Archos Jukebox 6 GB MP3 Player/Recorder/Hard Drive 500201 Description
Technical Details
MP3 recorder/player fits in your palm
6 GB memory stores up to 1,500 songs
On-the-fly recording of up to 100 hours of MP3 audio recording
Records from any audio source--analog or digtal
Also use as a hard drive to store data, software, images, and more; compatible
with Windows and Mac
Product Description
Review
The Archos 500201 Jukebox HD-MP3 Player-Recorder is one of those rare hardware
products that are surprising in nearly every way. The first surprise is its
small size. You'd expect an MP3 player equipped with a 6 GB hard drive to be at
least the size of a portable CD player, but the Archos Jukebox takes up little
more space than a deck of playing cards. The rounded corners are covered in
thick blue rubber, adding shock protection for the relatively fragile internal
hard drive and providing just enough grip to keep the player from sliding off a
car dash (although we recommend you leave it on the seat).
Archos provides nearly everything you need to get the most out of this device
right out of the box, including a USB cable for connecting the device to your PC
and an audio adapter cable that lets you connect the headphone jack or input
jack on top of the Jukebox to the RCA input or output jacks on your stereo
equipment. This allows for all sorts of possibilities. You can easily output
audio from the Jukebox to your stereo equipment, or hook the device up to a tape
player and record your tapes directly into MP3 format. It's this ability to
record that really sets the Archos Jukebox apart from the pack.
Another nice thing about the Archos Jukebox is that you can use it as a
portable hard drive as well as an MP3 player-recorder. Take it between home and
work and use it to transport all your important files. Take it to the library to
download files and listen to music as you bring them home.
All this would be for naught if the audio playback quality wasn't up to
snuff, but output is stellar. Provided the MP3 recordings you have are of high
quality, the Archos Jukebox plays them back without a trace of hiss, popping, or
other anomalies, and the fidelity is outstanding. The device really thumps out
the low-frequency bass, while maintaining crisp, tight mid- and high-frequency
output even at the limits of its amplification.
The LCD display on the front of the unit makes it easy to navigate folders
and load playlists, as well as control the unit's advanced features like the
bass boost, balance controls, and playback modes. One of the nicest things about
the display is that it is flanked by four green LEDs, which provide even
backlighting without consuming much power.
The pitiful headphones included with the device are about the only thing we
could find fault with, along with the fact that you can't listen to music
through the headphone jack when the device is connected to a PC. You can play
the MP3 files stored within using MP3 playback software installed on the PC,
however, and the package comes with a copy of Musicmatch Jukebox to get you
started.
It also comes with a driver CD, but we didn't even need it to use the Archos
Jukebox with Windows XP. We plugged it in, XP instantly recognized it as an
external hard drive, and we were in business. All this convenience comes at a
relatively high price, but it's worth it if you need the recording abilities
this device offers. --T. Byrl Baker
|
