For me, it was too good to be true..

I purchased this mp3 player based on it's reviews, price, and the expandable memory via a sd/mmc card. The expandable memory seems to be a rarity in players under $100..Unfortunately, mine turned out to be defective within 12 hrs of receiving it. It would read songs off of my MMC card, but not off of the internal memory. I spent a decent amount of time transferring songs to the player and everything seemed like it went through fine. Then I powered it up to discover "no music" where there should have been hundreds of songs. Ouch. I tried it a second time with the same result..so this one's going back, and I'm getting a Creative Labs 1Gb nano plus for 15.00 more.. and the Nano plus also comes with an armband..a big plus for someone who works out. The Coby only comes with the headphone/neck cord, which i disliked intensly-it kept swinging around and getting in the way during my workout. Here are some pros and cons that I found in the short while I used it:

Pros:

-The display is surprisingly animated for such a cheap MP3 player.
-Big storage capabilities for the money (see above for the bad part!)
-Decent menu/navigation system
-Good sound with the EQ, the headphones that came with it are pretty average, as far as pack-ins go.
-May be worth the gamble on quality due to all of the features this thing offers. Just be sure to get a different method of carrying this thing around (arm band, etc.), and quality headphones definitely help make this sound even better.

Cons:

-Very cheap, "plasticky" feel to it. The buttons feel "clicky" when you push them. I know that mp3 players are supposed to be light, but this one just didn't feel like it had too much quality to it.
-The manual claims there are firmware updates available, but when I checked the website, I couldn't find anything.
-After about 2 1/2 hours, the battery indicator was on the last bar..either this player is extremely inefficient, or the indicator could use some work.
-The headphone/neck cord has metal (supports?) on it, which look nice and have obvious functional qualities, but seem like they could scratch/damage the player's casing because they are pretty heavy duty.
-As I previously mentioned, mine was defective! I'm not too sure about the Coby brand either, so I'm trying something else.





Rating:


Almost Perfect For My Needs (as a recorder)

I did not buy this to listen to music but I bought it for it's ability to record from the FM radio band. I use it to record public lectures (including conventions) which are broadcasted on the FM band within the lecture hall or convention site. Previously, I had another MP3 player/recorder (Samsung YP-MT6) that I paid $130 for that stopped working. Unlike that first unit this Coby product gives you a choice of bit rates that you can record in making it possible to record at only 32kbps instead of 128kbps and thus able to record lectures like forever (well at least 12 days worth). If I had known this when I made the purchase I would have bought the 512MB model.

One problem is the battery life. While I never have ran the battery dead during a recording, the battery indicator shows that you can't count on recording more than 1.5 to 2 hours at a time. So I use rechargable NiMH batteries and change the battery between lectures when necessary. Changing the battery could be a bit easier as it can be difficult to remove.

With 1GB storage plus the ability to add extra storage with an SD flash card, I have way more storage capability than I will ever need. I should add that the recordings with this unit were clearer than with the Samsung YP-MT6 which recorded noise likely from flouresent lights in the lecture hall.

I bought a 1 year extended replacement warranty with this for $9.99 but I think I'm going to cancel it. At the price of this unit $9.99 is too much for an added year of protection. Besides, judging from the reviews I don't anticipate any real problems

Rating:


AWESOME

This is the first MP3 player I have owned, but I am completely satisfied.
The sound is great but I would recommend purchasing different earphones.

Rating: