Home > Consumer Reviews > Magic Star MP3 Player 256 mg

I am always on the go, either commuting for an hour each way on the train, at the office, or at the gym. I wanted a player that was ultra-light, unnoticeable, and very BASIC... so I used the Muvo. I loved my Muvo, but 128MB was just not enough. So I did some research and found Magic Star.

Its bigger than the Muvo, but not by much... its probably slightly bigger than a cigarette lighter. The biggest bonus is the solid-state 256MB drive. Instead of 20-30 songs on the Muvo, I can save 50-60 songs on the Magic Star, a definite bonus for those with long commutes. It plugs into your USB port and is detected as another drive. Moving files is as easy as drag-and-drop. You can also save other filetypes on here, but I haven't used it for that function. It can also be used with a proprietary PIM program (kinda like a palm pilot), but I haven't used that either. Another HUGE bonus is that the unit battery is RECHARGEABLE. It recharges when plugged into your USB port, and only takes abt 1.5 hr to get a full charge. I can't believe how much I spent on batteries with my Muvo! I didn't bother with the earbuds that came with the unit; I just used my own. The sound is great, no-frills.

Controls are easy enough. All functions are controlled by one single jog dial. Push it to turn on, toggle back and forth to advance/go back, etc. Only drawback is that the jogdial is also used to control volume. You need to push and hold the dial forward to increase volume. Changing the volume is a little tricky, but you get used to it. The unit also has a built in metal clip that can be used for a lanyard, shirt pocket, or your belt.

Overall, this player is perfect for commuters and gym-bunnies who want something small, loads of memory, and aren't concerned with displays or extra functionality beyond playing mp3s.