This Panasonic's Size is Its Selling Point; Everything Else, You Gotta Consider Seriously
Written: Jun 04 '03 (Updated Jun 15 '03)
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Pros: Very Compact
Cons: Memory Size & Transfer Interface
The Bottom Line: A simple MP3 player by a dependable manufacturer can be had with this Panasonic; and it's more compact than the smallest flip-style cell phone.
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| dkmashino's Full Review: Panasonic SV-SD50 (64 MB) MP3 Player |
I travel a lot. And the minimum flight time will always be 5 hours because of where I live. So I have been looking for things to keep me occupied, or at least pacified while I'm sitting on a plane next to someone who wants to have a conversation I'm not intersted in.
So all that said, all I needed was a simple gadget that I could turn to if my portable DVD player was burned out, my laptop was a little too bulky to pull out, or my PDA was cramping my hands.
So that's how I arrived at deciding on an MP3 player. What I wanted out of it was:
1) Small Size
2) Fairly Large Capacity in Storage
3) Dependable & Reputable Manufacturer
About Size: This Panasonic is right on. It's the smallest around just yet -- as far as I can tell. So this feature was, hands down, a selling point.
And About Capacity: Poo-poo on Panasonic! The SD Card media, which it uses, has its largest widely-available capacity at just 256MB; that's roughly only 40-50 songs at a decent bit rate. For lower, 96-128 bit rates, you might squeeze a few dozen more, but hey that's still not a lot of songs for a minimum 5 hour flight. I'd have voted for a larger capacity even if it was an internal standard, augmented by an SD Card media.
And Now About Dependability & Reputation of the Maker: Panasonic is as good as it gets. I compared several models to this from Sony, Toshiba, and the Apple iPod, but I opted for the Panasonic for several reasons:
Sony has several models, including those that use a memory stick, then others that are Mini Disc machines. Sony's smallest model is the netWalkman that uses Sony's memory stick. But considering the largest capacity of a memory stick is 256MB also, then the size of the Sony netWalkman was too large comparing the same capacity of this Panasonic.
Toshiba has a cool machine that uses a PCMCIA hard drive that holds a whopping 5 gigabytes. That's buku stuff compared to the SD Card media, or any other media for that matter. For the size of this machine and its capacity, I would've opted for this, but it was not available locally as yet, so I didn't want to wait.
Apple's iPod is a cool machine also and it has a decent capacity. But it's even slightly larger than Toshiba's player, so I just ended up figuring I wasn't gonna go for that deck-of-cards-sized genre.
So that's how I got to choosing my Panasonic.
As for features, it's bare bones basic, and that's really what I needed. Some features worth mentioning are:
Transfers using Real Player - This Panasonic uses a version of Real Player with a plug-in to facilitate quick transfers. Transfers aren't lightning fast, but they're not slow either. A 64MB card will take roughly 2-3 minutes to upload. It's decent if you're uploading and need to shower.
Display & File Maneuvering on the Unit - Panasonic uses a toggle/jog button to advance or reverse between files, and there are several display modes that facilitate pretty easy access to the different songs you've uploaded to it. The only gripe I have is the display is not backlit, or lit at all. and it does not have a way -- at least not that I've found -- to categorize songs to get between differing genres.
Sound Reproduction - This unit is pretty darn good at sound reproduction. There are a few preset sound modes, including a neat one that says it will cancel out certain levels of sound that may be irritating to those seated next to you. It sounds intriguing but it's a zen-like quest to try and figure out if it's working. So I have no idea just yet on the "Train" mode as it's called. Otherwise, the bass (XBS) and excess bass (XBS-1) modes are superb and they reproduce all types of music genres without any indistinctions.
Battery Life - This unit is powered by a single AAA battery. Having dealt with many different portable devices that use proprietary rechargable batteries, and others using over-the-counter sizes; I favor those that I can just replace with a trip to the drug store. So this is a plus. A 4-pack of AAA batteries is only as big as the unit, so with each trip I make, I have more than 24-60 hours of listening time.
Biggest Peeve - The flap-down, slide cover for the SD Card flips open in use when the unit is strapped around your neck with the provided lanyard. Real bummer since the most use I've had with this is in transit, either going into and out of an airplane, or into and out of a commuter train. They need to fix it, or apply a simple click mechanism to future models.
Overall, this Panasonic was a pretty decent purchase. It's not the best on capacity, but overall, it delivers what I needed and I am able to use it without much hassle.
I'd recommend it if you're not a technie.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 129
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Epinions.com ID:
dkmashino
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Location: Honolulu (Oahu), Hawaii
Reviews written: 19
Trusted by: 2 members
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