Customer Reviews

TrekStor i.Beat sweez 2 GB MP3 Player with FM Radio (Silver)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I ordered this device looking for something small for the gym and easy to use. I was able to load music on the device, but it did not turn on. It looked like something was wrong with it when I opened the package as the two large silver plastic pieces were slightly separated. I emailed the company and they wrote back saying the player was broken. I would NOT recommend buying this mp3 player.

I was lucky to buy this on the sale rack at a discount store, so perhaps I'm happy with the value I got for little $, but I had another player before this, an off-brand, and the sound was terrible. I have not heard other players, but I am thrilled with the sound on the ibeat sweez. It also gets very good fm reception. It weighs nothing; it's about the size of a 5-piece pack of gum.

If you are far-sighted (need glasses to read) you may not be happy with the text size on the very small display. I'm near-sighted and have no problem with it; it's clear and an easy-to-read font. The menu is a bit labor-intensive to get through, however, my experience with other players is about nil so I wouldn't know how it compares.

My biggest problem occurred with switching from fm to mp3. This takes some practice as you have to follow a series of particular and somewhat illogical steps; this is likely not for those without any tech savvy. It took me a while to figure it out and then only after reading the instructions over several times and even asking their customer service people to explain it. But I finally learned it and now have no problems. I've had the player for over two years and use it often. I am attached to it and hope it keeps working. Unfortunately I have only a 2gb, wish it were larger capacity, but that's not the player's fault. The sound quality would keep me coming back to Ibeat if they make players cheaper than Apple's.

This is my second SWEEZ#2, because I am paranoid my current SWEEZ#1 may break. I dropped my SWEEZ#1 and it goes wacky once and while. I realized I cannot function without my SWEEZ, so I bought a second one. This is how much I love this Trekstor player. I would stay away from the EMO. Everybody seems to want to get rid of their EMO on Ebay.

I bought my Trekstor SWEEZ#1, 4 years ago and it has turned out to be a great buy and a gem. It has a "cheap" look, I know. But when you start using one, it becomes apparent that this is a quality product.

CONS:
1. This Trekstor SWEEZ does not have "RepeatFolder"or"ShuffleRepeatFolder". This is one feature I wish it had.
2. Again, this is fragile. Not for roughnecking, but for fine listening. You have to pamper this puppy.

PROS:
1. The Interface display is classy.
2. Most important, the sound quality is superb!! I don't have the specs, but the range of frequencies is much broader than the normal player. Sharp hi's and deep bass.
3. It has an internal rechargable battery and has not burned out yet. About 3 to 4 hrs recharging time. About 6 to 8 hrs playing time.
4. There are 6 preset equalizer settings that are adequate.
5. Playmodes are the usual Normal/RepeatOne/RepeatAll/Shuffle/ShuffleRepeat.
6. Compatible with practically all OS's incl. Win98
7. In "Random" play, you can go back to the preceding songs, while in most players you cannot.

Now, this next PRO I want to talk about is special. I've gone through six players so far and all have the "Shuffle" feature. Supposedly, this means "random" play. But, I swear, the "shuffle" feature built into this SWEEZ takes it to another level. The designers must have included an algorithm that displays AI to some extent, because it's like having a DJ in there selecting the next song. Somehow, the selections transition magically and perfectly match the preceding song. Either the instruments are the same or the tempo is the same. You just get the feeling it's not that random, and there's intelligence involved. So, if you don't plan rough use and want great sound quality, this is for you.

While I was satisfied with the device while it worked, it unfortunately stopped working after only 6 months: when I plug it into the computer, it doesn't get detected. Both on the Mac where I normally use it, and on a PC where I also tried it to make sure it was not problem with the computer. It's not a matter of just a faulty connector cable because the device does light up when connected to the computer.

I emailed tech support and even though in their website they claim that this product works on a Mac (that's why I bought this mp3 player in the first place), they only had troubleshooting directions for a PC. (Nonetheless, I tried their instructions on the PC and didn't solve the problem.) I inquired about what other options I had and about the warranty and they didn't even reply back.

I thought this would be just like my old iaudio U2. In a lot of ways it is but more cheaply designed. It's a great little MP3 player. The only and main complaint I have is the shuffle feature. It won't allow you to shuffle only one folder. It shuffles the ENTIRE drive!! If you are far sided you'll want to stay away all together. The text and symbols are VERY small. I was really hoping to give this thing a good review. Honestly. I was even willing to give Trekstor the benefit of the doubt and upgrade firmware from their site BUT THERE IS NO FIRMWARE UPDATE!!! My advice is to stay away and pay a little more for a nice Cowon product. This is gonna be packed up and shipped back. Sorry Trekstor I tried.

I bought this because I wanted something with radio and clock capabilities. The radio works much better than I had expected. The earbud earphones put out unexpectly good bass. Its easy to load with Windows Media Player. It is very light, it weighs less than my shuffle.

A few drawbacks... I would rather the thing had a cap and a normal USB plug rather than having to use a cable to connect it, the font on the display is pretty small but not unreadable, the menus can be kind of byzantine but you get used to them pretty quickly.

I gave it five stars but it is really a 4.5ish (mainly because of the tiny font)... but for $50 it is a very nice little player with lots of extra features.