Amazon.com Review

Garmin's eTrex Vista GPS receiver is smaller than its popular eMaps, but far more powerful. The Vista offers more memory, more features, and more convenience than any other GPS hardware in this price range.

Don't be fooled by the product's small screen. Although smaller than the display used in products like the eMap, it has a higher resolution, letting it show more information more crisply. Small text can be difficult to read from a distance, but there are "big number" options available to make important data like your speed easy to read.

It's this configurability that makes the eTrex Vista so special.

	 
Map page (shown with optional MapSource topo detail).

You can easily set it up to suit your needs, regardless of the situation. Menu choices are highlighted and confirmed with a small joystick near the top of the unit, providing an elegant interface for navigating a formidable amount of options. Our only complaint is that the joystick used to access all the product's features is offset to the left, making it nearly impossible to control using only your right hand. When the joystick is held in your left hand, however, every control is within easy reach of your left thumb, freeing your right hand to hold a flashlight, walking stick, lantern, or anything else.

This GPS unit's diminutive size and weight, not to mention its rugged design, make it an ideal hiking companion. It's waterproof in up to 3 feet of water for 30 minutes and is generously coated with shock-absorbing rubber. The barometric altimeter keeps a historical record of your ascents and descents, graphing elevation changes so you can easily track your progress.

	 
Elevation page

The ability to store waypoints, points of interest, routes, and other information means you can blaze your own trail and always find your way back to camp.

Best of all, 24 MB of internal memory makes it possible to store an enormous amount of data from Garmin's optional MapSource CDs, turning the eTrex Vista into an interactive road atlas. The memory isn't expandable, but 24 MB is enough to store street-level data for entire states in some cases.

A serial cable is included for transferring the maps from your PC to the GPS unit, but it's terribly slow. A USB connector, sold separately, transfers data in a fraction of the time.

The eTrex Vista was very accurate in testing, especially in a car on the open road. Accuracy diminished somewhat when the device was used in heavy tree cover or a dense urban area, but not enough that you're ever going to get lost or miss an exit. Used side-by-side with an eMap, the eTrex Vista kept up in update speed while displaying even more information on the moving map than the eMap did, cementing its position as perhaps the best all-around handheld GPS unit money can buy. --T. Byrl Baker

Pros:

• Small and light without sacrificing features
• 24 MB of integrated memory stores reams of detailed maps
• High-resolution screen displays sharp text legible even at extremely small sizes

Cons:

• Can't be used one-handed when held in the right hand
• Smaller display is hard to read from a distance, as when the device is placed on a dashboard

Features

• Global positioning system (GPS) receiver with barometric altimeter, electronic compass, and Americas base map
• Store more maps and different types of data (marine, roads, and more) with 24 MB of storage; PC cable included
• Accuracy to less than 3 meters with WAAS correction data
• High-resolution liquid-crystal display for easy reading
• Compatible with optional Garmin MapSource software; includes serial PC interface

Reviews (75)

Better Than I Thought
I'd like to start this review by saying that I'm a Registered Maine Hunting Guide with years of expirience navigating in the back country and plenty of expirience using different brands of GPSs. That said, I nearly didn't buy this GPS after reading some of the reviews for it, I'm glad I did.
I recently returned from a 2 week hunting excursion in Northern Maine in unfamiliar territory. The Vista greatly aided me in knowing exactly where I was at all times. I purchased the Map Source Topo program for it and loaded my maps. I had room for all of Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire in it. While all the newer logging roads weren't on the map, a lot of them were.
The electronic compass is a neat feature and saves you from getting out your regular compass when orienting yourself, but I do like a regular compass better.
As I was all ready familiar with Garmin GPSs, this GPS was very easy for me to use. To many convienient features to list. This GPS did everything I wanted it to and then some. Battery life was exceptable and the only time I had any problem with reception was during a heavy snow storm while in fairly heavy tree cover.
A friend of mine has the Garmin Legend GPS and while it is less money he was only able to load about half of the state on it. So for more money and features the Vista is the way to go.
The small "shirt pocket" size, the topo map and all the other great features make this a "Must Have" for any back country traveler.
If you're looking for a GPS to use in your vehicle, pick a different model, the small size of this unit that makes it great for hand held use makes it to small to use effectively in your vehicle.
All in all this GPS is great in my opinion, it is absolutely perfect for me and my uses. Great quality, easy to use, convienient features, small size, fast updates. Have I left any thing out? If you're a hunter, hiker or back country traveler this is the GPS for you.

Not very useful.
I ordered this GPS unit for a trip out west to several National Parks. I also ordered the very expensive National Parks West maps from Garmin. I downloaded the maps for several of the parks I was to visit, so that I would get detailed trail maps once I got there. Once at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, I went to use my eTrex Vista with the "detailed" map and all I got was a rough location of the city I was near. Clearly the detailed map did not download properly, or when I entered map info for one park it overwrote the information I downloaded for other parks. The only park listed was the last park I downloaded and I never ended up going to that park, so my purchase was a complete waste of money. If you are completely incapable of reading a map, perhaps this unit can be of use to you driving down the road, of course it barely receives a signal from within a car, you have to get out and hold the unit if there are any trees or buildings around. The screen is also too small and not in color, and the batteries don't last long enough. I have stock in Garmin, so I suppose I should not bad mouth them too much, but if I could return this unit to Amazon, I would.

GARMIN HAS GOOD RECEPTION
I own 3 GPS receivers and I will say Garmin did an excellent job. The receiver is much more sensitive to satellite signals than my other GPSs. Just don't expect too much from this small unit with tiny screen and very slow CPU for screen refresh. It will drive you nuts to use it for street navigation. It is suitable for back trailing in the mountains. For street navigate, I strongly suggest that you hook this unit up with a laptop but make sure that GPS is set to NMEA and the software GPS setting is also correct. Conclusion, don't street navigate with this unit alone and don't buy a no brand GPS under $90 because you will not be happy with the reception.

Eddy

A poor offering by Garmin
This expensive (for gps units) includes the PC Cable but DOES NOT include the ability to comunicate with your PC. After waiting 17 minutes for customer service I was told that I had to purchase a $29 software to be able to download my waypoints to my computer. I don't need extra maps - I only want to download my waypoints.

In the waypoint view - over half of the display is the flag symbol and the co-ordinates are so small as to be practically useless in the field.

This is my fifth Garmin product and in the past have been happy with the performance. I give this a 1 as it is little better than a $99 unit.

Great GPS Unit And A Great Price!
Another reviewer here said it best: don't let the misleading negative reviews of this product prevent you from taking a good look at the Garmin eTrex Vista. (Honestly, what are some of these people wanting to do with a GPS device? Fix a waypoint on a specific part of a cow patty in a farmer's field somewhere?)

This is the first GPS handheld I've purchased after carefully reviewing other models from other brands at a local store with true "hands on" comparisons. I thought the Garmin products were by far the most intuitive and user-friendly of the GPS handhelds I played with. Great features and an excellent value for the money. (...)

Looking at the less expensive eTrex Legend and the Vista and wondering which to buy? Well, the Legend is great but it lacks the Vista's electromagnetic
compass or air-pressure altitude indicator if that is important to you. It also has much less memory capacity (8MB) for storing detailed Mapsource maps.

I have loaded my Vista with topo maps from Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont and it took up all 24MB of memory (of course, it really is a lot of detail we're talking about here). I would think that the memory capacity of the Legend could be a significant limitation if you are looking at getting into extra topo or metro guide maps. If you have no use for extra maps or an electromagnetic
compass and altimeter, then the Legend might be the way to go.

Personally, I think the Vista represents a better overall value for the dollar.

Ignore the naysayers and compare the GPS units for yourself. I'm very happy with the Vista and would have made the same purchase if I had to do it all over again. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Talk about easy listening. The Grundig Etón S350 shortwave radio is brimming with style, portability, and functionality. With the S350, you aren't limited to shortwave signals--you get FM and AM radio, too. Shortwave enables you to hear stations from around the world. Get first-hand news and other programs direct from their sources. Listen to the BBC, CDC, Voice of America, DW Deutsche Welle, Radio Taipei International, and dozens of other broadcasting organizations. The S350 receives continuous coverage from 3 to 28 MHz, including 13 international broadcast bands: 11, 13, 15, 16, 19, 22, 25, 31, 41, 49, 60, 75 and 90 meters.

Use the S350's manual gain control to compensate for atmospheric and other conditions. With its excellent sensitivity and selectivity, the S350 can receive stations most radios can't, including weak daytime shortwave signals. Other features include a backlit multifunction LCD, a telescoping FM antenna, antenna jacks for SW, AM, and FM, as well as sleep and wake timers (wake to radio and use the S350 as an alarm clock).

The radio features a single speaker designed for clear sound. A .125-inch headphone jack (compatible with stereo or monaural headphones, not included) lets you listen in private, or you can route the unit's stereo analog (left/right) RCA outputs to your home stereo system, a tape deck, powered speakers, or other devices.

The S350 runs on 4 D batteries (not included), the supplied AC/DC power adapter, or an optional DC vehicle power adapter (12V to 6V DC).

Grundig's design-driven Etón line of portable-audio offers a graceful combination of form and function. Unique product design is the basis for all models, as well as functionality above and beyond other products in the same category. With features that satisfy high-tech, style-conscious listeners, Etón products have an added flare that will attract people seeking distinctive portable audio.

What's in the Box
Radio, AC power adapter, leather carrying strap, a user's guide, and warranty information. ... Read more

Features

• Listen to international broadcasts live, direct from the source with coverage of all 14 internation broadcast bands
• Alarm and Sleep Timer features
• Illuminated Multi-function LCD Displays: Time frequency, band, automatic turn-on, and sleep timer
• Separate Bass, Treble, and RF Gain Controls
• Wide and Narrow Bandwidth Filter Controls

Reviews (12)

Quite the Receiver!
I've lost count of the radios I ve bought over the years, but I always get excited when I see something new. I have the GE Superadio and the CC Crane unit,but this baby beats them both. Analog witha digital readout and what great sound! Both AM and FM reception is first rate and the added bonus of shorwave really makes this unit worth the price.I'm so used to digital with memory presets and seek buttons so it took a little time to get used to.Of course being analogand using 4 D's the batteries really last. The radio has a great feel to it and its easy to tell Grundig did the job right. Memory presets would have made this unit the ultimate radio, but for what you are getting for $100, Im quite satisfied. To me this is the GE Superadio 4...with the bonus of Shortwave!

My Favorite Radio
Some time back, I posted a review to Amazon saying that the GE Superadio III was the best radio I ever owned. Now, I find myself using only this radio. The main reason is the digital frequency display. You always know exactly where you're tuned. It's such a major difference. I like analog tuning; I like twisting the dial to go from one station to the next. With the S350, I don't have to guess where I am on the dial. The FM section is great; very little overloading in my very difficult reception area, with great weak signal pickup. The AM section is superb; there are Wide and Narrow bandwidth choices that are usable on both local and distant stations (a bandwidth switch lets you choose the best tradeoff between interference rejection and audio fidelity; on the S350, both choices are well designed--with the Superadio, the Wide setting is so wide that you can only use it on very strong, local stations). I find myself listening to a station 500 miles away in the Wide bandwidth mode most nights. The Shortwave section is a joy to listen to. The S350 is light, even with batteries, and produces a nice sound--not quite the same bass response as the Superadio, but very pleasant. If you like a slightly retro design (no station memories, no slewing buttons, but it does have a nice big tuning knob PLUS a fine tuning knob) and appreciate knowing exactly to what station your radio is tuned, this is what you want. There is no better radio, overall, anywhere near this price.

Grundig S350
I've known the name Grundig for a very long time, I use to work on Radios and TV in my high school years and that was back in the 60's. Grundig was a great name then and so is it now. This shortwave Radio picks up better than any shortwave radio I've had.The sound that comes out of the speakers is top notch. If you want a good buy and a good radio at the same time its Grundig S350.

grundig 350s
This radio not only looks great but sounds great. Popular shortwave stations (bbc, voa, cuba) come in loud and clear, with no need for external antenna. AM/FM come in equally clear. Very little drifting, but it does drift a little over a bit of time. I got better reception at times over a Sony SW7600GR. It has a good alarm that's easy to operate. The instruction maual is well written and available at the website as well. It's not a travel radio, but that's pretty obvious. It has no SSB for tuning into ham radios, but it's great for the casual listener. I highly recommend the radio. It's a good value for the money.

Grundig shortwave
This radio is of excellent quality and the receive on AM, FM and shortwave is very good. Being a ham radio operator I really appreciate the rotary tuning knob that has a fine tuning adjustment knob built in. I just can't see myself buying an expensive shortwave radio with no tuning knob. Half the fun of radio is being able to play with a VFO!
I also own the GE superadio that other reviewers have commented on. The Grundig does not feel and look cheap like the GE superadio but the GE superadio will outperform the Grundig in a side by side comparison. The superadio has two speakers that are designed for better fidelity and louder audio than the smaller Grundigs single speaker can achieve. When listening to weak stations in heavy static on the AM band the superadio did a better job of pulling out the audio.
The shortwave reception is the best part of the radio however and this radio is a real jewel for shortwave use! The selectivity is great, no overlapping of stations that is found on cheaper shortwave radios like the Sangean SG 622. The radios sensitivity is excellent also, I could not ask for better performane from a shortwave radio. I know I made the correct decision passing up some of the more expensive Sony and Grundig shortwave radios that look so tempting to buy but lack a knob to tune with. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

The Sony ICF-SW07 world band receiver radio will keep you connected to FM, AM, shortwave and longwave stations with a PLL digital tuner. With single-side band reception, the radio will transmit with a minimal amount of interference. To further enhance listening pleasure, the synchronous detection will reduce fading and regular beats. You can listen to the ICF-SW07 via the in-body speaker or with the included headphones.

There are four options when tuning your selected radio station. With direct tuning, you input the desired frequency digits. Manual tuning allows you to change the frequency step by step. If you are unsure of what station you want, use the scan tuning option to have the radio stop at all hearable receptions. Finally, with preset tuning, you can recall a preset station with a single button press. You can store up to a hundred preset stations using Sony's My-memory tuning feature. To help you remember which station is which, this Sony radio allows you to label each station with up to six alphanumeric letters.

If you plan on traveling with a radio, the ICF-SW07 is a good choice. Beyond the ability to tune into various radio bands, the ICF-SW07 also features a world clock feature. Simply select a city name and the radio will display that city's current time. The radio also has a useful turn-on and sleep timer. Choose two individual times and frequencies and the radio will turn on and tune to the selected station automatically. If you plan on listening to the radio as you fall asleep, use the sleep timer and the radio will turn off after approximately sixty minutes.

There are two options to power the radio. Either use the included AC adaptor or install two AA batteries. The radio also comes with headphones, earpads and a carrying case.

What's in the Box
Sony ICF-SW07 World Band Radio, stereo headphones, ear pads, AC adaptor, carrying case, wave handbook and a ninety day warranty. ... Read more

Features

• PLL digital tuner receives FM, MW/AM, shortwave and longwave
• MY-memory tuning memorizes and scans up to 100 frequencies
• Four tuning methods: direct, manual, scan and preset
• World clock function; built-in timer
• Label presets with 6 alphanumeric letters

Reviews (2)

Miniature Wonder -improvement over the SW100
Hello folks , its Vince the radio man with another review for you . I've been a radio buff for many years , I have a large collection and I love to do side by side compares . The Sony SW07 is the replacement model for the discontinued SW100 . In my review of the SW100 I knocked it abit because of the price and the overall sound quality from both the internal speaker and the headphones ( ...and no, I dont need a new pair of phones) .... the SW07 is an improvement in this area , however , still high priced . Both radios are wonders of the modern world ...so small yet so powerful and functional . The SW07 is a little larger than the SW100 ( thank goodness for those of us who have large hands and fingers ) and I find it to be a bit better in the dynamic range department . Tuner selectivity and sensativity about the same . The 07 and the 100 are sold as kits . The come with an active antenna . I find the antenna with the SW07 is far better than the 100 . Also , the SW07 is built much more durable than the SW100 . The layout and button functionality is easier to use and better thought out . Also , a much nicer, clearer visual display with a luminescent blue background .As far as other miniatures on the market ( Sangean ATS 606, which is much cheaper , is about the best after the SW07 and SW100 but not in the same class ) ...there are really no other competitors . If you're looking to spend a decent buck on a quality shortwave set and small is what you need , look no further . If you like a full size set and have a few more bucks to spend buy the SW77 ( which is the King of all radios!!!! ) ...if not the SW07 is surely the Prince.

Sony SW-07 receiver comparison
I have used the earlier (1980's)Radio Shack DX-400, the Sangean ATS-909 (Radio Shack DX-398), the Sony SW 7600G, the Grundig ETraveller VII and this radio. For the general user who wishes just to listen to foreign broadcasts and not bother with trying to tune in remote and low powered stations, all are excellent and comparable in sensitivity and selectivity. The SW-07 and SW 7600G offer synchronous tuning which somewhat aids intelligibility with reception that periodically fades and becomes distorted, but that provided in the SW07 is much quieter and more effective. The SW07 has more programmable station selections than any of the others. It has, as well, many convenience features that older Sony models and the other radios listed do not have such as an effective night illumination of its tuning screen and programmed time of day selected broadcast frequencies of a number of foreign broadcasters. The only truly portable decent shortwave radio that one can carry in a pocket, in my experience, is the Grundig which does quite well with its short telescoping antenna. Reception on all radios benefits greatly from the use of a long wire antenna, but the SW07 has a compact substitute folding circular antenna that, while not offering the performance of a wire, does better than the telescoping built in antenna. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

The iMP-400's chrome-style design and incredible features redefine expectations for what's possible in a portable CD player. From its circuit design to its final manufacturing spec, iRiver has channeled all its efforts into delivering the best CD and MP3 sound quality. The player supports WMA and ASF formats as well as discs burned with Winamp playlists. Additional formats, such as AAC and MP3 Pro, will be supported in the future through simple firmware upgrades, by which iRiver can add and modify player features.

The iMP-400 comes with quality iRiver wrap-around headphones, offering far superior quality to standard CD player headphones. The player offers eight preset equalization curves and one user-defined curve (choose from normal, pop, rock, jazz, dance, classic, metal, U-Bass, and user EQ). Auto EQ changes automatically according to ID3 tag information, and a battery indicator lets you know when you're low. The player also performs perfectly in the face of external shocks because of iRiver's unique anti-shock algorithm, iRiverShockFree. This feature maintains supreme control over the server, so it can accurately read data even in the face of extreme vibrations, letting you listen to continuous music.

An easy-to-read, four-line LCD shows every bit of information needed, and an FM tuner comes in handy when you're traveling by tracking the frequencies to maintain reception as you move. The iMP-400 uses 16 MB Flash memory to support the display of Chinese characters (traditional/simplified)--37 languages are supported. The player also recognizes discs in Packet Write format, which enables you to use CD-RW discs like PC hard disks, offering the ease of using discs and of saving and deleting songs. Finally, the player prevents its rechargeable batteries from overcharging, and a discharge function fully discharges batteries before recharging, thereby preventing the diminishing of rechargeable battery capacity. ... Read more

Features

• Supports MP3, WMA, and ASF formats as well as discs burned with Winamp playlists
• iRiver wraparound headphones included
• 4-line LCD offers plenty of track and disc information
• Plays discs in Packet Write format so you can use CD-RW discs like PC hard disks
• Upgradeable firmware allows compatibility with additional formats in the future

Reviews (38)

Another wonderful product from iRiver
I have just bought this mp3 player last month and I found it very wonderful with cool design. Going with its slim thickness, the smooth surface will attract you as the first look. Not like the 350 of iRiver, all of the control buttons are now on the remote control and you will feel a little nervous if you lost or make it broken. However, don't panic, you can have the replacement easily. iRiver has made it easier for you to replace the broken equipment.
The sound of its is wonderful, too. Not like in 350, now you have 9 presets of sound (one is your own define), and the volume is suitable for all of the people who like to listen to music in loud sound or soft sound.
The remote control is also the new jump of iRiver. You won't find anything easier to learn than with iRiver's. Everything, just need 1 hour to find out in the remote control.
You can listen to FM with the quality you can't imagine.
I suggest you buy this and this is the player you will not forget. The player you need for you active lifestyle.

A Great CD/MP3 Player, but why pay $80.00 extra right now?
Before I give my review, why are people paying $80.00 for this product insead of getting the just as great SlimX iMP 350. There is actually no difference, except for the remote. On the 350, it uses 75 degree rotating dials on the top and bottom for navigation. It's no hassle to change music. On the 400, it uses a d-pad and center enter button. Both have there pros and cons, but each in it is equal. Now for my review. SlimX makes excellent products (minus any CD player less than the 350). This one is no exception. It has excellent sound quality, excellent battery life (around 12 hours on a charge), and has great skip protection. Also, how can you go wrong with being able to carry 6 hours of 128kbps music with you? If you want to spend a little more, go with a Nomad Zen (excellent bang for the buck). Other wise, if CD's are your thang, go with the SlimX 350 or 400.

Well Designed
After much searching online for a good mp3 CD player, I decided that the iMP-400 looked like the right CD player for myself (unfortunately this was just a little before the release of the iMP-550). It had many features that appealed to me, and I have remained happy with it over the last 9 or so months.

On the upside, I have loved all the features about this player, with the ability to play mp3's, audio CD's, AND have the radio function to be the most prominent features. The svelte styling of the player has impressed many people, along with the slim size of it. I also have defiantly put it through its paces by taking it camping/hiking along with my everyday use. The layout of the remote control, although somewhat tough to learn at first, provides instant access to all of the important functions. Also impressive is the inclusion of many minor features such as the inclusion of an audio-out port to connect the player to a sound system (I have also used it to connect a second set of headphones to share music with a friend). Another is the ability to select the next track to be played with out interrupting the current song; this ability is still available during random mode. The fact that the player uses firmware has allowed updates to include new modes and features, and even a snake-style game!

On to the bashing section of my review:
One of the faults previously touched on by other reviewers is the time that this system takes to power up. When I want music, I want it NOW, not 30 seconds from now.
Recently, the remote control's center button stopped responding. By taking apart the control (and probably voiding its warranty) I determined that the cause of the problem was that the pin attached to the backside of the button to depress the capacitor had inadvertently snapped. Although annoying, the problem was easily solved with the use of some gel-like super glue.
The player turns off when it is connected to, or detached from, the AC adaptor, which means that I have to go through the long boot process again.
My final grudge (although not too much the companies fault) is that only non-protected WMA's can be played (something I only found out after I had encoded most of my music library with the protection on)

All in all, if you want a mp3 player that also plays your CDs, the iRiver series is as good as they come. But if you don't plan to use its ability to play standard CD's too often, you may be better off with a hard drive player.

solid player
I've had the imp 400 for 3 months now, and it has performed very well. I like
sound
volume
controls
solid feel
accessories
anti skip
car adapter
pouch

I don't care for the fit of the headphones. I had to sand down sharp edges over the ears before I could comfortably wear them. The imp 400 is slightly expensive but if you need all the accessories coming with it, which I do, it is actually a great deal. I've dropped it with no consequences. I would recommend it.

Perfect for the "spouse"
My wife isn't interesting in ripping CDs, creating mixes, MP3s, etc. Her goal was a unit that would play her large CD collection and would accept the crazy disks that her crazy husband generates.

Given that sort of anecdotal background: this is the perfect player. Interface is easy to use (passes the "spouse" test once again), music quality is good and it is very tolerant of shake, rattle and rolls.

I only rate it as 4 out of 5 because I personally don't like the disk form factor. If that's your thing, though, this is the player for you. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Sony's WM-EX190 stereo cassette player is portable enough, and, at under half a pound, light enough to go anywhere you do. Sony's Mega Bass Sound System produces deep, rich bass to enliven appropriate music, an anti-rolling mechanism maintains stable tape speed to minimize music-distorting "wow and flutter" while the player is in motion.

The player's automatic volume limiter system (AVLS) maintains an even volume level, guarding against unintended level increases and evening the output of musical passages that vary widely in level. Automatic shut-off (in playback mode) extends battery life and helps prevent both mechanical and tape wear by turning off unit at the end of each tape side.

Supplied MDR (Micro Dynamic Receiver)-type over-ear headphones offer wide dynamic range and clear sound, and the unit also comes with a handy belt clip. Two AA batteries provide up to 24 hours (maximum, using Sony Alkaline batteries) of continuous tape playback.

What's in the Box
Cassette Walkman, MDR (Micro Dynamic Receiver)-type over-ear headphones, belt clip, user's manual, and warranty information. ... Read more

Features

• Stereo cassette Walkman with Mega Bass enhancement
• Anti-rolling mechanism minimizes distortion when the Walkman is in motion due to active use
• Automatic volume limiter system (AVLS) conserves batteries and guards your hearing
• Includes dynamic, over-ear headphones and a belt clip
• Up to 24 hours extended battery life on 2 AA batteries

Amazon.com Product Description

Enjoy your music with the freedom that comes from MP3 CD playback, extended battery life, a built-in FM/AM radio, and high-powered anti-skip technology. The SL-SV570's onboard digital synthesizer tuner lets you store 30 stations in memory (20 FM and 10 AM) and assures that stations stay put once they're selected.

Panasonic's exclusive No-Skip technology helps prevent interruptions from jostling during active use. No Skip's unique construction uses rubber brushings to absorb shock, while an anti-skip mechanism and an anti-skip digital servo further prevent read errors; a 45-second CD-DA memory reserve (100 seconds with 128 kbps MP3 files) provides added back up.

Panasonic's D-Sound technology enhances digital audio clarity. D-Sound incorporates enhancements such as MP3 Re-Master technology, a digital amplifier, S-XBS bass enhancement, digital auto gain control, and Wrap-It headphones. For clear music from homemade CDs, MP3 Re-Master technology restores music data from MP3 files that may have been lost when compressed from linear PCM tracks. The unit's digital amplifier produces clear, clean sound even at high listening levels, while S-XBS and digital auto gain control (D-AGC) ensure undistorted sound and heightened bass response at high levels. The player's Wrap It headphones feature a digital voice coil and a popular back-band design.

Now, battery changes will be fewer and farther between thanks to Panasonic's PowerLast high-efficiency power system, which combines an efficient motor with low-load circuitry for playback time of up to 75 hours with MP3 playback and 33 hours with standard CDs, using just 2 AA batteries (not included).

Playback abilities include 24-track random-access programming; repeat and resume (which picks up where the unit left off when last stopped); and skip/search. A hold switch prevents accidental starting, stopping, or track skipping during use or transport. The unit boasts an a thin design with operation keys and LCD laid out logically on its top cover.

What's in the Box
CD player, user's manual, and over-ear headphones (AC power adapter not included). ... Read more

Features

• Plays standard CD, audio CD-R, audio CD-RW, and MP3 CD (does not read ID3 tags)
• Built-in digital synthesizer tuner offers 20 FM and 10 AM station presets
• Hold prevents unintended commands (play, stop, etc.), and resume picks up exactly where the player left off
• Up to 75 hours of MP3 playback and 33 hours of CD-DA from 2 AA batteries (not included)

Reviews (7)

A Great Buy
This is a great discman. Now I am not an expert on discmans, since I have only owned about 4, contacting this one, in my life. They were a Sony, Fishman, Sony and now a Panasonic. Normaly I only buy Sony for my electrics. Now Sony is still a great electric company. But since I just bought a VCR\DVD from Panasonic, and it worked so well, I figured this one would to. And in my opinion and some of my friends' opinion it is great. Ok now more about this discman. No. 1, I feel it is very easy to operate, in you read the directions. Also it is easy to turn it off, just press and hold down 'Stop.' Also after you turn it off or press Stop or Pause, once you press play again, it will start from the exact second, it ended on. No. 2, it runcs on 2 AA batteries. This is not only a discman, but a AM\FM radio. It can up to 20 stations on FM and 10 stations on AM. This discman can play CDs, MP3 CD, audio CD-R, and audio CD-RW, but not ID3 tags. This plays up to 75 hrs of MP3 and up to 33 hrs of CD music. So in this review's opinion, this is a great buy and will work.

Ok....
General quality of the player is good. Of course the FM tuner will not work wewll, portable ones with antennas built into the player never do. And the reason they invented the CD player was to solve that problem. But every other aspect is good. I listen to it on our boat in choppy water, no skips yet. The only problem I have had is that the latch on the cover has broken. Everyone I see with this player has a piece of tape there too. It seems to be a design flaw.

relatively good for that price
I bought it last week but I am a little bit disappoinnted. Why:

1. the sound is pretty flat. The XBS is powerful but the rest is like a background. No equalizer is available so nothing can help.

2. the behind the neck headphones are horrible. They do not fit to your ears so you do not hear the music if you are outside or not in a quiet room. Tehy also slip and I have the feeling they are made for big headed people with big enough ears like Shrek for example.

3. Without a remote control you will find it dificult to operate because you have to take it out everytime you want to adjust the volume or skip forward. The buttons are small and almost the same so there is no way to adjust it without taking it out of your pocket.

4. The radio is good even though you cannot listen to it were there is no coverage.

Overall it is good if you are not a sound quality maniac like me. I have a cheaper RCA which sounds better. Changing the headphones won't help either.

decent cd player, mediocre headphones, only fair radio
I generally like Panasonic portable disc players, finding their sound more musical than the typical Sony with construction that seems sturdier. This player is no exception in terms of cd playback. (I'm not interested in mp3 so I have not tested that.)

As is typical the unit ships with only mediocre headphones. While I have heard even worse 'phones, they are definitely dull, lacking in bass, and generally unmusical. If you care about sound quality you really need to spend some money for a different set of 'phones. I am using the Sennheiser HD-280 Pro 'phones with mine.

The FM tuner is the biggest disappointment for me. Perhaps the tuner would work better in a different environment. Radio and TV reception is very spotty in San Francisco because of all of the hills. Even using the "city" function on this unit, some stations have considerable multipath distortion. Switching to mono usually gets rid of the distortion but then, of course, the music is no longer in stereo. This poor radio reception occurs with both the supplied headphones and the Sennheisers. (I mention this because the headphone cord functions as the FM antenna.)

One word of caution to users: I initially thought my unit might be defective because the sound was mono only. After reading the instructions and pressing some buttons, I realized that while my headphone jack was pushed in far enough to make firm contact it was not pushed ALL of the way into the unit. Once I put some more force on the cord, the headphone cable snapped all of the way in and the sound changed to stereo.

Not quite ...
I bought this a few months ago, but already have a replacement.

The good news is that it's light, has a radio tuner and sounds quite good. The Panasonics tend to be a bit richer and warmer than the Sonys, which are more neutral. The bass is good and the digital sound is clean. The batteries last a long time.

On the downside, I dropped it 2 or 3 times -- the lack of a remote when jogging is a big minus -- and now it skips enough to be annoying. The plastic parts on the outside are somewhat flimsy.

Also, peak volume is noticeably lower compared to other players. Thats fine if you dont like headbanging music, but make sure you have "closed" headphones if you take the player outside within earshot of auto traffic.

Finally, the radio tuner, while better than that of the Sonys I've tried, is just okay. I decided I dont need radio anymore in light of the generally mediocre quality of portable CD tuners.

This player handles mp3, but not WMA, as the back of the package indicates.

I've also tried and returned a Sony "sport" player, but I didnt like the lack of a remote or the idea of using a handstrap instead of a wrap-around pouch. Still, it was well designed for people who dont mind straps. The sound was excellent and it was quite sturdy. I dont think it ever skipped.

Now I am trying another Panny, the SV 430. That one has a nice remote, but no tuner. It apparently also can recharge NI type batteries, but you have to buy a plug to connect to it. It's got a few more features too. I'll write a separate review on that.

While I test this one, I am waiting for a new RCA Lyra, with a tuner, WMA capability and a remote. What I really want are all of those features and a Sport type ruggedness. Are you listening Sony? (Panny has all of that except mp3/WMA in a new Shockwave). ... Read more

Product Description

JVC is one of the world's leading developers and manufacturers of sophisticated audio, video and related software products. Building upon a wealth of technologies the company is moving decisively to offer appropriate solutions for the multimedia age. To remain at the forefront of the audiovisual industry in the 21st century, JVC is marshalling its resources to create the ultimate in appealing, cost-competitive products. ... Read more

Features

• 5 preset EQ patterns and hyper-bass sound system
• Backlit LCD and headphone jack
• Plays CDs, CD-R/RWs, and MP3s with text display
• 3 9/16¿ full-range cone speakers
• Hyper bass sound system

Reviews (7)

Good MP3/CD/Radio for the price
Hey this isn't a high def player, but for $70 bucks, it works very well. Remote is handy too. Sound is good, but there are not bass controls. You are limited to the jazz/rock/classical presets. And max volume is rather low.

I'd say for the price, its a good deal.

Very Disappointed
please do not buy this item because sounds very bad, poor sound quality, no even good for a kid this not worth it, pay few more money and buy Sony or Panasonic not that one, if you want a buy it anyway do not waste your money its a crap no good boombox at all.

For the price, a one-of-a-kind WINNER
A boom-box MP3 player with remote control?Hard to find a product like this at any price let alone this bargain.I payed $66.49 with free amazon prime shipping. I'm listening to it now--playing one of my 90+ song "jukebox" cds of high-quality mp3s--the sound quality is fine.Sure, the cd-door feels mushy and cheap and you can't fast-forward mp3s, but again, at this price, I highly recommend this product.

Not Dual Cassette.
Note to those who are expecting a dual cassette unit, as this boombox is described in its listing--this has a single cassette only.The sound quality for CDs is somewhat acceptable (for a small boombox) at medium to higher volumes, but it is annoyingly "tinny" at lower volumes.On the other hand, it does offer lots of MP3 features (not tried by me).

No "boom" in this box
I bought this on a friday and returned it a few days later.Very nice to look and and alot of good features like the MP3 capability, but extremely poor audio makes for a big disappointment.Despite the claims of "Deep, rich bass" made by the manufacturer, the unit has a low volume that maxes out at 29.The extra bass button and jazz, classic, and rock settings make very little difference in the sound.It's definitely meant to be kept indoors inside a quiet room because I seriously doubt it could be heard outdoors, or in a noisy environment.This would be a good deal if JVC had installed better sound capabilities. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Whether you're looking for a stylish portable alarm clock radio or anMP3-capable CD player to accompany you on the road, Grundig'sEtón Ego 4000 Plus may be calling your name. The compact unituses Grundig's proprietary detachable speaker docking system, which letsyou remove the speakers from the exterior of the folding lid andposition them apart, like your home speakers. Or, you can leave thespeakers attached and play the unit like a small boombox. In any case,Grundig also provides a pair of lightweight street-style stereoheadphones to bypass the speakers altogether for private listening.

The Etón Ego 4000 Plus plays not just audio CDs, but recordableCDs filled with MP3 files, too, with ID3 tag capability (for artist andtitle display) and the benefit of 40-second shock protection (or anamazing 120 seconds for MP3). Bass boost and a selection of five presetequalization curves help you tailor the sound to your personalpreference, and you can listen in various random or repeat modes orprogram up to 20 CD/MP3 CD tracks to play in sequence.

The player's fold-up top section puts a backlit LCD in clear view,especially handy when using the built-in alarm and/or calendar features.The clock offers a date indicator, 12-hour time mode, dual alarms (withsnooze), and local/world time. You or your partner can wake to theradio, a CD, or a buzzer. For power, use four AA batteries or the unit'sAC power adapter (both included).

Choose from 15-, 30-, and 60-minute sleep settings, or rely on autopower off to shut the player down at the end of a disc. The FM/AM radiocomes with 30 station presets (20 FM, 10 AM), auto scanning, andantennas.

Grundig's design-driven Etón line of portable-audio offers agraceful combination of form and function. Unique product design is thebasis for all models, as well as functionality above and beyond otherproducts in the same category. With features that satisfy high-tech,style-conscious listeners, Etón products have an added flare thatwill attract people seeking distinctive portable audio.

What's in the Box
CD unit, speakers, headphones, carrying case, an AC power adapter, fourAA batteries, and a user's manual. ... Read more

Features

• Portable CD-radio with MP3/ID3 tag compatibility, 40/120-second anti-skip (PCM/MP3), and detachable stereo speakers
• 30 FM/AM station presets, includes FM and AM antennas
• World/local time settings, dual alarms and snooze button; wake to radio, CD, or buzzer
• 5 EQ presets, bass boost, auto power-off, and 20-track CD programming; 15-, 30-, and 60-minute sleep timer
• Includes 4 AA batteries, an AC power adapter, and stereo headphones

Reviews (6)

not worth the price
I received this as a gift and know the Grundig name typically as a quality product. The sound was so poor I decided there must be something wrong with the unit. I called the Grundig tech support and explained that I heard a very tinny sound with no bass at all. The tech without pause said "Thats typical with all of those units." He further continued to say "you'll get some bass response with the headphones but thats as good as it gets." I couldn't believe something with a $150 price tag was known to sound so bad. Do not waste your money on this product.

Garbage
Unfortunately, my husband bought this piece of junk well before I'd had a chance to read any reviews. I think it's all been said before, but this CD player is a complete rip-off, and an expensive rip-off at that! We were wondering why we only got a couple hours out of a set of batteries, but apparently it's not just us; the problem is inherent in this poor excuse for a CD player. And if you still think you might like to buy one, you can have mine. I'm going to buy something that works.

Anti-shock makes CD worthless
I purchased this to wake up to a CD. It takes 40+ seconds to fill the buffer for the anti-shock system. During this time, the CD stutters. Extrememly annoying. You can shut the anti-shock system off, but only after it begins playing. By that time I'm awake and irritated.

Other than that, I like it.

Stay away, far away.
This thing ain't worth the [money maount]+ asking price. You're better off getting a portable CD player with the same options (minus the clock) and some mini-speakers. The speakers have no bass and and are very tinny. The CD player worked for about a week and now it stutters almost all the time, usually less when you turn the anti-shock setting off. It's all eye-candy.

Most Disappointing Product I've EVER Purchased!
Right off the bat, let me say that this Grundig CD player isn't worth [money], let alone [money]. The reviewer that said he got 5 hours of listening on a set of batteries is lucky. With the first set, I got 1 hour, with the second set I got 14 minutes!! I'm not exaggerating -- I timed it.

Granted, you can skip the batteries and use the AC adapter, but even then, the sound quality is terrible. Cheap and tinny. The speakers are worthless. I am astonished that Grundig is charging so much money for this. Do yourself a favor and avoid. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Need help tracking down an out-of-town business meeting or finding a museum during your out-of-state vacation? The Delphi NA10000 Mobile Navigation in-car GPS system is there to help. It features a large, bright TFT screen with full-color graphics, directional voice prompts, fast routing calculations enabled by a built-in Intel Xscale microprocessor, built-in memory for map data, and windshield- and dash-mounting solutions.

This extremely user-friendly unit provides several functions, including quickest route, shortest route, full automatic turn-by-turn directions synchronized with vehicle position, total distance to destination, and estimated time of arrival. You can search for addresses by name, street crossing, Zip Code, or center-of-town and offers memorization of favorite locations, shortcuts, and most recent locations.

The intuitive graphical user interface is powered by custom navigation software, which provides detailed street-level mapping for the 48 contiguous states and Hawaii, address-to-address routing, automatic rerouting when off-course and an extensive points-of-interest library. Large display icons and easy-to-read maps provide an operator-friendly interface for added safety while driving. The software is fully automatic and provides voice directions in addition to visual driving instructions.

The unit uses a double-disc map set of the United States (excluding Alaska), so that you can easily load your desired maps. The Delphi Mobile Navigation unit has 64 MB of internal memory available for storing maps, and it's compatible with optional Secure Digital (SD) and MultiMedia (MMC) memory cards for additional map storage (256 MB size or less).

What Is GPS?
The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a network of satellites launched by the U.S. military in the 1970s. The satellites continuously transmit accurate time and position information, which is freely used by commercial and military applications worldwide. GPS receivers, such as this Delphi unit, are designed to pick up the high-frequency radio signals from these satellites and use the information to help determine your exact location. Today, there are many applications that use GPS--from marine to automotive, aviation, and military.

There are 24 satellites in total, orbiting approximately 12,000 miles above the Earth. While a GPS receiver can detect signals from up to 12 satellites at any one time, only 3 are needed to provide the two-dimensional position (latitude and longitude), or "fix," that is required for vehicle and marine navigation systems. Aviation applications also need altitude, and therefore need information from at least four satellites.

What's in the Box
Delphi Mobie Navigation unit (NA10000), mounting materials for windshield and dash, 12/24-volt vehicle power adapter, power adapter for indoor programming, USB cable, protective carrying case, screen cleaner, 2 CD-ROMs with Delphi Mobile Navigation desktop software, SmartST in-car digital navigation software, and U.S. maps. ... Read more

Features

• Factory reconditioned to like-new condition; includes 90-day warranty
• Easy to view 3.8 inch color TFT screen
• Voice prompt navigation; Windshield and dash mounting solutions
• Double disk CD Smart-MAP of the continental United States plus Hawaii to easily load your desired maps
• Fast routing calculations enabled by a built-in Intel Xscale microprocessor

Reviews (23)

XACT COMMUNICATIONS X2X 2-Way Wrist Watch Communicator
I PURCHASE XACT COMMUNICATIONS X2X 2-Way Wrist Watch Communicator ABOUT 2WEEKS AGO AND I LOVE IT.I LIKE TAKING IT TO SUPERMARKET,MALLS AND AT WORK TO. IT WORKS VERY GOOD,IT COMPATIBLE TO ANY 2 WAY RADIO.AT THIS TIME AM ABOUT TO BUY 6 MORE TO.

FRS Channels FREE, GMRS Channels License CHEAP
FYI - If you do intend to use the upper channels (GMRS), the FCC license is required. But you don't HAVE to use those channels.

Even if you do, the FCC licence fee of $75 is actually a $50 one-time processing, plus $25 for the license - WHICH IS GOOD FOR 5 YEARS. Also, if you buy the license for yourself, it also covers friends/family members that use the same frequency. So not EVERYONE has to buy the license. All in all, it's not that bad a deal...

I had to get one!
This watch is incredible! My roomate bought one so i figured it would be nice to get one for myself. We use it on campus all the time. It makes me feel like inspector gadget. And the ladies love it. Good Buy.

Really cool product, BUT....
...I've bought 4 of these. Three of them are now broken and useless because you can't buy the part...nor get them serviced. They all broke in the exact same spot...a pin fell out that holds the metal clip together in the band. Nice idea, but now what do I do with three watches without bands?

Great!
This walkie talkie is great. It is well worth the price of 25$. Most walkie talkies cost about 40. You can contact anyone with a walkie talkie with frequencies. This watch has a scan feature so you can see who is on any channel. The range is ok, at 1.5 miles. It is great to wear, and it has Vox. (you can transmit a message by just talking and you dont need to press the talk button). I bought one of these and one x3x. The x3x is the same, it is just a different color and it is a little less bulky. I have great fun with this. ... Read more

Features

• Portable CD player compatible with MP3 files and Sony's ATRAC3plus compression technology; 4-line display with advanced text navigation
• Includes SonicStage CD Simple Burner software to facilitate ATRAC3plus CD burning from MP3 files and from other CDs
• Skip-free G-Protection technology eliminates or reduces skipping during many active uses; includes clip-on remote control
• Bookmark playback function for easy programming, auto-ranking playback programs your favorites based on listening frequency
• Up to 70 hours extended playback with just 1 AA battery (not included)

Features

• CD, CD-R, and CD/RW playback
• Skip-Free G-Protection technology reduces or eliminates skipping during many active uses
• Digital Mega Bass produce rich, deep, bass tones
• 51 station preset memory offers convenient one-button tuning
• Includes 2 rechargeable batteries, AC adaptor, tuner remote, MDR-027LP stereo headphones

Reviews (1)

A NOISY PLAYER
Firstly, thanks Amazon.com give me a full refund.
Secondly, let's talk about the expensive player.

As soon as I got the player, I found myself misleaded by the introduction pictures on website. These pictures suggests that the player is a slim player. Unfortunately, it is not. Actually, it is a half-slim player. There is a big "bump" at the back of this player to commodate battery. You can not notice the "bump" until you open the box and the "camel" style is really weird.

Summary:
Pros:
1. Has both AM and FM tunner, good for those who love to listen to radio;
2. 52 preset FM station;
3. TV channel & Weather channel;
4. LCD can display song name and artist;
5. The CD player also act as a battery charger.

Cons:
1. The weird "bump" makes you uncomfortable;
2. Can not play MP3 at this high price level;
3. Cheap plastic cover, I expect a metal cast at this price level;
4. Who need to listen to TV? Weather channel is useless;
5. FM should be divided into several sub spectrum, 52 preset FM station means you must press 52/2 = 26 times of button to get a random preset station;
6. LCD only one line, can not display enough of infomation;
7. LCD socked too deep, which means you will get a dark shadow and can not see the character in LCD at night unless the LCD is directly under a lamp;
8. The player can not be function when the battery is in charging.

A lot of cons, uhm? But these cons are not the final reason that I returned this player. The big con here is: it is a noisy Noisy NOISY player. As soon as I insert a CD in this player, I heard a loud laser head seek sound. But I think it is not too bad as long as there is no noise when playing CD. Unfortunately, I found myself wrong, there is a random laster head seek sound from time to time (about every 2x seconds). I have a HI-FI headphone (SENNHEISER HD580), and I expect to got crystal clear sound. But what I got is the seek noise :(. To make things worse, you can not ignore the noise, because it is not a constantly noise (e.g. fan). And the CD motor also make ugly noise, it make a loud noise for about 10 seconds (maybe high speed rotation), then goto quiet for about 20 seconds (low speed?).

I suspect it is the anti-shock design cause those noises. Guess, laster head seek to a new track, motor in high speed, read data into memory buffer, then motor in low speed. In the following 2X seconds, what you hear is the data keep in the memory. When the memory goes empty or part empty, the process loops again and again and noise again and again. So I think this is a design flaw in this series of product instead of single product manufacture flaw. Even after I turn off the anti-shock, the player still acted noisly. I just not understand that I can find the "bug" within 10 minutes, what are those Sony QA guys doing?

It is the third time that Sony disapponted me. I got a Sony 21" monitor and a HD-280 headphone, they work excellent. So I think Sony is "high quality". Unfortunately, following 3 purchase: a ear-hurting AM/FM headphone walkman, a awful sound headphone and this CD player let me down. I think the reason is: a big company can not make every product high quality, just simple because they make too many different products. And maybe different series of CD players are designed and manufactured in different departments or sub-companys even located in different countries, therefore, the quality is too much different.

Recommend:
1. Got a iRiver SlimX, almost the same price level, but much better, I will post a review on that product;
2. Only buy products has 10+ reviews and has a above-4 star rate, or you will take the risk. ... Read more

Features

• At 9.9mm, this ultra-compact design provides exceptional portability
• High durability from the full magnesiumbody protects your music from the elements
• Use and recharge the embedded battery over & over with the Battery Charging Stand
• Six-band graphic equalizer to make your music sound its very best
• Acoustic sound settings to create different listening environments

Features

• Portable CD player compatible with MP3 files and Sony's ATRAC3plus compression technology; 4-line display with advanced text navigation
• Includes SonicStage CD Simple Burner software to facilitate ATRAC3plus CD burning from MP3 files and from other CDs
• Skip-free G-Protection technology eliminates or reduces skipping during many active uses; includes clip-on remote control
• Up to 70 hours extended playback with just 1 AA battery (not included)
• Includes complete car-listening kit (including a car remote control) and an AC/DC power adapter

Reviews (1)

Sony Quality Minus Back Light!
I bought this for two reasons, SONY QUALITY and it was made specifically for CAR USE! I wasn't disappointed!

The player has a high piano gloss black cover that resist smudges and has all metal control buttons. It also comes with two remote controls, one for the car and one for the player to carry around. It comes, of course, with everything else needed to play in a car and carry around. But the remotes was what I was really interested in.

I found that the car remote simply duplicates basic controls that Sony says can be controlled like a wiper knob in your car. You can use any remote control, however. The nice touch is that this acts more like a "car" knob for particular people, I suppose. They also include velcro attachments that work pretty good at resisting twisting movements or coming off.

The player has just about everything to play music the way you like it. I didn't find anything really lacking here for most basic of listening. One feature I liked is the "bookmark" feature. The amount of songs I tested was about 75 tracks with 3 groups or folders. I don't know what more you would need if you put 490 songs on.

The battery life must be noted, is for optimum conditons. That is; the player lying flat, ATRAC recorded at minimum bit rate and letting it just play right through without touching anything. If not, I estimate the battery life at somewhere between 9-16 or (more hours) of real play use depending on how much you "fiddle" with it.

My biggest gripe was with the SonicStooge software that comes with the player. It is obvious that the DRM of Sony is interfering with the ease and logicness of using it. For instance I couldn't figure out how to delete a group even when checking the option to do so, it just wouldn't delete the group! I ended up just reformatting the ATRAC CD. You can get use to SonicStooge, once you learn SonicStooge "sense". I was beginning to grasp some basic features after some fustrating moments, but it clearly needs some reworking. I also could not get it to work with their Connect online music site of all things!

There was some moments when songs would suddenly stop playing and then start playing again. I think this has to do with the G-Shock asorbing ability of the player (I hope :). I never turned on this feature.

SOUND? I played it through my car stereo and it sounded very good. (Recorded at 64kbs) I compared MP3 sound to ATRACPLUS sound, and my conclusion was that ATRAC sound sounded slightly better, especially in the bass department. A little more "oomph" and definiton. I am sold on the ATRACPLUS sound! I consider this proprietary method superior to MP3. The music also sounded very good with headphones that came with it. I never tested the sound on Grado or better headphones, but they sounded very clear and thorough with these headphones with very good bass! Another thing people might wonder is how loud can it get? Well, putting it on the highest volume seems to me like someone yelling at the top of their lungs maybe 10 feet away from you. How long can you take of that?

SUPPORT: Superb! I was able to get to a live rep with very mininum wait time. (Under 1 minute). For tougher problems with their software, I was given a another number to call and instantly got a knowledgeable rep! No menus or recordings! Try doing that with Iriver. They still have not returned an e-mail question after several weeks!!

There was really only one thing lacking (maybe) and why Iriver is beating them. It sounds silly, but there is no BACKLIGHT on this thing. To see the information on the 4 line LCD (which it has plenty) you must be in good light. Sony, take a hint and PUT A BACKLIGHT IN ALL YOUR PLAYERS. Thank you!!! Not only is it helpful, but COOOOL!!!!

Oh yeah, it has a little operating "on" lite. Small, but pretty neat! It changes color depending on program material. Naturally, green (for go or safe?) means ATRACPLUS mode. The other mode colors are red and orange for Audio CD and MP3.

UPLINE: Sony quality and features, no-wait tech support.
DOWNLINE: No backlight on LCD. Ill conceived software. ... Read more

Features

• Push-button access to 7 GMRS/FRS channels, 7 FRS and 8 GMRS channels -- 22 in all
• 38 privacy codes, for a total of 836 private sub-channels when combined with the 22 channels
• Scan open channels, privacy codes or the channels in memory to locate conversations in progress
• VOX voice detection transmits your voice without your pressing a button
• Selectable Roger Beep tone indicates when it's clear for others to talk(can be deactivated)

Reviews (2)

Don't Waste your money
I bought this tape recorder and was very disapppointed. The sound quality is just horrible. Don't buy.

Great Performance for the Money
I just recently bought my second one of these. I've been very happy with the performance of the 3-5364B Cassette Recorder.

What I like about the recorder is that it takes full-sized cassettes that can be played in your car cassette player. This is good if you're weird like me and read to yourself and want to hear your own homemade audiobook in the car while you're driving. I also use it to tape my phone messages before I erase them, because I may like the sound of their voice, and because maybe future kids will want to know what their grandmother sounded like. I also liked the fact that it fit so well in my hand.

It has a headphone jack, so that if you wanted to listen to an audio book and had a PROPER AC adapter (3V) you could go to bed with your favorite book. Don't expect Dolby noise reduction and stereo sound with this guy. It's very basic.

My first one was VERY good on batteries. I had it over a year, and I hadn't changed the batteries since I bought it. I used Duracell Alkaline AAs. These same batteries are now in my new one and doing fine.

The variable speed playback seems a useless feature since it does have a fast forward button which works better. The mic has two sensitivities low and high...it's got a pause, which I suppose works better than the STOP button. Again, my uses for the recorder are fairly straight forward so I rarely use these features.

There is one design flaw, in my opinion. When you load the tape, realize that the side that you can see through the window is the side you are playing. Looking at the device that way the buttons are below the window facing you. You're fine if you go strictly by the symbols on the buttons for rewind, play, fast forward, etc. However, you quickly notice that if you use it that way, the lettering that goes with the buttons is upside-down! This could be disastrous if you didn't realize this and flipped the recorder over, rewinding instead of forwarding! They really need to fix this if they make a new model.

I mentioned that this is the second one I've bought...I'll explain what happened to the first one.

The first one died by accident...I fried it using the AC adapter to my desktop paper shredder. Potential buyers should know this little recorder doesn't come with its own AC adapter. In and of itself, that wasn't a big deal to me, since I used mine for over a year without ever needing one. It's just this ONE TIME I wanted to not drain the batteries by going to bed with a new relaxation tape a friend sent me, and I thought I could use one the myriad adapters from portable CD players I have lying around to fit it, but the shape of the adapter fittings on all of them were just different enough to not work. Except one. The one to my shredder WAS the right shape, but, alas, wrong voltage! OOPS! Lesson learned: make sure the adapter is set for 3 volts and not higher! Not knowing whether I could revive the old one, I just bought another one since it was my fault it was no longer working.

But, all in all, I liked the device enough to buy another one, so there you go. It might also be noted that both recorders cost about a twenty percent less than what they're selling it for at Amazon.com. I hope this is helpful. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

With its handy MP3 song-search feature and pocket-friendly size, Memorex's MPD8081 takes full advantage of the tiny 3-inch (8 cm) CD-R format, playing full-quality CD tracks as well as MP3 compressed-music files. An 8 cm disc holds more than three hours of compressed music (compared with about 21 minutes of CD-quality PCM audio). Memorex boasts nearly two minutes of electronic skip protection (ESP) in MP3 mode (45 seconds for PCM), so the device is ready to go anywhere you do.

The MPD8081's search feature lets you hunt for tunes by subject, title, or artist. The player also offers 64-selection programming memory (program by track or album), multi-session-disc playback, random play, repeat play (one/all), and a single-bit digital-to-analog converter for optimal sound quality. The player comes with compact earbud headphones. ... Read more

Features

• 8 cm pocket CD player plays mini CD/CD-R/CD-RW/MP3-CD
• 2-line dot-matrix text display for artist and track information
• MP3 file search by subject, title, or artist
• 120 seconds antiskip protection (MP3 tracks), 45 seconds protection (PCM audio)

Reviews (48)

Balance or price, size, and memory
I was looking for CD players for quite a while until I ended up looking for mini-cd players. They all have 185-210 megs each CD, depending on which you buy, and MP3 encodes at about a meg a minute, so that ends up at 185-210 minutes of music. One reviewer said that they couldn't rip his own songs and put them on, which means he was probably just stupid, because after they're ripped MP3's are all the same, so I don't know what they were thinking. They also said the battery life was only 4 hours, which is also untrue, because I use rechargeable batteries which don't have as long a life as normal batteries and I still get about 8-10 hours of battery life. With normal batteries I get 10-12 hours. One reviewer talked about a click at the end of the tracks, but I didn't find that annoying. I usually listen to my songs at a low volume and didn't even notice it until I went and read these reviews, so I turned the volume all the way up and did hear it, but it isn't loud or anything. The CD player is about 4 inches wide, 4 inches tall, and 1 inch thick. The biggest problem is the thickness, but it still fits into the pockets of all of my pants. I was happy to find that the buttons are designed so that the buttons aren't pushed while it's in your pocket or bag or something. The buttons are still big, and the interface is fairly simple and easy to use. I put MP3's in between 48 and 192 kbps and all of them worked. It loads up very quickly, only about 10 seconds with a new CD. The skip protection is good, if longer then 2 minutes it spins for about 16 seconds while it's playing and then stops spinnin, and then after 2 minutes spins for another few seconds during play. The headphones are good quality, but mine went faulty from not taking care of them very well. It's pretty well built, since I'm rough with all my things, and I have little brothers and sisters that get into it and drop it and whatever else they want to do to ruin my life, and it still works fine.

Sounds great, less filling!
After researching mp3 players, reading customer reviews, and watching the net for new models over quite a few months, I was prepared to be somewhat disappointed. Perhaps because of this, I did not want to spend a lot of money. I am completely SATISFIED and HAPPY with the Memorex MPD8081. This is my first mp3 player. My player's main function is to let me listen to music without having to run the whole computer. It's connected to my Monsoon MM-702 computer speakers and the combination sounds GREAT!

Mini CD's give you the best compromise between low cost, portability, and compatibility with the most widely available devices. This player plays mp3 format files and normal CD-DA (wav files, red book, whatever) only. If there are any mp3 files on a disk, wav files will be ignored. Disks snap onto a spindle which holds them the way a ratchet holds a socket. There is no backlight and the headphone jack does double-duty as the line output. A dial on the side regulates volume and a small switch controls dynamic bass boost. The only other side-mounted control is the sliding latch for the spring-loaded cover. Overall construction is high quality. On my unit, two small places on the side where friction inside the packaging scraped away the paint--very minor.

Comes with street style headphones and three blank 210 MB mini CDs. If you use headphones you will probably want another pair. The non-adjustable headphones included may be adequate for some folks. Sound is good and noise level in the electronics is quite low. No specs are given. No software is included. There is a 4.5V input in back but no included AC adaptor. The unit powers ON via the play button on top and OFF via the stop button pressed twice. Turns off after one minute of inactivity to conserve power. No batteries are included.

Controls are simple, the manual is clear, functions are intuitive and the unit behaves flawlessly. Mp3 format is the only supported format; the manual says up to 384 Kbps. Also says packet writing and multi-session are supported. I have not tested all of these. I've made one CD-R with mp3's in five directories and one CD-RW containing only two wav files. Both work just fine. Random function is quite intelligent--on a mp3 disk all files in a directory are shuffled (no-repeat) and played before moving on to the next directory. You can fast-forward and rewind within a track for either mp3's or wavs. For me, so far, startup time has been very short (6 seconds for 54 songs), but the manual warns that it may take up to 30 seconds on a disk containing many mp3 tracks.

Only caveats you might consider: A previous reviewer was annoyed by the slight click at the end of a song. I was concerned when I read this but I do not find it to be very annoying. Sometimes (not often) a delay between tracks interrupts the "flow" of a recording and that IS annoying. Side topic: don't purchase a bunch of "extra length" 210 MB cd's before testing them with your burner. My first CD-RW burner (Samsung) had trouble using these so I switched to "normal" 185 MB cd's. I have not tested this with my newer burner and I suspect newer drives don't have this problem.

My review would not have been so long if I wasn't very happy about the product. Amazon has treated me very fairly and I praise them. I do, however, believe that product descriptions here and for other items are somewhat lacking. I highly recommend this product.
(original 01-Oct-2002, additional comment 16-Feb-2003)

Addendum
I'm still pretty happy with it, but I might give it only four stars now. I found others comments interesting; you have to wonder about the people who didn't realize it only played mini CD's -- perhaps this speaks to Amazon's sparse product blurb and single picture. The Memorex web site is woefully lacking in product information, as stated by reviewer "gadget_guy". Battery life is decent; get ten hours from alkalines. I would like for the cover to have less free play--it clacks a bit while buttons are being pressed.

I've noticed some annoying sonic 'artifacts' generated by the player's built-in mp3 decoder that do not happen when I listen to the same files with the computer. I'm going to re-encode the problem albums using a different bit rate. (One of them is Peter Gabriel's "melting face" album which is bizare enough without any help from the decoder.) Software tips: I've played around with Easy CD and Nero Burning; I prefer Nero. I made the mistake of purchasing the mp3pro plug-in from ahead for $19. What good is mp3pro when hardly any device supports it? I switched to the free program called CDex for ripping audio from CDs.

Regarding the inter-song gap created by the player: I began to get very annoyed at this so I searched for a way to rip/encode several tracks into a single giant mp3 file. Long story short, CDex can do the job hassle free. (Wasted a lot of time mucking with the wave editor.) If I had the disk "Abbey Road" I would definitely rip/encode the songs into two or three giant files. Still the best mini-CD player around from what I can tell. Yeah, the iPod is cool, but I'd rather have a new motherboard, Pentium 4, DDR-SDRAM, etc.. for the same money.

Read This Before You Buy
Works good. But the product is made cheaply. Very delicate product. I was disappointed just in 5 minutes after looking at this player.

don't waste money
I bought this at a electronics store near where I live, and I was estatic about it. After a few days my feelings had changed. First of all, my unit has problems connecting to a AC adaptor. It is very tempermental about when it thinks it is connected to one, and if you move it or the AC adaptor, the whole thing shuts off. Also, on Windows 98, you cannot rip songs from your CD's and put them on a mini cd in MP3 format, so any songs you want to listen to you need to download. The battery life is also under 4 hours play time. Overall, I have been compleatly unsatisfied with my experiance with it.

Sonic Artifacts
I really liked the idea of a compact player, so I thought this 3" cd player would be just the ticket. The unit seems to be very cheaply made - which goes along with the $30 price. The big problem was the audio artifacts introduced from the MP3 decoder. That and the annoying click after every track compelled me to throw this into the trash after a half hour of distorted sound. Don't waste your money! ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

The SRF-56 is lightweight, simple-to-use FM stereo receiver. Weighing only 1 3/4 ounces (51 grams), this compact player is a perfect companion for the track, bike trail or work area. With the antenna headphone, you are sure to receive a strong signal. The local/distant switch will help you fine tune the reception. Both the volume and tuning buttons are rotary dials, providing a nice sight-free way to make major changes to the Walkman.

Sony has included their MDR (micro dynamic receiver) headphones with the SRF-56. These headphones are open air type; the headphones will allow ambient noise to filter into the ear canal, providing a rich sound and keeping you safely aware of events, people and automobiles around you. The headphones provide ample dynamic range and sound. The Walkman requires only one AA battery, keeping the receiver lightweight and inexpensive to operate. When using a Sony alkaline battery, you can expect 100 hours of use. There is also a belt clip included, so you can carry the Walkman on your belt. The color is a utilitarian gray.

What's in the Box
Sony SRF-56 Walkman FM stereo, Sony MDR open air headphones, belt clip, user's manual and a ninety day warranty. ... Read more

Features

• Lightweight and compact FM stereo Walkman
• Included Sony MDR headphones act as FM antenna
• Local/distant switch ensures optimal reception
• Single AA battery provides long use (100 hours when using a Sony alkaline)
• Weighs only 1 3/4 ounces; belt clip included

Reviews (1)

It's about as perfect as a simple little radio can get.
This radio is pretty much exactly what I expected in purchasing a small radio. It has good reception, handles minor abuse well, and all the switches and dials are in their right places. What more can I ask for?

Just an operational tip: This radio is very light weight and has a sturdy clip on the back side. In order to keep it and the headphone wires out of my way I clip it on my shirt behind my neck and put the excess headphone wiring down the back of my shirt. It stays neatly in place, doesn't uncomfortably pull the shirt back, and doesn't get caught on anything (hands, workout equipment, random counters and tables) as it would on my waist band.

Enjoy! ... Read more

Features

• 45 Second Anti-skip Protection
• Weather Resistant Design
• Programmable CD Memory
• Digital AM/FM Tuning
• CDR/W Compatible

Reviews (1)

kills batteries
This recorder kills batteries.
I use the recorder turn it off and try to use it again (within 24 hours) and the batteries are dead. I called Memorex...They said to take the batteries out after every use. Not a great idea as I purchased this to use while driving. ... Read more