PoGo Products Radio YourWay LX review (512MB)

Another unique feature is the built-in speaker, which makes the player seem even more like a portable radio. Unsurprisingly, the speaker sounds tinny and anemic, just like AM radio.

We liked the one-touch speed-adjust feature, which cycles between several playback speeds--some slower than normal, some faster--while keeping the pitch constant. It's great for listening to voice recordings, audiobooks, and the like. However, steer clear of the eight equalizer presets, which transform playback in varying degrees of awful. Ditto the 3D Effect option; it simulates "big" sound that's actually harsh and unappealing. Another gripe: Playback is alphabetically based on filename, so if you want to hear your tracks in the correct album order, your files will need numeric prefixes.

PoGo supplies a lanyard for wearing the player around your neck, but it's not a suitable way to listen to your tunes while jogging or exercising. A belt clip or an armband case would be preferable. Like most portable players, the Radio YourWay also comes with earbuds that most wearers will find uncomfortable before long. Happily, they sound quite good, as does the player itself when left on the Normal equalizer setting.

Although PoGo Products promises 15 hours of battery life, the Radio YourWay impressively lasted more than 17 hours in our tests. What's more, it charges using either the included AC adapter or its USB interface. Just one problem: the latter is a 1.1 connection, causing molasses-slow file transfers of 0.55MB per second.