Home > Consumer Reviews > RipFlash 128MB Digital Voice Recorder and MP3 Player/Recorder

I purchased the RipFlash MP3 play to work out to and not for the digital voice recording features. This is my first MP3 player so I have no point of reference compared to other MP3 players. Given that, here are my experiences so far.

Pros:

- very good sound - especially with the equalizer
- fast transfer rate from my PC - 30 songs in less than 5 min
- very lightweight

Cons:

- no software for ripping CDs. I had to buy some but found a good one called MP3 Workshop...

- can only read MP3 format. Would have been nice if it could read WMA format. Then I could have used the Windows Media Player to rip the CDs.
- earplug earphone sounds good but had trouble keeping them in my ears.

Things you should know:

- If you do want to add a SmartMedia card, the songs on the card will be played separately from the ones in the built-in Flash memory. (this may be important if you want to play randomly)
- The display is small and somewhat hard to read, but did not bother me.
- I haven't tried to Rip CDs with the line-in but I think it is a useful feature.
- Would have been nice to have a belt clip for working out.

Overall, very good player. As I said, I like it very much, but it does have a few minor flaws. I can live with them for working out and would buy it again.

Just bought my first MP3 player last month. So far, so good. Extremely easy installation, I was able to go in less than 30mn (installing, filling up the thing with 30 songs -128 kbps- and playing !). I liked the size (and weight): not too small to handle, even without looking at it, not too big to be bulky in my pocket. Cool looks too (not like the little ugly RCA for instance !), but that depends on your taste. No battery problem so far, seems to last around 6 to 8 hours (which is more than enough once you recharge at night). Transfer rate was excellent, and with 128Mb, it's not critical to wait a few minutes (it would be another story with a few Gb hard-disk !). I found 128Mb to be a good compromise: less is really to small (you get tired of hearing the same songs again), and more drags you into another category of players (CD or hard-disk, with both having their own inconvenients, mainly the skipping issue). The recording function is useless to me, so I won't comment on it.

The only major drawback is the display: it doesn't show the artist, song title, etc. only the "track" number. It's actually not that annoying with 30 songs (you can browse through them fast) and esp. if you are running for ex., but still a drawback. You can't also reorganize your songs once loaded, so unless you use the shuffle mode (which works fine), you're bound to hear the first ones more often !

All in all, my recommendation is: there are no ideal MP3 player, but different and incompatible types. If you want a relatively small, no skipping one, go for the flash memory, and don't spend too much on the memory (it's the most expensive type). If you want to store all your music, go for a hard disk based like the iPod or others, and pay special attention to the software (with thousands of songs, you will WANT some organization !). If you want to play your CDs as well, and/or want a cheaper option, go for the CD-Rom based.

And if you want my last advice: have 2 players ! A small flash based, relatively cheap one for sports / commuting, and a big hard-drive based if you're a music addict on the move !

I am really enjoying this product. I can't give a comparative review, because this is the first MP3 player/recorder I've ever used. However, I did a lot of research in making this decision and can share with you the distinguishing features that drew me to the RipFlash Digital Voice Recorder/MP3 player.

My Requirements
I was looking for a digital voice recorder that is easy to use, can quickly and easily transfer files to my personal computer for use on a personal site. I also wanted to listen to MP3's via this device.

My Research
I used ... customer reviews and related products tools to get a feel for the product ranges. I also visited other e-commerce sites and review sites to get as clear a picture of the products I was considering. I found many positive reviews for mini-disc players stating their many benefits over other storage types so spent a lot of time researching them.

I found that many of the highest rated mini-disc systems did not have an easy mechanism for uploading recorded audio to the pc. This meant that I'd have to record my audio to the handheld device then connect the devices headphone jack to my pc's audio in jack, play it back and re-record it using the an application on the pc. I'm too lazy for that.

I was concerned about the "limited" storage on the pogo. 128mb holds about 30 mp3 files with a little room for audio recording. With the mini-discs, storage is [inexpensive] and portable, so I could have many mini-discs with my audio collection handy.

I was also concerned about one review that stated that the pogo audio in and out jacks were prone to static and weak connections.

My Decision
Remembering my original goal was easy audio recording and publishing, I put aside my concerns for limited capacity for my mp3 collection.

My Experience
+ Wow! 30 songs is a lot if you are selective.
+ The software works well and was easy to install.
+ It is very quick and easy to transfer files to and from the pc.
+ This thing is tiny and light. It fits in my shirt or pants pocket without feeling heavy or clunky.
+ I think the audio sounds great played back on the little headphones or connected to my Cambridge Soundworks speakers at work.
+ The batteries really do last a long time. (If they run out on you, standard AAA batteries are easy to come by.
+ The built in microphone is adequate for my purposes.

- 30 song limit
- while my audio jacks are static free so far, I'm concerned about the longevity.
- User interface for the software might be a little confusing at first.
- The user interface on the device is limited and sometimes awkward. (for example, when changing the volume, it is easy to accidentally change the equalizer from jazz to rock.)
- The digital display does not include filenames or any meta info about the songs.

I own this player and it is a VERY great gadget.
It has allowed me convert all my old LP records into MP3's BUT the best thing is that it allows me to bypass the record companies new "copy protection" they put in place to prevent owners of having the ability to copy or make MP3's out of their CD's - with the Ripflash, you can still copy and make MP3's on those CD's :)

This is the best portable MP3 player if you are interested in recording on the fly. It records voice or from any audio source! And it's small enough to fit unobtrusively in your breast pocket. It has a good batter life and is very stable. The track name doesn't display but that's a minor nit given that most MP3 players don't record from any audio source with a line out. And there are no controls that only allow you to download a file a limited # of times - it lets YOU control what you do with your music. Rip Flash is my top choice!