Go Video Rave-MP AMP256 256 MB MP3 Player Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I'm starting to collect MP3 players like some people collect stamps.I've owned a Grey Whale (256Mb flash player), a Rio Cali 256, a Creative Muvo2 (still), and now this Rave MP.I've also had MP3 ability with my Handspring Visor (via a Soundsgood module) and two Sony Clies.Let's just say I'm converted to digital music.

I bought this one because the price was super low, a one-time offer at a big box retailer.They were in and out of stock, but I finally scored mine and here's my take.

For the price, it's near-unbeatable.The LCD screen is extremely readable, not a small feat considering the miniscule two-line display of Creative's Muvo2.Navigation is quasi-semi-para-intuitive, meaning once you play with it you'll get it.The nav pad is a standard d-pad with a center push button for activating choices, and it has slightly stamped tactile cues for function (FF, REV, Play/Pause, Stop).You might need to brush up on your braille to use this in the dark, but you can visibly see the cues as well.

First and foremost is sound quality.It's loud and clear, but not an overwhelming experience.It decodes WMAs and MP3s (per my own observations) and the LCD display makes good use of showing you song info in a flash... no scrolling, finally.As a player, it accomplishes the mission.FM tuning is not going to impress your friends with its DXing aplomb, but it pulls in stations outside 100% and within a building if you give it half a chance to find a signal.

Cool features?Oh yeah:
-FM line recording, although I can't imagine getting four
hours of Howard Stern on it;
-twenty radio presets;
-USB 2.0 connectivity as a removable drive, which makes music
synchronization fast and simple (use any music manager you
wish, including Windows Explorer);
-uses a single AAA battery and gets 12-14 hours from an
alkaline battery (use a rechargable and get about 8-10);
-and the reason I bought this, SD/MMC card capability.

The last point is worth discussion.I carry a Jump Drive Trio so I can read Memory Sticks, SD, and MMC cards, but also to carry a 1Gb MMC card with my system essentials and recovery tools.I have 384Mb free on it even after stuffing WinXP's two service packs on it, so I starting thinking about an MP3 player that would also handle cards.

The Rio Cali/ Forge line would have been my first choices, but the Cali is not recognized as a removable drive (you must use Rio s/w to xfer files) and the Forge is expensive (although it is now recognized as a removable drive).I stumbled upon the Rave MP from a friend who scours the web for deals.I took a shot and well, this is now my new card reader.It read my 1Gb MMC card with no problems, and that's my acid test.

I'm not crazy about the price point, because it's a little too close to the Rio Forge and Rio sound quality is generally superior to most devices.However, if you catch this on sale, you absolutely must give it a try.It's a slickly-designed, sharp little toy that packs a ton of features in a small package.

Fred

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Product Description:
You can take it with you when you hit the pavement with the Rave-MP AMP256 digital audio player. Designed with adrenaline, the AMP256 delivers powerful, skip-free music so you can crank up the burn. Compatible wth both MP3 and WMA file formats, the AMP256 offers an internal 256 MB flash memory and a SD/MMC memory card expansion slot for additional storage. It can connect to either Windows or Mac PCs via USB 2.0, and it supports dragging and dropping of files directly from your desktop to the player. Organizing and transferring music is simple as the player is designed to use Windows Media Player 9 as the default jukebox on Windows-based PCs. It's also been designed to work with Microsoft's upcoming Windows Media Digital Rights Management system.
The 256 MB memory will store approximately 4 hours of CD-quality MP3 files or 8 hours of CD-quality WMA files. It's powered by 1 AAA battery and will play continuously for up to 16 hours on a single battery. It also features an FM radio with 20 presets and the ability to record voice via the integrated microphone or record off the FM radio.
What's in the Box 256 MB AMP256 Rave-MP player, sport earbuds, case, armband