Yamaha Home Theater
- Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 8 reviews Back to product review
- My rating: 0 stars
Full user review
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2 out of 3 people found this review helpful
4.5 stars
"One of the best AAA battery mp3 players"
Pros: Expandability and AAA battery
Cons: Dot matrix screen, limited configuration options, odd controls
Summary: I have been on the hunt for an mp3/video player which ran on a AAA battery. They do exist but aren't good quality. I settled to buy the Pearl instead. Here's what guided me in buying and some of my opinions.
I don't think that the editor's review gives much credit to this device. It isn't a Stone Age artifact if it uses a AAA battery. In fact, if you have a fast NIMH charger (and batteries), you can have a fresh battery charged from any time under 30 minutes. You don't have to waste your money on a USB wall adapter or leave your mp3 player plugged into a USB hub or your computer overnight for charging. There's some savings!
The interface is a little bit odd at first glance but for it to be compact, I suppose the buttons had to be laid out the way they are. The volume button scrolls vertically and the track search horizontally (in the menu). The navigation menu is limited to three lines. It isn't the worst navigation layout I have seen. One thing I do wish was in effect was the ability to flip the screen through the settings.
The size probably isn't much larger than the size of a small package of Juicy Fruit. It's not the most compact but isn't much of a turn off for me.
I purchased a SanDisk 2GB Micro SD card previously in anticipation of purchasing a compatible device on sale for $60. I have it completely loaded with 600 songs and they are all supported and detected. Some other expandable mp3 players limit you to how much you can add or the number of supported songs. Some previous Lyra models had this flaw.
The sound is fantastic to say the least. I drive with an FM tuner and every device needs to have its volume boosted for an effective signal. I definitely have that with this device! There isn't any cracking when the volume is pushed to the max!
Data transfer is a little bit sluggish but for how often the files may be added or removed, it doesn't matter much.
There isn't an FM receiver but if you have the right songs, who really cares (unless if you listen to the news or something, that's a different story). Most mp3 players get poor reception anyways.
Voice recording isn't as easy as pressing a button but it records in Mono WAV at 8,000 Hz. It probably wouldn't be as great for a concert bootleg but one could give it a try. It's probably best used for voice only.
This mp3 player is overall a great value! It meets all of my needs so check it out!Updated
I would like to add that the software which is included is/features Yahoo! so they're looking to get you to sign up for their services (almost as bad as buying a Dell and getting their trial programs installed). You aren't limited to using their software to add music but can through Windows Explorer.
The MicroSD card does not eject when you push on it, you have to pull it out.
If you don't create play lists (through their software), you are limited to playing from folders. The files are only displayed by a numeric order, not alphabetical. I'll have to add a number to the beginning of each file name (using a utility program) to have the files play in the right order. ID3 Tags have no effect with this problem.
- 2 replies to this review
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It is nice to see someone else appreciates the AAA battery, which can be re-chargeable or not. You can buy one anywhere, and you can have one in the player, and one being charged if you want. I don't own this player. I have an iriver T-60 4 GB which also uses convenient AAA batteries.
I don't understand why there are so few of the AAA battery players to choose from. Why do people want a rechargeable battery that has to be plugged into a USB port every night. I wonder how often they really use their players. I use mine at least 1 hr a day, and a AAA battery lasts a week or 2 between charges. -
I really like the Pearl, but cannot figure out how to make the thing start playing from where it was at when it was shut off. Can anyone help me with this? It is driving me nuts to have to start a part over each time I have to shut the thing down.
Where to buy
RCA Pearl (2GB, black):
$75.99
| store | price | in stock? | rating |
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Amazon.com Marketplace
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$75.99 | See Site |
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