Pros: Very Small, easy to use, great sounding headphones included, plays WMA files
Cons: Relatively small internal memory capacity, cheap plastic cover for using wrist strap
The Bottom Line: If you need a basic digital audio player and you want the smallest available with a great set of headphones to boot, then this is your little Kazoo.
mhjohns's Full Review: RCA RD1000 Kazoo (32 MB) MP3 Player
I was looking for something to replace my cassette player during my workouts and my CD player was just too big to carry to the gym. I looked for a long time at the minidisc line from Sony but the prices were just too high for what I needed. When I saw the price on the Kazoo at Circuit City $59 with $20 rebate, I knew I found the digital audio player for me.
This thing is only the size of a large beeper. It uses 2 AAA batteries (2 are included). It can accept mp3 or WMA files. The WMA (windows media files) are more compressed with better sound and you can use the windows media player to rip them. You do have to use the included Music Match software to get the files onto your Kazoo using USB connection. It is an easy software to use and very stable. I am using Windows XP and I have had no problems using the Music Match version that came on the CD with the Kazoo. The updated version did not work for me, even with all the Kazoo updates, etc. So, I went back to the older version of the Music Match and I have had no problems using it.
I have 46 minutes on the Kazoo right now which is about 8 songs using 128K down to 64K WMA files. I can hardly tell the difference between the 128K and the 96K files but there is a slight difference in dynamic range between the 128K and the 64K. I think I will probably stick with the 96K size files once I get the extra MMC card that I ordered online. It's a 64Mb card which will put my memory up to 96Mb. That should be close to 2 hours worth of tunes. That's plenty for a workout mix.
I do like the way the Music Match software makes a Music library for my files. I have a cable modem and it automatically finds a CD cover for the folder and adds file names. You can not add file names to the Kazoo, only the track number is shown with song duration. This isn't much of a problem for me since I know what I put on it.
It has a good locking mechanism for keeping the settings while working out. I really like the quality of the included headphones. They are the wrap around neck type that rest over your ears and on the back of your neck. Great for a commute or relaxing in the library but NOT good for working out. I went back to my Sony ear bud type with inline volume control so I could set the volume on the Kazoo, lock it in, and then adjust as needed with the headphone volume control.
In order to use the belt loop or the wrist strap, you have to put the Kazoo in a clear plastic wrap around holder with button secures. Not the most advanced form of security but it works fine for the wrist strap which I enjoy when working out.
I have been to the gym 4 times with this unit. Each workout is about an hour or so and the battery level just fell from the top 3 bars to 2 bars. Pretty good battery life performance so far. I did get an extra set of NiMh rechargeables for this unit since I read it eats batteries and I already have a charger for my digital camera. I found the MMC cards on a website for a great price which I will apply towards the rebate. Even with the MMC card purchase, my total expenditures were less than $70 (including the extra batteries). Considering I had a $50 gift certificate from my credit card company bonus points, I paid $20 for this little wonder. It serves the function I needed it for well and I am very satisfied with the sound quality and ease of use.
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
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