Customer Reviews

Lyra 256MB MP3 Player with FM Tuner (RD2012)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I am very enthusiastic about this little guy.

My biggest fear was that with only one AA battery, it wouldn't be loud enough. (When I'm huffing and puffing on the treadmill in my crowded gym, I like my music LOUD!) That has turned out not to be a problem at all. The radio is always plenty loud; I rarely have to turn the unit all the way up to its max. As for MP3 playback, it depends on the file. Some of them seem to be recorded at a loud level, and some are softer. (I'm going to have to learn something about ripping to figure out what's going on with that.) The ones that are recorded at a high level are plenty loud enough. ("I wanna make some eardrums bleed!" Spinal Tap)

The radio reception is not fantastic, but I have never found a portable radio that *does* have fantastic radio reception. This one is about the same as all the others.

Here's one thing that you might not expect: when you are recording FM, you can't adjust any settings. That is, you can't change the volume and you can't scroll through the stations. I suppose that it has to be this way, but it would be cool if it wasn't.

There are 9 separate control actions (4 push buttons, a "left/right" button that gives you 2 more control actions, and a thumb wheel that gives you 3 others: "up", "down" and "select" when you push it in.) Of all those, there is only one that is finicky: the "left" action on the "left/right" button. Sometimes I have to push it so hard to get it to register that I just give up. That's only a pain when I'm tuning the radio. It means I have to tune up all the way around back to the bottom again.

I purchased the RCA Lyra MP3 player because of the size and the price. I don't need a lot of memory because I tend to listen to the same songs again and again until I get bored. I stored about sixty songs so far, with room to spare, and I haven't even used the SD card option. An additional reason for my choice of the RCA Lyra was this expansion option- using minute SD cards instead of CDs.

That said how has this unit performed? So far its great. To begin with I was able to load the songs and I have no great understanding of this stuff! The instructions were not stellar but the software helped explain much of what had to be done. When I couldn't get the plug in to install I thought I was in trouble but the Lyra MusicMatch Jukebox program asked if I'd like to download this item and at my command did it for me and automatically profiled the files to make them usable. The mp3 controls are fairly intuitive so using the Lyra after loading the songs is a breeze. The sound is fabulous. I love the headphones that clip around your ears. They produce quality sound, stay in place and are light weight and comfortable.

I also appreciate the case and armband that are included. They make exercising to music easy. The unit continues to play well even when I'm in motion. The small size of this MP3 player makes it quite convenient to take with you anywhere. The price was also right. I'm very happy with this device!

I waited a couple of months to write this review just in case there were any surprises. So far, so good. This is a great player if you want a reasonably priced player for exercising or moving around a lot. It's also good for people who use WMA files (from Windows Media Player), want expandable memory for more songs, and want to listen to and record FM radio.

I would definitely buy the Lyra again, although I'd get the 512MB or 1GB internal memory instead of 256MB. I use the internal memory for background music that I always want to have available and the external memory (SD card) for the music that I change a lot. With WMA files at 128 Kbps (average quality), I get about 45MB per album (or about 5-6 albums on the 256MB of internal memory). FYI, when you record radio, that also goes on the internal memory. I bought a 1GB card that stays in the player at all times with more music and for trips I carry an additional 512MB card for more song selection. Keep in mind that even with frequent sales on SD cards I doubled the price of the player by buing the extra memory.

WHY I CHOSE THE LYRA:
* Flash-based memory seemed more stable for use while in motion.
* Plays WMA files (which are smaller than MP3 and don't require conversion after ripping in Windows Media Player).
* Has ability to take SD/MMC card up to 1GB for memory expansion (some other players only accepted smaller cards).
* Receives and records FM radio.
* Doesn't require special software to get files onto the player.
* Uses standard AA battery (so I can use my rechargeable and not keep up with special chargers for the player).
* Good price (...).

POSITIVE DISCOVERIES SINCE MY PURCHASE
* Headphones loop over the ear and don't come off accidentally. They sound decent. They irritate my ears after a couple of hours, so I sometimes switch out with my ear buds.
* With a rechargeable NIMH battery, the single AA battery lasts for a long time.
* When you plug in the player to your computer, explorer shows both the internal and external memory in a way that makes it easy to drag and drop music onto the player. You can also copy music onto the player from Windows Media Player if that's already where you're managing your music (or any other music software, for that matter). You can also use a card reader to copy files to the SD card without the player being involved.
* Before I bought the Lyra, I was a little concerned about other reviews mentioning the profile feature. This isn't a big deal at all. It's just a scan of the disk to build a list of available songs and ID3 metadata
* The display is small, but you can see a lot of data for a small player. Back lighting works well for night usage.
* Radio reception is better than I expected. Portable players are never perfect for radio, but I can hear (and record) what I wanted.

NEGATIVE DISCOVERIES SINCE MY PURCHASE (NOTHING TERRIBLE HERE):
* Carry case is pretty lame if you're fidgeting with the player a lot to pause and change songs. It doesn't account for the SD/MMC card and doesn't protect it well. It fits slightly askew with the headphone cord in the player. But if you're running/exercising, the case and arm strap will work fine.
* Battery cover is very light plastic and feels like it will break when I take it off. I dropped the Lyra on my desk today and the cover flew off, but fortunately didn't break.
* Headphone jack is at an angle which seems like it will put added stress on the connector over time because it gets bent so easily. No problems in the short-term usage.
* Navigating to another song with the controls isn't intuitive, but you can learn how. The player does maintain folder structure, so if you organize well before putting the music on the player it benefits you in the end.

WHAT I'D LIKE TO SEE IN THE NEXT GENERATION OF LYRA PLAYERS:
* Built in (at least to case) mini USB connection (like 1" cable) that I can carry around with the player.
* Better case that allows access to buttons, protects the external card better, and does not cover any of the display. Also, case should have space for 2 extra SD cards and possibly a spare battery.
* Memory of what song was paused or playing when the player is powered off (auto resume). I saw that another reviewer said his remembered the song but mine does not.
* Way to go back up to the folder containing the song currently playing without having to stop the song playing.
* Timer recording for radio (currently have to manually press record to start and stop recording).

Pros:
-Holds and infinite number of songs thanks to its upgradable memory.No iPod can match that.
-LCD screen is large and lited.
-FM Radio built-in and...hello, you can record from FM to MP3 and then transfer to your computer.
-It is smaller, lighter and cheaper than iPod.
-No moving parts = no skipping, ever.
-Excellent FM reception. 10 presets.
-Excelent sound reproduction. Bass equalizer is ok.
CONS:
-You need a degree in Computers to use it. Unfriendly interface.Poor manual.
-Really lousy support for Macintosh. Software is for Windows only.
-FM recording on mp3 is unusable on "low quality settings". High quality setting is passable but not perfect.
-Comes with cheap headset.
-Sometimes the unit shuts itself off for no apparent reason. Must take battery out and start over.
Ok, here is what you need to know: go get a 1 gigabyte SD card and fill it with 230 songs plus. You still payed about $180 for the whole thing. If you have a mac you WILL have some incompatibility issues particularly with indexing and directories, but it still works and this player is worth it. I abslutely do not recommend it for neophites, this is a difficult player to understand but it has great potential. When memory cards prices come down, you will have an infinite upgradeable player, if you buy a couple of 1GB cards you should be set for life. No worries about battery replacement, it uses one AA and alkalines last a week or more. I use AA rechargables. I highly recommend you try any RCA player over the ridiculous Shuffle Mini iPod which is not upgradable, it only holds a few songs, has no FM radio, no LCD screen and the battery can not be replaced after it dies (and it will, trust me). The Lyra is a step forward, the iPod is a step backwards, and who wants to pay top money for outdated technology?

I bought the Lyra after dissapointing experiences with portable cd players. I use the player while I'm working. There is a lot of physical activity involved and no matter what kind of anti-skip was on the cd player it still would skip. The lyra has never had this problem at all. The other advantage is battery life. Cd players go through batteries like crazy. My lyra lasts longer than the stated battery life (about 12 hours on one AA!) You don't need to be a computer techie to use it. Loading songs can be done with the drag and drop method. The software that comes with it is ok, and has some handy features. The earphones are comfortable and have decent sound. The cable shorted out after 2 months, not unexpected for all the unintentional tugging it recieved. I replaced them with some 8$ sony earbuds and was even more knocked out by the sound. All in all my life is better, or at least less boring.

So far, so good. Here is a tip for people having trouble copying files: Dont use musicmatch, just use windows explorer! In xp and 2000(maybe 98 too...not sure) it should show up as a removeable drive.

This unit works fine. Nice to have the option of adding memory via SD cards. And the Musicmatch software allows CD's to be ripped in MP3Pro format, which is about half the size of a standard MP3. So...you can get twice as much music in the same amount of space. The major downside is the user interface. One thing particularly irritating is that the button which is used for setting the station presets of the the same as the volume control. So...if trying to change the volume, you can EASILY change the preset. You can "lock" the unit, but then every button is locked. The LOCK function should just LOCK the settings, buit still enable the more common functions to be used...like volume control, on/off, station changing. It's pretty obvious that the people that designed the inerface didn't spent much time using it. They should go for a few walks or bike rides. Would be easy to fix via a frmware upgrade...but...doubtful it will be done.

Oh...and when I first got the unit, it would not turn on (well...it would, but then turn off after 5 seconds). Then when connected to the PC, would not work either. The only way to get it to function was to go to their web site and download/apply the latest firmware. Then things worked.

I did a little research on MP3 players and found this to be the best choice for the price. I love the fact that it is near-infinitely upgradeable through the SD memory card expansion slot. Not only does this allow me to fit insane amounts of songs on it, I can also use smaller memory cards to load music for which ever mood I am in without having to erase everything and start all over. Just switch memory cards and I am set to work out, snowboard, chill out, or get crazy within seconds instead of a half hour or so. I was also hyped to find out that this player can load my music into seperate folders based on nearly anything, artst, album, mood, tempo, are just a few. The Musicmatch juke box program that came with the player was a little tricky to use, and I am dissappointed that I am as of yet I am unable to transfer music from Real One player to Music Match. I understood in the manual that I can take other music files and transfer them to MP3 Pro format with Music Match. Perhaps I just need more time to figure it out or I just misunderstood the manual.
I had read the reviews and some people think the controls are a little clunky, but I find them to be extremely easy to use. The only thing I would have liked to see is a waterproof model and maybe a slightly slimmer design. In regards to battery life I have used mine for at least 50 hours and am still registering all three bars on the display for the AA that came with it.
I would highly recommend this player to anybody.

After breaking my umpteenth CD player at the gym I sprung for this and am very happy. I use it whenever I exercise, or have to wait in the car for my kids to get out of some class or something.

The clip-on earphones hurt my ears so I use a large headphone which I had before so it sounds great. I never use the FM module. MusicMatch (included) adequately does the job of downloading my MP3s which is all I use it for - slow download but I don't do it often. Musicmatch doesn't tell you how much memory the songs take that you want to download to the Lyra so you have to guess and then add some more if you still have space. Or use another program to select your songs and then select the same ones in MusicMatch. Realplayer tried to get the Lyra software but couldn't find it. Included armband is fine, leaves opening for the volume control.

Nice things: it remembers last song I was listening to instead of always starting from track 1 like my CD player. It has shuffle, repeat list, repeat song, skip, and back as well as some audio equalizer settings like jazz, pop, rock, etc. Tiny display automatically lights up when I push a button and is very readable - even shows song title etc.

The buttons seem very durable but are a little hard to push.

The best thing is knowing I can expand it as the memory modules get cheaper and bigger all the time. I use 160 KBPS for my mp3s so 256 MB = about 75 songs = about 3 hours+ which means adding a 1 GB SD chip (now getting affordable) will give me another 12 hours of music!

This MP3 player is a very god choice if you just want a simple, light and small device. Downloading is very easy and the software included with the package, Musical JukeBox, is really great to manage your files. You can transfer your favorites CDs in MP3 format on your personnal computer within minutes.

Headphones are not incredibly confortable, but OK. The sound quality is great compared to other players. If your files are from high quality recording, power isn't an issue. I haven't used the FM receiver that much, but you need to be quite close to a good reception to enjoy this feature. When you can, you can record good songs from the air.

Basic sound options are available, but equalizers are well balanced by default. Managing files with the player's intern software is very simple. It is easy to find a song you are looking for within hundreds of files.

Finally, if you are looking for additional memory, buy a low priced SD card. I got a 1 Go card for about 65 $. Extern memory is much less expensive than default intern memory, so it's better to buy seperate cards than having a 512 Mo player for a much higher price.