Great MP3 player for the money
Written: May 10 '04
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Pros: Small, includes everything, expands to 128Mb, easy on batteries
Cons: Only two hours of music, other players may have better sound
The Bottom Line: I have this player with me whenever I am at the gym. It's lightweight, versatile, and sounds great.
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| saratim905's Full Review: RCA Lyra RD1021 (64 MB) MP3 Player |
After deciding that I needed an MP3 player, for use at the gym, I found volumes of information on all sorts of products. The number of options available can be confusing and one of the first things any potential MP3 consumer needs to do is to decide what they really want the product to deliver. Are they OK with downloading music on a regular basis? If that’s the case, maybe a lower amount of memory is OK. However, if you want to put a full library on the device and forget it, you need something a little higher end. For me, I decided that I only needed roughly 64 Mb of memory, just enough for a good 1-2 hours at the gym, and a strap for my arm was essential. Also, I needed software to rip my CDs into MP3 format. After some reviewing of products, I decided upon the Lyra RD1021 by RCA.
One buying decision was the fact that the package was all-inclusive. I bought my particular player at Wal-Mart and in the package was a software called Music Match that is not only surprisingly decent but also relatively easy to use. The software manages your music files and allows you to rip your CDs into MP3 format for transfer to your device. Also in the package was a carrying case, an armband, a USB cable, and headphones. I do not think the headphones are particularly comfortable but those are very easy to replace and highly subjective to what someone else may find comfortable.
Certainly, other players will have more bells and whistles and this is not a place to store your complete music library. What this will be for most people is a product capable of delivering good sound and up to 2 hours of music. The 64 Mb internal memory can be upgraded to 128Mb with an SD card and this holds plenty of music for my needs.
The sound is actually very good and there are options for changing the sound, much like many modern pieces of stereo equipment have presets such as “Jazz” or “Rock.” Songs can be played at random and played continuously and, the play also allows it self to be locked to keep from accidentally changing settings or songs while in use.
Battery life for my unit has been excellent. Typically, one AAA battery lasts through eight to ten trips to the gym and probably for a total of about 12-15 hours of use.
The bottom line is that I never leave for the gym without it and I would definitely purchase this product for anyone looking for a basic MP3 player. MP3 players offer such dramatic improvements over CD players for activities such as running or lifting that it is difficult to even say there is any comparison between a portable CD player and an MP3 player. Once you have made the choice to look into buying an MP3, the RCA Lyra is definitely a very good first time MP3 Player purchase.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 75
Recommended for: Athletes - Lightweight and Portable, Perfect for the Gym
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Epinions.com ID:
saratim905
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Location: Ellicott City, MD, US
Reviews written: 18
Trusted by: 0 members
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