Good Product, Could Be Better
Written: Aug 01 '04
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Pros: Plenty of memory (plus room for more), cute size, good sound quality
Cons: Battery life, volume, battery cover
The Bottom Line: Get the Lyra if you're prepared to baby it a little, and can afford better headphones. Be warned that setting up your computer can be a challenge.
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| yoshi987654's Full Review: RCA Lyra RD1071 (128 MB) MP3 Player |
Experience:
Got for my birthday last Jan, and have been using it ever since. My Lyra has been many places such as school, vacations, camp, however I usually use it with my stereo.
RCA's 128 MB Lyra includes plenty of memory, enough for about 38 typical songs (based on my experience). The unit also features an expansion card slot for a multimedia card.
The unit itself is small indeed, about the size of a fish stick (for lack of a closer size). It slips into a pocket or book bag with ease. The casing is a little on the cheap side, especially the poor-fitting and cheaply made battery cover (I'm holding my breath, that little piece is gonna snap off any day now).
The unit does a bona fide job playing back my mp3's, the main format you'll be using with it. WMA files are a little less common, however WMA support is a big plus for some users.
DSP works properly, with about a half dozen settings to tailor the frequency response to your liking. Programmable playback is complicated, though, and hard to erase. One whine I have about the Lyra is that when you add songs to it, it sticks them randomly in its playlist. There doesn't seem to be a fix for that. Give away the headphones that come with the Lyra, as they're uncomfortable and cheap. Buy a better pair for 8 bucks at Wally World.
Sound quality good, but volume lacking. Not much of a problem for me, though, since I usually use it as a line-level source for my stereo.
Battery life is okay for a AAA, but on the mediocre side, sometimes not even living up to the advertised 8 hours on a fresh alkaline. Similar players deliver 2-3 times the Lyra's, even with the backlight on (another thing the Lyra lacks).
Included software is trash, I just installed the basic drivers, and am using it as a mass storage device (don't delete the settings file!).
Get the Lyra if you're on a limited budget or for light use. A better alternative is the bic-sized Kazoo by Creative Labs or even an ipod mini?
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 80
Recommended for: Athletes - Lightweight and Portable, Perfect for the Gym
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Epinions.com ID:
yoshi987654
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Member: Chris Martin
Location: NY
Reviews written: 7
Trusted by: 0 members
About Me:
Sophmore gadget aficionado form CNY
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