Reviews related to : MP3 players
Storing your music collection in MP3 format is just the first stage as you let your creativity take over with help from a product from Magix.
Although various competitive formats have appeared since its introduction, MP3 remains the choice for many when storing their music. It does not matter whether the original tracks were stored on vinyl, tape, CD or Internet based sites, the content generally ends up in MP3 format on a computer’s hard disk. But once it there, what do you do with it? Magix MP3 Maker offers a range of features designed to help you take the next steps.
Here I am looking at two items that come from the company that charges $3 US shipping no matter how large your order. Fist an MP3 player that looks like a largish Lego brick and then an Alarm Clock radio that takes SD cards so you can wake to your choice of music guaranteed.
BB5003 MP3 Player Lego Brick This is a MP3 player but instead of using either internal memory or that of a USB stick it uses a Micro SD card (the ones most mobile phones use) this also gives you another way of transferring content from your phone to a PC or visa versa. It is 5.5x3.x1.5cm and mine was yellow but I think there are other colours.
Adding to the range of iPod accessories, not developed by Apple, is a new speaker and recharging unit from Logitech.
click to enlarge The influence of the iPod phenomena continues to spread. The latest example of this trend to come my way is the Pure-Fi Anywhere product. Developed by Logitech, this product is a one-piece, portable speaker set with a centrally positioned docking station for the ubiquitous iPod.
Apple were arguably late to the MP3 market - but when they got there, they certainly made an
impact. Five generations on and the original distinctive iPod family were joined by the 'Touch',
sporting many of the same features but in a significantly different package.
click to enlarge The iPod Touch arrives in a fairly small package, sporting John Lennon on the front. Inside the box you'll find the device itself, Apples hallmark white headphones, white USB cable, a docking adaptor to allow the Touch form factor to work with the existing range of iPod accessories, a cleaning cloth and a tiny perspex stand.
Goodman’s Internet Radio Plus and Plus GWF101IP
Published in Entertainment
by paul_smart
on May 21, 2008
This is a very good Internet radio that can work wired or wireless, stereo not mono as some are and the first plus is that it can also be used to play the content from your iPod. The second plus you will need to read on to find out about.
This WiFi Internet radio from Goodmans is 25x11x14cm and shiny black with a matt black front grill that has the 6x4cm four line LCD display sunk into it. The top has two rows of six push buttons with a large touch wheel at either end. All are clearly labelled and unless you are a total novice setting up will be simple. The other connections are on the back outputs for earbuds and a stereo along with the Ethernet input.
This is a music player and not as you might think a phone. In shape and size you could easily mistake it for a phone. To be precise it is a digital media player as it will play video as well as audio and of course it will display .jpg still images.
click to enlarge The new Sony Walkman NWZ-A829 is 9.5x5x1cm and weights around 80grams. It has a TFT screen of 5x3.8cm. It has two buttons below the TFT screen as well as the ubiquitous five position joystick arrangement between them. The base has input for earbuds and the proprietary USB lead. The left side, the top and the back are all clear apart from a small indentation in the rear for a stand (not provided in my sample).
Three items from Belkin all sold as accessories for the iPod. First a clear Acrylic and brushed metal case. Next TuneBase FM that let’s you listen to your iPod through your car stereo and finally a dock that allows you to charge and Sync your iPod. Is this iPod heaven?
Clear Acrylic and Brushed-Metal Case The model I was sent works with iPod's with video. The dimensions are 10.5x6.5x1.5cm. The front was blue brushed metal with the rest acrylic apart from the area over the click wheel that is a thinner plastic that enables protection for the wheel while at the same time enabling you to use it. The area over the screen seems to cause no distortion to the image displayed.
This is certainly not just another MP3 player. It is small enough to fit in even a child’s palm, it has a good four line display as well as for good measure an FM radio and a voice recorder.
The Sansa Clip music player is 5.5x3.5x1.5cm and weighs only 27grams. Mine was black with the sliders on each side in a silver/grey colour. The rear of the unit has a good strong clip built in and once clipped to a pocket or belt it will stay there even for those active types who jog or run. Just above this almost invisible on the top edge is the pin hole microphone. The front has the small display 2.3x1.
A refreshingly straightforward product that does not try to be all things to all
people. Instead it tackles one thing and does it rather well!
This is a total touchscreen MP3 player that can also play video and much more. The only physical controls are on the top the on/off hold and on the side the tiny record button.
It is 10x5x1cm and finished in a matt metal effect with chromed sides. The total weight is only 65grams it will sit comfortably in your palm. The hold (lock) part of the unit is very important as when it is in your pocket the slightest touch on the screen is likely to change tracks. The screen is 5x3.6cm and it can display video quite well.
Zoom H2 Handy Recorder - A "musthave" for the chattering classes?
Zoom set up in 1990 to provide sound gear and effect processors to the music industry. The company offers a range of sound mixing desks with recording facilities and a number of recording units. Until recently, I had used a mini disk recorder for background sound and sound bites for use with my films and video. My MDR disappeared in my son's direction, never to be seen again, so I was in the market for a new recording device.
Firstly a clock that can wake you to your favourite MP3 track and second a clock that runs on water and does so much more. Both these units are tiny and great for those who travel.
My Music Box MP3 Digital Player This is a 7cm black cube with a grey metal face that contains a 5x2cm LED display. Below this are seven buttons that control the clock and what MP3 track you play. The left and right sides have speaker grills while the back has the battery insertion point (four 'AA') a mini USB cable and slot for SD or MMC card. There is an instruction sheet.
Although many users tend only to think of Olympus as a developer and manufacturer of traditional and digital cameras, the company also has a long established reputation for producing high quality digital voice recorders.
Recently the company expanded its range of voice recorders with three new models in its DS series. These models are the DS-30, DS-40 (the subject of this review) and the DS-50. Measuring 110 x 37.5 x 16mm and weighing 73g, the DS-40 is a handy size device in more ways than one. It will fit easily into a pocket or bag, without an unsightly bulge, when not in use.
Alba Personal MP3 Player (4GB) with SD Card Slot
Published in Entertainment
by paul_smart
on Oct 3, 2007
This unit is tiny, it will easily fit in the palm of your hand but that does not stop it having a decent display and lots of memory that can be further expanded by adding an SD card
This Alba 4Gbyte personal MP3 player is 5.5x4.5x1.5cm and the weight with it's single 'AAA' battery inserted is less than 50grams. The front has a 3x1cm LCD display that does not stop it having a very readable three line display that appears black on pale green (with backlight off) and black on pale blue (with backlight on). The unit is black with a sort of silver/grey border around the LCD display and joystick.
All your music on an iPod? Fed up with wearing headphones everywhere? Yearning for
a 'traditional' music experience? You need one of the variety of 'solutions' to this
problem - a traditional Hi-Fi, but with an added 'iPod slot'.
In this case I'm reviewing a product the Sharp . The box boasts
"Plays and Charges your iPod with ". I think it's the
playing that is high-fidelity rather than the charging! We've given it a road test. i-Elegance High Fidelity Sound First of all a summary. From the picture you'll see the box looks a lot like
a traditional portable stereo.
The Altec Lansing iM600 joins a growing list of systems that form part of the 'iPod economy' - the
industry that has grown up around the worlds favourite media player.
Since I last looked at a voice recorder they have come a very long way, no tapes now they have built in memory and the sound quality is light years away from what it was.
There are in fact three different machines the DS-30, DS-40 and the top of the range DS50. They are different colours and the size of the built in memory varies. Whichever one you get they all record in WMA but to avoid death by initials I will just say you can pick recording rates from the worst LP 8kHz (8kbps) up to STXQ 44.1kHz (128kbps).
Apple have unveiled a torrent of changes to their iPod range of entertainment
devices (they do a lot more than play music now!). Have the change done enough to
boost Apples sales for another holiday season?
Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple, was in fine fettle delivering his 90 minute keynote speech to the Apple faithful this week as he rattled through product after product and feature after feature. All members of the range have been revamped, and a brand new product has been
added to bring the iPhone interface to the media player family.
100,000,000 iPods sold - time to take a closer look!
Published in Entertainment
by petew
on Aug 30, 2007
In April this year, Apple announced that the 100 millionth iPod had been sold. That figure is mind blowing
in it's own right. So what's all the fuss about? To find out I've taken a look at the Apple iPod Shuffle, the latest
second generation version.
Before even opening the box, you're struct by to things. Firstly - this thing is . Secondly the packaging is tiny. At about 4cm by 2.5cm the is around the same size as commemorative postage stamps. It's a little thicker of course at around 1cm, and weights in at a hefty 15 grammes. That really is tiny and potentially very easy to loose. You don't really want to put something that small into a protective cover - because that would probably double the size.
Rather than headphones, you can use your FM radio to listen to your MP3 tracks.
The first time I came across a FM Transmitter device it was legal to buy but illegal to use. This strange state of affairs was brought about by legal restrictions on the use of FM transmission bandwidths, a situation that dated back to the Second World War, within the . Fortunately, following the lead set by some other countries and representation made to the government, these restrictions, which applied to low power FM transmitters, have now been removed.
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