SoniqCast Aireo - Radio / digital player - HD 1.5 GB - WMA, MP3
See it at Amazon.com for $129.99Average Customer Rating
(3.5 out of 5)
Amazon Customer Reviews
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(5 out of 5)Cut the cords
I started trying to find one of these from the moment I read about them. Being from a Minnesota company, I was even more interested. The device promised to address a couple of key things for me. The wifi link would allow me to put new music on without worrying about leaving an adapter at home or at the office, and the built in FM transmitter meant that I wouldn't need an extra gadget to use it through my car stereo.
I won't bore you with the hassle of trying to buy it at the "national electronics retailer" who had the initial exclusive on distribution, but I finally did get one. It has basically met all of my expectations. I have a couple of minor quibbles about the firmware, but they have been releasing some patches to it quite quickly, all seeming to tweak the usability, so I imagine these quibbles may be all gone by the time you are reading this.
Battery life seems OK, but it's tough to get a precise sense of it. I use it both in the car through the radio (the ability to have it use any FM frequency plus the ability to find the most "open" frequency is great!!) and with headphones while working, and I don't think I've had it down past the halfway point for power.
If I have any complaint, I guess it would be that the included case isn't so great. I would have preferred a clear/flexible plastic front over the display and controls. Then I could more easily use it while gardening while keep it protected.
An additional aesthetic consideration. A couple of friends who have seen it don't like the look of it so much. I agree that it could probably be better in some ways, however, it looks great in a car with a brushed-metal dashboard.
(5 out of 5)Exceeded All Expectations...
I bought this unit out of frustration with my inability to listen to Audible.com's content in my car. I toyed with buying a mini Ipod but I am sooo glad I bought this unit instead...here's why: Imagine sitting in your car in the garage of your home, about to leave for work, and deciding to "download" your newest Audible content (e.g. that day's New York Times) though your home WIFI network into the unit before driving off....imagine a FM transmitter that actually works and broadcasts a crystal clear signal to your car's stereo (even overriding conflicting weak stations)....
It's true, this thing will connect directly to Audible.com through your WIFI network (or any available WIFI connection) without any computer involved and without any cables. The connection with Audible - even with a cable - is different than most other Audible players (hint - you don't use Audible software), so please be sure to read the directions, those who don't will be very frustrated (applies also to the WIFI connectivity options).
A "must-have" for all Audible.com audiophiles....but if you're just looking for an MP3 player, this unit would still serve you well but you should also look at competing players...
(5 out of 5)At the price, it just can't be beat...
I'll keep it short and simple. Small player, somewhat small drive, LOTS of extra features. Syncing over Wifi is cool. SoniqSync app refreshes 'mixes' on the device on scheduled updates (i.e., overnight). Decent FM tuner, digital scanning. Decent headphones. FM broadcasting built-in, full range of the dial, auto-scans open frequency. With the new price, if you're a gadget freak, you should have one of these.
(4 out of 5)Great Item! The BEST way to hear Audible content!
I love my Aireo!! I can download books from my Audible account anywhere I can connect to a wireless connection. No longer do I need to download my books to my PC - what a memory saver!
The FM transmitter is awesome. This is the first time I have experienced an audio player transmitter that can use any FM frequency available. Since my commute is so long, I need to change frequencies about 1/2 way home (or to work) because of the available stations in the area, and it is easy to find and set the frequency using the preferences menu. Also, I can adjust the transmission level, which is so helpful with different types of audio and different receivers!
I did not give the item 5 stars only because I know that the smaller, but greater memory Aireo2 is coming next year, and I have some suggestions to improve the Aireo (these suggestions may be incorporated in the Aireo2 - I don't know).
First, I would like the unit to be smaller. It is almost the size of my pocket PC, but thicker. A smaller unit would better fit in my purse or pocket.
I would also like a larger buffer. It seems the hard drive is always rotating, so the back of the unit gets warm. This is not a problem, just a nuisance.
I would like to be able to load single MP3 files instead of playlists. Maybe I can do this but I don't know how yet?
I would also like to load books directly from Audible Manager and load music directly from Musicmatch instead of using Soniqsync. This is a preference, and not a problem with the software. It would just be easier to load a single or a playlist from the same software that created it.
Great job, Soniqcast! I love the features and performance!
(3 out of 5)Barely Decent
I bought this because it was cheap. It was cheap because it's not good. It worked fine for a while, but then I kept getting errors. I don't know how hard it is to write firmwear or the software that interfaces with the player, but these guys don't know how to do it period. When I turn on my Aireo, I get a screen that says Unidentified PCCard Ad then it cuts off that text. The next line says Enter the name of the driver PCCard:
What does this mean? It means that the player doesn't work any more. At all. And the reset button is worthless, as is the tech support, which is just an e-mail address. Right before it went kaput, I was also having trouble importing play lists.
This is a bad device. I don't know if they improved with the next model, but I doubt it. Their website is of shoddy quality, so I don't expect much from them. I did, however, get a year's worth of use out of the produce before it stopped working. If this were a car, TV, or PC I was talking about, that would be unacceptable, but because this is an MP3 player, people will probably take that as a positive remark. They shouldn't. It broke and now I have to buy a new one.
Oh, and while it did work, the FM Transmitter was useless.
They did, however, replace the player free of charge and quite quickly, but that's because they're not selling this model anymore. It takes too long to start up, the software gives you an error when you try to import an m3u play list, and it's not always recognized right away by the computer.
You're probably not going to be able to buy this player anymore, except on E-Bay, in which case the warranty is void and you won't be able to have the player fixed. If you're considering buying the newer model, I recommend getting an I Pod instead. Sure, everyone says to get an I Pod instead, but that's for good reason. I Pods are the Quiznos of MP3 players. They're just so much better that they are the standard.