Customer Reviews

Mac Vision MA833A-2BL 256 MB MP3 Player

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

Pros:

Can be plugged directly in to the USB port, is USB 2.0, also ships with a USB extension cable.

Relatively Cheap $38 or so

Comes with a battery (suprising!)

The voice recording functionality is suprisingly good.

Music sounds ok with out-of-box headphones.

Cons:

256 MB is really not much space - particularly if you have MP3s encoded in high quality. In hindsight, I would probably have spent a little more to get the 512MB version. If you are using WMA, then this won't be so much of an issue.

You cannot run/jog with this as is - headphones are built in to the neck cord - and the device flys all over the place when jogging having it around your neck. You would really want some arm band contraption - but you will also need another set of head phones.

Interface is pretty awkward, particularly the mode button.

Manual is pretty average from a readability perspective.

Others:

Music can be organized in to top-level folders simply by dragging to the device from windows explorer, however, music cannot be put in subfolders of these top-level folders.

The controls aren't amazing but the product is very good/reliable for the money. It's very easy to plug into your computer and download music onto. The screen lights up in bright blue when you turn it on in the dark. It's really a very good product for the money, I would definitely reccomend it. The only thing that I don't like about it, is the controls make it hard to toggle between your music quickly. But really, for the money I don't think you could possibly get anything better.

Best things about this player: It plugs right into your USB connector, so you don't need a cable (though it comes with a short extension cable). You don't need to install any software at all on your PC. It works great with Linux. You can delete files using the player itself, when it isn't plugged in. 256MB is more than enough if you use it running. Last but not least: you can't beat the price (around $32 at the time I purchased it).

Worst things: the included earbuds are awful. Throw them away immediately and get a good pair. The forward/reverse switch feels cheap; hopefully it will hold up.

Good or bad things, depending on your perspective: There's a lanyard ring on top. If you listen to the player while walking, that's fine, but for running, there's nothing for an armband to attach to. I already had an armband, so I used a rubber band (like kids might put in their hair) and a piece of non-slip shelf liner to attach the unit, and it's worked very well.

I have not used the voice recorder, nor have I used the unit though an entire battery cycle yet, so I don't know how much warning you get before the battery dies.

I would definitely recommend this if you're looking for a cheap player. And as fast as this technology is turning over, I can't see spending a whole lot on any player.

WARNING: I am not certain if this mp3 is the same as mine. The one I bought is from Starex, but the mp3s, physically, look identical (except for the writing on the top--mine says Starex, this one says Digital Mp3 Player). I have seen this mp3 from many different companies, all physically identical, but since I only have the Starex one I am not sure if they are (insidely??) identical. So continue at your own risk!!

I'm in love with my new mp3, which I just bought this afternoon. At first I was hesitant about buying it because it uses AAA batteries, not a rechargeable lithium one. But I thought, at such a great price might as well buy it. AND I have solved the battery problem by going to Radio Shack and buying rechargeable AAA batteries (as well as an AAA recharger of course). So I am really happy!

This mp3 fits perfectly in my hand with the play/pause button right under my thumb. The navigation is wonderful, much easier than iPods for me, because with those I end up taking half an hour spinning that wheel to get to the song I want.......anyway, moving on... the sound is great, clear and loud...

AND HOW GREAT IS THE INTEGRATED USB??? It works as a mass storage device, so you simply have to drag and drop your songs into it. It also stores files! And, considering that most MSDs (mass storage devices) are almost this price, this mp3 is a steal of a deal.

Look no further than this mp3!

P.S. 7 background colors included!! Now tell me thats awesome.

The player works well for my purposes. I download podcasts to listen to on my commute. It's a little complicated to figure out how to use at first but works well. Nice size and great price and can be used for datastorage as well.

For $33.24 and free shipping, this product is a steal. I bought it as a gift and received many thanks. I think it's a nice entry-level MP3 player, the manual is very limited, however, the quality of music and voice recording is very good. I agree that 256 MB don't hold much, but then again, if you want a higher capacity MP3 player, you need to be prepared to spend a bit more. The MP3 player plugs directly into any USB port, which makes file transfer a breeze. Overall, not a bad MP3 player at all.

This is a cheap, small, flash mp3 player, which is exactly what I was looking for. (Basically I just wanted something so I wouldn't have to burn CDs all the time to listen to my mp3s.) The only drawback is that there is a backround buzz sometimes, but I have only heard this player, so I am not sure if that is standard in mp3 players. It's not overpowering, though, so it works.

If you have never used this type of device, the instructions are very poor. The product itself is terrific. The sound quality is fantastic. It is very compact; and for me the 256 MB is the perfect size. I couldn't be happier.

I purchased a Mac Vision MP3 Player for each of my kids this year for Christmas. I must admit, they are easy to use, and easy to copy music to. My kids really enjoy them. This does everything the expensive MP3 Players do.

I found this MP3 player to be very difficult and frustrating to use. The mode switch seemed to lock up on me at one point, making it impossible to access the submenus. I also had difficulties syncing music to the devic and when it managed to do so, skipped several tracks. Furthermore, I had a hard time following the online manual provided for the player and pretty much had to figure things out on my own. I am much happier with the MP3 player I got from a major discount store as it is more user friendly. I would not recommend the Mac Vision to anyone and am in the process of returning the one I bought.