Thursday, October 05, 2000

Introduction Every once in a while, there comes a time when even we tend to roam off the beaten track, and review something other than the newest motherboard, or graphics card. It doesn't happen often, but this happens to be one of those rare occasions when it has. Thanks to MP3 Solutions, we've managed to get our hands on something quite a bit different from our usual fare: the MP3 Solutions Portable MP3 Player.

The particularities of the MP3 portable player

First off, let's just mention that what we have before us is not the typical MP3 player, ala RIO, which tends to store MP3 files in Flash memory. Rather, what we have is a CD player which happens to have the ability to read files stored under the MP3 format, as well as traditional CD files.

Gifted as it is with a 50-seconds anti-shock system, this particular player rarely experiences a skip. In fact, even a pretty vigorous shaking failed to interrupt our tunes, which rocked on without missing a beat.

For a device of its size, the Portable MP3 Player from MP3 Solutions is truly impressive. The sound quality provided by the included headphones is of course passable, but for a true audio experience, it's likely that listeners will prefer to opt for a pair of high-quality headphones. The Portable MP3 Player is also capable of playing for a good 5 hours using nothing more than a pair of AA batteries, with an integrated Nickel-Cadmium rechargeable battery charger included for good measure.

One thing to note in passing is the Bass Boost function, which allows audiophiles to give their favorite bass frequencies an extra boost; something especially useful when using lower-quality headphones.

An audio-out jack has also been provided, which allows the system to be plugged into an amplifier/stereo-system, whether it be in your living room, or car. You may also be interested to know that unlike traditional CD files - which permit only 15 or 16 songs to be recorded onto a single disk - the highly compressed MP3 format can allow up to 200 or more music files to be crammed onto a single platter. With that in mind, what would be the point in purchasing an expensive CD-changer system for your car, when you could simply plug in this baby, and listen to your MP3 tunes all the way to where you're going? In fact, I'm pretty sure that a few CD-changer manufacturers are asking themselves the same thing right about now :)))

Thanks to its ability to play MP3 files from 32-bits/sec to 192KB/sec, the MP3 Solutions player also manages to beat out much of the competition, which is typically limited to 160KB/sec playback. As well, according to the manufacturer at least, the Portable MP3 Player is capable of playing 255 musical pieces off of a single compact-disk.

A microphone jack has also been included with the Portable player, which allows it to be used as a recorder capable of storing up to 500 seconds of mono audio.

Finally, as might be expected, fast forward, and rewind functions have also been integrated into the device, as well as a digital LCD display.

Conclusions

This device really stuck us as being a truly top-notch piece of equipment, with excellent audio playback, and a fair set of interesting functions. In fact, the possibilities that it opens up for particular venues such as a car's audio system are so impressive, that it can effectively replace your auto's own CD system...

For more information, visit MP3 Solutions.

Technical Specifications