Intel Pocket Concert 128MB Digital Audio Player & Accessory Kit

by Intel

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 1 x 2.4 x 3.8 inches ; 3.4 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 4 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000059ZYB
• Item model number: IDAKIT1128FMNA
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #211,760 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

The Intel name may not immediately spark the interest of music aficionados, but with the introduction of its Pocket Concert portable MP3 player, that's sure to change. The Pocket Concert's 128 MB of memory doubles the capacity of most players without costing any more money. Combine that value with excellent sound quality and a well-designed, easy-to-use interface, and you've got a formidable contender.

We ran a simple setup program to install all the Pocket Concert's drivers and software applications. The player connects to the PC's USB port for a fast transfer of files, and it is compatible with Windows 98, Windows ME, and Windows 2000. We appreciated the Intel Audio Manager's simple interface for transferring files to the player, as well as the powerful MusicMatch Jukebox Plus software that let us rip music from CDs and create playlists as well as transfer files.

With a sleek, rounded, polished-aluminum body, this lightweight player fit comfortably in our hand or fastened onto our belt or bag with the removable clip. The player's solid-state flash memory makes it impervious to shocks and jolts, so it's ideal for using while you're jogging or working out at the gym.

We had no trouble reading the large, backlit LCD, which shows song titles and playback options, including the status of the unit's two AA batteries. The scroll wheel on the side of the unit made it easy to select tracks and set bookmarks, as well as control random and repeat modes, bass, and treble. Simply press the button on the other side of the unit to turn on the built-in FM radio, and then use the scroll wheel to tune to your favorite station or manage the 10 preset stations.

The unit's 128 MB of flash memory storage translates into two to four hours of music, depending on the compression ratio and file type. (The Concert supports both MP3 and the more highly compressed WMA files.) The unit's memory capacity isn't upgradable, but to anyone who's used 64 MB or 32 MB players, 128 MB will feel like decadent luxury.

The Pocket Concert plays its crystal-clear digital audio through a pair of "neckphone" headphones, which have a dark blue headband that clips over your ears and swings around the back of your head. Though they're considerably bulkier than the earbud headphones found with most MP3 players, we were impressed by the full, rich sound and found the secure fit good for exercising.

(Note: This version of the Pocket Concert also includes the Intel Audio Accessory Kit, which features a docking station, car cassette adapter, carrying case, and rechargeable batteries.)

Intel got practically everything right with the Pocket Concert Player. A large display and well-designed controls make it a pleasure to use; the neckphone headphones provide excellent sound; and the included software is easy to use and powerful. Most important, they've broken the memory barrier, offering a 128 MB unit for the same price as comparable 64 MB units. --Ken Feinstein

Pros:

• 128 MB of memory translates to 2 hours of near-CD-quality audio
• Easy-to-use design with clear display
• Excellent sound quality

Cons:

• No AC adapter included
• Memory not expandable

Amazon.com Product Description

Amp up your favorite music with the Intel Pocket Concert Audio Player. This compact unit combines Intel performance and intuitive software to deliver big, crystal-clear, skip-proof MP3 playback. It includes 128 MB of built-in memory--for more than two hours of MP3 music encoded at 128 kbps or four hours of WMA audio--and a digital FM tuner with 10 station presets.

This bundle also includes Intel's Audio Accessory Kit, which can help increase the power and flexibility of the Pocket Concert. The stereo dock easily connects to your computer with the included USB cable. Additionally, you can connect the Pocket Concert via the stereo dock to a home stereo system (with the included set of RCA cables) or play music directly through powered speakers. You can also charge NiMH rechargeable batteries, which are included with the kit. The kit also includes a car cassette adapter and a neoprene carrying case.

The Pocket Concert supports both MP3 and Windows Media Audio (WMA) out of the box, and is firmware-upgradeable to support future digital audio standards. Firmware is the program code within the player that instructs the microprocessor how to interact with the controls and the digital audio files. Upgrading the firmware makes it possible to add new music formats, security protection software, and other operating features that enhance the player.

The player features such functions as equalizer presets, bookmarking, and a large LCD screen that displays title, artist, and track-list information. Jump from track to track, or move forward or backward within a song.

The Pocket Concert comes with software for your desktop PC to help you create, organize, and enjoy your own digital audio library. The Intel Audio Manager quickly and easily transfers audio files from your PC to the Pocket Concert. The Intel Audio Sampler software offers a diverse collection of digital audio files that can be loaded onto your computer. The Plus Version of MusicMatch Jukebox is also included (with upgrade key number), enabling you to rip and encode your personal CD collection for use on the Pocket Concert, as well as to burn CDs with a CD-R drive.

The Pocket Concert is designed for use with alkaline or NiMH (Nickel Metal Hydride) batteries. The use of other battery types is not recommended and may damage the player or cause risk of overheating. When the USB cable is attached to the computer and portable player, either directly or through the optional Audio Stereo Dock, the player will receive power through the USB connection. This power will operate the player but will not recharge the batteries.

In addition to the accessory kit, the Pocket Concert Audio Player comes with a belt clip, neckphones, and a USB cable.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars How Difficult Can It Be??, September 7, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Intel Pocket Concert 128MB Digital Audio Player & Accessory Kit (Electronics)

This was my first purchase of an MP3 player and I do admit that the ease of installing software and downloading music was nice. The 128K memory was favorable too. The biggest disappointment came when I wanted to listen to my downloaded music. The headphone jack connection was so unstable that the only way I could get a good connection was to keep everso carefully jiggling the jack until I could get dual sound and then sit perfectly still as to not lose the sought after connection. This totally defeated the purpose of being able to listen to tunes while exercising -- that was practically impossible. I took the player out for it's first jog and it quickly turned into a turtle paced walk as I was constantly re-adjusting the earphone jack desparately trying for a solid connection. I even attempted using higher quality headphones, without success, same poor connection. I figured this was just badluck and because I liked the other features, I'd give Intel a 2nd chance. Unfortunately the 2nd player had the same results.
How hard is it to design a headphone jack?
Since the basic concept of the player revolves around delivering music for one's listening pleasure I'm sorry to report that I'm not a 3rd chance kind of gal.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars no more than what I expected, July 31, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Intel Pocket Concert 128MB Digital Audio Player & Accessory Kit (Electronics)

As often as I shop at amazon, I never wrote a single review. But buying this product was the biggest investment I made online. So I thought I should write something incase anybody who is interested in purchasing this player cares about my opinion. I did some research, but never owned another mp3 player to make a close comparison. There were plenty of other alternatives such as the hip zip or the archos jukebox with 6gb of storage space.

So far, I can say that the Intel player is easy to use, has decent battery life (was about 8 hours with the way I used it), and charges in less than 2 hours. I felt that the 128MB of built-in memory (actually 125.5MB) should be enough considering how fast it takes to transfer files. Personally, for "on the go" purposes, I didn't think I need more than 2 to 4 hours of music. One exception I can think of, that would make me lean towards the archos jukebox (with 6gb storage), is if I travel or exchange a lot of files with friends etc. But when I travel away from home for a long time, I usually carry a laptop anyway. As far as the hip zip goes, I wasn't sure how shock-resistant it is compared to the built-in memory. But so far, I haven't heard hip zip owners complain about skipping problems. I think the slightly smaller size of the Intel Pocket Concert was more appealing to me than having two 40mb disks, (which is less than the built-in 128mb in the pocket concert anyways).

Intel's player also sounds pretty damn good for something that gives out some hissing noise (yes...the other reviewers weren't lying). And this hissing noise is the only thing that bothers me. Even though it isn't noticeable during play, I think it could annoy people who listen to tracks that have many quiet intervals. I felt that intel couldn't have left a problem like this alone. But I guess they did. The hiss should take off 1/2 star. I just gave it 5 because it doesn't bother me with the type of music I listen to. But for recommendation purposes, I guess the hissing should be weighed a little.

I didn't bother to include the headphones in the rating criteria (it would be another 1/2 points off). I knew I would be getting a much better one. There's nothing wrong with how they sound (pretty close to sony's behind the neck headphones MDR-G72 which sounds very good with it), but they aren't as comfortable or light as the sony. Another thing that might be worth mentioning, is that it doesn't fold like the sony or some other headphones with similar designs.

The Audio Stereo Dock and rechargable batteries are convenient accessories. I recommend getting the player and accessory kit together IF you must buy this product. I'm glad I did. If the price of the player with accessory kit package sounds like a rip-off (and it probably is), I think the nomad 2 is a better alternative. The memory is expandable on the nomad2 as well.

Oh, and lastly, I read many reviews regarding how fragile the headphone jacks were. Well, I didn't have this problem. In fact, it snaps in snuggly and never caused any problems with the channels. I couldn't tell whether I was lucky or Intel fixed the problem. Anyhow, I'm very satisfied with this player. But is it worth over 320 bones? Nope..

36 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This one is IT!, April 6, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Intel Pocket Concert 128MB Digital Audio Player & Accessory Kit (Electronics)

This is my second MP3 player... I went cheap the first time and bought an I-Jam. I week after I bought it I lost one of the MMC cards and had to replace it. Add on memory turns out to be not that attractive. The Pocket Concert takes advantage of that - save the cost of "upgradeable" memory and build it right into the player. 128 megs - WOW! The sound quality is excellent. Especially since with all that memory you can use higher bitrates. The headphones are good, though nothing beats a pair of noise canceling headphones. Definitely worth the money!