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- First reviewNovember 18, 2009
- Last reviewNovember 18, 2009
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trunksy's Reviews
When you're on the go, listen to your favorite HD and FM radio stations using this portable player that features a belt clip for easy portability.
Posted by: trunksy
from Los Angeles, CA
I give it very low marks for usability. It barely does what it says it does.
It does tune HD radio but the reception is pretty bad indoors (at the gym). I could barely get a radio signal on the second floor and a fat chance of getting any reception on the first floor at my gym.
One of the differences with HD Radio compared to analog is that it requires a second or two to buffer before it actually locks into the station and you hear any sound. Thus, it's not easy to search stations, especially when you're trying to check out secondary stations. That wouldn't be so bad if it had good reception which it doesn't. To add insult to injury, the worst problem with this product is that it doesn't save secondary programmed stations after you power off the unit. If you select a preset after you've programmed it, it will send you directly to the HD2 or HD3 station you've just programmed like it's supposed to but once you power off the device, everything defaults back to the HD1 station of that frequency. Even if you try to power off the device leaving it on the HD2 channel, when you power it back on, it will search for the station and throw you back onto the HD1 station. What's the point of programming if you have to reprogram and/or retune it every time you turn the product on? Bad design!
Speaking of using it in the gym, the arm band doesn't have any spandex in it at all and it's shaped like those blood pressure testers. If you actually have muscles, don't plan on having any blood circulating in your arm if you plan to do any type of exercising that raises your heart rate, let alone actually flexing your arm. The wide polyester arm band is completely constricting unlike most MP3 player arm bands which usually cover a lot less of your arm and will move (stretch) with your arm.
One suggestion or alternative might be to turn it into a necklace but the device is still a bit too bulky for that compared to popular flash MP3 players and it doesn't have a hole to be tied to a necklace anyway.
When you do get reception, it does show the artist and song title if the radio station transmits it but you don't get any features like iPod tagging even though you have to plug it into a computer to charge anyway.
The conclusion based on my usage is that this device might be great for grandma who is looking to replace her old portable FM radio anyway, may occasionally browse onto an HD station AND barely knows enough about USB to charge with it instead of a regular outlet. For someone who's got an active lifestyle and is actually looking to add HD radio on the go when you don't have the time to constantly update the music in your MP3 player, this device is not ready for you yet. For me, this is going in my pile of useless gadgets that I've purchased and tried to use maybe once or twice.
I haven't tried Slacker yet but the reviews look a lot better as long as it doesn't break on you.
What's great about it: The only currently available personal HD radio product besides Zune HD (expensive).
What's not so great: Programming does not save secondary channels after a power off.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Sound Quality
3
Durability
3
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