MP3 Player with Compact Flash
Written: Jul 28 '02
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Pros: Sounds great, uses AA batteries, has backlight, has remote control, has radio
Cons: Downloading is a headache...
The Bottom Line: If you have the opportunity to get this unit below $120, go for it, you won't regret it.
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| tonykewl2k's Full Review: RCA Lyra RD2211 (64 MB) MP3 Player |
First and foremost, I'd like to go on the record and say that I've tried several MP3 players, and the RCA Lyra2 easily takes the ribbon for the best sounding. If for some reason you did not like the built in DSP sound modes, there is a 5-level equalizer where you can set the sound to your taste.
In all honesty, what I like the most about the Lyra2 is the price. I picked mine up at Radio Shack as a display item, along with a 10% discount (see price paid at the end of this article).
At first glance, the RCA name brand kinda threw me off since I am a "name-brand junkie". I prefer to go with some of the bigger, trusted names, but, in this case, RCA lead the way. Having a compact flash for a storage medium is definitely a plus because in a side by side comparison, compact flash actually has a faster transfer rate than smart media.
Now the advantages of having the Lyra2:
1. It has a radio. When you are bored of the music you downloaded, even if you have 2 or 3 extra cards to switch, you have the radio to take up the slack. It has 15 Memory positions, and the reception is great. Unfortunately, it only picks up FM stations, but, you get it in stereo sound, and like I said before, very clear quality (too bad it doesn't record).
2. Button positions. If you've read other reviews on this unit, others have said the buttons feel "cheap" and poorly made. I guess I can agree with that. Had the buttons been made of rubber or silicon it would have had a better feel, however, the buttons are placed in strategic positions as to not confuse the user. Directly on the front are the PLAY, FORWARD skip, and BACK skip. On the right side is the volume thumbwheel, stop button, and the unit lock button. This leaves the left side to hold the MODE, DSP, and LIGHT buttons. (oh yeah, let's not forget the DC4.5v entry also on the left side).
3. Built in light. If you have a Timex watch, then more than likely you're familiar with the INDIGLO (tm) backlight. The unit has the similar blue backlight, and once your eyes get use to the dark, you may find it to be TOO BRIGHT!!! From what I can tell, it does not tax the batteries as much as one would think
4. Behind the head headphones. The unit comes with some very nice sounding headphones, and sleek looking too. Add to this the remote control which acts as a plug in between the unit and the headphones, and you have yourself a great sounding little unit. If the headphones crap out, you can still use the remote control, just place it between the unit and your next set of headphones.
Now the negatives:
Downloading. This is more of a hassle than it's worth. Using the software it comes (MusicMatch) with is definitely a waste of time because you can only download 1 or 2 songs at a time. Once you upgrade to the current MusicMatch version (free download) transfers become easier, but, you still cannot make a list of a group of songs and download the lot....at least I couldn't. If you can get Windows Media Player to recognize the USB download adapter it is an easier transfer, with the plus side of you being able to rename the music as it appears on the face of the unit, but, still there are problems. As for the limitation of only being able to transfer at a max of 128kb/s rates, personally, I cannot tell the difference between 128kb/s versus the higher rates other than the size of the file, but this is an issue quickly overlooked.
Conclusion:
This is a great sounding unit. Even if I didn't download any music to the Compact Flash cards, I would still use it as a portable FM radio. Add to this that it comes with a car adapter to play in the cassette player, and a car power adapter, and you have yourself a great little sound machine. I do not know if they make a case specifically for this unit, but the generic one that Radio Shack carries isn't worth the effort in my opinion. You should easily get 12 hours of play from a fresh set of AA batteries.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 120
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Epinions.com ID:
tonykewl2k
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Reviews written: 4
Trusted by: 1 member
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