As the iPod becomes the Rubik's Cube of this decade, competitors and imitators are bound to follow.

After doing the now-compulsory research on the 'net, I chose the Archos Jukebox Recorder 20 mostly for what it DIDN'T have - namely loads of time-wasting, nanny-culture DRM or proprietary file formats. Attractive as the iPod is, the requirement that one must use iTunes to transfer music was a deal-killer, as well as the inability to move music from player to PC (insulting and silly). It shouldn't be such a struggle to listen to MP3 format but it's the RIAA's favorite bogeyman (as opposed to an endless stream of bubblegum and rap music or high-volume piracy in China?) so many of the hardware manufacturers are trying to play nice as well as stake out their turf. Sony should know better, since their MiniDisc technology is largely a dud; their ATRAC format should suffer a similar fate although their hardware looks promising.

I originally purchased an RCA Lyra unit but that was a huge disappointment that I returned quickly in favor of the Archos.

The AJBR20 is, at its core, a laptop-sized hard disk with a USB interface and Walkman or remote control-type buttons (play/pause, FF/RWD, next/previous and volume controls). Your Windows PC will see the unit as a hard disk or as removable storage and assign it a drive letter. Moving files to or from is achieved using the same mouse clicks/drags as any other file operation in Windows and even DOS commands for us old-school command line types. Folders can be created/moved for organizational purposes. Assuming you use USB 2.0, transfer speeds are quite fast, even when moving large amounts of data (1 GB ).

When disconnected and operating on its own, the AJBR20 provides above average sound quality. Of course, it can sound only as good as your source files. 192k MP3s approach CD quality and frankly anything beyond can be a waste of disk space unless you're a real anorak. It will display IDv2 or IDv3 information as well as a clock, a volume meter, song time elapsed/remaining, and a horizontal scroll bar for additional quick-glance representation of time elapsed/remaining.

Playlists can be created on the unit, but I find that playlist creation and editing is much easier using a Windows app like Winamp and transferring the playlist to the AJBR20. The unit will allow you to shuffle playlists or play them in order. It will also play MP3s in order within a folder/directory or shuffle without the need for a playlist.

Battery life is about 4-5 hours on a good charge and with relatively fresh batteries. After 8-12 months an appreciable decline in battery life and efficiency is noted. Archos once claimed that the batteries were not user-replaceable and made all sorts of noise about invalidated warranties, but the batteries are simply AA size rechargables of a certain rating. Opening the case to replace them is a simple act and while I have not replaced mine I plan on doing so very soon.

This is a rugged unit with rubberized bumpers on all four corners and while I'm not proud to admit that I have dropped mine on occasion it has never failed to operate after a fall.

The LCD window is an unprotected piece of clear plastic. Upon the advice of others I purchased a set of adhesive screen protectors for a PDA (brand/model unimportant) and simply cut a rectangular piece to match the LCD size, to be replaced at will whenever it becomes scratched or cloudy.

The drawbacks of this unit are not many in number, but they are significant:

1) Operating system/interface. The factory-installed interface is basic, even lacking in many departments. Fortunately, enterprising intelligent owners around the globe created a replacement OS called RockBox (rockbox.org). It provides a huge upgrade in terms of fine-tuning, including sound (EQ) and navigation (scrolling speed, etc.). It offers even more esoteric options such as voice announcements/introductions for songs, but that may be beyond the needs/wants of most users.

2) Interface cable has USB type A connectors on both ends. This is not a cable that is commonly seen for sale (usually it's A/B) so keep the cable safe and secure. Archos sells replacements and I purchased one from eBay since it's nice to leave one with the PC and have one for travel/laptop use.

3) Quality control. At the time of writing I am on my second unit. The original's LCD screen would simply blank out at times and a good smack was the only thing that brought it back to life, but eventually it failed altogether. I was within the original 1 year warranty and it was replaced free of charge, but I was forced to re-copy all my files to the new unit. My second unit's LCD screen is starting to lose individual pixels and fades/blackens when song titles extend off the viewable screen (!?).

4) Buttons tend to get a bit loose and rattle. My ON button has decided to rotate freely and must be coaxed back into its original position in order to be of any use (i.e., it won't depress when upside down).

5) Plays MP3 format and only MP3 format. I am not bothered personally but there are zealots out there who extoll the virtues of other formats (OGG, e.g.) and take it personally when an electronic device does not permit their use.

For car use I have both a cassette adapter for one vehicle and Belkin's FM transmitter for another, which allows the output from the Jukebox to be heard over any FM frequency (ideally one not in use locally) on the car's radio.

To the best of my knowledge Archos has replaced this product in their line with the Gmini (sic) line. Unfortunately, the Rockbox gang have not rewritten the Gmini interface and I am hesitant to trade up if the open-source community does not go first.

Jukebox Recorders are available mostly in aftermarket, overstock or used outlets (eBay) and at around $130 are quite a bargain compared to an iPod or other competing items.




Recommended: Yes