Neuros: The versatile music player.
Written: Apr 26 '05
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Pros: The must versatile player in the market.
Cons: Size is the biggest problem, but it has it's advantages when it comes to upgradability.
The Bottom Line: The Neuros is a great package. Has features that are "extras" on other players.
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| peterskm's Full Review: Digital Innovations Neuros HD (20 GB) MP3 Player |
I bought this player after reading up on all of its features. I must say I was impressed with everything included. I bought a "Bundle" which came with a 128mb flash memory "backpack" and a 20Gb hard drive "backpack" as well as headphones, a USB 2 cable, an AC adaptor and car charger.
The main features of the Neuros are:
FM Radio
For listening to the radio, duh :) Though I have to say that the reception is poor. If you are outside, you might be able to get some stations, but indoors, I get nothing. No big deal for me as that is not what I bought it for,
FM Transmitter
The Neuros has a built-in FM transmitter that allows you to broadcast your music to any radio on any frequency. This is an extra you have to purchase with most other players.
Recording with microphone or line-in
There is a built-in microphone and line-in jack that allow you to record to the Neuros. You can record to MP3 or WAV, with a choice of 7 recording qualities.
Preset buttons
The Neuros has 5 programmable preset buttons to control your music. The preset buttons can be customized to operate as shortcuts to any player function. Set your favorite FM stations, songs, playlists, recordings. As soon as you press the preset button your selection will play. They can also be used as bookmarks for audio books.
Removable backpack
The Neuros has a removable backpack which contains the storage portion of the player. The plus to this is for upgrade purposes. Say you buy a 20Gb Neuros today and, down the road, your music collection grows to 40Gb. You can buy a 40Gb backpack from Neuros instead of having to buy a whole new player.
Open source upgradeable firmware and synchronization software
Neuros has open sourced their firmware and synch software. The firmware is essentially the operating system for the player and the synch software is what copies and manages the music on the player. What this means to the average user is that there is a community that is adding features that they want as opposed to what Neuros wants. One example of this is OGG (an alternative to MP3) support.
OK, now for my experiences...
Pros
I bought the Neuros in September 2004 and I love it. It supports MP3, OGG, WMA, WAV. There is an open-source Java version of the synch software that allows the Neuros to be used in Linux. The hard drive backpack uses a standard 2.5" laptop drive. The advantage to this is that you can upgrade it easily. I upgraded mine to 60Gb. Note: This will void your warranty. The menus are easy to navigate and the sound is exceptional (with good headphones). The FM transmitter works well with both my home and car radios. My wife liked it so much that I had to buy her one as well (and upgrade it to 60Gb). You can also connect it to your computer via USB 2 and use it as a standard external hard drive for transporting files.
Cons
- Battery life is cut in half when using the FM transmitter.
- Battery is not user replaceable (though it is pretty cheap to send back and have replaced).
- Size. The Neuros is bigger than an iPod primarily because it uses 2.5" drives. Fair trade-off for me as the drives are cheap and easy to be had (see above section).
- FM radio has poor reception.
- No gapless playback.
- Headphones that come with it are poor (aren't they all).
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 280
Recommended for: Music Lovers - High Capacity Storage for an Entire Album Collection
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Epinions.com ID:
peterskm
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Location: Schwenksville, PA
Reviews written: 90
Trusted by: 3 members
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