PHILIPS NIKE ACT-216 psa[256max Jordan Limited Edition MP3 Digital Audio Player

by Philips

Product Details

Product Manual [7.31mb PDF]

• Item Weight: 1.6 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00017NMUC
• Item model number: ACT-216
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #282,057 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Functional MP3 Player, March 26, 2004

By 

"visualize_one" (Atlanta, Georgia United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: PHILIPS NIKE ACT-216 psa[256max Jordan Limited Edition MP3 Digital Audio Player (Electronics)

Hello, I decided to get a MP3 player for the gym since I've taken up longer distance running. I consolidated my needs to a list of a few things:

1. I prefer a non-harddrive based MP3 player. While the tradeoff is less music capacity, I have the piece of mind knowing that high impact activities won't damage my investment.
2. A MP3 player that didn't rely on proprietary software (falls under ease of use). I hate RealOne and having experience with removable drives, copying and pasting is a lot easier than having a "middle man" program interfering with something that *should* be very simple.
3. Durability and compact design.
4. FM Tuner and the ability to record wasn't important. I don't like listening to radio stations because commercials have me changing stations, so there's no use for the option. Also, it seems a lot of people complain about the FM tuners on most MP3 players not working too well.
5. MMC card slot wasn't needed. While it's nice for expandability, I think 1 or 2 albums worth of music (192 bitrate) is enough music for a gym session. I'd rather work out than flip through songs.

As far as the player itself and all it comes with, I'll say the pictures of this thing do it no justice at all. The chrome finish is very nice (doesn't seem scratch proof at all though) and it was very impressive looking out of the box, size is perfect, and the headphones work great.

Accessories: I only considered needing an armband, which was provided, but the extras were appreciated. While shopping I was only concerned about player specs and not the accessories, I'll have to say that the including the rechargeable battery and recharger was a really great surprise since it basically cuts down on future costs. Armband works out great, and the PSA comes with a magnetic clip to keep lose headphone cord from dangling around.

Setup: I run Windows 98SE and setup was pretty easy and straight forward. I work well with computers, so I anticipated a problem with Removable USB Storage devices. It isn't really a problem, just a feature that windows 98 didn't have built into it. You go through control panel and do a little setting up. READ THE PDF file that comes on the disk. You shouldn't have any problems if you follow the instructions. The disk installs MusicMatch (you can uninstall later), running the install does install drivers you need for removable storage devices if you're running windows 98. You can always uninstall musicmatch afterwards. I've used it before and it's "OK," it has decent enough CD ripping software which is very user friendly in my opinion. Use of this program is optional and is NOT *needed* to transfer files to the PSA. Once I had everything setup and my battery was charged, I updated the firmware (comes with the software) and started transferring files. Drag and drop, easy.

My cons?

- Opening the battery door on the back is a lil tricky, but once you've got it it's pretty easy. Slide your thumb across the back and it should pop up.
- The headphones don't have any padding on them, so they are kind of hard. But, I guess sweaty pieces of foam on your ear wouldn't feel too good either.
- Also, I think people with larger heads might have a problem with size, I'm 5'11, but I don't think my taller friends would be able to use the headphones that come with the player.
- Output is only 5 mV. With no EQing, volume doesn't get that loud. But if you use the eq, volume isn't an issue. I use a custom setting of +2, +3, +4, +3. Other mp3 players I was looking at had the same output wattage too, so it pretty much on par.

I found all of the things I was looking for in the Jordan PSA. Let me admit that I was initially considering a price point of $ while considering 128 MB mp3 players, but I'm a fan of Jordan, so I spent the extra $ for the 128 MB and the look. (I figured resale value would be a little higher if I ever wanted to sell it in the future).

The main things I liked is the ease of use and it's build quality is top notch. I recommend it if expandability isn't an issue and this isn't your main form of music listening. The mp3 player was built with an intended use in mind, and Philips has definitely held up their end. With that, I'd have to give it 5 stars for getting exactly what I paid for.

Other info: The other players I looked at were the Philips Key Ring KEY005 (you can find it on amazon and ..., but it's discontinued), Rio Cali (software, build quality), Verge 256 (circuit city exclusive, build quality issues), Rio Fuse (software, juggle stick looked flimsy) and the Nike PSA.

5.0 out of 5 stars It's Jordan; expect nothing but excellence., September 1, 2007

By 

~K.I.S.S.W.A.G~ "Life after doesn't mean Life... (North Carolina) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: PHILIPS NIKE ACT-216 psa[256max Jordan Limited Edition MP3 Digital Audio Player (Electronics)

While I cannot disagree with the reviews of the Jordan Limited Edition MP3 player listed here, my review can only speak great things. I remembered when the Jordan magazine first mentioned the release of the MP3 player, but unlike his shoes, my interest was not there. However, I recently found an article speaking of its praises and I attempted to find it on Ebay. Amazingly, here on Amazon I found one brand-spanking new, never opened, for A WHOLE LOT LESS than the original cost, which I believe was $499. I have been using it for two days now, and while I did have concerns about the advancement of technology(this was released in 2003) and software upgrades, I have no concerns anymore. The packaging lists compatibility with Itunes, MusicMatch and Windows Media, but it immediately synced with WM and downloading music files was quick and easy. I have been able to transfer 52 music files with room for more, and while track 45 will not play, I believe it is because of the track and not the player itself. If you are able to find one, I highly recommend its purchase. It is very stylish and despite its size, it's not hard to get used to. But Jordan allowed for his name to be attached to it, so undoubtedly, my expectations were high. But, they were easily met.

1 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Batteries not included, April 2, 2004

By 

Rolando M. Ruvalcaba (San Antonio, TX United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: PHILIPS NIKE ACT-216 psa[256max Jordan Limited Edition MP3 Digital Audio Player (Electronics)

Being an active person, music is a very important part of my life. If you are looking for a decent mp3 player, the philips jordan mp3 player is a safe bet.

One of the quirks i do have about this player is that the rechargeable battery that is included has a life of about 10 minutes. Well not really, but you would apparently think so after using it.

A plus side to this mp3 player is that you can also save word files on this player. Not too bad for the active man on the go.

The equalizer buttons are a bit tough to press at first, but i am sure that this will get better as the mp3 player gets worn in.

All in all i believe this to be a quality product and you get what you pay for with this product.