mobiBLU Cube DAH-1500i 1 GB Digital Audio Player Black Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)A few months ago I saw the MobiBLU Cube on some weekend morning news show.At the time I did not have an MP3 player, which is kind of strange since I am what you call an "early adopter."I liked the looks of the MobiBLU Cube.It's a small (approx. 1") cube that fits in the palm of your hand.A couple of weeks later I went to Wal*Mart and bought the black one.I wanted the pink one but that is only available online and I didn't feel like waiting.I purchased the 1 GB player and it was $129.00.

The MobiBLU Cube comes with the mp3 player, a pair of necklace headphones that double as antennae for the FM receiver, an ac adapter, USB cable, instruction manual, software and a rubbery protective thingy.

I should say right off that I am not a music person.I like music, of course, but I don't obsess about it.I can't really tell the difference between good sound quality and great sound quality.I can tell bad quality, though, and the MobiBLU Cube does not have bad sound quality.It may not be great quality but it is at least good quality--and, it may be great quality, as far as I know.All I can really say is that the sound quality is sufficient for me and would probably be sufficient for most people.

The MobiBLU Cube has some neat features.It can tune in FM radio stations, although in my area this feature doesn't really work.It has a microphone and can be used to take memos.You can also record from the FM receiver and add the recordings to your playlist.

I find that the included earbuds get really uncomfortable overtime.They came with spongy cover things but by the time I realized they had come with it one had already fallen out of the package so I don't know if that would help with the discomfort.My guess is that it would not help much because the discomfort is a result of the somewhat large size and slightly odd shape.I'll probably eventually pick up new earbuds one of these days.

The Self Emitting Blue OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) Display is ultra bright.Sometimes I use it in the middle of the night to find things when I don't feel like turning on the light, it is that bright.I also haven't had any problems reading the screen outside and I don't exactly have the best eyes in the world.

The random play feature needs some work.I currently have 66 songs on my unit (and yes, I paid for every one of them--I don't steal music), 26 of those songs are Big & Rich (two full albums).That's just over 1/3rd of them so at that rate B&R should be player approximately every 3rd song but typically it plays about 5-6 B&R songs in a row and then will play 1 of my other songs and a lot of the songs almost never come up on random play.Interestingly the B&R songs that are playing are almost always from the Coming to your City album.So, I have songs from one album playing repeatedly while other songs aren't playing at all.Now, obviously I like Big & Rich but come on, there's a limit to how many times I can listen to Jalapeno in one sitting!I frequently skip several songs in a row when I am listening in random play.

The product manual claims that with the screen off and the volume under 20 the MobiBLU Cube can play for up to 10 hours.I don't have the patience to wait out 10 hours to test it but I do know that I have never had it stop playing while I was listening to it.The most time I am likely to spend listening is maybe 2 or 3 hours.The one thing that really bothers me about this MP3 player is that the battery doesn't hold a charge when it is off.Every time I want to listen to it I have to recharge it even if I haven't been playing it and the battery was full a couple days ago.This may be the case with all MP3 players, I'm not sure.

I had trouble using the included software.I would drop the files to the player and the files would come up on the player as zero length files.Then I reformatted it and tried using the WMP sync function and it worked perfectly.When I got my new laptop I didn't even bother to install the MobiBLU software, I just use WMP and everything works just fine.

As far as durability goes I have had no problem.I have been using it for a few months without any problems.I have definitely dropped it once or twice and my cat is certain it is actually a cat toy.If I look away for just a second he will pick it up and run off with it and bat it around for a while.It still works despite a bit of abuse and that's a good thing.The iPod we got my nephew for Christmas stopped working before the New Year and he was treating it like vial of nitroglycerin!Apparently those things break if you look at them wrong.

The MobiBLU Cube is not without its flaws, but it's a cute little device.It's lightweight and really simple to use.The 1 GB capacity holds up to 32 hours of music (in WMA format).For the price it is probably the best deal on the market.It used to only be available from Wal*Mart but now you can find it all over the web including at TigerDirect, Target and Amazon.com.

Click Here to see more reviews about: mobiBLU Cube DAH-1500i 1 GB Digital Audio Player Black

Product Description:
At 0.63 ounces and 0.94 inches (24mm) square, the mobiBLU Cube DAH-1500i is the world's smallest MP3 player (as of January, 2006). This 1 GB player in black is compatible with both MP3 and WMA digital audio files, and it has an integrated FM radio (with record function), voice recorder, and clock. The built-in lithium-polymer battery provides between 8 and 10 hours of battery life, and it can be easily recharged by a USB connection to your PC (via the included cable). It also sports a cutting edge OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) display that looks terrific and draws less power than conventional LCD displays.
The 1 GB mobiBLU Cube DAH-1500i will hold approximately 16 hours of CD-quality MP3 tracks (encoded at 128kps) or 32 hours of WMA tracks (at 64kbps). It's compatible with MP3, WMA, and secure WMA DRM (enabling you to play tracks purchased from online stores or downloaded from subscription services). The FM radio offers 20 presets, and it enables you to record FM programming to the Cube's memory. You can also use the built-in microphone and voice recording function to capture interviews, classes, and short voice notes to yourself.
It features five preset equalization modes--Normal / Rock / Jazz / Pop / Classic--and you can also customize equalization to suit your sound. It also offers SRS WOW virtual surround sound for a 3D soundscape and superior bass. The player can play MP3 files saved in multiple folders. Those files and folders can be selected and played as if in a Windows environment. Previous user settings and track location are automatically restored when the unit is powered on, in case of a sudden power loss.
What's in the Box
mobiBLU Cube DAH-1500i 1 GB player, stereo headphones, USB/charging cable, finger strap, protective case, printed operating instructions, CD-ROM with drivers and software.