14 DAY TRIAL // First and foremost, I must confess that the title of this article was inspired by the picture on the device's box. Not that the player itself is not sexy (because, from some points of view, it's really quite appealing), but the picture on the box really sells this product. I have to congratulate Teac on making a very interesting and attractive choice.
OK, leaving the box alone (at least for the time being), let's start with a more serious preamble.
Portable MP3 players are some of the greatest devices ever invented. Their most important function is - of course - to playback music files, although that basic function has been changed over the years, as the most important manufacturers are shifting the concept of MP3 player towards that of PMP (or portable media player). As for the number of manufacturers of such devices....well, it's absolutely huge, since the market is actually overcrowded with all sorts of players, each and every one of them trying to catch the buyer's eye with either its looks or functions. And from the pile of devices available out there I've chosen (actually, it was made available to me, but that's another story) a very sleek little player from Teac, namely the MP-300 model, a pretty cool and fashionable device, packed full of features, yet a bit too small for my taste. These being said, let's check out the....
SexyBack (and front): MP-300 design features and overall look
Sleek, small and sexy. These are the three words that define the MP-300. And let me explain why. First of all, it has a sleek, cold metallic gray finish, which inspires elegance, but is also quite hip. A very good accessory - especially if you're into silver - and which looks even better when used together with the silver neck strap. The color combo (black + metallic gray) is also quite a winner. After all, black is always trendy. However, despite their great choices of colors and materials, the manufacturers kinda blew it with the 2 control wheels, placed on each side of the player, because they're made out of a cheap-looking gray plastic, that doesn't go well at all with the overall aspect. The MP-300 is quite small, measuring just 64 mm x 35 mm x 12 mm, and weighing around 35 grams. To me, it seemed almost weightless, and it fit in my hand perfectly. It's also quite aerodynamic, apart from a small, overgrown area, where the headphones and line-in jacks are located. On the other hand, the same area makes for a pretty good grip, so it's a quite a good thing that it's there, after all. And finally, sexy. That's the feeling one gets when looking at this device. Despite the fact that it's kinda small, so some of the ladies might not like it. Gets lost quite easily in the purse, they say (although I suspect that it's a matter of size, if you know what I mean).
The overall design is also quite functional, since the device can be easily operated with only one hand, if you're agile enough with your hands, that is. This is possible due to the fact that the most important controls (volume and play/pause) are placed on the same side, while the fast forward / reverse, although placed on the opposite side, are also quite easy to operate.
That's about it with the design. In order to tell you what I've discovered while testing it, which of the features and characteristics are cool or not, let's first take a look at....
The more (or less) appealing specifications and features according to the User's Manual:
- dimensions: 64 mm x 35 mm x 12 mm; - weight: 35 grams; - battery: internal, rechargeable lithium-Ion battery: - battery life: up to 8 hours of continuous playback; - storage capacity: 256 MB / 512 MB / 1GB, Flash memory; - display: OLED, 65000 colors; - built-in FM tuner; - optional FM digital recording; - voice recording via the built-in capacitor microphone; - 5 modes user equalizer (Jazz, Classic, Rock, Pop, Normal); - features DRM and ID3 Tag Support; - inputs: line-in jack; - outputs: 3.5 mm headphones' jack; - comes with high-quality stereo headphones; - compatibility: MP3, WMA files; - can also be used for viewing pictures in BMP format; - USB mass storage device capabilities; - driver required solely for Windows 98; - PC interface: miniUSB to USB 2.0.
OK, so much for what it is supposed to be, now let's see what this little sexy thing can do. So...
Softpedia fooled around with the Teac MP-300 MP3 Player and got some satisfaction
Unfortunately, not all the satisfaction I had hoped for. Despite its cool looks and featured functions, the device isn't all that great. It's not bad, but not so impressive either. First of all, I've had the opportunity of testing just the 256 MB version, and I can tell you for sure that the storage space was way too small. What's the use of being able to make voice recordings, view pictures or view movies when there's simply no space to store them? (yes, one can view even movies in WMA format on the screen, although I really don't understand what's the point of doing that, unless your eyes are in perfect condition or you're watching some pretty intense XXX action)? Well, the 1 GB version probably solves this problem, and that's the model to go for, in case you decide to purchase the device.
Another thing that proved to be quite a surprise is the display. First of all, the fact that they've fitted such a minute player with an 65K OLED display in the first place is quite cool, but watching a movie on it (and actually understanding what was going on there) really impressed me. Nevertheless, the truth of the matter is that the users won't probably use the display for anything else than seeing the title of the current song and the volume. That's what I used it for, and I admit it's perfect for that job. Moreover, you can use the display to check out the battery level, the type of file being played or for viewing the equalizer.
The rechargeable lithium-Ion battery provided by Teac is quite OK, especially since the device operates in a low power-consumption mode. I have no idea if it really lasts for 8 straight hours, since I've only used it on short time-spans, but what I can tell you is that it didn't require any recharging during the 1 week it spent in my possession. And another thing worth mentioning is that the device has multiple charging options, since it comes with an AC adapter, but can also be charged directly via USB.
As we all know, an all-important aspect in the case of any MP3 player is the quality of the sound. The stereo earphones do a pretty good job, providing a crisp and clear sound, although at max volume the music does sound a bit too...metallic and cold. The 5 equalizer modes are also quite distinctive, adding a little something to the overall audio experience. So the music is quite special, even more if you're a fan of earphones (which I have to admit I'm not).
As you've seen in the specs' list, this thing also features an FM tuner and microphone. While the FM tuner didn't really impress me (it's not very accurate at finding radio stations, and not at all easy to work with), the microphone on the other hand produced a surprisingly good quality recording of me mumbling some pretty nasty things into it (?Testing, testing, 1, 2, 3, you piece of... beep...., yeah, you like that, don't you, little...beep....?, that sort of stuff). So a big plus for the voice recording function.
The control system is relatively OK, the user having to navigate the menus via one of the two wheels on the sides (the one which also doubles as a FF/RW control). However, the MP-300 is not excessively user friendly, and could become quite bothersome whenever the user has something else to do as well (like driving, for example). Moreover, the FF/RW functions have a delay of around 4-5 seconds, which is kind of irritating, as all of us expect quite a seamless music experience whenever we use an MP3 player.
After playing with it for a while (several days, actually), I decided it was about time to write the....
Teac MP-300 MP3 Player Roundup
What's Cool: The overall design, the bright OLED display, the quality of the sound (provided you keep the volume at a normal level), the quality of voice recording. The fact that such a tiny device incorporates so many functions is pretty cool on its own, although it would have been better if all of them worked better. The battery life can also be mentioned as a plus, and the same goes for the multiple charging options. And yeah, the box is also quite appealing.
What's not so Cool: The delays: at startup, FF function and when navigating through the menus. The 256 MB and even the 512 MB models are quite far away from today's standards, from the point of view of the available storage space. No SD Card slot, another minus. These being said, it's time to see that sometimes....
Looks can be deceiving
The Teac MP-300 MP3 player is a fashionable device. It does its job relatively OK, it has some pretty interesting qualities, but also some significant minuses. However, if you're looking for an MP3 player that looks very nice, offers a good quality sound and some interesting extra-features, this might be the thing for you. It's reliable, sleek, and...it's Teac. In any case, as mentioned before, the only device in the series worth getting is the 1 GB model, because otherwise you might get frustrated quite fast. If you happen to live in Romania, the device is available at several online stores and computer outlets, among which the most important is UltraPro.
You think it's over? No, not yet. In this case, there's an extra segment. So, before you take a look at the photo gallery, check out.....
What's inside the box
- MP3 Player; - User's manual; - USB cable; - earphones; - neckstrap; - black velvet carrying case; - installation CD; - line-in cable; - power adapter.
Still Images from the Teac MP-300 MP3 Player review
Photo: Tudor Raiciu
