Pros: Compact, lightweight, comparatively inexpensive, simple features, USB connectivity, memory upgradeable, wrist/arm mounting for exercise use.
Cons: No firmware upgradeability for recent 128MB MMC card, computer OS compatibility issues, shoddy customer support.
The Bottom Line: Is good (until something better available) for the exercising listener, not the audiophile. RCA needs to: redesign case for weatherproofness/mountability, make memory/firmware upgradeable, rethink PC interface, rethink customer support ideas.
tempus_fugit's Full Review: RCA RD1000 Kazoo (32 MB) MP3 Player
The RD1000 (32MB) k@zoo! is, if nothing else, a good concept (solid-state memory is a good application here). It is delivered in a compact package and is designed for space-savers and on-the-go listeners who do not care to carry more weighty cassette / disc players presently on the market. It has a relatively good sound, with good volume control and some bass/mid/treble presets for slight sound enhancements. It has the advantage of a USB connection which makes the player connection to the PC simple. This player overall is very basic, with minimal features -- ok for the runner, but perhaps not for the audiophile.
My primary reason for purchasing this item was literally for "music on the run". And as I have a heavy penchant for running/exercising in not-always-ideal conditions, I needed something which could stand up to at least a modicum of this (and with the exception of a few flaws mentioned later -- it could almost succeed). Full fledged features such as an AM/FM tuner (which this player does not have) in addition to the mp3 features would have been a plus, but in my case, unnecessary.
To address the portability issue, RCA designed the k@zoo nicely compact, about a third larger in size than a small matchbox. Additionally, the player comes with a clear plastic cover, which allows the player to be mounted (by feeding the strap through a loop on the case) on a 1" - 1 1/4" width belt or the included 1" elastic wrist/arm strap. Also included is a lanyard to attach directly to the player(not the cover as do the wrist strap or a belt) for hanging around the neck.
For those who, like me, buy this item for musical distractions during heavy exercise (I notice avid runners in particular are looking for something besides the high price [$199] of the Nike psa]play120 mp3 player), it should be noted that the plastic cover which would be needed to protect it is much like the material of one of those nifty little clear umbrellas or raincoats that kids wear. It is not terribly weatherproof (and as I've found, certainly not rain or shockproof) and only provides a smidgen of protection for this little investment. The belt/wrist strap attachment loop on this plastic cover is also prone to splitting, which completely renders that type of mounting useless if it is damaged (which is generally rapid from normal wear). And getting a new cover for this player is quite a hassling wait, though it can be done by begging the manufacturer (or, if you're lucky, you might be able to talk an extra case out of a retail seller). RCA simply does not seem to put any stock into this rather important feature.
The RD1000 came with 32MB of onboard memory. At a 128KB sampling rate, you might get away with about 30 minutes (generally a bit less, if all recordings are at that rate)) of playing time. While this may be 'OK' for one who needs the running distraction, if you're an audio purist, this is likely not ideal. The player however will play music in .wma format as well as .mp3 -- the .wma format, which does compress the size of music files a little further, but with reduced sound quality. It is not known whether the new mp3PRO format will be supported on this player (a type of mp3 format which creates slightly smaller file sizes, but does maintain and sometimes enhances poorer quality sounds).
A drawback to the player is the specification advertisement that the player will accept a 96MB MultiMediaCard (MMC). Ideally this would round out the players storage capacity to 128MB of file storage. What the reader will find interesting is that currently, there is no such thing as a 96MB MMC card, and RCA has no unprompted answer to this other than the general "we don't make the card, but we can suggest you search the internet for companies that might..." sort of yodel.
Also, keep in mind here that the k@zoo! model with 64MB of onboard memory will only accept a 64MB MMC. So both players really only have the potential to expand to 128MB of memory total! But based on what MMC cards are available, obviously only one of them can reach that capacity. I find this to be a 'sly fox' by RCA. I did however inquire whether or not the recently unveiled 128MB MMC card will be compatible with the player or whether a firmware (the player's "onboard" software) upgrade will be available to allow the player to accept higher capacity memory cards. After a short tooth-pulling email dialogue with RCA customer support, the answer was "no" to both questions.
Finally, the computer interface (MusicMatch Jukebox) is only fair, but workable. But for a novice user or one who likes the idea of dragging and dropping everything in one or two short simple steps, this piece of software may become a bit of a frustration. This software was originally only designed for use with MS Windows 98/Me/2000, and users are reporting some extensive drawbacks for any use with WindowsXP. Currently there is no Mac support (who likely fare better with the iPod anyway :) ).
Direct RCA customer support for this product is quite shoddy, and questions asked by consumers are often replied to with irrelevant, pre-prompted answers. So any dependence on customer support will likely have to be paid for with, at best, a long-distance phone charge, and perhaps a bitten tongue :) However, for a few basic troubleshooting tips, there is an online searchable database which, if 'kazoo' is entered as a keyword in the search box, will turn up around 10 or so questions and answers for a few common problems (i.e. WindowsXP issues) associated with the product.
Upon perusing the RCA site recently, I get the feeling that RCA is placing more stock into their Lyra line of portable audio products, a mainstay in their portable audio advertisements. Although facsimiles of the k@zoo! line are apparently in production, I do not know, what, if any, improvements RCA has made to their design.
Keep in mind that my positive recommendation in this product is only the price v. usability (particularly size and basic features) to a specific on-the-go and no-frills, basic needs consumer. For anyone wanting to invest in something with a few more features, higher memory capacity, upgradeability, and durability (weather / shock proofness), I would look elsewhere, both when some better products develop and prices drop (and both are happening at an astonishing rate).
32 MB flash memory for skip-free playback Plays MP3 audio format USB connection for fast downloads Additional memory slot for MMC cards Windows compat...More at Amazon Marketplace
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.