iMedian M-Cody MX-100 (256MB, white)

CNET editors' review

• CNET editors' rating: 3.0 stars Good
  Detailed editors' rating
  Design : 7.0
  Features : 6.0
  Performance : 7.0
  Overall score: 6.7 (3.0 stars)

• Reviewed by:
  John Frederick Moore
• Edited by:
  Jasmine France
• Reviewed on: 06/24/2005

It's getting tough for manufacturers to make their flash-based MP3 players stand out from the pack, but iMedian does a good job of it with its latest player, the M-Cody MX-100. Two features distinguish the iMedian M-Cody MX-100 from similar offerings: stellar battery life and the less practical but definitely curious ability to act as a (not quite) universal remote control.

The MX-100 looks like a typical pendant-style player. Sporting an all-white plastic case with silver trim, it's a shade larger and heavier (1.26 by 3.22 by 0.83 inches, 1.48 ounces) than some similar players, but we like the ultraslim sliding USB connector on the back of the unit. When you turn on the device, you're greeted with a six-line, 65,000-color screen that displays ID3-tag information, the current time, and EQ settings. Strangely, pressing the menu/navigation jog button lets you toggle through the device's music, record, and radio modes, while the Function button accesses menu options for EQ, display, play mode, and so forth. You get used to it, though, as all the buttons are located along the edges, and they're easy to access and operate.

The MX-100, which comes in 256MB ($155), 512MB ($195), and 1GB ($245) configurations, plays MP3, OGG, ASF, WAV, and standard WMA files. DRM-protected WMAs aren't supported, so you can't play music purchased from online stores such as Napster. Windows Explorer handles all file transfers via drag and drop. Windows 98 users will have to install drivers found on the included CD-ROM. The MX-100's firmware is upgradable, but you're required to format the drive when doing so, which eliminates all stored data.

You get Normal, Pop, Jazz, Rock, and Classical EQ presets, as well as two user-defined settings with a five-band slider; however, you must make custom EQ adjustments in a separate menu option. The player also includes SRS Wow and TruBass settings. Pressing and holding the Shuffle/Wow button toggles through SRS settings during playback. You can also adjust the sound for speaker size in case you want to boost the amplification for playing music through computer speakers, for example, as opposed to headphones. The MX-100 features an FM radio with 20 presets, including an autopreset feature. FM and line-in recording encodes MP3s at bit rates from 64Kbps to 320Kbps.

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Reviews from around the WebPowered by alaTest

• alaTest.com

  Editors' rating: 79

  Summary: alaTest has collected and analyzed 4 reviews of M-Cody M-X100 from international magazines and websites. Experts rate this product 70/100. Comparing these reviews to 480474 other MP3 Players reviews gives this product an overall alaScore™ 79/100 = Good.

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• dapreview.net

  Editors' rating: 84

  Summary: . The player also has a host of features, ranging from a line-in to a solid 35 hours of battery life

  Read full review