Nice little MP3/VR/FM/USB
Written: Mar 08 '04 (Updated Mar 19 '04)
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Pros: Looks and works nice, has every feature I wanted.
Cons: No protective case, English web site not yet finished, Korea-only warranty.
The Bottom Line: Nice item, autodetected as USB Drive, has voice recorder and FM radio, earbuds are adequate.
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| jabba2000's Full Review: EraTech EVR-500 (256 MB) MP3 Player |
This is a very light, nice looking toy. It plugs into your USB port and is immediately recognized as an external hard drive (Win2000/XP - in Win98 you need to install the included driver, so the instructions say). Beware of other products which require you install software, then you can't share files on the USB Drive with others. The USB port slides out of the bottom of the device, which is very nice, I did NOT want to have to carry a cable around, but they do include a USB extension cable as well. Only disadvantage is there is a small rubber cover over the USB slot which gets in the way of plugging in and I imagine some day will tear off. The FM Radio has fair reception, considering the antenna is the headphone wire. Nearby stations sound very good, farther ones have varying quality especially as you move around. The voice recorder with built-in microphone is also Ok; you can alter the bit rate of the recording to balance your need for quality sound vs. space used. It's nice that the voice and FM recording is recorded directly into compressed MP3 format. There is a plug where you can plug in either an external microphone OR an line-in source (most devices are either/or, this one you configure the plug so it can expect the proper input signal). These are the features I wanted the device for; I know most other people want to use it as an MP3 player; i imagine that will work out fine for you. The included earbuds again are "Ok" - they sound good to me when playing a nearby FM station, but there are not the highest quality. The earbuds are built in to the neck strap. There is no included case or armband - one is shown on www.mstation.com.au but I wouldn't know where to get it. The web site for this product www.beatsounds.com is incomplete, for example you cannot download the user guide or firmware updates from there. There is a korean web site (the company eratech is korean) www.eratech.co.kr which has downloads and user forums, but I don't read korean. They answer their email promptly and the person said the web site is in progress and any problems they would handle via email. Watch out, the warranty is "only effective in korea." The buttons on the device are Ok, I'm hoping the toggle switch (which is also a button) will hold up to use, it seems the most fragile part of the unit. You may read a review that says "text to speech" is built in to this device, but at least with the firmware 1.01 that I have, it is not. It uses 1 AAA battery rated for 8 hours of use; I prefer this over a built-in battery because I can carry a spare but others have the opposite opinion. I plan to use rechargable AAA's.
In summary, this device has everything I was looking for:
USB Drive recognized directly by Windows without driver.
Built-in USB plug (no cord needed).
FM Radio, w/ 20 presets.
Can record FM into MP3 file.
Voice recorder (records into MP3 not WAV or proprietary).
MP3/WMA/ASF player.
Plug for external Mic or line-in.
Uses regular (replacable) batteries.
Firmware upgradable.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 150
Recommended for: Music Lovers - High Capacity Storage for an Entire Album Collection
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Epinions.com ID:
jabba2000
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Reviews written: 9
Trusted by: 1 member
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