Archos JukeBox Studio (6 GB) MP3 Player
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- Number of Songs: 1500
- Usage: Music Recording
- Interface: USB
- Main Storage Type: Hard Drive
- Storage Capacity: 6 GB
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100+ Hours of music in your pocket!
Pros
6GB in a small, compact package. Easy to use. Holds any files. Sturdy. Well-designed
Cons
Battery removal difficult, risks marring case, Can't use regular 1.5v AA cells.
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
Blows away all other MP3 players I have seen. More capable than the Nomad Jukebox and less-expensive! Imagine carrying your entire CD collection in your pocket!
I just purchased the Archos Jukebox 6000 as a birthday gift for my fiancee, but I may keep it for myself! This is the ideal design for a portable MP3 player. Based on the same, ubiquitous 2.5" hard drive found in most notebook computers, the Archos is just a bit bigger than your average cassette-tape case (4.5" X 3.2" X 1.3": but that includes the rubber baby-buggy-bumpers that stick out about 1/4' from the main housing). The Archos is very solid and sturdily built. I knocked it around a bit while listening to a song and couldn't make it skip, but keep in that it is a hard drive with a spinning platen...I wouldn't get too rough.
The unit is unbelievably simple to operate. Just plug it in to your USB port and the Archos shows up on your desktop as a hard drive. You can even use it to store files other than MP3s! The driver loads from the included CD and has given me zero problems.
One thing to make sure of is that the unit has a decent charge before transferring files or you may get some disk errors. I ran Norton Disk Doctor on it (It is a regular hard drive, after all) and it fixed them up fine. I rip all my CDs at 160Kbps and I was able to fit 92 CDs onto the Archos. I personally feel that 128 - or even 96 Kbps in some circumstances - is fine for a portable player and at those rates you could easily fit the advertised 150+ CDs onto it. An electronically-inclined individual could also easily crack the case (warranty-sealed, btw) and replace the drive with just about any 2.5" notebook hard drive (30gB anyone? :)
I had some concerns regarding the sound quality after reading some reviews on epinions, but the unit sounds outstanding after a little fiddling with the menu-accessible bass and treble controls. You may want to spend a few more bucks and get a good pair of headphones to go with it.
The operating system is pretty intuitive and easy to use. Navigating through multiple directories and file-levels using the tiny LCD screen is easier than I thought it would be. Very nicely executed. You can download updates to the "Firmware" (Probably some kind of Flash RAM, the manual doesn't specify) from the Archos website. Again a pretty painless process, the update comes with a small install program that is simple to use. One of the later firmware changes addresses the many complaints regarding the lack of a volume control knob, and enables you to adjust the volume by pressing the Power and +/- keys simultaneously.
About the batteries: The Archos uses 1.2v rechargeable NiCads that look like AAs, but aren't, so don't try using Energizers in the player. The NiCads last over 5 hours, which is good thing because opening the battery covers is an awkward and difficult process that is poorly described in the manual, and may lead you to damage the surface of the player. It is not obvious how the covers open, and it took me a considerable amount of time and gentle prying with a screwdriver before I could figure out just how the covers - on either side of the player - popped free. You will never have a problem with batteries falling out of the Archos! The unit also comes with an extra set of batteries, another nice touch. It's nice to see a company that does things right.
I am extremely pleased with the Archos 6000, it is well-designed and constructed, simple to use, durable, flexible, and sells for way less than the Creative Labs Nomad. This is definitely the portable MP3 player that I have been waiting for, and I highly recommend it.
The unit is unbelievably simple to operate. Just plug it in to your USB port and the Archos shows up on your desktop as a hard drive. You can even use it to store files other than MP3s! The driver loads from the included CD and has given me zero problems.
One thing to make sure of is that the unit has a decent charge before transferring files or you may get some disk errors. I ran Norton Disk Doctor on it (It is a regular hard drive, after all) and it fixed them up fine. I rip all my CDs at 160Kbps and I was able to fit 92 CDs onto the Archos. I personally feel that 128 - or even 96 Kbps in some circumstances - is fine for a portable player and at those rates you could easily fit the advertised 150+ CDs onto it. An electronically-inclined individual could also easily crack the case (warranty-sealed, btw) and replace the drive with just about any 2.5" notebook hard drive (30gB anyone? :)
I had some concerns regarding the sound quality after reading some reviews on epinions, but the unit sounds outstanding after a little fiddling with the menu-accessible bass and treble controls. You may want to spend a few more bucks and get a good pair of headphones to go with it.
The operating system is pretty intuitive and easy to use. Navigating through multiple directories and file-levels using the tiny LCD screen is easier than I thought it would be. Very nicely executed. You can download updates to the "Firmware" (Probably some kind of Flash RAM, the manual doesn't specify) from the Archos website. Again a pretty painless process, the update comes with a small install program that is simple to use. One of the later firmware changes addresses the many complaints regarding the lack of a volume control knob, and enables you to adjust the volume by pressing the Power and +/- keys simultaneously.
About the batteries: The Archos uses 1.2v rechargeable NiCads that look like AAs, but aren't, so don't try using Energizers in the player. The NiCads last over 5 hours, which is good thing because opening the battery covers is an awkward and difficult process that is poorly described in the manual, and may lead you to damage the surface of the player. It is not obvious how the covers open, and it took me a considerable amount of time and gentle prying with a screwdriver before I could figure out just how the covers - on either side of the player - popped free. You will never have a problem with batteries falling out of the Archos! The unit also comes with an extra set of batteries, another nice touch. It's nice to see a company that does things right.
I am extremely pleased with the Archos 6000, it is well-designed and constructed, simple to use, durable, flexible, and sells for way less than the Creative Labs Nomad. This is definitely the portable MP3 player that I have been waiting for, and I highly recommend it.
