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To: SunkenCiv

Errr... I've been meaning to finish a review on it - I'll post it in a day or so.

Short review: sounds great, easy to use, you don't necessarily NEED an MP3 player to use it, and definitely worth the $24.59 I paid for it.


51 posted on 04/25/2005 8:40:05 PM PDT by solitas (So what if I support a platform that has fewer flaws than yours? 'Mystic' dual 500 G4's, OSX.3.7)
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To: solitas

Wow, $25, that is cheap. It appears to just run off memory cards, so I was thinking about this. I've got a Dazzle, which is a multi-card gizmo that plugs into USB, and lets me grab camera images more efficiently (and without burning down the rechargeable camera batteries). I've got a couple of bone-idle Macs (with bigger drives than my primary machine) over on the quiet side of this room. I could rip gigs of CD tracks, then put the machines to work MP3ing the files, while I sat on my big behind over here and surfed the web. When the 4 GB CompactFlash cards are available, I'd be ready to drive around with quite a huge library, hmm, 57 hours? I think a CD holds about 10 hours...


52 posted on 04/25/2005 10:32:44 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (FR profiled updated Monday, April 11, 2005. Fewer graphics, faster loading.)
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To: solitas
Not much of a review of it (hereafter called TheToy), but here it goes:

Haven't tried to hack with it yet but it tunes 87.7 to 88.9 in .2 steps (cycles to each of the 7 channels with each button-press).

Instructions say it reads MP3s of 32k-128k (my initial test ones were downloads at 128k and I've since tried bitrates from 32k to 320k and they all seem to play OK) and says all files must be in the root-level of the USB drive. I _had_ files in the root level and in a couple of folders and it ultimately read _all_ of them.

STILL have to determine in what order it reads them - I've tried all kinds of things and nothing makes sense; BUT it will always read them the same way. Sounds pretty good. Skip fwd/rev buttons function as volumes up/down if you hold the buttons a couple of seconds. Play/pause button. Does NOT hold track info if it gets unplugged (won't pick up where it left off). FM worked well from the cig lighter to the (broken) antenna on the rear quarter - haven't done any DX tests with a separate radio yet. Fwd/rev buttons are per-file - cannot 'scratch' to a point in the middle of a file. Unit gets a little warm after a while (circuitry inside), but nothing objectionable or alarming.

Gonna play with power requirements (has a replaceable 1/2A fuse inside it; with a spare in the package) to see if I can run it easily off a 'wall wart' power supply for indoor use.

Comes with a 3' long stereo 3.5mm plug to a 2.5mm plug cable (2.5mm end fits TheToy). My MPIO FL-100 works fine with it (good dynamic range, low noise) but since TheToy has no EQ selection I have to use the EQ adjustments in the player and/or the radio.

For $25 to let me play files off a USB keychain (and not _have_ to carry a more expensive, and more delicate, MP3 player) it's definitely a keeper.

58 posted on 05/01/2005 7:43:07 PM PDT by solitas (So what if I support a platform that has fewer flaws than yours? 'Mystic' dual 500 G4's, OSX.3.7)
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