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CNET editors' rating:
stars
Very good
Detailed editors' rating - Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 79 reviews
- See all user reviews
Product summary
The good: Supercompact; rechargeable battery; wealth of accessories; supports MP3, WMA, and AAC; 50 hours of battery life (with included battery pack).
The bad: A bit pricey; no built-in memory.
The bottom line: This MP3 player is incredibly small, and its battery life is outstanding.
Specifications: Device type: Digital player ; Flash memory installed: 1 hour(s) ; Digital player supported digital audio standards: AAC , MP3 , WMA ; See full specs
CNET editors' review
- Reviewed on: 12/04/2001
Very small indeed
The first thing we noticed when we opened the SV-SD80's box was that the unit itself is not much bigger than a matchbox. At .92 ounces (without the protective case and external battery), it's miniscule. Then our eyes wandered over the formidable selection of accessories: an eye-catching iridescent neck strap; a docking station for recharging the unit's internal battery; a USB SD card reader/writer; a protective carrying case with belt clip that has a slot for adding an extra battery; an armband for working out with the device; and ear bud-style headphones (they sound OK) that come with an extension cord that allows you to use them when the device is clipped to your hip. What more can you ask for?
Next, we installed the USB driver and the special version of RealJukebox from the enclosed CD, connected the SD card reader to our PC's USB port, and transferred a selection of test MP3s (via RealJukebox) to the included 64MB SD card. No problem.
The fact that the SV-SD80 uses an SD card means that it complies, to some extent, with the guidelines set out by the SDMI, which is intended to thwart piracy. As noted, devices with this sort of protection usually end up being a royal pain to use. But the SV-SD80 makes the process completely transparent, thereby avoiding user frustration. It looks as though the software is merely transferring the files to your MP3 player the way a normal, non-SDMI-compliant player does. It's also worth noting that ripping and burning CDs using RealJukebox is a snap as well.
Clever battery idea
Apart from its size and bounty of accessories, the most impressive aspect of this player is its battery life. While most other players offer about 10 to 15 hours of battery life, Panasonic claims that the SV-SD80 can deliver up to 50 hours. Mind you, this feat is accomplished in a somewhat unorthodox way. Inside the unit, there's a small, rectangular nickel-metal-hydride rechargeable battery that gives you up to 18 hours of playback. But the player also comes with the aforementioned protective case, which houses a slot for adding an extra AA battery. Use the case--it completely envelops the player--with the external battery, and your playback time goes up considerably. Lo and behold: In our tests, we came close to reaching Panasonic's 50-hour claim. Very impressive.
Small as it is, the $300 SV-SD80 also sounds good and has four equalizer presets for boosting the bass. We were able to crank the volume pretty loud, and test MP3s sounded clear with only a very slight amount of audible white noise during quiet passages in the music.
The player's one major drawback is that it ships with an SD card of only 64MB. That'll be enough storage space for some people, particularly those who opt for WMA or AAC files, which can be encoded at lower bit rates (smaller file sizes) without sacrificing quality. The included card holds only an hour of music, but you can replace it with higher-capacity SD media. Given that SD cards have gotten much cheaper since this player was released, it's hard to imagine anyone not liking the SV-SD80's small, tight design and cool accessories.
User reviews
- Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 79 reviews
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