Music lovers...this is what you've been waiting for.
Written: Nov 28 '02 (Updated Feb 22 '03)
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Pros: HUGE storage, great sound, LCD screen and backlighting, IEEE1394, USB and IR.
Cons: Some bugs like freezing and errors in playback.
The Bottom Line: If you are a music lover...BUY IT! Carry your entire CD collection in one small (and cool) package.
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| bouncer67's Full Review: Creative Technology Nomad Jukebox (20 GB) MP3 Play... |
I have been saving my pennies for quite some time in order to afford the pricey NOMAD Jukebox 3. I am quite glad that I did. I own a crappy Nike psa[play60 MP3 player and was dying for an upgrade. I bought the Jukebox on eBay at a nice price, although now considered expensive ($379).
At first look, the Jukebox looks like a CD player. I don't know why some people complain about the size, it is quite portable although a little heavy. There is a large LCD screen that is backlit with your choice of blue or green. The buttons are logically arranged and easy to read. Menu navigation is aided by a convenient mouse-like scroller button/wheel.
There are enough inputs and outputs on it to make everyone happy. Inputs include USB and IEEE1394 (Firewire) along with a combined optical/analog line in port. Available is a FM wired remote and microphone combo and an IR remote. Outputs are nice too. Along with a headphone jack are 2 line-out jacks. They can be set up to be used as front and rear speaker ports.
The software that comes with it is easy enough to use. Although you may need a lot of disk space if you don't delete the MP3's it rips to your computer. If you have an internet connection, all you have to do is pop in the CD and let the CDDB find all the info on it. Then choose the Jukebox as the destination and click transfer. I own a Sony VAIO laptop that conveniently has Firewire. Transfer is lightning fast this way. A whole CD can be ripped and transferred in just 5-7 minutes. This is a huge advantage if you have quite a few CD's. I have about 170 CD's and only used a fraction of the disk space on the Jukebox. Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you something. I bought the SMALL (20 Gig) version. I can't even imagine owning enough CD's to fill the 60 Gig model!
Finding all this music is pretty easy considering the amount of storage. Music is logically arranged by artist, album and song title. You simply use the scroller to select your choices. You can select single tracks, whole albums or even all the tracks from a particular artist. Once you select your music, they are kept on a playlist until deleted (the playlist not the actual track). The playlist can also be named and saved in the playist menu. There are several playback options in which to choose. I usually use the shuffle option.
Sound playback is excellent and the supplied headphones comfortable. Sound may be aided by the EAX equalization system. This system has a plethora of features too lengthy for me to list(I don't type fast). Check out the nomadworld.com website for more information on EAX. The headphones wrap around the back of your head. I had never used this style before but found that they are quite comfortable and don't have the tendency to slide as "over the top" headphones do. When at work I use a pair of Harmon Kardon computer speakers that plug into one of the line out ports. Sound playback is A LOT louder coming from the line-out ports so don't use them as a headphone jack! I also recommend using the regular headphone jack for any car cassette deck adapters for the same reason (you may blow your speakers).
One great feature is the Li-ion battery that it uses. They claim that it will last for 11 hours. I know that it will last for at least 10. It gets even better. There is room for a second Li-ion battery. You can potentially get 22 hours of playback from this thing without recharging it!
Some people complain about the Jukebox's size. I just don't see it, but some people won't be satisfied until you can put 3000 CD's on something the size of a postage stamp. I have brought it to the gym with me in a CD player case I bought at Target with no problems. I know that is may be a little bit heavier than a traditional CD player, but it is a sight easier than carrying around your entire CD library.
I do have some complaints though. Sometimes it will freeze up like Windows 98 in front of Bill Gates. The only way I found to solve the freeze was to pull the battery and put it back in. Every once in a while, there will be an error during playback. A half-second buzz will invade the playback of a track and then resume normal play. I don't know what causes it.
The pros outweigh the cons by a landslide. The above problems are all very minor considering the advantages. I am very happy with my Jukebox 3.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 379
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Epinions.com ID:
bouncer67
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Member: Steve
Location: Long Island, NY
Reviews written: 8
Trusted by: 0 members
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