Frontier Labs NEX iA 256 MB MP3 Player

by FRONTIER

Product Details

Product Manual [2.94mb PDF]

• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0000SVSP8
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (57 customer reviews)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Put all fears of format obsolescence behind you with the NEX iA digital music player from Frontier Labs, which includes a built-in FM radio tuner and the ability to record radio broadcasts and, using an onboard condenser microphone, live audio--ideal for voice recordings, which show up as MP3 files in your playlist upon completion. The player will run for 7 to 13 hours on a pair of AA batteries (not included), depending on use, and it comes complete with stereo headphones and a wired remote control.

The MP3/WMA player is modular in 2 key ways: the NEX iA's firmware is upgradeable to allow playback of additional file types (Ogg Vorbis, for instance, which offers slightly higher quality than MP3 for similar-sized files), and the unit is configured exclusively for removable storage drives (CompactFlash and MicroDrive), thereby permitting greater storage capacity as its media allow. Currently, the player is compatible with up to 1 GB MicroDrives; a 256 MB MicroDrive is included. You'll get about 17 hours of 128 kbps MP3 onto a 1 GB drive; the 256 MB incarnation will hold a little more than 4 hours.

Its USB port (up to 400 kbps transfers) makes the player suitable for use as a portable disk drive, too, for fast and easy file transfer and storage. You can perform simple drag-and-drop transfers with most Windows systems (98SE and up)--and there's no proprietary software to install. "Smart power" draws power from the supplied USB cable, conserving battery life and simplifying hookup during file transfers.

The player's latest firmware upgrade includes support for multiple folders and menu access during playback. The NEX iA is ergonomic, too: super light (just 3 ounces), with intuitive controls governed by a single 5-way jog lever that you can manage with just your thumb. Its fully interactive high-resolution LCD offers bitmapped 132 x 64 resolution and a cool neon-blue EL (electroluminescent) backlight that can show scrolling ID3 tags, song duration, memory level, and battery level.

A 5-band user-programmable equalizer comes with 5 preset sound modes: jazz, rock, classic, dance, and Latin to help you tailor your listening to your music or preferences. Smart-play functions included repeat one/all and shuffle play, and of course the player uses solid-state construction with no moving parts to break down.

What's in the Box
Music player, a 256 MB MicroDrive, stereo ear-clip headphones, a remote control, a remote battery, a user's manual, a USB transfer cable, a neoprene sport case with belt holder, and Windows Media Player 7 (for Windows 98SE/ME/2000/XP; Media Jukebox for Win 98SE/2000).

Product Description

Full-featured digital music player with FM tuner, voice/FM recording & doubles as a portable drive for fast & easy file transfer and storage. New firmware design to support multiple folders, access of menu functions during song playback & other unique and improved features. Infinite memory & storage expansion configuration with Type I & II Compact Flash memory cards or MicroDrives (currently up to 1 gigabyte). Simple drag & drop file transfer on Windows® Explorer via ultra fast USB mode - no proprietary software needed. Intuitive controls with a single 5 way jog lever - operable with just your thumb - for easy, direct & precise control of your audio. Fully-interactive, high-resolution LCD user interface: 132x64 matrix - configurable (normal, always on, always off) Neon blue EL backlight that can display scrolling ID3 tags, song duration, memory level, battery level & more. Smart Power draws power from USB - this not only allows you to save battery life during song transfers, but it can also power itself via AC power adapter.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Functional and feature-rich player plus portable storage, December 25, 2003

By 

Kenneth (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Frontier Labs NEX iA 256 MB MP3 Player (Electronics)

I received this item as a christmas gift and was surprised at how small it is. It is slightly heavier than the RIO 35S player or the smaller ones but note that this has a tad more features than the other ones. It comes in at approx 3 ounces without batteries. With batteries, it still a bit lighter than more cellphones and smaller, too.

PROS:
1) Can act as storage for other files. It will just show up as a removeable drive in XP without driver installation much like most Digital cameras. Drag and drop ease in storing files unlike some MP3 players that cannot do that

2) No proprietary software or drivers. The disadvantage of players like RIO's is that you have to use their Jukebox software to transfer music. This forces you to have the software with you when you need to bring it to another PC to load MP3s.

3) Firmware upgrades. I just received my player and I immediate upgraded the firmware with ease (drag and drop!) and got new features instantly after I rebooted.

4) Compactflash storage. The cheapest of all portable solid state storage and most expandable ones. It can accept Type I/II and Microdrives allowing it to take up to 2 GB of music --- READ: no skip music unlike the hardrive based ones like IPOD, or the other JUKEBOXes.
5) Feature rich: Shuffle, 5 EQ controls + 1 custom EQ, large display, and automatic sorting.

CONS:
1) Flimsy controls. Felt like they were saving a little bit on the components.
2) Compactflash loading slot - They should some kind of mechanical door for the CF slot because like other people said, it feels like it's a bit too flimsy and could break.
3) USB 1.1 slow transfer --- way slower than USB 2.0 which is why I'll end up buying a USB 2.0 Complactflash reader writer for less than ten bucks.
4) Manual - I wish they had put more stuff in the manuals for people that are less technical.

Overall, This player is solid, very easy to use, light enough for me to buy an armband and hook this up with so I can run with it! Hope this review helps.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars $270!?! The Most Overpriced MP3 Player Ever, June 1, 2005

By 

J. A. Chen "Loss4words" (NYC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Frontier Labs NEX iA 1 GB MP3 Player (Electronics)

OK I only paid $120 for the thing on sale from Amazon but the price is now back to $269. At that price, do not even consider this player.

Pros - sturdy construction, easy to use menu, good backlighting, decent equalizer, drag & drop download.

Cons - Heavy with 2AA's, slightest bump makes it skip even with "hold" button on, constantly freezes (must remove battery to reset) and usb 1.1 microdrive is as slow as a glacier.

Do not get suckered by the extra bells & whistles (CF card usage, built in microphone & FM radio). These things will have no value in the long run to anyone as the primary reason for buying an MP3 player is to play MP3's. On that function, this player sucks big time. The 1 gig microdrive never let me load more than 540 megs of mp3's. I kept getting a "disk full" pop-up once that limit was reached. Frontier support said to reformat disk and try again (this exchange occured via email as Frontier has no live person support). I did this 2x with no change. Also, the microdrive is as slow as molasses. I kid you not, it takes about 5 hrs to download 540 megs of files. You will be at it all day. Take my advice and skip this piece of junk.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars cheap and sturdy, March 11, 2005

By 

george yanase - See all my reviews

This review is from: Frontier Labs NEX iA 1 GB MP3 Player (Electronics)

Having been a fan of their previous model, I gave the nex IIa a try. I heard it was able to support a 4gb microdrive, so I was able to get a drive on ebay for 135.00. I am happy to confirm that the nex IIa does handle 4gb microdrives with no problem. I use a cf card reader to drop and drag my mp3's and wma's. The Nex IIa works great with the 4gb drive. However, due to the size of the drive and the limited processing power of the Nex, it takes about minute and a half for it to load up before you can start playing it. It is a bit buggy with the larger drive. Too much ff or skippping through songs can cause it to freeze up. I just put it on shuffle play. Starts faster with smaller drives though. There is no comparison to an Ipod. Ipod is far easier to use, the controls and the ability to scroll instantly and intuitivly through large numbers of files is simply not the case in the nex IIa, but if you want a rather sturdy and no nonsense mp3 player, with changeable drives, the ability to use rechargeable or disposable batteries, this isn't bad at all.

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