Reviews (13)

Too many problems
After having this MP3 player for over 4 months, I have become thoroughly frustrated with it.Problems I have had:
-When transferring using MusicMatch (supplied software), it hangs and never recovers, have to restart and try to figure out which songs it transferred.
-Has frozen when disconnecting from computer, stayed on but frozen until the battery went dead, there is no physical switch to turn it off.
-USB 2.0 doesn't work, I just bought a USB 2.0 card to get it to transfer faster (its very slow), but it still transferred at USB 1.1 speeds.
-Support web site isn't very helpful.

Interface is simple but could use some more options.The navigation buttons aren't very intuitive (you press the Down arrow to go to the next song, not the Right arrow).

The only good thing I've found is that it works well as a way to transfer files from one computer to another, although like I said I can't get it to go at USB 2.0 speeds, only at the 1.1 speeds.

In general I've been very disappointed with the unreliability of it and the time it takes to transfer music.It was given to me as a gift but I'm thinking of getting a different MP3 player.

Problems!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I bought this product on Feb. 28 first they gave me a corrupt disc that wouldnt load on my computer, so i had to download the online version of the installation cd which took about 4 drooling hours. IT doesnt have good battery life at all in the morning its full at night its low. And the bad news is i set it down and tried to turn it on and it would not power on. SO now i think this is broken. And i will never spend 170.00 on this piece of crap again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Suggestions:

Get an Ipod

or something else its worth your money

very good little mp3 player
I bought this product off of eby for 130 but it was brand new. This easily stores all of my music and it is very small. i have only used about half of the space so far of about 2 months of owning it.
the software i found was very easy to use but sometimes the software will make the computer freeze. my only complaint is that it has tripled 2 artist so it lists them 3 times but when you open them there is nothing in it. just makes it look unorganized i guess but i dont like it. the sound qaulity is great and it has perfect amount of storage for me wich is going to the gym and like 2 to 10 hr car rides or when ifeel like listening to music. im listening to it right now in fact. unfornuatley, i broke the supplied head phones (completly my fualt) and i am dissapointed now becuase i though they were a very good and high out put set of headphones. i had some non-erbud style ones around and they arent even as loud as the stock ones but all in all a great little player

Stores all my favorite music
My experiences with this device have been mostly positive.The design, interface and sound quality are very nice. 2 GB is more than enough for me to store all my favorite albums and carry them with me wherever, whenever.

I did have some difficulty learning how to use the included software but I recently learned that this device is directly compatible with the Windows Media Player 10 that I use a lot - now it is really easy to download files!

I was really amazed when I read Orange Girl's review. "I could only get it to hold 25 songs equaling 106MB of space"... "Typically the device will begin to freeze or malfunction in other ways once you get to 50 songs or so". Well, so far I've downloaded 700 MB of music on it, i. e. 24 whole CD's/244 songs, and my HDD070 works without problems and I don't think it has frozen more than a couple of times. Claiming that it typically can store only 25-50 songs simply isn't true. No manufacturer would sell such a flawed product.

Not for the price tag...
I purchased this device two days ago from a local retailer, and let's just say I'm headed to take it back today.

The pros are that it's a neat little device in terms of size, weight, and ease of using the buttons.

The problem is that (keep in mind I'm not the most tech-savvy person) I could only get it to hold 25 songs equaling 106MB of space.So much for the advertised 2.0 GB.I called Philips customer service, and asked what I was doing wrong.I was told that 25 is an average number.The representative said that I could compress the files so that I could fit more songs onto the player, however he said that typically the device will begin to freeze or malfunction in other ways once you get to 50 songs or so.He also informed me that 50% of his calls are people like me asking the same question.

I also found the bass boost to be disappointing.Overall, it's not a bad player, but not worth the price paid.
... Read more

Product Description

Marketing description is not available. Please refer to the manufacturer web site for any updated marketing information. ... Read more

Features

• Rechargeable lithium-ion battery provides 5 hours audio listening, 2 hours video playback
• Includes USB cable, audio cables, software, a carrying case, rechargeable battery, charger/adapter, and earbud headphones
• Measures 3.7 x 3.1 x 0.7 inches (W x H x D)
• Plays MPEG-4 audio/video, MP3, MPG, A/VI, MP4, DAT, WMV, ASF; records MPEG-4 in real time (using included transcoder software)
• Stores up to 110 minutes of video internally; offers SD Card slot for additional storage and photo viewing right out of your SD camera

Reviews (5)

An essential device if you want to digitise home videos
Gives a new life to family movies
Reviewer: Gavin Wilson from Thames Ditton, Surrey United Kingdom
It's fascinating to contrast my experience of this device with the reviews of others. This in itself is testament to the flexibility of the machine.

My situation is that I had several Video8 cassettes gathering dust. They contained priceless material -- films of my children growing up -- but I hadn't got around to watching them for a while. I was also aware that the non-digital format was outdated, and that viewing the films would become increasingly more difficult over time, as the tape ages and manufacturers stop making compatible players.

But with this device, you just plug the camcorder in, press 'play' on the camcorder and 'record', and you're transfering all your analogue material across into digital format. (They come across as .ASF files which Windows Media Player recognises.) Brilliant!

Rather than copy a whole Video8 tape across as one huge file, I tend to break it up into five-minute segments, simply by pressing the 'stop' button, then re-starting.

Anyone with old analogue video material should get one of this type of device. Judging by the other reviews here, the PVP4040 seems as good a device as any.

I have it for a year and it just got good!
I bought this a year ago, and was very disapointed.It had very few features, was hard to use, and SD cars cost so much, it was worthless.Now, there is a firmware update you can get through yahoo groups, that adds all the features of the expensive units, and SD cards are reasonable.I love my new year old toy.You can record video with a timer, and on a 512mb SD card hold 6 hours of video.Everything you need is in the box.Very satisfied.Life is good when the stuff you already own gets better..........

Where to get the latest firmware update!
Goto this Yahoo Group below to get the lastest goodies about this PVP404 unit. Like the hard to find firmware updates.. Join the group and stick around!

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GoVideoPVP4040/

CONS: the battery life needs to be improved, but folks are already on the case locating cheaper battery alternatives to the Govideo OEM battery..

F.

very nifty at new price
firstly there is substitute firmware around, not hard to find, that really makes this unit work fantastic.

secondly the prices of these are half of what you see here so look around.

I am confused at the previous review because I easily get 2 hours on the onboard lilon battery (not to mention the ac and dc adapters). the killer app is that it takes standard sd card flash mememory and one gig cards are now south of ninety bucks. since the pvp4040 can be bought for one hundred bucks that means less than two hundred bucks get's you a very cool device able to hold over almost four hours of mpeg4 video on "fine" (native 480x240) resolution.

it converts easily to mpeg4 with its own decoders (quite cool and simple) and you can record off of your pcr,or as I do off your pc using any dvd you own or any tv program you captuer if you have a capture card like an ATI. I keep 20 full length 90 minute two hour films converted to mpeg4 at 240x480 on my hard drive. they take less than $5 worth of hard drive space and I can stick two of them on an sd card in about one minute (actually my nine-year old can).

my kid loves this unit for the car. it goes anywhere in your pocket and is a lot hardier then portable an easily broken portable dvd players.

Not good enough...
Most people should pass on this device.

It is probably about 1 or 2 years behind the current portable a/v technology; the screen quality is barely adequate for video or picture playback; the interface is awkward to use; the battery life is short (maybe 45 minutes for video playback and picture viewing); and finally, it is difficult to encode video clips for this device.

Cool concept, small form factor, nice design, but it does not work very well. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

The versatile Pogo RipDrive 40 makes it easy to take your music collection with you--just plug it into your PC and drag and drop files via USB 2.0 connection from your desktop to the player, which shows up as another drive. This 40 GB player is compatible with both MP3 and WMA files, and features a voice recording capability and built-in FM tuner with 20 presets. It's powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery with up to 10 hours of playback time; it's also user-replaceable, enabling you to purchase additional batteries to keep the music flowing.

In addition to an integrated microphone for voice recording, the RipDrive can also record directly from the FM tuner. Additionally, it features a line-in jack (with both digital and optical input) for recording from an external source, such as a CD or cassette player or TV.

The Ripdrive has a backlit 160 x 105-pixel LCD that displays song title, artist name, and battery level as well as the next and previous songs along the bottom edge of the display. It supports playlists transferred from your PC and can also create playlists on the fly. Other features include multilingual support (English, Korean, Japanese, Chinese, and Russian), external power via AC adapter (included), and user-defined EQ settings.

What's in the Box Pogo RipDrive 40, earphones, USB cable, direct record (line-in) cable, power adapter, battery, carrying case, CD-ROM with driver for Windows 98, and printed user manual. ... Read more

Features

• Compatible with both Windows and Mac PCs
• 40 GB MP3/WMA player
• Drag and drop files directly from desktop to player
• FM tuner with 20 presets; user-defined EQ settings
• Record voice, FM radio; also includes line-in recording capability (records to MP3)

Reviews (1)

Worst mp3 Player Ever!
The Pogo Ripdrive was my secong ever mp3 player. i bought it after much deliberation and research becasue in addition to playing mp3's it also
1. Has an FM tuner with 20 presets
2. Has a voice recorder
3. Has in-line recording

and I'm kinda anti-iPod, I KNOW that somewhere there is a machine that's just as good.

I bought this thing last spring and it started misbehaving in the fall. It would freeze constantly, couldn't listen to 2 songs without the machine freezing and needing to be soft-reset. I contacted the company and was told to send it back. I did and they sent it back after basicaly only wiping the harddrive.

3 days later it began to freexe again. I contacted the company again, again, though I'd just gotten it back, I had to resubmit my receipt and send the thing back again. this time it took a bit longer to get it back, I called their cust service and they said a new on was in the mail and that if IT didn't work, I might want to look at my files for viruses.

i got the unit back and turned it over, lo and behold, the new serial number was the same as the old! Hum... I hadn't gotten a new one after all. I was emailed a firmware upgrade and put that on and loaded my music and guess what? It froze again during EVERY song. I used MediaMonkey to load onto the unit and it turns out it wasn't compatible so I took it all off and loaded from Windows Explorer.

Same stuff, I wanted to scream. By this point I was ready to throw in the towel and contacted them and requested a refund. They said no, you can only get one when you buy directly from the company and within 30 days. But, you know, I bought it in the expectation that it would WORK! I organize so many of my electronic gadgets through my computer and scan for viruses so often, it is highly unlikely that I have a virus.

So, I sent it back a third time and DEMANDED a new one. I was offered a new one and charged $20 for a new screen because the one I'd sent back had scratches not covered by the warrantee. They sent it back with the back of my old machine on it because, apparently, it also had scratches on it, so, they said, the serial number would be the same, but it would be a different machine. (smells like a scam) Meanwhile, I can find no scratches.

Same problem, different machine. It is just a shabby machine. It is big and heavy and there are only 30 people in their office so you KNOW you can't have your money back. I may just resort to using my mini disk player (remember when 5 hours of music on one disk was alot?)

Pogo stinks, it ABSOLUTELY stinks. you try to give the mom and pop company a shake then you get locked in. It was a $300 lesson for me, but believe me, I have learned. ... Read more

Product Description

This platinum black and ultra-slim iAUDIO U2 1GB MP3 player includes an FM radio and is palm and pocket portable. iAudio is a cNet Award Winner for their new industry first, MP3 file filtering and sound enhancement technology. iAudio's proprietary MP3 chipset is now redefining MP3 sound and taking the MP3 audio experience to the next level. The player has up to 20 hours of continuous playback, an FM stereo radio and voice recorder with microphone. The player also includes a wide graphic LCD with an indigo-blue backlight that displays lyrics. Also has high-speed USB 2.0 downloading at 20Mbps and uploading at 25Mbps; an easy-to-use 5-direction navigation jog button; an AC adapter and high-quality Cresyn earphones and fashion carrying case and necklace. Supports MP3, WMA, ASF and WAV formats, plus is Mac and Linux OS compatible. Available storage capacity may vary. Imported. 7/10Hx1Wx2-9/10L". ... Read more

Features

• USB 2.0 Interface
• 4 Lines of Graphic LCD (Indigo Blue Backlight)
• Supports MP3, MP2, WMA, ASF and WAV; Playback, Voice Recording, FM Radio, Listening and Recording, Direct MP3 Encoding, Removable Disk
• Built-in 1 GB Flash Memory
• Long Playback Time: Up to 20 hours

Reviews (17)

They should rename this MP3 player
Like most people, I would hate for my cool modern gadget to be associated with a horrible band.

Seriously, that's like calling it iAudio VanillaIce

Ridiculous, in fact, iAudio should sue Interscope Records for possibly losing out on sales by people that might think they're are affiliated with horrible music.

Because remember, we buy stuff like this to play good music, but this is automaticaly putting a warning that says, "Hey, the music on this player is going to suck because we named it after a band that can't play good music if their lives depended on it!"

Hope that U2 doesn't sue them
The product should have a disclaimer on the box for using the name U2.I have to give one star to any product that does not obtain proper permission to use the U2 name, no matter how good a product. iAudio has not been affiliated with U2, they have not been authorized or given permission in any way by Paul McGuinness or anyone in the band U2 to use their name on this product.There is only one company authorized to use their name on an electronic product.Interscope/UMD, are you ready to prep the lawsuits?

just like I5 version, but with Li Polymer battery.
This review describes the complete thought/research cycle for deciding a digital player. It includes hdd based, flash based, different flash based capacities, features, battery life etc. The features etc for any player are already available on the detail pages and else where so I'm not including those, instead doing the comparison exercise. I've also written this review for other flash players which I considered in the comparison.

I've been using iRiver SlimX iMP-CD350 CD/MP3 player for quite a while now and decided that its time to move to a smaller player which is more versatile and portable. I'm just not a CD person, and as soon as I buy a CD, I rip it and get the files all over my computers/laptops.

There are lot of smaller digital music players available in the market. My first decision point was to decide between HDD (hard disk drive) or Flash memory based players. HDD based are available from 4GB to 60 GB and since it has a mechanical drive, it's not suited well for my activities (gym/running etc). While flash based don't suffer with this draw back, they come only in 128MB, 256MB, 512MB, 1GB and 2GB.I wasn't buying a player to make it a permanent repository of all my music and having up to 1GB of music (16 hours of CD quality, 32+ hours otherwise) was good enough for me. For this reason, I decided to go with Flash based player. Plus, most flash based players have direct USB connectivity and some of those can also be used as a regular flash disk for document transfer and storage.

Next step was to decide the capacity. I was inclined for a 2GB player since it'll store even more songs, but found some warning in iAudio (Jet Audio) site where a 2gb version can store only up to 450 (files + folders) and the player cannot address the last 260MB memory of the player. I had also used a flash based 2gb usb storage device which had similar storage problems. So, I went with 1GB version and decided to give more time for 2GB+ technology.

Next was feature sets and brands. I had following things in mind in terms of features: formats capable, battery life, firmware upgradability, and FM player. I considered Creative (MuVO Micro N200), iRiver (iFP 799),Apple (iShuffle 1GB), and JetAudio (iAudio 5, G3, U2).

iRiverhad drawbacks were not being able to work as USB storage device, limitation on Ogg audio and MP3 VBR files. Apple was not just my thing since it lacked a display, FM tuner etc and accessories like FM player are added cost/size/weight too. Creative was also limited only on WMA amd MP3. It seemed like most of the players butiAudio/Jet Audio have format limitations.
Jet Audio (iAudio) had most of the formats available (MP3, WMA, WAV, Ogg Vorbis, ASF etc), firware upgradable, trendy size, good reviews, USB storage deviceand good choices. And, I was totally bought on iAudio.

The last step was to decide on the model. I considered iAudio i5, G3, and U2 version. The main differences are that I5 is based on 'AAA' batter and lasts only 15-20 hours, G3 is slightly wider but less longer model with 'AA' battery and supports up to 45-50 hours on one cell, and U2 was similar to '5' but had internal Lithium Polymer battery and the same 15-20 hours playback time. U2 model also lacked Ogg Vorbis format capability.
If I was travelling long distance and not able to charge LiPolymer battery, it's a waste. And, 15-20 hours just doesn't turn not ecnomical with 'AAA' battery, so I ended up with iAudio G3 1GB player and I'm very satisfied with the player itself.

Fantastic Flash Memory MP3 Player Alternative
This Korean made U2 IAUDIO Flash 1GB Mp3 player has replaced my previous Sony MD player, and was a better alternative to the Ipod Mini or Shuffle.If you like larger, hard-drive based MP3 players that require proprietary software and formats in order to use them, then by all means buy an IPOD. If you dont like having a convenient Display on your flash player then buy an IPOD shuffle with its incredible 'random' feature. The U2 Iaudio Flash player is for people who hate superfluous and bulky transfer software programs and enjoy a particular disdain for conformity. I can drag and drop Mp3 or other audio format files and transfer music from CD's (quite literally) in a flash. Yes I can only hold about 250 songs, but who wants to hold their entire CD collection. I'm constantly changing the music on it, every couple of days. The battery is charged while its connected to the USB and performs well.

The sound is crisp and it has several options for Bass, Equalizer and Sound Enhancements. Not to mention it has Voice Recording abilities on MP3 or WAV, and FM Radio that can be recorded as well!

The menu is easily navigatable and all controlled with one simple and small shuffle button.

The best part: I bring it to work and use it as a USB Memory Key. I dont need anything extra to be able to store any other document or miscellaneous files that are under 1GB!

Now the only CON I can think of: the shape and design are way too boxy and utilitarian, and not nearly as stylish as the other players out there. But I can live with that. This player is awesome!

its great
This thing small, easy to use and sonically very flexible...the voice recording at 128kbps is very good...I even use it to jot down guitar and vocal ideas...I am looking forward to using the line in to make sound board recordings :) I also love not having to buy batteries for this thing...the FM reception is good, but can get interference in crowded buildings. ... Read more

Features

• High-resolution 3.8 inch screen offers amazing, crisp graphics for games, digital photos, even videos
• Powerful new ATI processor for graphics acceleration and Bluetooth functions
• True analog controller with full complement of ergonomically-placed triggers and buttons
• 32MB internal memory
• Expandable memory with two expansion slots for SD and SDIO card - preview video or photos, or pump up your gaming with up to 1GB of memory

Reviews (10)

Way better than the PSP
I'm going to start by saying that if you're reading this and even considering buying a PSP over this, you are extremely foolish. The Zodiac can beat the PSP in any way you name. But first, the basics.

Opening the box of the Zodiac, I see all the needed accesories: a charger, sync cable, earphones, Zodiac, and installation CD. And a quick start manual, etc. The CD comes with all you need, like Palm Desktop program, and many extras. Setup is a breeze.

The Zodiac itself is a piece of genius. All the controls are ergonomically placed, and the screen is beautiful. The speakers work fine, even though the drain the batteries quite a bit. With a joystick, four action buttons, and two trigger buttons, the Zodiac is an excelent gaming machine.

Another plus for the Zodiac is the Palm OS5.2. This allows the Zodiac to be compatible with virtually all the palm software available on the Internet, for free. Also, you can find many free games/demos for the Zodiac on the Internet. I so far have not spent a single penny, and am happy with the game selection on my Zodiac. And if I wanted to buy some games, they would be even better. Can your precious PSP do that?

Overall, the Zodiac was probably one of the best buys I have ever made. Buy it!

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW
Amazing, amazing... AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, And, yes the 100 explination marks are worth it because Tapwave have brought us into the new gaming world, a PDA, Movie and music player, somone pinch me! WATCH OUT SONY AND NINTENDO THERE IS A NEW KID ON THE BLOCK!

what psp wished it was
games?i dunno, i'm not really a hardcore gamer.

based on screen size, resolution and speed this is basically a non proprietary psp.only it hit the market 2 years earlier.

as a scatterbrained artist this is the best machine ever, because along with a game played here and there, there's an entire world of palm apps for this thing for free or minimal.think fotoshop clone on the go for 15 bucks.no joke.mobisystems paint.and a thousand more.

plus, i've noticed i don't get frustrated at the hardware or grocery store anymore due to lack of list or trying to guage where my bank statement is floating.

and nowadays palm OS rocks.palm machines, uh...i feel sorry for the

It's like the PSP's older workaholic brother
I won't mention the specs or functions as there are other reviews that have done that. I will tell that you can do all the stuff they mention in the official review right out of the box! Because tapwave bundles a lot of cool stuff on the zodiac CD.

As a game machine, it's the most PC like portable out there. You'll be able to overclock the unit, play RTS games, classic american-style RPGs, and even port your old DOOM games to it for free. It's pretty amazing to watch hexen on the zodiac screen running smoothly. You'll also be thankful that if you want to you can carry all your games on the SD card and not have to take space away from the 32MB memory or carry game carts. Also, because it runs on palm, you'll be able to do some really cool stuff that no other game machines do. Like using the touch screen as a PC mouse pad, waking up to any song you want, and typing documents on the road.

As a PDA, it's great, your able to browse the web comfortably thanks to the screen, and you can attach a keyboard and wifi card. The 2 SD slots are a plus. It charges in 2 hours. Not only that, but the slim design and smooth metal finish really impress people on the street. The controls also make games more fun than on other PDAs.


As a multimedia machine, it is good. And if you overclock a bit you can even use the PSPs MP4 format at a decent 15fps. The movies you make will look like mini DVDs and they only take about 400MB each. I have a 512MB card and can store a full movie, some MP3s, some photos, some game Roms and my programs too.

You can also get some cool accesories like the included headphones, a cool metal case to protect the zodiac and store cards, a screen protector, and even a grip to make the device feel like a playstation controller.

I love my zodiac, and with a healthy group of programmers developing free software for it, I see it as having good long-term value.

great system
Ive had the system for severel weeks and nothing wrong has happend every things works well and tapwave has great customer suport I would recomend buying this system and buying a 512 MB sd for it. ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description

With a built-in FM tuner and MP3/FM encoding, this Samsung player puts a range of portable playback and recording options in the palm of your hand. Small as a lighter, it boasts big, SRS WOW 3D surround sound and a full 128MB of flash memory. It supports both MP3 and WMA files and plays for an amazing 12 hours. Features voice recording, a backlit 7-color LCD display, upgradeable firmware and a removable storage disk. Available storage capacity may vary. Imported. ... Read more

Features

• Powered by 1 AAA battery for up to 20 hours; works with Windows and Mac OS
• 256 MB of flash memory; holds 4 hours of MP3 and 8 hours of WMA files (CD quality)
• Tiny player weighs just 0.85 ounces; measures 0.91 by 2.13 by 0.91 inches
• Compatible with Secure WMA from online download stores
• FM tuner with FM recording capability; line-in recording; voice recording

Reviews (21)

Good mini MP3
I bought this unit as a pocket MP3 player + FM tuner.It is a solid unit ... I sent it through the washing machine with no ill effects.

Excellent sound.Only issue I have is battery life is < 10 hours on a new alkaline battery.

Good starter mp3 player
This is my first mp3 player. I have seen and used other ones but this one is by far the best for its sise. I am going to review it in the following catigorys.

Durability: I have had this thing for 9 months, and I use this thing abusevly. Some times after droping it from about three feet/meter some of the songs begin to skip. But this can be solved by deleting the song and then resync the song back to the yepp.

Buttons: You have to be pretty thick to not understand how the butons work. There is a joystick on the front which skips songs and changes volume. On the top there is a hold button, this makes it to where even if you press alot of buttons it will still be playing the same song. Play/Pause Button, nothing complicated here. A-B button, this is one of the wierdest things I've seen. What it does is while a song is playing you press A once, then after any time you want press B once, then you will only hear the song between point A to point B, you press the A-B button to get it back to normal. And a record buton. Press it once to record, press it again to stop.

Software: I use my player by riping CD's and playing them on my yepp, I never download music. So after about an hour of tring to use the yepp software I gave up. Lucky for me the yepp works on WMP 9 and WMP 10, so it wasnt much of a problem after that. For using it on Windows Media I have encounterd no problems at all.

Song Playback: The sound quality is average. But you realy cant complain when your mp3 player can be used as a keychain. The only complaint I have with it is you can't put your songs in any order. And I dont think any thing you do can change that. You can however number your songs to the order you want. As for the display the only problem I have with that is the three bar batery display. When its on the last bar you don't know if you have 3 min. or 3 hours.

Overal: I highly recomend this mp3 player. I do not recomend it if you have over a gig of songs however.

Zero

Teenie Tiny and Very Simple to Use
The size of the player is absolutely miniscule. It's like a short lighter and a bit fatter. Putting songs onto the device is very simple. You can literally drag the files from your computer onto the "Removable Storage" icon that pops up in My Computer when you plug the player in via the USB port.

The sound quality depends on what bit-rate you use for the music, but it's capable of great sound and even has different types of sound options if you like a certain type of sound (base, normal, vocal, etc.).

The only drawback is (as others have mentioned) that the player automatically plays the songs in alpha order. Since you can't really put too many songs on here anyway, I've gotten around it by just naming the songs "01 - Singer - Song Title" after I've dragged them onto the player. They'll play in number order then. Bit of a pain, but minor since you won't have to do this for 10,000 songs.

I'm very pleased with mine. Easy to use and good sound. Great for exercisers and gym rats who don't want to carry around a gigantic CD player or a heavier MP3 device.

A Little Blue Wonder
This is a great little MP3 player to use during a daily commute that's small enough to completely hide in the palm of your hand.

No, it doesn't have the capacity of larger players or the clone-ish panache of the ubiquitous white iPod set but it does an honest job with ease of use and great sound (toss the ear buds that come with the unit and get a pair that sound good to you -- I use a pair of "The Bud" from Koss for great bass response).

Plug the unit into your computer and it shows up as a removable drive.Fill up the drive with MP3 or WMA files (I can fit about 60-70 wma files on the unit) and you're ready to go.The player also has a handy voice recorder for those impromptu sound bytes.

The 5-direction joystick is not hard to master and once your songs are loaded navigating through your music is instinctive.The display is essential to work through the menu trees when you want to adjust the player's audio or display settings.

The removable AAA battery means you'll never have to run out of juice when in the middle of your commute.Just pop in that spare battery carried along for just these types of emergencies and you're back online in less than a minute.

This player is not for audiophiles or for those with 30,000 song libraries, and it doesn't pretend to be, but for those who want a simple well built MP3 player with great sound quality.

Great Player, but...
Great player, but...HOW DO YOU GET THE SONGS IN ANY ORDER YOU WANT???I EVEN TRIED SEPARATE FOLDERS INSTEAD OF ONE BIG PLAYLIST AND IT STILL DOESN'T WORK.I MEAN I COULD OBVIOUSLY NUMBER THEM ALL ONCE I HAVE THEM IN ORDER, BUT THERE SHOULD BE ANOTHER WAY.Aside from this, everything else is great.Real easy to use, great sound, super g-damn small!!!

If anyone has figured out how to get songs out of alphabetical order, let me know by a review on this site or emailing me at DavidMDiggler@aol.com

Thanks. ... Read more

Product Description

The iAUDIO 4 MP3 Player has an awesome 124 color LED visualization function with delicate high quality sound by BBE equalization effect. It weights only 33g, yet supports multi codec files like WMA, ASF, and WAV. And, with support for direct encoding functions, which can record MP3 music through CDP or cassette player directly, you don't have to connect PC to get MP3 files.The player also offers customers real-time MP3 recording from a variety of sources, including FM radio broadcast and high quality sound of MP3 files, also can be used as removable USB storage disk, which is recognized by PC directly without a USB driver. ... Read more

Features

• iAUDIO 4, Armband, Case, Earbuds, Battery, CD, Manual, USB Connector, Line-in & USB Cable.
• Ultra-compact player of 1.1 oz, 2.9 X 1.2 X 0.6 inches body.
• MP3, WMA, WAV Player, FM Radio, Voice Recorder, Direct MP3 Encoder, USB Flash Drive.
• Up to 15+ hrs of continuous skip free playback on a single AAA battery.
• Sound Effects of BBE, Mach3Bass and 5 Bands EQ. 4 Lines Wide LCD with 124 colors LED backlight.

Reviews (9)

One of a kind mp3 player
Now these days mp3 player market is ruled my ipod. Everyone of my friends have it. I was thinking of buying one too because I workout and run, so I needed something to keep me concentrated. But ipod has a lot my useless memory, I mean 20 GB people it's a walking hard drive and I wont be listening to more than 10 songs or 15 during my workout session. During my search on the internet I came across jetaudio's iaudio 4 and the one thing that I really liked about this player were its looks. Its one of the smallest mp3 players I have ever seen and has 256MB of storage which is quite sufficient. As far as the quality is concerned this thing just blowed me away. You cannot listen to a song at the max volume because it might blow your brains out. It has a really awesome display with more than 124 colours to choose from. The sound quality is awesome, its simply amazing. You will be amazed what this little thing can do. Also it can be used as a storage device so that's another plus. Has a 3d surround and lots of other cool features which I wont spoil for anyone.

Over all this product is the best in its kind. If your looking for an mp3 player for casual use, then this thing is a must buy. It's a bit expensive but is worth every penny.

Super voice recorder ++++
iAudio4 is the most useful digital voice recorder. It's cost effective and plenty of advantages. Very clear sound and so sensetive that it can pick up voices 10 meter away with excellent results. Moreover it's noiseless, no disturbance what so ever. Add to that, the easy way to transfer audio to your pc or notebook or even a PDA thanks to the easy and very friendly software that comes with the recorder.
Do NOT buy any digital voice recorder unless it's iAUDIO mark you wont regret it.
It's very light and operated by a mere single AAA battery.
Super device and you only have to purchase it to love.
I left more featuresfor the customer to find out about it. It's more than you think.

Fantastic and Reliable
I have owned the iAudio 256mb for a year. It is one of the best pieces of electronic equipment I have ever purchased The software for downloading mp3 files is extremely easy to use with lots of options for albums and re ordering files, the FM reception is clear and battery life is outstanding. Because of its small size and weight, I take it everywhere. I highly recommend it.

Amazing sound, amazing look, amazing quality
I was shopping for a flash MP3 player for about 2 weeks and have been reading reviews constantly about the products.I chose this because it was consistently rated the best by customers and rated very highly by CNET. When I got the product, i plugged it in and just did drag and drop which is so convenient.The player is a lot smaller than you think, dont let the picture fool you if you think its going to be too wide, it is very tiny.so i plugged in the headphones and i was just blown away by the sound that this little player packed.not only that but it has so many amazing features: its a mass storage device via USB, the color chooser, the EQ, bass enhanced, MP enhance, FM radio, recording ability...it is seriously amazing.i was very cautious to pick this one because i've had so many different types of MP3 players over the years and all of the previous i didnt like (Rio, Creative Zen 2.0), but i can say that this is by far the best one. i am very happy with my decision and i advice all you MP3 player shoppers to go with this product-- you will not be disappointed!

It's about time
It's about time an MP3 player came out that was this sleek and easy to use with the best options out there.The direct line in recording is wicked.I have probably the SLOWEST computer out there and have no patience when it comes to waiting for files to download.The fact that I can plug this small little electronic device into my portable radio, TV or computer and download music is AWESOME!I recommend this product to anyone, regardless of computer speed.Love the headphones for many reasons, the best is that no one else can hear what I am listening to.I hate hearing other people's music while I am riding public transportation.

... Read more

Product Description

This funky RCA Lyra player is all the rage among digital music enthusiasts. You won't want to be without this colorful and compact device - you won't have any reason to be since RCA made it small enough to fit in the palm of your hand (unit weighs only two ounces). The small size of this personal digital player does not minimize the power that is packed into it. RCA has packed this chic Lyra player with 128MB of memory and a digital FM tuner. If over two hours of audio enjoyment is not enough to satisfy your needs, you can use the External Scan Disc/Multimedia Card Slot for expandable memory. Awesome things come in small packages - this Lyra Player is no exception. ... Read more

Features

• 128 MB of upgradeable flash memory; expandable via Multimedia cards
• USB connection for fast downloads
• Digital FM tuner with 10 presets
• 3-line backlit display
• Includes headphones, USB cable, music management CD-ROM, 2 AAA batteries, and carrying case with belt clip

Reviews (106)

This is a great item and i would recommend it to anyone
I bought the player almost 2 years ago and its still working very well, im impressed with the durability because i have put it through quite a beating. The musicmatch software is easy to navigate if you know anything about computer and have any common sense, has an expandable memory which is great, can run for some time on two AAA batteries, easy to use, the radio tuner isn't the best but for its size and portability its amazing it even has one that works, and it has nice accesories that compliment it very well.. i recommend this to anyone who wants a cheap, reliable, and durable MP3 player!
sincerely,
tony

Great player for its price!
Before I bought this player, I did my research, and read all of the customer reviews here.I can now tell you after using it 2 hours a day, 5 days a week for 5 months when I go walking, I am very impressed with the player.There are a few things to keep in mind, however, when using it:

1.I am not one to use Musicmatch, so I really don't recommend installing it.If you have Windows XP, simply download the Lyra program update from RCA's website for free.This will allow you to just plus your player into any USB port and you can use whatever program you want.Personally, I use the "Sync" option with Windows Media Player and have had absolutely no problems.

2.The battery life is 8-or-so hours.If you are planning on using this a lot, get rechargable batteries.You won't regret it.Also, on longer trips always have an extra set of batteries on you.

3.Lastly, I love the expansion slot.If you use WMA's and pick CD-quality, you can fit 2-3 hours of music without using the slot.With the slot, it only depends on the size of you multi-media card.

Overall, this is a great player for the price.I have seen it on sale quite often, so I recommend waiting for a good sale price and picking it up!

Good player, could be far better
I got this MP3 from my father when he came back from US and I was delighted to find it supports MP3Pro and WMA files and has a decent FM radio tuner. However after a couple of weeks the player sometimes blocked at some songs and only a reset (getting out the batteries and putting them back in) helped and the problem remained with the same song. First I thought that the song was badly encoded ad I deleted it but again the next song that came into it's place (number 33) blocked also! OK, it works now after I uploaded the lyra_sys folder again (fimware). And I haven't seen anyone mention the very slow speed of file transfer (I think it's eve slower than the regular USB 1.1 because it uses non-standard USB connection). It takes ages to upload 128MB of files, not to mention more (512MB etc.). The file browsing is extremely slow also. It's not all bad, the sound is very good if not excellent, the headphones are quite easy to wear and confortable. I think that there are far better players available now on the market which support OGG files too so pick one of them.

Excellent player and Excellent price
I bought this MP3 player and am completely content with it.I did have trouble adding music when i first bought it and i simply fixed what was wrong....the drag and drop file works great as well. I saw it Xmas week at the GOOD GUYS for $69 (regular price) and wanted to buy them all. I paid about $139 about 2 years ago. I love it still! You can add an SD card and play music for hours. I have a nice 512MB SD card and cant wait to slip in a 1GB card I use my player so much. THe battery life is a bit weak, but i went to Radio Shack and bought myself rechargeable batteries and dont spend a dime anymore on new batteries. If you dont care about looks, this MP3 player is great! I use it to go jogging, mountain biking, or simply waiting for my plane at the airport.Love it! !

*Disclaimer: Musicmatch is a great program to have for your MP3s. Remember it is not part of the RCA family. They just give you a free disk so you dont have to go out and look for it to download on the internet. I love musicmatch as well, but for adding files to my MP3, i use the drag and drop (music file to MP3 player, much easier)

Poor support for a simple player
I loaded the software (musicmatch) and it's difficult to navigate through. Took me 2 hours to initially load the music as you need to copy the cd tracks to a folder then to the mp3 player. I tried to use it on my laptop which has an upgrade and it can't find the player, so now I can't load anything to the player. I tried to contact RCA but there is no support for the basic software package. You need musicmatch to interface with the player and if it can't find it, then it's money down the drain. Get an Ipod, it's alot easier as my friend demonstrated and face it, spending 5 hours to get this thing to work plus the aggravation is worth the ease of an ipod, just plug and load.
I wish RCA wouldn't use me as a beta tester and then not provide support unless I pay 19.99 for it. The radio presets are also a pain to use. Mine's going in the trash. ... Read more

Product Description

Available storage capacity may vary. ... Read more

Features

• Skip-free and sport-ready
• Record music from any audio source (no PC required)
• Voice Recorder
• Plays MP3, WMA & OGG music files
• Plays up to 4 hours of music

Reviews (5)

Excellant Product!!
I loved the MP3 player, it works fantastic, and its small, small enought to fit almost anywhere. I was thoroughly pleased with this purchased. It had so many different features that I wasn't aware of at the time of purchase.

I do not regret this product at all, its so good I've bought it a number of times and given as gifts. They're great to have.

I fully encourage the purchase of this product, you will not be disappointed!

No regrets
Purchased this player under the advise of a friend and because of a store credit that had to be used.At first I was against the idea of neglecting my CD player, which has been my best friend for 17 years, for some new contraption.But, now that I have my MP3, I love it.It's small, so it fits right in my coat pocket, sound quality is superb, FM player gets really good reception.What I like most of all is being able to record music from any audio device.For a person with over 200 CD's it is a great option. I have not downloaded music from my computer. I record from my personal CD player and it sounds great.The keys are a little confusing, but you get the hang of them after about a week or two.Love the arm band for working out, hearphones are a little annoying due to the difference in cord lengths. It doesn't hold much music,about 25-30 songs depending on the length, enough for a 2 hour workout, but considering the size of the memory and the cost it's agood purchase.No regrets here.

This Is Great For The Price...
(...) But for the price this is a great little player.I love the interface, I love the software and I love the arm band for walking/working out. It will serve my purposes well and then when it is time I will buy a new one.Maybe I someday I will buy an IPod and then I can talk trash about these entry level, solid players.

Reasonable player,but choose a jukebox/service first
Overall, the 780T is a reasonably good player. The unit itself has good sound quality, although the headphones that come with it are a bit weak. It is relatively easy to use for such a small device.128M of RAM is on the low side. You will be able to store roughly 2-3 CDs worth of music on it. You need to decide if you are OK with managing the music on your PC and periodically shuffle songs onto and off of the iriver.

The iriver software is acceptable, however you really should consider checking out the various jukeboxes/music download services that are available before purhcasing a player. Each of the jukebox/music download services supports a small number of players, meaning you can control the player directly from the jukebox. This is a very convenient way of managing your music. I have found that Iriver works with Windows Media Player. although the Creative Labs devices seem to be integrated much more tightly and work better. If you want to use MusicMatch's jukebox you might want to consider a player that is supported by it.

An Excellent MP3 Player
I would definitely recommend that 780T to anyone who wants a quality MP3 player for a relatively low price, especially if you are going to use it to workout.
PROS:

-The Price: No MP3 player can be considered cheap, but in comparison to other MP3 players, the 780T is pretty inexpensive.

-The Quality: The sound is perfect, and the screen is clear and easy to read.The player never skips, even when I go running and it bounces all over the place.

-The Neck Strap: I bought the iRiver primarily because I wanted an MP3 player that I could go running with, which is why I love the neck strap.Granted, the player bounces a bit while I'm running, but not enough to significantly bother or distract me.Also on the strap is a clip to attach the strap to your clothing to reduce bouncing, but I found the clip uncomfortable (it was sticking in me) so I just took it off (it's easy to take off).

-Installing the Software: Installing the program onto my computer was extremely easy, and if you make a mistake, you can just check the detailed instruction manual.

-Transferring Music: Once your music is in a format acceptable to the iRiver, it takes less than a minute to transfer a whole CD's worth of songs onto the player.

-The Instruction Manual: The iRiver comes with 2 manuals, one for the player and one for the software.The manuals could be set up a little better (it can get confusing trying to find a specific section) but overall they are very detailed and helpful.

CONS:

-The Headphones: The headphones that come with the player are made for running, so the left ear cord is much smaller than the right ear cord (it's supposed to prevent your arm from pulling the headphones out of your ear if you're wearing the armband).However, while I was running, the left earphone kept falling out anyway, so I had to buy a new pair.

-The Armband: I tried to use the armband when I went running, but my arm started going numb.When I loosened the armband, it kept slipping down my arm.Plus, it's very big and bulky.

-The Controls: You definitely need to read the instructions before using the MP3 player, because the controls are by no means obvious.However, I got the hang of the controls relatively quickly after thumbing through the instructions.

-Downloading Music: The software is kind of a pain.It's a little complicated if you don't know what you're doing.

Overall, I am completely happy with my iRiver.However, if you have the extra money to spare, I would recommend buying the iRiver iFP-790T 256MB MP3 Player, which is the same as the 780T accept that it holds more music. ... Read more

Product Description

Available storage capacity may vary. ... Read more

Features

• Full play mode control including Shuffle modes and Resume feature
• Compatible with Windows 98SE, 2000, Me, and XP
• Store up to 128 hours of WMA or 64 hours of MP3 tracks
• Removable 14 hour Li-ion battery that can be charged via a USB connection or power adapter
• USB 2.0 compatible

Reviews (42)

First mp3 purchase, been quite pleased
I've owned this MuVo2 for over a year and have been very pleased with it. Mine came with the case and extra usb cable, (cable never used) Case o.k. But ripped and clip part fell off. Still keep it in the case for protection. I work nights and find it last 8-10 hours no problem. I have had the periodical freezes, just pop out the battery and reinsert, (a pain, but fixable) Never could figure out the playlist, but the folders work well. Am an admited idot on the computer, but figured it out quite easily! Just sit for a couple days and you'll get the hang of it! Just ordered the 5 GB w/fm radio recoder built in, hope I have as good of luck with the next one!! Will pass on my 4GB to my sister. Good little player.

Don't waste your money, get an ipod instead
The player itself was OK (when it was working); buttons are a bit small, sound quality is pretty good but software isn't all that great with glitches that require you to take the battery out to reset it from time to time.Just recently, I started encountering problems (as did someone else I knew who purchased the same player) with the head phone jack and unfortunately, it was after 90 days.They wanted me to pay a $40 labor fee to fix their rather inferior product!Plus, the technical support isn't very good.I'll never waste my money on a Creative product again.

An excellent portable audio player
May be I'm lucky compare with other buyers reviewed here. I have had the Nomad Muvo2 4GB for a year and it works perfectly.
Sound quality: I had several kinds of MP3 player before included Rio, iRiver, MPIO, Samsung ... and none of them have satisfied my until this one comes. The sound quality is fantastic, awesome after some adjustment in the EQ setting. What I recommend is:
First: do not use its included earbud (it gives terrible sound which will kill your ears), instead, buy a Philips, Panasonic or Sony headphone.
Second: do not use it standard preset EQ setting. Take some times to adjust it for your best flavour. It will work as you wish.
Battery life: I never calculate exactly how long the battery last, but it seems the more it work, the longer it last. Recently, I spent my spring break in CA and only charged it once at home for 8 hours, it lives with me through the 6 hour-flight to there and 6 hour-flight back home and the next day I'm home, battery still works. Recommend: Turn off the backlit for longer battery life. It blue light won't help you see any better but comsume much battery juice. Its screen is already visible like your watch.
Portability: very small and light, as small as a candy box, fit your pocket.
Compatibility: It works as a USB storage device, plug and play with Windows and Mac withour prior driver installed. You can drag and drop any files to it without any software. The firmware accompany can even help you sync it with Windows Media Player. Plug in and it plays automatically.
The most thing I like is: This device plays almost every audio file types MP3, WMA, WAV which most of the website support... you don't need to convert files into AAC like the Ipod does.
If there is anything I don't like about it:
The screen is too small and you are not able to see the whole playlist, one song by one only.
Next, when plugged in the computer, you can't play the music on the device.
Third, if you unplug suddenly, it may damage the firmware and you may have to format the whole player and lose the songs on it. Upgrade firmware will fit this problem.
Another is the control buttons kind of crappy, not so comfortable to use. No external hold button.
Afterall, I recommend it for everyone who cares about quality and liability.

Lame warranty
You would think that something you pay $200 for would have at leat a year warranty.Not so with the Creative Muvo player.I have to say the thing was great up until a couple weeks ago when the headphone jack busted.I am very careful with my player and now it's broken and with no options for repair or warranty exchange.Basically the sound cuts out and disapears and with some wiggling comes in and out.This makes the unit useless and annoying as hell to listen to.I bought the unit back in August making the 3 month warranty worthless of course to me.So now I have a product that doesn't work and am screwed out of $200.I will not buy another Creative mp3 player that is for sure.

Very disappointed
I've only had this player for 2 months, and I'm already trying to send it back to Creative Labs to get fixed because IT HAS STOPPED WORKING.It doesn't turn on, and my computer doesn't even recognize it when it's plugged in.I've tried the troubleshooting tips provided in the forums on Creative's website (i.e., reinserting the battery, holding down the Menu button).I don't even use this player often; probably only twice a week at most.From the few times I have used it, it worked like a dream come true: fast and easy transfers, great sound quality.It comes with software to download, but you don't even need it.Once you plug it into your computer, it's recognized as a removeable drive, so all you have to do is open up Windows Explorer and click/drag your files (music, docs, apps, pics, etc.).The earbuds didn't fit well in my ears, though, so like other people have recommended, you might want to invest in another pair.Also, I wish there were a manual lock on the outside so the buttons don't get accidentally pushed while the player is in your pocket.There's a digital lock, but I feel like a manual lock would be more convenient.

Thank god I'm still under warranty (90 days only!).If yours breaks after 90 days, Creative will make you pay for the repairs.Good luck! ... Read more

Product Description

IRiver presents iRiver iMP-450 Multi-Codec CD Player/FM Tuner.PRODUCT FEATURES:Slim X with 55 hours of playback (including external battery pack);iMP-450 is powerful against external shock because of iRiver's unique anti-shock algorithm;8 Preset EQs and 1 user defined EQ (Normal, Pop, Rock, Jazz, Dance, Classic, Metal, U-bass and User EQ);Listen to the enhanced sound quality of iMP-450 SlimX;4 Line LCD shows every information you need and it is easy to use;The FM Tuner comes in handy while traveling and tracking different frequencies;Based on the users' suggestions, functions such as Auto EQ which changes automatically based on ID3 Tag information and Battery Indicator reflects the actual lifetime of batteries are added;All iMP-450 SlimX use 16Mb Flash memory to support the display of Chinese (Traditional/Simplified) characters. ... Read more

Features

• Plays MP3, WMA and ASF music files on CD for ultimate format flexibility
• Listen to hundreds of songs on one CD
• Huge music buffer offers 16-minute skip-free playback
• Rechargeable batteries with built-in charger, up to 55 hours of battery life
• Built-in digital FM tuner

Reviews (11)

Wouldn't Recommend It
Well this product was bought for me several months ago. And from what I understand it was bought because the user reviews were good. Well the EQ is not something to give a CD Player 5 stars for.

This CD Player is so unreliable. It plays CDs that it feels like playing. Moreover, because of the slim design, the spinning head every now and then catches onto the case of the player itself, and stops spinning. The shock protection is very bad, and stops playing every other second if I am walking.

Moreover, it takes ages for it to load and start playing the song. The FM receiver is not very powerful so one gets static if the CD Player is in a bag.

If you are wanting to go walking with your CD Player, this really is not the CD player for you.
On another note, it has a good programming and nice colours.

Very unreliable.

Reliability Problems
I was about to buy an iRiver SlimX iMP 550CD/MP3 portable player, but I got warned off it by a friend who got a defective one and some notes on line complaining of reliability problems. One reviewer suggested trying the iRiver 450 model instead.I did. It arrived broken and would not rotate CD's. Also the FM section only got one station in Phoenix, AZ, the sixth largest metro area in the US. A Panasonic I recently lost on a plane got virtually every station.I then called the iRiver's help line and was put on hold for far too long. Seems the help line is too busy.I gave up and now warn readers about the iRiver 450, 550 and related products: they have serious reliability problems that don't seem to go away.The 450 is iRiver's effort to fix the problems on the reliability of the 550.Well, it did not work, at least in my case.Also, I should mention these iRiver units are very complicated and convoluted to operate for some, I hear, but I did not encounter a problem because I just avoided all the bells and whistes.

The best CD Mp3 player out there
iRiver has quite a history of excellent products, and over the years they've had a chance to refine their popular line of CD/mp3 players, moving from the iMP-350 to the 400 and now the 450 and 500 models (we'll ignore their discontinued budget line).

The 350 and 400 share the same guts, with the only difference being a cosmetic change and the removal of some buttons on the CD player itself. Whether that's good or not is up to your own eye in terms of style.

The 450 and the 500 share similar innards but the 450's case is identical to the 400 series. The iMP-500 is smaller and claims longer battery life as well as an optical out, but none of those are particularly significant.

Where it is available, the 400 seems to be universally more expensive than the 450, which is ridiculous - the 450 has twice the battery life and a newer version of the firmware. Its only caveat (if you could even call it that) is that it doesn't include a car adapter. However minor that is depends on what you plan on using the unit for - however, you'd still be better off grabbing a 450 and a car adapter.

Let's get to the player itself - it's very well designed and sounds amazing. It's a bit on the hefty side (it weighs more than my girlfriend's Panasonic player, although it is definitely more sturdy) but it's not a brick or anything. The remote is beautifully designed and works well. The sound this thing is capable of producing is also flawless - I've run it through a Klipsch system as well as a set of Pro headphones (Koss) and there is not a hint of static unless you feed it badly encoded or low bit-rate mp3 files. The equalizer settings work well and managing the directories is quick and efficient once you've spent half an hour or so getting used to the remote.

The FM tuner seems to work well too, although it certainly wasn't the deciding factor for me. I needed an inexpensive unit to play mp3s, but didn't want to completely ignore my CD library. As well, flash units hold a pathetic amount of music, and I don't mind carrying around 10 mp3 discs with me.

iRiver's iMP-450 definitely delivers - it's cheaper than equivalent players from the competition and also offers a far superior remote (as well as WMP/ASF playback). If it has a flaw, it's that the drive motor is a bit on the noisy side. Everything else, from boot-up time (never has it taken more than 10 seconds on me, even for multi-directory discs) to especially sound quality, is amazing. If you're in the market for a CD/mp3 player, I recommend the iMP-450 without reservation.


EDIT - a few things I missed earlier:

-The player seems to be somewhat picky when it comes to CD-Rs. The first two discs I burned using an old spindle of Memorex discs and the iMP-450 would only read the first 1/6 (or so) of the disc before halting entirely with skips. I went out and bought some Maxell discs and they worked flawlessly. Yet the Memorex discs work fine on my girlfriend's Panasonic player, so go figure. It's certainly interesting.

-There is a 'caption' program available on iRiver's site that allows you to attach lyrics and their timing to mp3 files. IE, when you play the mp3 on the unit, the lower portion of the screen goes blank and is instead filled with the lyrics as you timed them to the file. The whole procedure is a bit clunky and requires a bit of effort, and ultimately it's nothing more than a 'it's neat' feature. It's more something you'd use to show off to people.

-The iMP-450 apparently remembers the position of the last 10 CDs when you turned it off/ejected them. I wasn't counting, but it went right back to its place on the handful of CDs I put back in it. Definitely a neat feature, if not essential.

Very good sound, but finicky at times
This is a good player most of the time, and sounds great.The main reason I got it was for the" line out", because I listen through a dedicated (home) headphone amplifier, and occasionally electrostatic headphones as well. However, since the unit's volume control affects it (line out), and headphones can be driven by it, I don't think that this "line out" is much different from the headphone output.
It is very noisy, mechanically, and I can hear it from across the room.These noises do not transmit through the headphones, though, and do not disturb me while listening to music.
One CD in my collection, which consists of two tracks of about thirty minutes each, although brand new, does not play at all on the 450.The recording does play on all my other CD players, including my trusty Panasonic portable SL-S320 (c. 1997).This particular CD is not really "music" - its one of the Jeffery Thompson CD sets from The Relaxation Company, called THETA MEDITATION SYSTEM.Maybe the "advanced" electronics in the 450 do not recognize the data on one of the two CD's as music and cannot play it.Just a guess.
The iRiver player also goes silent for a few seconds on other CDs, which play perfectly on my other players, but this is a minor annoyance and most CDs play without problems.I should mention that I've used this player exclusivly at home, and it sits flat on an audio stand.I don't know how well it operates while walking, jogging, etc., since I have not tried it during these activities.
After reading about some of the other customers' experiences, I am not going to return it because the replacement one may be worse.As far as the reviewer who is suspicious about some of the other (alleged) reviewers' honesty when they reported bad experiences:[...]I recently bought a DVD player that many people reported trouble with, but mine works perfectly.I don't doubt that some units were defective - I was just lucky.
Overall, this is an above-average sounding player.
Music, especially when operating with the flat batteries, the additional AA power supply, a battery-driven headphone amplifier, and good headphones, is very engaging, detailed and accurate. In this setup, playing CDs, it sounds more like a large component than a portable.

Very Disappointed
I was very disappointed with the iRiver SlimX 450.I got two players, and both were defective.The first made this really loud clicking sound as it played and would stop on its own and be non-responsive.The iRiver customer rep said it probably had a bad motor.

I exchanged it for another one thru Amazon.This one played, but it too would stop randomly during playback.I tried recharging the batteries and even connected the AA battery pack, and still it would stop during playback.Other times I would try starting it and it would hang up during loading with nothing happening.The troubleshooting section in the manual was no help for either of these problems. iRiver again said it was probably a defective power unit.I particularly had trouble with playback of CD-Rs I made using wave files (they play fine in every other player I and my friends have ever tried).Sometimes the player would halt for 15 seconds, as though it was covering a skip, but the player was sitting on the table.

Being 0-for-2, I'm going back to Sony probably.I got this unit because the other iRiver CD players came highly recommended.When it was working, I found the player to have decent sound.The unit is very slim.The remote unit was generally intuitive, but some of the icons on it (like for shuffle play) are soooo tiny that you cannot decipher them.Plus they try to put too much functionality in some of the buttons. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Designed to be the ultimate portable digital music player, the S50 offers memory, features, and a unique design unmatched in today's market. With 128 MB built-in memory, the S50 gives you up to four hours of continuous, skip-free listening. Plus, the S50's memory is upgradeable to 256 MB with the addition of a standard MMC memory card (not included). In addition to its sizable memory, the Rio S50 is loaded with useful features, including a large backlit screen (great when listening in unlit places), a clock and stopwatch, an integrated FM tuner, a carrying case, and an impressive battery life of up to 35 hours on just a single AA battery (up to 20 hours with the included rechargeable battery).

Rio Music Manager software boasts an easy-to-navigate interface, speeding and simplifying the transferring of MP3 and WMA files from a PC to the S50. Rio Music Manager software also contains an advanced and intuitive database thatlets you store all your music and sort by artist, album, or genre. In addition, the software lets you create and name playlists, and incorporates an ID3 tag editor to help update titles and artist information.

Adjustable EQ, repeat, and shuffle play modes deliver all the features you expect in a top-of-the-line portable music player. Bundled RealOne Player and iTunes music management software ensure that your S50 is PC and Mac compatible out of the box, and software upgrades can be downloaded to support future digital audio formats and keep your Rio S50 up-to-date. ... Read more

Features

• Supports MP3 and Windows Media (WMA), letting you scale the quality and playing time
• Integrated FM radio tuner, clock, and stopwatch
• Up to 35-hour battery life on 1 AA alkaline battery (or up to 20 hours with the included rechargeable battery)
• 128 MB of built-in memory holds up to 4 hours of your favorite music
• Upgradeable memory can be increased to 256 MB simply by adding a standard MMC memory card

Reviews (57)

Light and powerful player
I'm really impressed by the Rio S50, its light weight and powerful output is unmatched by any player on the market.I paid $90 dollars for the unit and $75 for a 512 mb memory card.With the onboard 128mb ram, 640mb ram total I was able to store approximately 10 hours of music all for about $165.This is impressive considering prices almost a year ago.The audio quality and the units 5 band adjustable equalizer, matched with a good set of headsets (Koss 'The Plug' earbuds), deliver superb bass and crystal clear highs without any distortion throughout the entire volume range; you'll never get caught short of audio quality (something to take for granted nowadays with most units at this price.) The S50 will never seriously compete with the more expensive units such as the ipod in storage(the ipod is basically a hard drive.), although the s50 may be more rugged. However, if you're measuring light weight vs. quality, ruggedness and storage size vs. price the s50 is definitely a way to go.The s50 is my champ in the light weight department, with no moving parts except for the on off switch it's a reliable companion on just about any trip or climate.I wouldn't hesitate to throw it into my backpack or luggage for a week-long outing.You may want to bring along an extremely light-weight FM/Am radio, though; On the rare occasion when I did want to listen to the radio, I never picked up any stations reliably. This is truly an mp3 player enthusiasts unit.

Horrible Company!!!
Bought one of this company's mp3 players and I lost my cord which connects it to the computer. I ordered a replacement and waited WEEKS to get it despite the next day air priority shipping. For over a week they showed that it was ready to ship, but they still didn't send it out. If you buy this item, pray you never have to replace a part!

Great player, poor radio
The performance of this unit for playing mp3s is AOK. The radio is not good enough, and I frequently find myself carrying a radio in another pocket when I carry the S50. I would love to have the same thing with 256 MB built in--and dispense with the radio if they can't do better than this.

Don't waste your money
A piece of junk.Had mine for just over a year and the on/off switch and the DC input broke.Customer support for Rio is a technical answering service in India, good luck.They won't replace it.Now it's worthless after owning it for only a year.

I love my Rio! :)
I've had my rio for almost a year now and I love it.I have never had a problem with it.The sound is great and the eq works really well. The menu is very easy to use. It even has a hold mode so you can't push the buttons by accident. The software is very easy to use it just finds all your music and you just select it and download them to the player which happens in a few minutes. I have never been shocked by mine nor has it ever skipped. I have a 256mb card inside it so I'm up to 384 which is like 85-88 tracks. If you get a larger card then you'll have even more storage. What I like to do is get cheap low mb card and copy whole cds to them and carry around a few cards. The only down side is the radio doesn't have very good reception. It does work great occasionally. Oh and the earbuds aren't that great but who hasn't bought a player of some sort the didn't come with a crappy head set. So if you want a radio with your mp3 player that this is not the one for you but if you don't mind then go pick this one up. ... Read more

Product Description

TV shows on the go! The ARCHOS AV120 Video Recorder is the first handheld personal entertainment center. It combines a modular MP4 video player and recorder, MP3 music player and recorder, digital photo wallet and data storage in a compact device that fits in the palm of your hand. With the enclosed DVR attachment, you can record off your television, VCR or camcorder directly into MP4. What you will playback is an AVI format file with MPEG4-SP VHS quality video and MP3 stereo sound. To make recording even easier a remote control is supplied with the JBM Digital Video Recorder. While a standard tape can only hold 2-4 hours of video, your Jukebox has a 40 hour capacity, depending on the resolution you choose. More than enough to enjoy your favorite movies while on the move or, to take video information with you for your work. Complete MP3 functionality is also included: record directly into MP3 from any audio source! Listen to your MP3 tracks from the AV120 Video Recorder connected to your home stereo, or take your tunes with you. You never need be without your favorite music as your entire CD collection fits on the Jukebox' hard disk, in the palm of your hand! The built-in microphone also enables you to use the AV120 Video Recorder as a voice recorder providing 1,000 hours capacity. Use the AV120 as a photo wallet and viewer. The Jukebox can store up to 200,000 photos for easy viewing by your family, friends, customers or colleagues. ... Read more

Features

• Combination modular MPEG-4 video player, MP3 music player and recorder, digital wallet, and date storage device
• Enjoy anywhere 40 hours of near-DVD quality MPEG-4 video with MP3 sound
• Built-in microphone enables you to use the AV120 as a voice recorder providing 1,000 hours capacity
• Stores up to 200,000 photos for easy viewing by your family, friends, customers or colleagues
• Compatible with Windows 98 SE, ME, 2000, XP, or Mac OS 9.2 or X or later

Reviews (4)

Watching my money go down the drain!!!
This is the second one of these I purchased for my son.The first one was the AV120 - this one is the AV 140. The first one accidentally dropped on the carpet and the plazma in the screen distorted all images.It is extremely sensitive and for the price you would think that it would be able to withstand a little more shock.The second one I purchased was an AV140 seemed to fair slightly better.Although, after about a month (without being dropped) the screen plazma started to bleed into the screen.This has not been a product to rave about.

The software that came with it is the second part of the nightmare.It releases enough spyware on your computer to cause major problems.

My son is very disappointed, I'm extremely pissed.

JUNK!
This review is for the Archos Jukebox 10 GB MP3 Player which seems to have been discontined, and I am posting this only to warn others like me who look at those oh-so-futuristic images of the product and then kiss their money goodbye!

The short story: The Archos Jukebox 10 is a mediocre, grossly overpriced mp3 player whose manufacturers had the good sense to hire a brilliant photographer.

The not-so-short story:
1) It only looks futuristic on a web page...just hold one in your hands to see that up close, it looks like one of those clunky east european electronic devices with awkward panels of buttons that move (even when u r not operating them!) like the loose teeth of a kid!

2) At just casual contact with another electronic device (in my back pack), its paint peeled off in a large swathe...flimsy painting job. Underneath was disturbingly cheap plastic.

3) And not just the outside...inside is an even more pathetic story. Although I have handled it with kidgloves, the device throws up the most crazy glitches for no reason whatsoever. In the middle of playback, it skips tracks and sometimes just hangs (like a PC) for no obvious reason.

4) Unreliable OS. Don't even depend on its recording capability. I once recorded an interview with it (so I could transfer the mp3 file to a webpage) and within 5 mins in to the interview it just spluttered...and shut down. When I rebooted, the file was just not there! Yes, I had charged the battery to full before the interview began. So if you are recording something critical an analog taperecorder is cutting-edge compared with the Archos.

5) To be fair, it has its uses : as an mp3 player (even if a mediocre one) and as a spare hard disk.


All said, the Archos is not even worth the time I spend writing this unfavorable review, but if it will help even one reader out there, I would think it was worth my time.

Great Player, But Bad Batteries!!!
Well, I bought a AV120, and I have filled half of it already. It has great tech. Videos & photos can be seen clearly in color, and the screen isn't that small. All the description Amazon fives explain what it does clear enough, but the only problem it has are the batteries. In a way, it'd be better to have a discman or cd player, for you can change when they expire, but with the Jukeboxes, you have to charge them. On the manual, it says you have to do it for 3hr, but it doesn't explain or tell how much they will last. I charged it for 2hr, and that was how long it lasted, but what if you go on an 8hr trip, and there is nowhere to charge the batteries? Try changing the batteries? that's a good idea, but you have to take the screws, and that ain't as easy. But besides this little defect, it id great. If you'll use it for short trips, it's a great aid to keep you entertained

Does everything it says it does
The Jukebox works fine and does every thing it can perfectly. Its quite an amazing device giving the fact that you can watch clear DVD quality movies on that little screen and record directly off of a TV, computer etc.This is alot more convenient than buying a portable DVD player and bringing that on an airplane, train etc.
It is extremly simple to use, if you have a current version of Windows (or mac) , than all you have to do is plug it into your computer's USB, and it will then instantly pop up as a second harddisk on your computer screen (for example, in the My Computer folder in windows).Archos definitly hit the spot in the Ease of use catagory.GREAT as a Laptop companion. I have been able to store more than 45 CDs on my Juke box (I have the 20gb model) and I still have used up only 1/4th of the space on Mp3 format(yes, the music plays clearly and their is a whole menu where you can adjust Bass, Treble, pitch etc. Great on Storage

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The only problem I have with jukboxes (yea, all jukeboxes) is that you still can not take this to places where you will be away from AC power, or places where the Jukebox could get damaged. I have recently taken the Jukebox to Austrailia and back, and it has been great on those long flights, but you would have to watch your battery life. (with a cd player, you just have to replace those affordable Alkaline batteries, not with Jukeboxes). It has also has been great on space. It is nearly a hundred times smaller than a CD player + all the CDs you have to carry with it. .

So in conclusion the Archos AV 120 / 140 is PERFECT for home and office use, short trips and short airplain flights. It is also good for vacations where you know you would be visiting a AC power socket for re charging the battery. The only place where the Jukebox does not belong are places where it could get damaged (example, boating) or places where you would be away from power, in those cases, you should take your more durable CD player.

I find Archos AV 120/ AV 140
A Highly Recomended Product ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Imagine being able to take your entire music collection with you everywhere you go. The Archos Jukebox 6000 portableMP3 player makes that dream real in a surprisingly small package and at a surprisingly low price. With its 6 GB portable hard drive (similar to the ones used in laptop PCs), the Jukebox 6000 can store over 100 albums and offers the tools you need to easily navigate and manage your tunes.

When we took the Jukebox 6000 into hand, we were immediately surprised at its small size. Measuring 4.5 by 3.2 x 1.3 inches and weighing only 12 ounces, it's much smaller and lighter than other similar players with 6 GB hard drives. The unit runs on a rechargeable NiMH battery that can deliver up to eight hours of playback on a single charge.

Installation went very smoothly, aided by the clearly written manual. We inserted the driver disk and plugged the unit into our PC's USB port. Windows found and installed the appropriate drivers, and the Jukebox 6000 showed up as a hard drive in Windows Explorer. (The Archos Jukebox 6000 is compatible with Windows 98, Me, or 2000, or a Mac running OS 8.6 or higher.) Transferring music files couldn't have been simpler--we just dragged and dropped files as with any hard drive. The Jukebox also works as an external hard drive for storing nonmusic files, making it perfect for making backups or transporting large files.

Of course, with so much storage capacity, organization becomes an issue. Since it's essentially a USB hard drive, we used folders to arrange our files. We made a Rock folder to store all our head-banging albums, a Jazz folder for the Louis Armstrong collection, and so on. The Jukebox shows the folder names on its backlit LCD display, making navigation very simple. Using the included MusicMatch Jukebox software, we could also create MP3 playlists of our favorite songs, an extremely useful feature for organizing music.

The buttons on the face of the unit offer quick navigation, and there's a menu-driven system for setting volume, bass/treble, and random and repeat modes. The Jukebox comes with a pair of plastic headphones that clip over your ears and have a headband that swings around the back of your head. We found them comfortable to wear, and they provided a clear, crisp sound. There's also a line-out for connecting to your stereo system.

The Jukebox is quite rugged and very resistant to jolts, and it comes with a carrying case, which adds further protection. However, the manual recommends you keep it within a 30-degree angle of a horizontal or vertical position. Unlike a flash-memory based MP3 player, which has no moving parts, the Jukebox might not be ideal for taking along while jogging or doing other intense activity.

The Archos Jukebox 6000 finally puts an end to the problem of which songs to put on your MP3 player by letting you include all of them. It sets a new standard for MP3 players, offering huge storage capacity in a small, well-designed package.--Ken Feinstein

Pros:

• Very small and lightweight
• 6 GB memory can store over 100 albums
• Rechargeable battery

Cons:

• Not ideal for active usage

Features

• Fast USB plug-and-play connection
• Dual stereo line out with stereo headphones
• Dual 6-gigabyte (GB) MP3 player and hard drive
• Stores over 100 hours of CD-quality music, or approximately 150 albums
• 2-megabyte (MB) memory buffer stores from 30 to 100 seconds of music to prevent interruptions

Reviews (189)

Buyer beware
My Archos Jukebox 6000 was defective right out of the box. When I contacted their customer service, the representative suggested I try standard batteries instead of rechargeable ones. When this didn't solve the problem I contacted them again. They then informed me they would repair the unit for "a flat fee of $65.00".

good...but not that good
Bought my archos 2yrs ago. Astonished by the amount of available space. Ended up converting and downloading most of my music colection into it. Used it evry day. It finally died a couple of weeks ago first due to battery connections stopping the re-charge, then catastrophic failure of the control buttons. Very Sad, much missed. ow looking for a replacement.

Piece of garbage..throw it against the wall
This product has OTB (out of the box) failures galore.I am not a demanding person of sound quality but here is the skinny:Shoddy workmanship on control button, lousy support, no documentation that helps with troubleshooting or even has simple instructions to shut it off, support software package failed to install on my computer and generaly faulty at birth.The hard drive immediately failed and the unit sounds like a mini 747 at take off when the hard drive is accessed.AVOID IT AT ALL COSTS..IT IS GARBAGE.

a pile of ****
ive had it for about a year and in the beggingin it ran great. now i cant even connect it to my pc. i have win 2k pro and win xp pro. as soon as i connect it, i get the bsod. ive never gotten the bsod b4 while runing xp or 2k. get a ipod, it costs more, but u get better quality and faster transfer speeds. in conclusion stay far away from archos products!!

Waste Of Money
I received a 6GB Archos in November of 2000.The original I received was defective and was returned for a different one; which wasn't much better.I didn't want an mp3 player so it sat on my shelf for 3 months collecting dust because I had no Mp3s to put onto it.I then started using it on and off for a while because it seemed easier than hauling around CDs.The batteries that came with it started dying after about a year and I was forced to replace them.It stopped after a year and a half charging to the electrical outlet cord.I then had to remove the batteries from the unit to charge.The battery connectors inside the Archos were poorly made so with the slightest movement the Archos would shut off and then sometimes it'd shut off for no reason.It crashed multiple times in a day.It finally died for good, not even reaching it's 3rd birthday.I was happy that day too, just had to wait awhile to find a replacement Mp3 player, I went with a Verge 256MB (Excellent!) which costs around 150 and is extremely light and easy to use with any Windows system and I also have a 3rd Generation 20GB iPod, also wonderful just because of the protection file sharing software it can be a pain and it can also be a pain to set up with a PC.Don't buy Archos products they're pieces of crap, look else where! ... Read more