8 out of 8 people found this review helpful.
Solid Performer - Great Value - OGG!
Date of Review: Mar 26, 2007
The Bottom Line: A great unit. Supports ogg and Linux.
First, the specs are as follows (from www.cobyusa.com)
* FEATURES: Stores up to 10,000 Songs
* 2" TFT Color Display
* Up to 12 Hours of Battery Life
* Supports MP3, WMA, OGG Music Files
* Ultra-fast USB 2.0 Transfers (up to 40 times faster than USB 1.0)
* Supports JPEG Image Files
* Supports AVI Video Files
* Ultra-fast USB 2.0 Transfers
* Built-in FM Tuner
* Built-in Voice Recorder
* Real-time MP3 Encoding (no PC required)
* 20GB of Internal Storage
* Rechargeable Lithium Polymer Battery
* Upgradable Firmware
* SPECIFICATIONS: Unit Dimensions: 2.43" x 4.17" x 0.55" (WHD)
* Blister Dimensions: 7.75" x 11.25" x 2.5" (WHD)
* ACCESSORIES INCLUDED: Installation CD
* USB cable
* Professional Stereo Earphones
* Carrying Case
* 100-240 V UL AC Adapter
* Line-in Cable
I have been using the Coby MP-C951 for a few months now and I am very pleased with the quality of the unit, it's ease of use and the sound it produces. The unit is marketed as a 20GB Music Player with Color Screen and Video Playback. It will store and display photo's and includes an FM tuner.
The packaging is excellent and included with the unit is an owners manual, a carrying case, a 1/8" stereo line-in cable, an AC power supply (5V), ear buds, a USB Cable, and an installation CD with a USB driver for Windows 98 users (who are probably getting rarer, but including the driver was a nice touch.
The owners Manual is concise and well written. It explains each feature clearly and will have even non-techie users up and running in no time. The ear buds are a cut above what you typically get with most players.
After charging the unit overnight using the Power Adaptor, I plugged the unit in to an open USB port on my Linux machine. The drive appeared, mounted and ready to go, and I began to transfer files. Perfect! Finally a company that gets it. I have never used the Coby on a Windows PC or a MAC but I am sure the process is just as smooth on inferior OS's as on Linux (kidding, no flames please!). The best part is that the files I was copying were not MP3's but OGG Vorbis! Hard to believe but true. This swell little unit supports OGG. Better sound at the same file size as mp3, which is important in my application. I purchased this unit for one reason. To play my music collection in my 2007 Outback, into which I have installed a pretty nice sound system. The Coby delivers fine sound and solid bass. I couldn't be happier with the performance of this unit.
The touch sensitive controls are easy to use, but they require that you look at the unit. You can't "feel your way" with this unit. The screen is easy to read even in bright light.
One downside of the Coby is that it does not come with a power adapter for in car use. It requires a 5VDC supply (hence the ability to charge via USB) an the only one that I could find is an RCA unit that has variable voltage. The unit works well but you may need to use a ground loop isolator if you want to play music while attached to the cars power supply.
Overall the Coby is a fine unit with great performance for the money. I would have paid $100 more for this device and been happy.
Update: I have been using the Coby for several years now and I am still quite satisfied with it. A few months ago I began to have problems with intermittent dropouts caused by poor connection at the 3.5mm jack. I was able to repair this myself, but someone who is not a technician probably should not attempt to do so, which means a repair bill or a new unit would be in order. Portable devices get moved around a lot, putting strain on the connections. High-quality jacks last for many years and only cost a few pennies more than the lower quality jacks used in the Coby. I still Coby is a good brand but I am lowering my rating by one star because of the durability issue.
