RipFlash 128MB Digital Voice Recorder and MP3 Player/Recorder

by PoGo!

Product Details

Product Manual [642kb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 2.2 x 0.6 x 3.4 inches ; 3.2 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000066HOH
• Batteries: 2 AAA batteries required. (included)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (48 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #148,987 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

Outstanding sound quality and a low price make the RipFlash an excellent flash memory-based MP3 player. However, its ability to record MP3s in real time via the built-in microphone or line-in connection takes this player to the next level. Whether you want to record a lecture or convert your old LPs and tapes to MP3, this versatile little player gets the job done.

Smaller than a pack of cards and weighing just 65 grams, the RipFlash looks like an ordinary MP3 player. Installation was simple using the quick-start guide. We just loaded the MP3 Manager software on our PC, then connected the player to our USB port and copied our MP3 and WMA files to the unit.

When we put on the earbud-style headphones to take a listen, we were surprised by what a clear, noise-free, rich sound the RipFlash delivered. The lows were especially robust, giving bass rhythms a visceral feel, and the built-in equalizer let us optimize the sound for classical, rock, pop, or jazz. The unit's small display was easy to read and the buttons on the front and sides were logically laid out and easy to press.

To test the recording capabilities, we simply pressed the record button and started talking. The sensitive, built-in microphone recorded our speech clearly and accurately. The line-in jack on the top of the unit lets you connect it to any audio device, such as a tape player or a CD player, and for us this performed equally well. Using the menu-based interface, you can set the recording-quality bit rate. For instance, you can record voice at a lower quality for up to 30 hours of recording time, or record music at a higher quality for less recording time. Either way, it's simple to copy the MP3 files back onto your PC, so you can send them via e-mail or burn them to CD.

Of course, since the RipFlash uses flash memory and has no moving parts, it's impervious to shocks and jolts. It runs on two AAA batteries, offering about 9 to 10 hours of playback, and comes with a wristband. In addition to its built-in memory, its memory can be expanded via a SmartMedia card.

Low price, excellent sound quality, and, most of all, the ability to record audio directly into MP3 format, make the RipFlash easy to recommend to music aficionados who want to record live audio, students looking to record lectures, or anyone who needs an easy way to record dictation. --Ken Feinstein

Pros:

• Inexpensive
• Records MP3s via built-in mic or line-in
• Excellent sound quality and fast download

Cons:

• Small display
• No rechargeable battery

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

127 of 130 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice MP3 player - a few minor flaws, August 5, 2002

By 

M. Rowe (Palo Alto, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: RipFlash 128MB Digital Voice Recorder and MP3 Player/Recorder (Electronics)

I purchased the RipFlash MP3 play to work out to and not for the digital voice recording features. This is my first MP3 player so I have no point of reference compared to other MP3 players. Given that, here are my experiences so far.

Pros:

- very good sound - especially with the equalizer
- fast transfer rate from my PC - 30 songs in less than 5 min
- very lightweight

Cons:

- no software for ripping CDs. I had to buy some but found a good one called MP3 Workshop...

- can only read MP3 format. Would have been nice if it could read WMA format. Then I could have used the Windows Media Player to rip the CDs.
- earplug earphone sounds good but had trouble keeping them in my ears.

Things you should know:

- If you do want to add a SmartMedia card, the songs on the card will be played separately from the ones in the built-in Flash memory. (this may be important if you want to play randomly)
- The display is small and somewhat hard to read, but did not bother me.
- I haven't tried to Rip CDs with the line-in but I think it is a useful feature.
- Would have been nice to have a belt clip for working out.

Overall, very good player. As I said, I like it very much, but it does have a few minor flaws. I can live with them for working out and would buy it again.

44 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good player and a few recommendations, November 14, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: RipFlash 128MB Digital Voice Recorder and MP3 Player/Recorder (Electronics)

Just bought my first MP3 player last month. So far, so good. Extremely easy installation, I was able to go in less than 30mn (installing, filling up the thing with 30 songs -128 kbps- and playing !). I liked the size (and weight): not too small to handle, even without looking at it, not too big to be bulky in my pocket. Cool looks too (not like the little ugly RCA for instance !), but that depends on your taste. No battery problem so far, seems to last around 6 to 8 hours (which is more than enough once you recharge at night). Transfer rate was excellent, and with 128Mb, it's not critical to wait a few minutes (it would be another story with a few Gb hard-disk !). I found 128Mb to be a good compromise: less is really to small (you get tired of hearing the same songs again), and more drags you into another category of players (CD or hard-disk, with both having their own inconvenients, mainly the skipping issue). The recording function is useless to me, so I won't comment on it.

The only major drawback is the display: it doesn't show the artist, song title, etc. only the "track" number. It's actually not that annoying with 30 songs (you can browse through them fast) and esp. if you are running for ex., but still a drawback. You can't also reorganize your songs once loaded, so unless you use the shuffle mode (which works fine), you're bound to hear the first ones more often !

All in all, my recommendation is: there are no ideal MP3 player, but different and incompatible types. If you want a relatively small, no skipping one, go for the flash memory, and don't spend too much on the memory (it's the most expensive type). If you want to store all your music, go for a hard disk based like the iPod or others, and pay special attention to the software (with thousands of songs, you will WANT some organization !). If you want to play your CDs as well, and/or want a cheaper option, go for the CD-Rom based.

And if you want my last advice: have 2 players ! A small flash based, relatively cheap one for sports / commuting, and a big hard-drive based if you're a music addict on the move !

55 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A powerful and fun MP3 tool., July 3, 2002

By 

Joe Lombardo (Bethesda, MD USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: RipFlash 128MB Digital Voice Recorder and MP3 Player/Recorder (Electronics)

I am really enjoying this product. I can't give a comparative review, because this is the first MP3 player/recorder I've ever used. However, I did a lot of research in making this decision and can share with you the distinguishing features that drew me to the RipFlash Digital Voice Recorder/MP3 player.

My Requirements
I was looking for a digital voice recorder that is easy to use, can quickly and easily transfer files to my personal computer for use on a personal site. I also wanted to listen to MP3's via this device.

My Research
I used ... customer reviews and related products tools to get a feel for the product ranges. I also visited other e-commerce sites and review sites to get as clear a picture of the products I was considering. I found many positive reviews for mini-disc players stating their many benefits over other storage types so spent a lot of time researching them.

I found that many of the highest rated mini-disc systems did not have an easy mechanism for uploading recorded audio to the pc. This meant that I'd have to record my audio to the handheld device then connect the devices headphone jack to my pc's audio in jack, play it back and re-record it using the an application on the pc. I'm too lazy for that.

I was concerned about the "limited" storage on the pogo. 128mb holds about 30 mp3 files with a little room for audio recording. With the mini-discs, storage is [inexpensive] and portable, so I could have many mini-discs with my audio collection handy.

I was also concerned about one review that stated that the pogo audio in and out jacks were prone to static and weak connections.

My Decision
Remembering my original goal was easy audio recording and publishing, I put aside my concerns for limited capacity for my mp3 collection.

My Experience
+ Wow! 30 songs is a lot if you are selective.
+ The software works well and was easy to install.
+ It is very quick and easy to transfer files to and from the pc.
+ This thing is tiny and light. It fits in my shirt or pants pocket without feeling heavy or clunky.
+ I think the audio sounds great played back on the little headphones or connected to my Cambridge Soundworks speakers at work.
+ The batteries really do last a long time. (If they run out on you, standard AAA batteries are easy to come by.
+ The built in microphone is adequate for my purposes.

- 30 song limit
- while my audio jacks are static free so far, I'm concerned about the longevity.
- User interface for the software might be a little confusing at first.
- The user interface on the device is limited and sometimes awkward. (for example, when changing the volume, it is easy to accidentally change the equalizer from jazz to rock.)
- The digital display does not include filenames or any meta info about the songs.

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