Cowon iAudio 6

The $250 iAudio 6, Cowon's first microdrive player, rivals most flash players in compactness, thanks in part to a 4GB, 0.85-inch hard drive. This feature-packed and excellent-sounding player/recorder supports all sorts of music, video, and photo files (but no album art), and it boasts a slick, high-resolution 1.3-inch OLED screen. While the iAudio 6's interface is an improvement upon that of past Cowon players, it can still be tricky to use. We also believe that Cowon, despite utilizing cutting-edge HDD technology, should have opted for more reliable flash memory, or at least produced a 6GB or 8GB version. Yet, we can't question this player's deft looks and high-octane performance.

The iAudio 6 follows in the Cowon tradition of being packed to the gills with features. It is an MP3, WMA (including subscription tracks), OGG, FLAC, and WAV audio player; an MPEG-4 (AVI) video player; a photo viewer, complete with a three-by-three grid of thumbnails and zoom/pan features; an FM tuner with 24 autoscannable presets; and a voice and line-in recorder. High-resolution graphics and data pop off the colorful, 160x180-pixel OLED screen, though the display is highly reflective outdoors.

Photos and video, as small as they are, are sharp and easy on the eyes. The new icon-based main-menu system is arranged in a slick rainbow curve, and the dedicated menu and volume buttons come in handy as you tackle the iAudio 6's array of features.

The Cowon iAudio 6 is an ideal size--not iPod Nano thin but extremely pocketable, at 2.75 by 1.25 by 0.75 inches and 2.12 ounces. It's only slightly bigger than the iAudio U3, but it has a bigger screen and more storage. Cowon employs a new touch-sensitive interface for the main controllers. The diagonal slider stripe (a.k.a. Swing Touch) makes for smooth navigating--once you get used to it. Swing Touch allows for some atypical navigation, including forwarding and reversing through tracks with a slide of the thumb, scrolling through songs on the playback screen when paused, or skipping by track or by 2, 4, and up to 30 seconds of the song at a time; you can specify from many options in the general-settings area. We also like that you can customize the functions of the Menu button (we've set ours up to activate the EQ upon a long hold) and the red Record/Back button (we have ours on "add song to dynamic playlist").

The 4GB Cowon iAudio 6 next to the similarly priced 4GB Apple iPod Nano. The sheathed Nano is thinner, but the hard-drive-based iAudio 6 has many more features.

The Cowon iAudio 6's menu button is critical to navigation. It toggles through three modes: the main menu, the playback screen, and the file directory. If you're in Music, you'll default to an improved music-browsing screen--thanks to the latest 1.20 firmware upgrade, one that includes browsing by artist, song, album, playlist, favorites, new music, and so on. This is done in MTP mode; for Mac users and those who prefer the classic folder tree, you can set the iAudio 6 in UMS/file browser mode. The playback screen features lots of customizable info, as well as a graphical level meter. File types are distinguishable icons, such as MP3, WMA, or JPG, for example.

Cowon is inching closer to a fault-free interface, but it's not out of the woods yet. The touch-sensitive buttons can be wishy-washy. Sometimes we'd accidentally activate a function, and other times, we couldn't get the fast scroll (holding at the end of the slider) to engage. We highly recommend activating the hold switch while you're in a mobile state. Also, operating the diagonal slider can be awkward; we suggest you handle it with two hands--just be gentle with it! The rest of the player is so nice that it might be worth your trouble to master the controls. Another thing: It uses a small drive, but it's still susceptible to shock. Cowon may have been better off using a flash drive, which it will introduce in the 2GB version of the iAudio 6, though we predict a 4GB flash iAudio 6 would be priced higher than the competitive $250 watermark.

The Cowon iAudio 6's sound quality is superb--it has a good dynamic range with bright sound and nice bass--and it gets a boost from Cowon's excellent set of equalizers (seven settings, plus a user-definable five-band EQ) and BBE surround and bass enhancements. It records to 128Kbps WMA files, and they sound great. Voice recordings are easy to make, though the internal mic picks up noise when you touch the device.

Battery life for the internal rechargeable battery is rated for 20 hours; CNET Labs got a little more than 18 hours, which is respectable. While the internal processor can handle multitasking--that is, viewing photos and listening to music--you'll notice minute pauses while rapidly skipping through tracks, which is characteristic of hard drive players. You'll also have to contend with a long 20-second boot-up time.

To top off the feature list, the Cowon iAudio 6 can be used as a text viewer and a USB host for transferring digital images from cameras. You can bookmark songs, as well as tweak the playback speed, resume, autoplay, fade in, and so forth; basically, if you want a small player you can twiddle with, this is the one. The iAudio 6 ships with standard earbuds; a line-in cable; a USB cable; a USB host cable; a certificate for 100 free music downloads from eMusic; and a software CD with JetShell/JetAudio VX software, which--among other things--helps you get your photos and video on to the device.

Cowon has produced another gem of a high-end multimedia player. Ease of use has improved a tad--it's more intuitive, to be exact--but the physical controller should be tested by prospective buyers. Nevertheless, the Cowon iAudio 6 will be a big hit among the MP3 underground, thanks to great performance, as well as a slick set of features and format compatibility.

Sony RM-AV2500 Integrated Remote Commander

Sony RM-AV2500 Integrated Remote CommanderSony's latest 12-device touchscreen offers plenty offeatures, but is it really better than the RM-AV2100?

A surprising thing happened when Sony’s RM-AV3000 remote control was released as the successor to the RM-AV2100: sales of both models thrived! In spite of the RM-AV3000’s fresh exterior and considerably more powerful capabilities, a new market had abruptly materialized – one that wouldn’t ordinarily have given the latest super-remote a second glance, but was perfectly comfortable with the more modest and now discounted RM-AV2100. A hypothesis: was there call for a model priced somewhere between the $79 RM-VL1000 and $199 RM-AV3000?

That question was answered when electronics retailer giant Best Buy commissioned a special batch of the RM-AV2100 to market at $149 alongside the $199 RM-AV3000 and was ultimately successful at selling both. One possible explanation is that the RM-AV2100 was already capable enough, and the RM-AV3000’s further upgrades significant enough, that the two models could be considered complementary, rather than competing.

Recognizing a golden opportunity, Sony has formally adopted the $149 price point with the introduction of their RM-AV2500 touchscreen remote control. Also released at the same time, an upgraded $199 RM-AV3100 (read our review) boosts Sony’s deluxe offering to new heights. Although the RM-AV2500 may look as if the RM-AV2100’s level of functionality has simply been wrapped in RM-AV3100 style clothing, rest assured that it is, in fact, a brand new model. Different screen, redesigned case, new button layout, more capabilities!

The Next GenerationSony’s RM-AV series of touchscreen remotes have a lengthy history dating back to the mid 1990s when the RM-AV1000 was first sold in Japan. Despite being a breakthrough product in both form and function, the endearingly chunky remote didn’t catch on. Perhaps the RM-AV1000 was too advanced, too complicated, too big, or just too far ahead of its time.

Whatever the reason, Sony wisely held on to the concept for a few years, eventually giving it another try at the end of 1997 in the more home theater oriented USA. This time the market responded quite favorably and the second-generation RM-AV2000 became the very first product reviewed on Remote Central. Finally, a high-technology customizable remote that could control almost anything – and it didn’t cost an arm and a leg!

Today’s RM-AV2500 represents the fifth generation and third physical design of Sony’s proprietary and unquestionably unique “armrest-sized” form factor. Although the shape and size can be an acquired taste for some, big, powerful and simple-to-operate universal remotes like the RM-AV2500 answer the call for a customizable control that’s able to operate many components with all functions displayed simultaneously. Everything you need, when you need it.
Sony does not use a fancy marketing or series name for the RM-AV2500 model, unless you count “Integrated Remote Commander”... and as my fingers don’t feel like typing that over and over, let’s stick to calling it the “RM-AV2500”. In addition, as this model is intended as a functional replacement for the RM-AV2100, comparisons will be made primarily to that unit, with references to other models where appropriate.

While most hard-buttoned remote controls are long, thin and narrow, the RM-AV2500 is the opposite: short, wide and thick, roughly the size of a paperback novel. Sporting a large landscape-oriented LCD touchscreen display at the top with a generous sprinkling of hard buttons below, the RM-AV2500 presents a “high tech” look that’s more current than the RM-AV2100, but not quite as sophisticated as the RM-AV3100.

The remote measures 7.0” long, 4.3” wide and 1.6” thick (17.9cm by 11.0cm by 4.1cm). This is about one half inch (1.5cm) narrower than any previous model, with a maximum thickness about halfway between the RM-AV2100 and RM-AV3100. The RM-AV2500’s control surface is angled towards the user and tapers to as little as 1.0” (2.6cm) thick at the bottom, but unlike the sleeker RM-AV3100 its face is perfectly flat without a slimming bend in the middle. This makes the RM-AV2500 feel somewhat larger than the RM-AV3100, with a midpoint measurement approximately one third thicker.

The RM-AV2500 is the lightest model in Sony’s touchscreen series, weighing 12.0oz (342 grams) with batteries or 8.6oz (242 grams) without. This compares well to the RM-AV2100 at 9% heavier or the RM-AV3100 with 12% more weight. Although those percentages may not seem like much on paper, the difference between the three remotes is quite noticeable when held. The RM-AV2500 feels about the right weight for its dimensions: not too heavy and not too light.

A new button layout.Rather than tweaking the RM-AV3100’s pre-existing design into a less expensive unit, Sony opted to start from scratch. Although one glance will tell you that the RM-AV2500 is still closely related to its siblings, I was intrigued by a few of the changes.
At the top of the remote is the RM-AV2500’s characteristic touchscreen, measuring 3.54” wide and 1.96” high (9.0cm by 5.0cm), with a 4.0” diagonal (10.2cm). This is about 14% less surface area than the RM-AV2100, a reduction that has been reflected in the remote’s narrower case. Since the LCD keys haven’t been made smaller, something else obviously had to be sacrificed – namely one vertical column of buttons.

You won’t find the customary selection of system macro and device buttons below the LCD screen; instead Sony has pushed up the [Menu], [Volume] and [Channel] buttons. The [Volume] and [Channel] toggles have been placed on the right side of the remote and paired with [Mute] and [Recall] (AKA “Jump”) keys. Although I wasn’t expecting this change – Sony has always placed those particular functions in the bottom right-hand corner of the remote – it makes perfect ergonomic sense. Now whenever the remote is held in my right hand, the oft-used volume and channel keys fall naturally under my thumb. And, since the RM-AV2500’s weight is centered perfectly under those keys, I no longer have to play a counterbalancing act as I did when sliding down to reach those controls on previous models.

To the left of the toggles is a standard 5-way cursor key arrangement with matching [Menu] and [Exit] buttons. Below are three direct-access macro keys marked [A], [B] and [C], plus one labeled [More] for further on-screen macros. Next to those keys are [Light] and [Commander Off] buttons, used for turning the LCD backlight on and the remote off, respectively.

The array of 12 buttons in two rows at the bottom of the RM-AV2500 is used to change modes – each key corresponds to one of the remote’s built-in devices. These buttons are labeled [TV], [Cable], [Satellite], [DVR], [VCR], [Amp], [CD], [MD], [Tape], [DVD], [M1] and [M2]. Note that the remote is capable of operating any mix of components, so the button labels don’t necessarily need to relate to the type of device controlled.

Another shade of silver...The top of the RM-AV2500’s case has been painted the same light metallic silver as the RM-AV3100, which more or less matches most modern Sony A/V equipment. In a change from the RM-AV3100, a large portion of the control surface just beneath the LCD has been finished in matte charcoal grey plastic. I’ve commented in the past on my preference for darker colored remotes – they look cleaner longer – and this seems a decent compromise!

Half of the remote’s hard buttons are black rubber topped with white silkscreen printing, while the rest are white rubber with black printing. All buttons have the classic soft and flexible feel that’s found on a large number of other remotes. I particularly like the RM-AV2500’s large, angled channel and volume toggles – right up a volume-tweaker or channel-surfer’s alley. Little effort is needed to push keys, and overall tactile response is minimal but adequate. Several button groupings have case indents molded around them, which helps to give a visual and tactile separation.

Like many of Sony’s recent remotes, the back of the RM-AV2500 is made out of matte light grey plastic. The battery compartment’s large but simple slide-n-snap style lid securely conceals four AA batteries (not included). Battery life is estimated at 5 months, but without excessive backlight use a longer runtime should be possible. A low battery warning is provided. All sides of the remote taper in from the top surface to the bottom, creating a smaller footprint that’s reasonably easy to hold in one hand. A concave indentation has been carved into the back of the remote’s thickest portion, big enough for the remote to sit comfortably on an armrest or leg.

Most of the front end of the remote is taken up by a large curved plastic shield covering the dual infrared emitters. On the opposite end of the case is a place to attach a lanyard – a curious inclusion on almost every Sony remote. I really wouldn’t want to swing this remote by a cord!
The RM-AV2500 is constructed differently than the RM-AV2100 – a welcome change as the RM-AV2100 had the unfortunate reputation of quickly developing “creaky” characteristics. This time, the back half of the case is fitted into the silver top. This improves general rigidity and completely avoids the connecting seam that normally runs around all edges. Topped off with 5 screws, the end result is a solid feeling remote that’s resistant to lateral twisting (although perhaps not quite as sturdy as the 8-screw RM-AV3100).

Overall, the RM-AV2500’s new design is a significant improvement over the RM-AV2100.

Even with the introduction of modern graphical remotes and sophisticated all hard buttoned models, Sony’s RM-AV series of combination touchscreen/hard buttoned controls retain strong consumer appeal by offering a good price/performance ratio. Although the RM-AV2500 isn’t alone at the $150 price point, it’s the only model to offer a touchscreen and full control of 12 devices.

The lack of hard button backlighting and large form factor could be issues for some, but there are more than enough compensating pluses – large backlit screen, excellent learning capabilities, loads of devices, plenty of macros, a good measure of customization – and it’s a Sony!

Even better, it’s so simple to operate that users won’t be left hunting through multiple pages to round up a single device’s commands, or picking their way through numerous selection menus. If you need a no-nonsense remote that’s able to deal with complex home theater systems, the Sony RM-AV2500 should definitely be on your short list.

The Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D (Dynax 7D in Europe) was first revealed to the general public on 12th February 2004 at the PMA tradeshow, at that time we were able to produce a hands-on preview of a pre-production camera. Finally on 15th September 2004 just before the Photokina tradeshow Konica Minolta fleshed out the detail with full specifications and an official press release. A few days later we were able to get our hands on a pre-production camera and publish some exclusive samples and a full gallery. This final review is based on a full production camera.

The Maxxum 7D is Konica Minolta's first digital SLR for five years (since the RD-3000), it is based on the Maxxum 7 (Dynax 7) film SLR with a very similar body design and control layout. The main differences are obviously that the 7D has a digital 'heart', a large LCD monitor and control system and loses the 7's grip sensor. The 7D is clearly targeted at the higher end of the digital SLR market, at keen prosumer's and professionals, and that's reflected in its price at $1,599 (body only) it's up against cameras such as the Canon EOS 20D, Fujifilm S3 Pro, Olympus E-1 and Nikon D70 (which while cheaper is probably equally as capable).

Anti-Shake

The Maxxum 7D's "unique selling point" is its Anti-Shake stabilization system, unique among digital SLR's. Minolta first introduced this feature with the DiMAGE A1, it is unique in its operation because instead of stabilizing a lens element (as in a traditional image stabilization system) the sensor is stabilized. Inside the 7D its six megapixel CCD is mounted on a movable platform controlled by two actuators (x and y axis).

The system works by analyzing input from motion detectors in the camera body and producing an inverse movement in the CCD. The system can be disabled (via switch on the rear of the camera) and can also detect a panning movement and only compensate for movement on the opposite axis. What's exciting and new about this system is that it instantly adds stabilization to the entire range of Minolta lenses. An 'Anti-Shake' indicator is visible through the viewfinder which provides feedback to the photographer as to how much the system is having to compensate for shake.

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AudioBUG ATB-350

There is a problem that some of us have experienced, and it will probably affect more people in the next few years. You buy a fancy new portable MP3 player, such as an Apple iPod, Creative Nomad, or any number of similar devices now on the market, and you want to listen to your new tunes in the car. Sure, many car stereos now include MP3 support, but that's only if you burn the MP3s to CD first. For people like myself, who have amassed several gigabytes worth of music (whether ripped from CD, bought through on-line services such as iTunes, or from whatever source), it becomes a hassle to then copy the music back to CD, not to mention the fact that most cases will tend to scratch the CDs over time. Some stereos, mostly aftermarket ones, have an "auxilliary" input so you can hook up your device through RCA cables, but what do you do if yours isn't one of them?

You buy an FM transmitter, such as the AudioBUG series from Aerielle. These devices have a jack via which you can connect your mobile music maker (or a laptop, portable DVD player, or whatever you want, really), and convert the sound into an FM radio signal. It's basically a tiny, portable radio station that you can tune your car's stereo to (similar to the way we hooked up our portable CD players to the car through a tape adapter years ago). There are quite a few FM transmitters on the market now, and I've had a chance to play with a few of them. Most are portable, battery powered ones, including Aerielle's own ATB-250 previously reviewed on TechnoFILE. These are great if you need real portability, or if you want to play your sounds on a portable stereo, for example.

However, if you're like me and you only use it in the car, every time you change the battery (and for the ATB-250 the batteries are over $10 if you don't buy them from a local battery store), you wonder why you can't just use the cigarette lighter socket that is more and more sitting idle in cars. Strangely, there don't seem to be many FM transmitters that plug into the lighter. I found one for around $40 Canadian, only to discover that, while it took a 12 volt DC input, it didn't come with the lighter adapter. I had to buy that for an additional $10 and solder the ends together. Worse, it was a big, clunky box and the sound quality was awful. I'm talking drop your $5 AM radio in the toilet and listen to it reverberate off the porcelain bowl awful. Yeesh! Fortunately, the ATB-350 is much better. In fact, I'm extremely pleased with it, and at $49.99 US, it's a pretty good bargain, too. It's a tiny little unit, about the size of a cigarette lighter with a match box glued to the end of it (which in my Honda Prelude is a good thing, as the gear shift is right next to the lighter socket). The cable is between 2 and 3 feet long, long enough to reach the front seats in most cars, or the center console, etc. And unlike most units

I've seen where you can choose from 3 or 4 frequency presets, there's a little LCD screen and up/down buttons that let you tune the transmitter to any FM radio frequency you want, high or low. Most excellent flexibility! Now as for sound quality, it's about the same as the AudioBUG ATB-250, which is to say it's very good. Part of the problem is it's constrained by the limits of an FM radio, plus it can suffer from interference, and MP3s will never sound as good as the original CD. The AudioBUG probably won't win any Hi-Fi stereo awards, nor will it compare to my NAD power amp at home. However, let's face it, between road noise and having to waste so much attention on the road ahead, it's highly unlikely that anyone will notice the difference. Initially, I had tuned the AudioBUG ATB-350 to 88.5 MHz, since I had a radio preset left from testing the ATB-250. Strangely, when the unit was cold it would play nothing but static for a few minutes, until it warmed up a bit. The 250 didn't do this, even when left in the car overnight and, for a car unit, many people will probably just leave it plugged in overnight as I did. After all, it's all about convenience. At first I thought I had just found a dead spot (sometimes while driving there will be a spot where the normally excellent signal just drops off, probably due to interference, and you'll get static for a second or two), but comparing against the 250 again proved it was the 350 unit. It didn't even have to be very cold; it did this when it dipped down to about five degrees above zero (Celsius). However, on a hunch I tried changing to the other end of the FM dial, transmitting at 107.9 instead of 88.5, and the problem seems to have gone away. Go figure.

So if you're looking for a way to listen to sound, music or otherwise, through a car stereo that doesn't have auxiliary inputs or a tape deck adapter, the AudioBUG ATB-350 by Aerielle is a fantastic product. I wish they'd sent us enough to have one in each car!

Archos AV 500

Archos has made the Jaguar of portable video recorders, with its new Archos AV 500. With a sleek brushed-aluminum casing, a slim profile, and a very sharp 4-inch widescreen LCD, the AV 500 is definitely set to impress. Its audio capabilities are music to our ears, but the real value lies in its video recording and playback features, which are the best in its class. Of course, this kind of performance will set you back $499.95 (direct) for the 30GB model and $699.95 for the 100GB version. Pirates beware: Although you can record from copy-protected DVDs and play the video back on the built-in LCD, you can't play the files on an external TV or your PC.

The armful of accessories the AV 500 comes with includes two gold-plated A/V cables, a leather carrying case, an infrared emitter cable, a USB 2.0 cable, a USB On the Go cable, a TV docking pod (required for video recording and controlling external devices), a very full-featured IR remote, and two double-A batteries. You can control the AV 500 via the remote, which works with or without the TV Docking Pod, since the AV 500 also has an IR sensor on it. The device itself measures 3.0 by 4.9 by 0.7 inches and weighs about 9 ounces. The LCD is 4 inches (diagonal) and has a resolution of 480 by 272 pixels—yep, that's widescreen. The rechargeable battery is removable, and you can purchase a spare from Archos. On our battery rundown test, the AV 500 ran for 5 hours 45 minutes—that's 45 minutes longer than it's rated for.
Archos products have a history of less-than-intuitive controls, but the AV 500 breaks the mold. Navigation is split between a four-way rocker with a center select button (for the main menus and file browsing) and a set of four buttons just beneath that for contextual menus. All are located on the right of the screen, providing a clean analog interface, though we wish the contextual buttons were a bit larger or separated more. The main menus themselves are very simple and professional-looking, and browsing files is a breeze. The contextual menus provide lots of flexibility in a manageable way, and thumbnail previews load more quickly than on other devices.
Loading video onto the AV 500 requires syncing with WMP. We used Microsoft Windows Media Player to load a few AVI and MPEG-4 movie trailers, as well as a TV clip we recorded with a Media Center PC—but most files (except our DivX-encoded AVI file) required conversion, which WMP did automatically. Audio files can be loaded either with WMP or drag-and-drop style on any
PC (including Macs). We also had no trouble at all using the AV 500 with online subscription services like Napster. Loading photos was a little trickier: We had no trouble loading JPEGs in Windows Explorer and WMP, but we were unable to load BMP files using either method, despite the manual's claim that the AV 500 supports that.

Main Feature: Video Recording
We were anxious to try out the AV 500's main feature, so we jumped right in and hooked the device up to our TV to record some programming. We had to plug the AC adapter into the TV Docking Pod and connect it to the AV 500 in order to record, which was a minor inconvenience, but once we got set up, recording was a breeze. The player lets you record video at up to 2.5 Mbps (variable bit rate), which is very good quality, and at either 512-by-384 (called "Optimal") or 640-by-480 (VGA). If you're recording a copy-protected DVD, however, you can record only in Optimal mode. Files are recorded in DivX-compatible AVI format (using the MPEG-4 Simple Profile) with ADPCM audio. Don't be put off by the lag time between what you see on your TV and what you see on the player's LCD—your files will come out fine.
We recorded at a few different bit rates and found them to be watchable even on the lower end (around 500 Kbps). Recorded video is smooth, with minimal shimmering at highest quality setting (2.5 Mbps) and perfectly synced audio. We did note that in VGA mode, the bottom of the screen (where the headline ticker on a news channel is) gets cut off. Also, if you change channels a lot during a recording, the audio sync can fall significantly behind. Since the AV 500 picks up the copy protection from protected DVDs, you can't watch that content on an external monitor or on your PC, but we don't think this is such a big deal, since you can always bring the DVD with you to play at a friend's house. That and the built-in LCD is bright and sharp, with very good viewing angles, so we were able to watch a feature-length movie comfortably with minimal eye fatigue.
Recording is pretty flexible. You can snag your favorite shows on a schedule and even attach the IR emitter cable to the Docking Pod and your VCR or set-top box so the AV 500 can turn them on and off while you're not around (this may confuse your pets). You can even buy a Digital Mini Cam from Archos, which plugs into the AV 500. The Mini Cam has an autofocus and white-balance system and records video and audio directly to the hard drive at up to VGA resolution, even in low light.

Other Features and Functions
Videos and photos loaded onto the AV 500 via our PC looked smooth and clear on both the LCD and on an external TV. Video file format support includes AVI (MPEG-4 SP, up to 720-by-480 at 30 frames per second) and WMV (including protected, up to 352-by-288 at 30 fps and up to 800 Kbps). The photo features are very good, including panning and zooming, but there are no fancy transitions in slide shows, and you can't listen to music while viewing photos. The player also has a USB On the Go port, so you can connect compatible devices such as digital cameras and USB drives and transfer files to or from the AV 500.
The AV 500 has impressive audio-recording capabilities. It captures sounds via line-in or via the built-in microphone in WAV format (PCM or ADPCM) at up to 48 kHz. Our recordings were extremely clear, and we like that the display shows you in real time how big the file you are recording is. We wish that the microphone had adjustable sensitivity, but it does have a volume-level meter, so you can see if you're too loud or not.
Audio playback support includes MP3, WMA, and WAV, as well as protected WMA files from download and subscription services. We're a little surprised that Archos doesn't include OGG or FLAC support (or Lossless WMA), considering the tech-savviness of the company's loyal fans. It does, however, support ID3 tags, file management (renaming, deletion, moving), and album art.
The built-in speaker is fairly powerful and clear enough, but we don't imagine too many people will use it when they're on the go. The included earbuds are adequate, but they are very weak in the bass and really don't do justice to the AV 500's impressive audio output capabilities. Bass Boost and the bass tone control helped a bit, but the earbuds didn't have much more to give. When we plugged in our $40 Sennheiser PX-100 headphones, we were rewarded with clear, crisp sound and bass that was deep, strong, and well-defined. Our formal testing showed the AV 500 to have a much flatter frequency response with non-Archos headphones plugged in, especially our PX-100 set. Moral of the story: If you shelled out for the player, don't skimp on the headphones. We also measured a clean signal at up to 3 clicks below top volume, though if you're listening any louder than that, you're probably close to deaf anyway.
The AV 500's audio playback options are mercifully simple; there are bass and treble controls and a BassBoost feature. The BassBoost feature boosts the upper bass, where it usually doesn't need too much help. The bass tone control provides a more robust bottom end, but our testing revealed that a very little goes a long way: With 5 steps of adjustment in either direction, any more than +1—which provides an effective if subtle boost—will result in significant harmonic distortion at any volume.
In case you couldn't tell already, we really like the AV 500. Our wish list for it is basically negligible, though we would like to be able to record without using the Docking Pod. As an audio player/recorder, it's a very solid product, especially if paired with a powered microphone. But as a portable DVR, it's second to none in its class. And at the same size as many nonrecording devices, such as the Creative Zen Vision, it provides a nice step up in features . . . as well as in price, of course.

Nikon Coolpix S1

The 5.1MP Coolpix S1 is one of Nikon's sleekest and sexiest digital cameras. Unfortunately, that great design does not translate into great picture-taking ability.

The camera has a nonprotruding 3x optical zoom that zooms from 5.8 mm to 17.4 mm (a 35-mm equivalent of 35 mm to 105 mm) and a bright 2.5-inch LCD. It comes with 12MB of on-board memory, good for several shots if your SD card is full. Users can access a variety of shooting modes, including Auto, Movie (640 by 480 pixels at 15 frames per second with no zoom capabilities), and 17 scene modes. Face Priority AF, a portrait-focusing feature introduced at this year's PMA, is included and worked reasonably well. (Go to our PMA report to read more about Face Priority AF.) There are four flash modes available, including a slow sync mode that keeps the shutter open after the flash fires. The result is interior shots that don't have overly dark backgrounds. This flash setting worked very well on the S1.

Unfortunately, there were things we didn't like about this model. Menus were adequate, but could use a help screen or tips, and the flimsy MV-11 Coolstation docking station has an annoying habit of tipping over.

More important, we weren't wowed by the test shots the S1 took, although it did well on our performance tests, with good recycle and boot-up times. One of the first things we noticed was that it had more than the average pincushion distortion in the maximum zoom range. In the best-case scenario, zooming in or out on a grid—like a checkerboard pattern—should not result in any outward or inward curving of the vertical and horizontal lines in the grid. If they curve outward from the center, this is barrel distortion. If they curve inward, it's pincushion distortion. Many cameras display a bit of barrel distortion at their wide-angle settings, as the S1 did. But we noticed some pincushion distortion at the 105-mm end of its zoom. We felt there was an unacceptable amount.

In our daylight shot, we found little noise and good saturation and color matching, but we did notice some fringing. We also thought the image was underexposed, even though it had good contrast. In the flash image, the S1 didn't lose details in the highlights, though flash coverage could have been better. There was very little noise, excellent color matching, vibrant colors, and hardly any fringing. We found 1,275 average lines of resolution, which is a bit low for a 5MP camera. The S1 got respectable scores on our performance tests, though, with a 3-second boot-up time, a 2.8-second recycle time, and virtually no shutter lag.

Though the price is fairly reasonable, issues with picture quality and distortion in the high end of the zoom range make it tough to recommend the S1.