CNET editors' review
-
CNET editors' rating:
stars
Very good
Detailed editors' rating
- Reviewed on: 10/03/2002
Design
With an eye-catching, shiny, silver body, this ultralight--2.78 ounces with the AAA battery installed--and supercompact, 3.87-by-1.94-by-0.86-inch player has a fairly chic design. Another plus: The three buttons on the unit's face and the two volume-control keys on the side are sturdy, as is the extrawide jog dial that's used for song navigation. The one minor design drawback is the small display; it's not backlit, so don't expect to see track info in the dark.
Because the RealOne software puts files onto the 64MB Secure Digital (SD) card using the included USB card reader, there's no connection port on the player--only a headphone jack. The SD card slides into a secret slot on the unit that's hidden by a slick, swiveling cover. This is the kind of thoughtful craftsmanship that we've come to expect from Panasonic's portable-audio division.
However, we were disappointed that the company included only an iridescent lanyard for toting the player around your neck like a pendant, which makes you look a little silly when the headphones are attached. We would have preferred some sort of belt clip, and we found ourselves slipping the unit in a pocket rather than going the neck route.
Features/connectivity
The SV-SD50 has everything that you need to navigate and play MP3, WMA, and AAC files. The inclusion of AAC support is a great idea since that format sounds better at smaller file sizes. Plus, RealOne can rip CDs to AAC files on its own.
In terms of software, RealOne works great for transferring files and organizing your music library, but it steals file associations by default; therefore, every format from MP3 to AVI plays with RealOne rather than the app that you normally use. With jukebox software, there's usually a custom install that you can select so that your files don't get hijacked, but this isn't the case with RealOne. You'll need to go into the program's Preferences menu and unselect each associated file type in order to play back media with your preferred software.
The display tells you everything that you need to know: song number and title, EQ setting (Normal, Bass Boost 1, Bass Boost 2, or Train), repeat/shuffle, and battery level. However, you really don't get much in way of bells and whistles. An FM radio and/or voice-recording capabilities would have been nice inclusions. Continue reading
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