raveMP Delivers!
Written: Jun 07 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Easy to use, loaded with stuff
Cons: Sound Quality could have been better, uh...that's kinda it
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| tipperofcows's Full Review: Rio Rave MP2050 MP3 Player |
TECH SPECS
BUILT IN MEMORY-- 64mb (2100 model), 32mb (2000 model)
EXPANSION OPTIONS-- 16mb or 32mb flash cards
DOWNLOAD RATE-- max of 150 kb/sec (so they say...)
DISTORTION-- 0.01 - 0.1%
S/N RATIO-- -70 dB (standard cd player= -90 dB)
DISPLAY TYPE-- LCD
FORMATS SUPPORTED-- mp3, mp2, wav
FLASH CARD SLOTS-- 1
BATTERIES REQUIRED-- 1 AA
BATTERY LIFE-- 6 hours (they claim 11 hours)
COMES WITH-- 1 raveMP player, 1 25-to-15 pin cable connector, 1 set Sennheiser MX 4 earbuds ($24.99 value), 1 installation CD, 1 AA battery
SOUND QUALITY
The sound quality could have been better, but only slightly. During soft parts of songs, like acoustic parts or fade-outs, you could hear a slight hiss, but it quickly goes away. This is due to the -70 db sound-to-noise ratio. The average CD player has a ratio of -90 db. The player has six preset sound levels: normal, classic, jazz, rock, disco, and pop. These will do for the average consumer, but hardcore music fans, like myself, prefer being able to adjust the bass and treble levels ourselves, without the preset levels. Presets make me feel confined.
Sound Quality Bottom Line: It'll do for the average person, but some people might not be satisfied. Rating: 3/5
FILE TRANSFER
Because the cable attaches to the printer port, as opposed to the USB port, speed of transfer is limited. The max speed on my PC (400mhz PII with 64 RAM) is about 110 k/second, which is an average of 1-2 minutes per song. I don't complain. One major drawback to the player is the lack of mp3 uploading. You can't go to your friends house, and fill up the player, then take it to your computer and upload them to the hard disk. It will not let you. Needless to say that's a little annoying. Another thing that makes this player unique is the fact that it acts as a portable hard drive. You can download and upload almost any type of file to the player (bmp, dat, dll, sav, etc.), and transfer it to another computer.
File Transfer Bottom Line: Despite the lack of mp3 uploading capabilities, the data transporter idea won me over. Rating: 4.5/5
LEARNING CURVE
The manual is pretty straight forward. It's very easy to learn how to operate properly.
Learning Curve Bottom Line: What can I say? Perfect. Rating: 5/5
EXTRAS
This player is loaded with extra features. First, it doubles as a portable hard drive, which I explained earlier. Second, there's a built-in microphone so you can record your voice. The mike is very sensitive, almost too sensitive. It will pick up more that your ear at close range. It will reach far enough so that you can sit in the back of class, and 'take notes' with it. Third, the player lets you keep memos and phone lists on it that you create on your computer. You can even change the font from your computer, but not once it's already on the player. Lastly, the coolest feature on the player is the line in/out controls. With the right hook-ups, you can hook it up to a radio, a CD player, even an electric guitar, and record.
Extras Bottom Line: This player is loaded with extra stuff, giving it limited palmtop features. Rating: 5/5
THE BOTTOM LINE
Let's review:
Sound: 4/5
File Transfer: 4.5/5
Learning Curve: 5/5
Extras: 5/5
Bottom Line: Sensory Science did a next-to-exceptional job developing this player. I can't wait for the next one. Buy it.
FINAL RATING (not an average):: 4/5
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
tipperofcows
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Member: Jake Sauser
Reviews written: 6
Trusted by: 0 members
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