Remanufactured RCA Lyra RD2762 4 GB Micro Jukebox Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)When I first purchased my RCA Lyra RD2762, I thought it was great. The mp3 player craze was gaining momemtum,and I was a nieve kid who had a bit of money, but not enough for an i-pod.I should have saved for an i-pod, or maybe something else.First, the purchasing price for this player was nearly $180, far more than a mere 4gbs is worth.Furthermore, the software for the machine is awful and clunky, so that you're better off just opening the device folder and transferring files directly there.The worst aspect of this gadget, however, is the battery.This mp3 player has an internal battery that is integrated with the hard drive, meaning there is no way you can replace it nor can you take it to a general electronics shop.In fact, according to a customer service representative I spoke with, the battery can't be "replaced" at all!You must return it to RCA and have the device replaced for a $99 service fee, IN ADDITION to tax and S&H.This device has planned obscelesence; it includes a one year warranty, with parts replacement, but the battery doesn't stop functioning until a few weeks AFTER it's hit that one year deadline.I bought my player when they first came out, and the warranty recently expired.Not 7 weeks later the battery starts screwing up and now I have to pay more than half the purchase price if I want it fixed.I'm just buying a better one.

If I can offer any advise to first-time mp3 player buyers, DO NOT buy a product which has batteries that you either can't change yourself or be changed at an general electronics shop.

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Product Description:
[Note: This item has been refurbished by a trusted reseller or the original manufacturer. Items are inspected, and are warranted by the seller. Please see Product Features for more details.]
Primarily designed as a digital music player but also capable of storing data, the RCA Lyra RD2762 micro jukebox is a great choice for music fans of all stripes. Audio-wise, the Lyra's 4 GB hard drive stores both MP3 and WMA files, in addition to supporting secure downloads from WMA-compliant DRM services. Listeners will enjoy access to up to 136 hours of WMA music or 2,720 songs encoded at 64 kbps--enough for a two-week trip overseas. And navigation is simple thanks to the included MusicMatch Jukebox software and the HDD SmartTrax option, which lets users browse by album, genre, year recorded, and title.
Listening to music is only part of the fun, however. The Lyra also stores data files, such as digital photos, PowerPoint presentations, text documents, and more. The data storage in effect turns the Lyra into a portable hard drive, making it a great companion for anyone who needs to transport data files from one location to another without wasting a CD-R or hauling along a laptop. It also serves as a nice overflow device in a pinch, such as when needing to free up space on a digital camera.
The Lyra sports a multi-line 1.5-inch LCD screen (with icons!), which lists the artist name, song title, and elapsed time, among other details. The display makes it easy to select songs, view other selections, adjust the volume, check the battery level, and more. And listeners who like a little mystery with their music will dig the Lyra DJ function, which analyzes your PC's music collection via mathematical analysis and neural network learning. It then takes the results and develops a smart playlist that encompasses all your favorite tracks and leaves out the least played.
The Lyra is compatible with PCs running Windows 98 SE, Me, 2000, or XP or Macs running OS X 10.2 or higher. To transfer music, simply run a USB cable (included) from the Lyra to a PC (the Lyra supports USB 2.0). Additional features include six DSP presets (bass, custom, pop, rock, jazz, and flat); a key lock; and a full accessory kit with headphones and a carrying case.
The Lyra, which comes with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, measures 1.97 by 3.3 by 0.55 inches (W x H x D) and is backed by a 30-day manufacturer's warranty.
What's in the Box
Lyra digital music player, software CD-ROM, USB cable, AC adapter, headphones, carrying case, user's manual.

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RCA Lyra RD2765 5 GB Digital Jukebox with Color LCD Screen Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This player is very attractive to look at and the controls are better than some other players. The battery life doesn't come anywhere close to what is advertised. I have found some flaws which I'll discuss below.

1. The player requires Windows Media Player 10 in order to be recognized by Windows. If you get a message that the unit is malfunctioning, just hold down the center button continuously while plugging it in the USB port and it will reboot.

2. I am using WMA files at 64kbps. I know that these files are fine because they work perfectly in other devices. In this Lyra there is a tendency to skip a few times each song. No lockup, just skipping. After backing up the default folders and clearing the songs I did a format as this usually fixes the problem. After reloading the songs I found the problem still there. Not good.

3. The unit gets VERY hot if you are downloading for a long time. I wonder if this has contributed to the meager battery life. I am fortunate to get 3 hours between charges.

4. Do NOT let the player profile songs by itself after a hotsync. You will wind up with album titles but the song selection will say "track 1", "track 2" etc. The right way to profile after downloading is by doing it on the computer. In the taskbar there is a LYRA icon. Right click and select profile songs. Everything comes out perfectly and it takes seconds instead of minutes the other way.

5. If you are in the middle of an album and have to turn the player off don't expect to be returned to where you left off. Every time you turn it off you go back to square one and have to start all over again. I think that this is the most annoying trait of the Lyra. Very, very annoying.

6. The included case is well above average but the power button couldn't be in a worse place. You have to hit it when taking the player out of the case and it sometimes engages while in your pocket. Also, when you activate the hold function to lock all the buttons, it doesn't really lock the power button. Here's why. You get a message to unlock the player on the color screen. And it stays on until you unlock. I took the player out with a full charge and on hold. It was in my shirt pocket. I unwittingly must have pressed against the power button. It is so easy to do. Well, a few hours later I went to use the thing and noticed the unlock message. It must have been on for some time because after unlocking it the thing died. Dead battery. I recharged the battery and then duplicated the situation. Sure enough the message stayed on; the screen stayed lit and the battery died after only an hour. This is unacceptable. Overall, I would have liked to give this Lyra 2765 a higher score. It is the right size and the controls are very user friendly. However, it seems that on the whole this player was not well thought out. There are other players out there for the same money that do a much better job. It made me wonder when I first opened the quick start guide that the first thing you read is a notice that if you are having trouble with WMP 10 go to a certain website for a fix. Apparently RCA doesn't have much confidence in their product either. I hope this review helps anyone thinking about buying the Lyra 2765.

Click Here to see more reviews about: RCA Lyra RD2765 5 GB Digital Jukebox with Color LCD Screen

Product Description:
RCA LYRAJukebox 5GB Hard Disc Drive - Color LCD Screen with Icons, JPEG / Cover Art Viewer and LYRA DJ - automatic smart playlist!

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Rca Th1101 Pearl Series Thumbdrive Mp3 Player (1 Gb) Review

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(More customer reviews)I loved this for the month it worked. Then it wouldn't boot up past the PEARL screen. Now I just have a $40.00 Flash storage device, because it will still allow storage on it.

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Product Description:
The RCA TH1101 thumb drive MP3 player can hold one GB of information or music.

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RCA Lyra RD2217 1 GB Sport Digital Audio Player with FM Tuner Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I researched ipods and mp3 players for two weeks on Amazon and read countless reviews.This unit promised the most and has delivered.It is tiny, but tough.I have dropped on concrete due to my error twice and the rubberized trim protected the unit.Sound is stereo quality (it passed my Steely Dan test).I use the unit primarily to listen to podcasts of talk radio shows.The storage is incredible at 1 gig.That is plenty.The only knock is that the buttons take some time (in my case about a week) to get used to and skipping songs can be difficult at times because sometimes when I slid it to skip to next song, it does not respond.But..considering the other features, especially small size, looks, sound quality, storage and neat ear buds that hook around without pain to the ear, it's great value for $139-149 price range.It even has a stopwatch and heartrate monitor as well as FM radio built in.And, it looks smart and cool.

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Product Description:
RCA LYRA 1GB Sports Model includes; Splash proof easy to wear design for workouts, Stop watch, Pulse rate monitor and Calorie counter. Digital FM Tuner with FM Record. 3 Line Dot Matrix backlit display for navigating through this product's different features and for navigating through your music selections.

Get 77% OFF

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256MB MP3/WMA Thumbdrive Player Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Good product, and well worth the money.Not all the bells and whistles of the latest mp3 players, but enough for me.

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Product Description:
Features:1 GB.Built-in voice recorder.Multi-language functions.USB cap to keep pocket lint out.7-color backlit LCD display with icons.100 free MP3s from RCA and emusic.com.Compatible with MP3, WMA, WMA DRM and WAV.Includes 1 AAA battery, neck strap, USB cable, 8 earbud headphones and music management software.

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RCA Opal 8 GB Video MP3 player with 1.8-inch Display, FM Radio, and Voice Recording (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)A little about me and this purchase.I'm a middle aged guy that is fairly techy, but not like some of you folks who keep up with the latest and greatest.That said, I had bought an MP3 that cost (at the time) quite a bit more than this one.And after about 3 weeks, it was so bugged up, I returned it and got this one.

That was about 18 months ago.I started using it with about 5 gigs of music on it, and it's just about full now.In that time, it has never crashed, or required a reload or reset.Not once.The battery lasts forever, and after 18 months, I don't see any changes in battery life.The sound quality is okay for something in this price range.I found that using a high quality pair of headphones made a night and day difference in sound quality.Of course, you have to ask yourself how much will you pay for headphones to go with a $60.00 MP3 player?

It has a couple of quirks or nuances, if you will.As others have mentioned, sometimes when you turn it on, it will take a minute and rebuild its' database.But that has only happened after I synced or loaded new music.And if you load a LOT of music at one time, the rebuilding database function can take several minutes, and occasionally it will do it again the next time you turn it on. But then it's over until you load up again.This is not an issue for me.I don't sync it up very often.With 8 gigs, I have no need to be swapping music all around depending on my mood.The menu is easy to use, but it could have been laid out better.If you want to change the shuffle options, and also the repeat options, you have to go to 2 different menus, the "now playing" menu, and the main menu.You enter one menu structure, do your thing, back all the way out, then go into the other menu, then back out.Not the end of the world, but they both should have been on the now playing menu.

The software that comes with it works okay.But I really don't use it.Most of the time I sync via windows media player. And sometimes I just drag and drop with Windows explorer.It all works fine.The radio has rich full sound too.I have not had videos display any chop or stuttering.But then, I also haven't loaded whole movies or TV shows on it either.The screen looks pretty good considering the tiny size.

This is an exceptional value at this price.I highly recommend it.

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Product Description:
No matter what you want your portable audio/video device to do, the RCA Opal can deliver. Listen to audio, watch video, record radio, or view slideshows all in one full-color, compact device



VideoSnip allows you to capture online video and transfer it to your Opal. Become a Recording Artist
A built-in microphone and the push of a button makes it possible for you to create your own MP3 files. The Opal also can record what you are hearing on FM radio, saving the file for later use.
Make Online Video Your Own
The Opal's VideoSnip feature allows you to capture online video and transfer to your device, so you can nab your favorite clips and take them with you anywhere. The player is compatible with Mpeg4/MP4, SMV, AVI, WMV, RMVB, and MOV file types.


Enjoy photos and video clips on the 1.8-inch, full-color TFT display.

Manage Your Files Wisely
RCA's EasyRip software is stored on the device, and it allows you to quickly add music, photos, or videos from your computer or personal CDs.
What's in the Box
RCA 8 GB Video MP3 player with 1.8-inch display, FM radio, and voice recorder (Black); USB-to-mini USB cable; EasyRip software; carrying case; silicone earbuds

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RCA Pearl 2 GB MP3 Player with FM Radio and Direct USB (Blue) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I don't like proprietary stuff. I don't like proprietary software (iTunes, WMP), cables (the iPod dock connector) or nonreplaceable li-ions that have to be kept topped off on the charger between sporadic uses and stop holding their charge within 12 months (see also: Apple).

In other words, I am really only interested in MP3 players that are plug-and-play for file transfers with no particular software or OS required, that can run off of normal alkalines, and that use a standard USB cable of some kind or, better yet, have the USB connection facility right on the unit.

In the last few years I've bought several MP3 players - an old PNY player, couple of Sandisk m2x0 series players and a Creative MuVo v200 -which fit the aforementioned bill but had varying and sometimes serious shortcomings that have kept me looking for the ultimate in practical MP3 players. The Pearl TH1602 seems to be a new contender meeting my two big requirements, and at an even better price than the aforementioned cheapies. But, naturally, sadly, there are still some problems.

A prior reviewer mentions some frustration with ID3 tags on his Pearl not consistently working. I have found that some uploads to the player get corrupted somehow, with the tags to break partially or completely; they will appear with "Unknown Artist," "Unknown Album," etc., and many tracks in such batches will not be accessible at all. (The tags are still intact on the files themselves, as can be seen viewing the player's contents from a file-browser window - the player just seems unable or unwilling to read them.)

Once the player has broken the tags for itself like this, no amount of straight-up deletion and re-copying of those files will fix the broken tags. What *will* fix them - at least with the latest firmware, 1.2.1.0 - is 1) deleting the files from the player, then 2) renaming both the folder they're in (if applicable) and ALL of the files themselves. It doesn't have to be much - omitting or adding a hyphen somewhere in the filename will do it. You can use a mass tagging program to do this in two seconds.

I assume the player caches the actual filenames in its database on the first start after an upload, and then assumes that any filename it's seen before doesn't need looking at a second time. To be fair, I've had many similar problems with one of my Sansa flash-based players; the Pearl actually seems more willing than my Sansa to see the errors of its ways if you just rename the files and/or folder.

Commas in the artist or title tags seem to particularly befuddle the player and can help break the tags on their way to the player.

It seems RCA could fix this pretty easily in one of three ways. They could figure out what's causing tag corruption or misreads into the database, they could provide a "wipe database" option on the player that would force a new read of all files, or they could simply do what Rockbox firmware does (and what ALL mp3 players should be able to do)-- enable selection and ordered playback by folder and filename as opposed to ID3s.

I have also had some problems with the player just getting confused and weird in album or artist listings, which is usually cured with a restart.

News is good elsewhere. Sound quality is pretty decent. The player seems to be very well built and scratch resistant. The interface makes perfect sense and the radio works pretty well. The player is not gapless playback capable, but it's better / less hesitant between tracks than many. I do wish the voice recorder made its recordings at a higher sample rate, but that's par for the course on these players.

I don't know why some people are complaining that the th1602 won't play an album in order or it won't allow you to sort things in any way - I think this is user error or tag corruption. I've had no problems with organization or sensible playback order, once I've gotten it to recognize all my tags. If you go through Music --> Albums to make a selection, it has no problem playing a chosen album in correct order, and the albums themselves are shown in alpha order.

The thing is, this is considered a bottom-of-the-line device and I doubt it will see anywhere near as much attention from RCA's software team as it deserves. They will work this thing just to the point to reduce return rates and no further. But I'm actually pretty serious about my gear, and I look expressly for features that the MP3 player manufacturers consider "low end." If someone *would* bring out an AAA-powered device with a flip out USB connnection, just like this but with 16 or 32gb on it, along with firmware that really works... well, I'd certainly pay quite dearly for it. Get on it, and get on that firmware, RCA!

Click Here to see more reviews about: RCA Pearl 2 GB MP3 Player with FM Radio and Direct USB (Blue)

Product Description:
Sleek, slender, and absolutely stunning--exactly what you'd expect from a Pearl, one of RCA's Gem line of digital audio players. Not only can you easily download and listen to your favorite songs, but you also can enjoy the ability to listen and record FM radio directly onto your Pearl.

No Cords Required
The Pearl's direct USB connector design means you can quickly download your favorite open MP3, open WMA, and unprotected AAC tracks from any computer. This multifunction device will double as your MP3 player and a USB data storage device.
Connect directly to your computer with the built-in USB for fast file transfers. Expandable
Want more room? Not a problem. Add expandable memory in the MicroSD card slot and load it up with music. This option gives you the flexibility you need to store additional songs, audio books, and other large files.
Crystal Clear View
The Pearl's 0.8-inch OLED screen provides a vibrant viewing experience. A quick glance is all you need to see your navigation or information about the current track.
Tune in While You're Out
Better than a simple FM receiver, the Pearl allows you to record while listening to an FM station. The player will store the MP3 file until you're ready to listen again or download it to your computer.
What's in the Box
RCA Pearl 2 GB MP3 Player with FM Radio and Direct USB (Black), one AAA battery, earphones

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