| Connection
to PC: |
Some Players
come with Parallel (not transparent) cable and some with USB. The
cable is plenty long enough - GOOD |
| Memory: |
32MB built-in
and another 64MB could be added on the SmartMedia Card - GOOD |
| Loudness: |
Very, very
load - VERY GOOD |
| File
Sorting: |
Sorts OK and
works well with the long filenames - GOOD |
| Size: |
66mm x 90 mm
x 18mm and weighs 86grams - VERY GOOD |
| Headphones: |
In-ear
|
| Buttons: |
- [Pause] - indefinite
- GOOD
- [Hold] - physical lock
- VERY GOOD
- [Bookmark] - none available
- BAD
|
| Batteries: |
2 x AAA, easily
changeable, 9 hours - GOOD |
| Connection
to PC: |
The USB (included
standard USB cable is 1M long - could be longer) |
| Memory: |
Storage space
- 6GB - GOOD |
| Loudness: |
Loud enough
even with over-ear headphones (providing you plug them in "Ear"
and not in "Line Out" by mistake!) - GOOD |
| File
Sorting: |
Sorting by
filenames. It works OK but only if the file names are NOT longer then
41 characters!! So, if your file names longer than 41 characters and
the chapter indexes are at the end of the file name, then Jukebox 6000 will
chop the file-endings together with indexes and mix them up - VERY BAD
|
| Size: |
115mm x 82mm
x 34mm (4.5" x 2" x 1.3"), weighs 290grams (12 ounces) -
looks small, elegant and cool - VERY GOOD |
| Headphones: |
Supplied with
headphones - "plug-ins" but relatively comfortable "behind
the neck" and of reasonable quality - GOOD |
| Volume
Control: |
Part of the
menu - NOT VERY GOOD. Jukebox does however, remember all the sound
settings after pressing "on/off" - GOOD |
| Buttons: |
- [Hold/Lock] - There
is a Hold option in the menu, but we found that it is frequently being
released accidentally and the Player being switched off, even if Jukebox
is being carried gently in the provided holder.
- [Bookmark] - None
- [Pause] - Seems to hold
indefinitely (we tested it for up to 240 minutes) - VERY GOOD
|
| Batteries: |
4 x AA rechargeable
and replaceable batteries. Built-in charger. Replacing batteries
is possible, but very difficult. Plastic covers could be (and will
be) broken easily. Not one for a quick change on the train! - NOT
GOOD Playtime on fully charged batteries is 8 hours (according to
instructions) - GOOD |
|
|
| Software: |
MP3 Man F-20
software is available in two versions, both include the firmware which is
downloaded into the player when the internal memory is "formatted".
Version 2.01 - as supplied on CD. A limited support is available for
lower bit rates. It treats MP3 Version 2.5 as data files! Version
3.0 is downloadable from the Internet. It also supports more audio
formats. The MP3 Version 2.5 tracks now download and treat files as
audio (not data), but will only play tracks on initial power on! The
software crashes for no apparent reason fairly often. |
| In
use: |
The case is
light and has a rubberised texture, with chrome buttons on top and front
of the player. The control panel is simple and easy to use, but only
displays the track number as there is no alphanumeric display. |
| Bit
rate: |
Low bit rate
on version 1 and version 2 tracks. The MP3 playback on low bit rate
works fine with version 1 and 2 frames - Pause / FF / Rewind. Low
bit rate on MP3 version 2.5 frames |
| Buttons: |
- Play / Pause: only plays
when first powered up (V3.01 firmware only).
- Pause: Stops playback,
but "Play" will not continue on V2.5 tracks.
- Fast Forward: Skips
to the next - Version 1 or 2 MP3 track, ignoring V2.5 tracks.
- Rewind: as for Fast
Forward.
|
| Overall: |
The player is
basic and the build quality is OK. The sound quality is pretty good.
However, there is no track title display and no bookmark / power off with
a pause and continue where you left from facility. Version 3.01's
download software is "buggy". |
| Connection
to PC: |
USB adapter
cable which is too short - it barely reaches from the back of the PC (where
the USB ports normally are) to the front. |
| Formats
supported: |
ATRAC3 (ATRAC3
is the optimised version of the algorithm used to compress audio files for
Sony Mini-Discs and included copy protection) supports 3 compression rates:
132 Kbps, 105Kbps and 66Kbps. |
| Memory: |
Removable Sony
"MagicGate" memory stick 64Mb - no onboard memory.
64MB would contain at 66KBPS
(64* 1024* 1024*) divide 66,000/8 seconds = 8,134 seconds. 8,134/60
= 135 minutes of audio - just under 2 x CD's worth. WAV files: linear
PCM 16bit, mono/stereo, 32/44.1/48kHz. MP3 files: 16bit (always),
mono/stereo, 32/44.1/48kHz.
|
| Buttons: |
- Volume +/-
- Menu
- Display
- Hold slide (to stop
buttons being knocked) - this is fiddly to push in/up/down to control
the selection and play
|
| Batteries: |
Internal rechargeable
lithium-ion battery. battery life is very good. |
| Sound
quality: |
The best so
far as it uses mini-disc type compression. No low bit rate audio. |
|
|
|
|
| Software: |
Very
good software, does everything from CD extraction and WAV/MP3 conversion.
Some things are hidden, like bit rates. Intuitive, apart from remembering
to press the "check-out" icon to download the tracks chosen.
Help is good. Source audio is limited to medium and high quality sources
- see formats above. |
| In
use: |
This
player is half the size of the Rio 555 (narrower). It has a very high
quality feel, but probably has too many gizmos - both software and additional
hardware bits. The memory stick is ejected by a slide lever.
The battery is an internal lithium-ion rechargeable, but to charge it, the
MS-Walkman must first be plugged into the USB / charge adapter, then plugged
into a power adapter into the wall socket. Judging by the weight of
the USB / charger adapter, it only contains connectors and AudioBooksForFree.com
don't see why the connector and recharger could not have been built into
the Walkman itself, especially as being grey and smaller than a box of matches,
it could easily be lost!
The USB downloads fast,
but MP3 files must be converted to ATRAC3 format, which can take some
time on slower PLCs - it also takes up more disk space as they are archived.
Software installation needs
a software key to be typed in.
|
| Format: |
The
most compressed (lowest quality) MP3 format files this player will accept
is MP3 mono 48Kbps, 3,200 Hz. This is 3 times the size of 16Kbps Version
1 or 2,(NOT 2.5 as this is used only for less than 24Kpbs), but is stored
on the MS-Walkman as a 66Kbps ATRAC3 track (25% bigger than 48Kbps MP3)
and sounds slightly worse than the source due to double "lossy"
compression. |
| Overall: |
This
player is not really suitable for low bit rate MP3 files, it is really
designed for listening to music. To play a low bit rate MP3 file,
it would only be possible if a software utility could decode the low bit
rate MP3 and then re-sample and save it to a higher bandwidth (32kHz+)
wave file. Also, because the lowest storage rate is 65Kbps, you
could only get one quarter of the voice audio on a 64Mb memory stick.
The control system is not as good as the Rio500. The screen display
is confusing - difficult to change and find another track. The buttons
are fiddly - all around the side - Play / Stop / FF / Rewind would be
better on the front panel. Propriety memory card system. Too
many bits in the package. The sound quality is as good as the Mini-Disc
(CD quality, or very near) and the battery life is good. Overall,
it looks cool - Sony quality, with the rainbow effect front panel and
the shape fits easily in the hand or pocket.
|