Take your MP3s on the road!
Written: Jun 03 '01
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Pros: Good navigation, good (not perfect) compatibility
Cons: Problems with bitrates over 256 kbps, no remote
The Bottom Line: Although not perfect, the XP-MP3 is still a very good MP3-CD player and is actually better than other players which cost more.
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| rpotencz's Full Review: Aiwa XP-MP3 Personal CD Player |
If you want to play MP3 files "on the road", you currently have three options: MP3-CD players, players with memory cards, and players with integrated hard drives. The memory card players (such as the original Rio) have a relatively small capacity, are expensive and you have to connect them to your computer everytime to download other songs. Their advantage is that they're small and completely solid state (no moving parts) so they won't skip no matter how hard you shake them. From the third category I only know one example - the Creative Labs Jukebox, which can hold huge amounts of songs but is also very expensive. Because of the integrated HDD, I would also be reluctant to treat it too roughly. The last category, MP3-CD players, only makes sense if you have a CD writer, but if you have one, it's definitely the best choice.
I have looked at several models and finally chosen the AIWA XP-MP3. I've had an Aiwa portable CD player before and wasn't dissapointed, and this one is no different. What it has in common with all Aiwa CD players is the "EASS" anti-shock system (10 s, works only with CDs), the "DSL" dynamic sound generator (3 steps), and the possibility to charge the batteries directly in the device. The blue/silver design is nice, and the main controls are all located in an oval shape, so finding the buttons "blindly" is easy after you get used to their placement. Nevertheless, at this price a remote on the headphone cable wouldn't have been too much to ask for... Talking of accessories: The AC adapter is very bulky, almost twice as large as that of my old CD player. The headphones are OK, but nothing to shout about, and, as said, there's no remote. There are also no batteries included, unlike with other, cheaper, Aiwa CD players. One other thing: The XP-MP3 is, by today's standards, unusually large. It's almost twice as "thick" as my old CD player.
For playing CDs, it has all the features you would expect, but I assume you will want to use it as an MP3 player, so I will focus on that. The navigation features are good: The Aiwa has separate buttons for skipping between albums (i.e. directories on the CD) and tracks (these can also be used for fast forward/rewind, unlike the Philips Expanium). The large display is easy to read, although not backlit (no it's not, no matter what's written in the product description on this site), and shows the album and track number as well as a dot matrix display for track time/directory name+file name/ID3 tag (you can switch between the modes with the "Display" button). Also, there is the "Resume" function: you can stop playback, and when you press "Play" again, the player starts at the spot where you stopped. The Aiwa does this very reliably, and it remembers the resume point until you remove the disc.
As I said, the EASS doesn't work with MP3 files. While it's not easy to throw the XP-MP3 off the track in MP3 mode, once you've managed to do it, the player takes up to 10 seconds to resume playing. So, I wouldn't go jogging with it... Then again, I don't jog, so it doesn't bother me :)
The sound quality is pretty good, better than WinAmp+my soundcard.
There is another big problem for MP3 players: compatibility. The Aiwa swallows almost all MP3 files you can throw at it, but unfortunately it has problems with bit rates over 256 kbps, which are rare but becoming more common. Strangely, it plays some 256 kbps files just fine, while with others it still plays the file, but the sound is muted ! Also, it seems to ignore directories with names containing spaces. On the plus side, it supports multisession CDs (CDs which are recorded in more than one go). This compatibility record, while not perfect, is better than that of most other MP3-CD players I have heard of.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 200
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Epinions.com ID:
rpotencz
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Reviews written: 2
Trusted by: 1 member
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