Juke Jam 40GB MP3 Player

Rating:
Summary: Quick review
Review: This is not a bad mp3 at all and is definetly a bang for the buck. Compared to other mp3's, it is cheap with more features and sound quality is not compromised either. But beware because it's not for everybody. There are pros, cons, and some neutralities.

Pros:
1-It is cheap with a huge storage space. I've got the 40gb model and basically, I can store songs without ever deleting any of them. But that's just me, others may need more space than I do.
2-It is loaded with features that most other mp3's don't offer, like radio, recording radio and voices, etc. I haven't used all of the features and don't really plan to, so I just look at it as extra perks of the player.
3-Sound quality is not bad at all. Basically, if the mp3 file you download is good, then you will hear good sound quality from the player. Therefore, the sound quality is really as good as the file and can't be judged by the player.
4-The software is simple as can be. I had more trouble plugging in the USB cable(because the port is in the back of my computer) than I did installing and using the program. But my experiences are through Microsoft Windows and therefore I don't know how easy it is to use through Linux or other applications. But I'm sure it can't be that hard.
5-Even though the player has an overwhelming amount of choices on the main menu, it is still very easy to navigate through. Once you get used to navigating through them, it really shouldn't be a problem.

Cons:
1-The size of this player is bigger than most. It is bigger than the CreativeLabs Zen and much bigger than the Ipod. This could be a serious issue for some. But the player is basically handheld for an average adult hand. The height and width aren't even all that bad, but the depth of it is. It is very bulky.
2-The joystick is pretty sensitive and will mess with your playlist if you stick it in your back pocket.
3-All of the plugs are located on the side of the player and not on the top. That means the headphones plug in from the side and not from the top.
4-The main con for this player is its' durability. If you are seriously considering this mp3 player, take in mind that you can't roughhouse it. It is not like other mp3's because when you load a song, you can actually hear it loading. What I mean is that inside the player is an actual harddrive and basically, dropping it would be like dropping a laptop to put it in lamens terms.
5-The battery is not changeable. Although it is rechargeable, you don't have the convenience of changing the battery in the middle of the street if it dies.

Neutralities:
1-The headphones that come with it aren't the best but are better than what I've read on some of the reviews. For me, I can bear with the sound quality of the headphones but others may want to buy better ones.
2-The battery life isn't too bad although it isn't great either. But it lasts a good deal of time when fully recharged. My guess would be that it would last around 2 or more hours of nonstop playing.
3-The radio is not very impressive. I have to admit that in some areas, it comes out as good as a car radio would, but for the most part(like in some areas of the suburbs) it has a lot of static and is hard to hear the actual radio.

So, basically my recommendation is this. If your somebody that doesn't plan to treat this player like a 10 year old would and you are more inclined to technicalities and features over looks, then this is a great deal for you. But, if you want something that's trendy and have some more money to spend, maybe you should go for some of the more popular one's. This unit is definetly not a trend setter and is more for those who seek value over trend.



Rating:
Summary: Cheap, large capacity mp3 player. Great for your car.
Review: Can't beat the price! Lowest priced 40GB mp3 player. The sound quality is great and it has a quality headphone jack (unlike the nomad). Joystick on the front and large screen is great for navigation while using it in a car. Plays VBR files. It can record off the radio. Unit is plug-n-play for external storage.

Poor Battery! For such a large unit, it should be better. It lasts about 6-7 hours. Also the battery discharges the same whether using the hardrive or just listening to the radio. To get the best usage with a large collection of songs, you need to use the unit's database for complete albums and the "my music" folder for random single songs in custom folders. PC software won't resize to maximum size of your computer screen. Use the included music match program instead.

Overall I would recommend it for use in the car or in a backpack. It is too bulky to walk around with it attached to your belt. Hopefully the next generation large capacity mp3 players will have better software to deal with large music collections (I have over 4000 VBR mp3s).

Rating:
Summary: Don't Believe the Hype!!!
Review: I went to Frye's Electronics 3 weeks ago to purchase the Creative Labs 40GB Zen Xtra, when I noticed this product. I was impressed by the included FM tuner - complete with 10 presets (it even records FM programs to MP3 files), the voice recorder, and the nice large LCD screen. It was also priced within $10.00 of the Zen Xtra, so I opted for this unknown (unresearched) option.

The sound was great, and I really loved how easy and logical the modified joysick-style selector button works. A week later, and after loading over 19GB of data to its hard drive, the thing simply locked-up and would not reboot. Fry's promptly replaced it for another. The second player's screen began to fade beyond readability after 4 days. That window gave me time to remove most of my data, and return the second Juke Jam to the store.

This time, I traded it for the Zen Xtra. I have had ABSOLUTELY NO PROBLEMS with the Creative Labs model. The product rep was there in the store. He told me they recently upgraded the firmware, allowing simple drag-and-drop tranfer of data. It not only performs better, but it also has an AWESOME EAX sound enhancement tool. Honestly, it made my very basic car stereo sound like I was listening to my BOSE home theater!!!

He mentioned they should be releasing a player with an FM-tuner soon, but I wanted my portable music option sooner. The features of these two items may appear to be similiar; in fact, the Polaroid features look better. But, I have to put my money (nearly $300.00) where the quality is. Creative Labs created a portable music experience! I don't mean to sound like some kind of spokesman for CL, but this thing simply ROCKS!!!

Did I mention it's nearly $200.00 cheaper than the IPOD (which by the way, does not play the smaller sized, better quality WMA files). I LOVE the size of the IPOD, but that feature doesn't come close to justifying it's $489.00 price tag. Macintosh has once again, priced themselves out of the market. Sure there are thousands of people that have IPODs, but they could have cornered the entire MP3 portalbe player market. Fortunately, Apple once again let the competition create feature packed players for $100.00's of dollars less.

If you want real quality in a player that plays MP3, WMA's, and features an unmatched sound processor, go with the Zen Xtra. If you've got the money, and don't really need as much space as I do, get the IPOD. Otherwise, wait for more of the research and design to shake-out in this industry. There are sure to be some very interesting innovations coming to this Christmas!!!

Rating:
Summary: Don't Believe the Hype!!!
Review: I went to Frye's Electronics 3 weeks ago to purchase the Creative Labs 40GB Zen Xtra, when I noticed this product. I was impressed by the included FM tuner - complete with 10 presets (it even records FM programs to MP3 files), the voice recorder, and the nice large LCD screen. It was also priced within $10.00 of the Zen Xtra, so I opted for this unknown (unresearched) option.

The sound was great, and I really loved how easy and logical the modified joysick-style selector button works. A week later, and after loading over 19GB of data to its hard drive, the thing simply locked-up and would not reboot. Fry's promptly replaced it for another. The second player's screen began to fade beyond readability after 4 days. That window gave me time to remove most of my data, and return the second Juke Jam to the store.

This time, I traded it for the Zen Xtra. I have had ABSOLUTELY NO PROBLEMS with the Creative Labs model. The product rep was there in the store. He told me they recently upgraded the firmware, allowing simple drag-and-drop tranfer of data. It not only performs better, but it also has an AWESOME EAX sound enhancement tool. Honestly, it made my very basic car stereo sound like I was listening to my BOSE home theater!!!

He mentioned they should be releasing a player with an FM-tuner soon, but I wanted my portable music option sooner. The features of these two items may appear to be similiar; in fact, the Polaroid features look better. But, I have to put my money (nearly $300.00) where the quality is. Creative Labs created a portable music experience! I don't mean to sound like some kind of spokesman for CL, but this thing simply ROCKS!!!

Did I mention it's nearly $200.00 cheaper than the IPOD (which by the way, does not play the smaller sized, better quality WMA files). I LOVE the size of the IPOD, but that feature doesn't come close to justifying it's $489.00 price tag. Macintosh has once again, priced themselves out of the market. Sure there are thousands of people that have IPODs, but they could have cornered the entire MP3 portalbe player market. Fortunately, Apple once again let the competition create feature packed players for $100.00's of dollars less.

If you want real quality in a player that plays MP3, WMA's, and features an unmatched sound processor, go with the Zen Xtra. If you've got the money, and don't really need as much space as I do, get the IPOD. Otherwise, wait for more of the research and design to shake-out in this industry. There are sure to be some very interesting innovations coming to this Christmas!!!

Rating:
Summary: SWEET!!!
Review: This baby has a built in FM tuner/recorder that really comes in handy. My old RCA Jukebox only lasted for a few months. and the sound was horrible. I tried other MP3 solutions but only recently did I find this little Gem. It's battery holds much more power than the lyra and I havnt had any problems so far. The Lyra was cheap, but HUGE!!! (20 GB) I like the Juke Jams small size, it fits almost anywhere, and the user interface is great. I still havn't tested ALL of it's functions out. this'll make a great Holiday gift.