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| MPMan MP-F20 |
| Andrew Albrighton |
24/06/00
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Minimum System Requirements:
- Windows 95/98
- P100
- CD-ROM
- Enhanced Parallel Port
- 10MB Hard Disk Space
- 32MB RAM
MPMan Homepage:
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The first thing that grabs your attention about the MPMan MP-F20 is its stylish looks and excellent build quality.
The case has an almost suede like feel to it, and you have the feeling that if you drop it, it will not break,
unlike other portable players.
The MP-F20 has the usual run-of-mill features that you would expect from an MP3 player such as play / stop, fast
forward, rewind, volume, mode and info buttons, but that is about it. The mode button allows for repeat, random
and normal play, and the info button allows for three different sound qualities: normal, mid bass and mega bass.
The player comes with 32MB of built-in flash memory which is enough for about 30 minutes of CD quality music. The
player also features a memory expansion slot which can take 8,16 and 32MB flash memory cards, giving you a potential
maximum of 64MB or about an hour of CD quality music.
The sound quality is not too bad in normal and mid bass mode, but it is terrible in mega bass mode, leading to
massive distortion in the supplied headphones. However, when tried with a better pair of headphones the distortion
was not so apparent.
The download software supplied was fairly easy to use, using a drag and drop interface, and the download times
to the player were pretty fast. However, the player does require the parallel port of the PC to be set-up to ECP
(Enhanced Communications Port) in Windows, which can mean having to play with your BIOS settings, if this is not
set up already. The software which is supplied on CD-ROM did contain a couple of bugs, one them being MP3s cut
short by a couple of seconds when placed on the player. Nevertheless, an updated version of the software was available
on their web site, which rectified this problem. The supplied software also allows other file types to be downloaded
to the MP3 player, which means it can also be used as a small "Zip Drive".
So in conclusion, although the MP-F20 has robust and stylish looks, its lack of features and sound quality
let it down. Which is why have I given it a 3 out of 5 star rating. |
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Features:
- 32 MB Built-in Flash Memory.
- Optional Memory Cards (8MB, 16MB, or 32MB)
- Powered by Single AA 1.5V Alakline Battery, or a 3V 500mA DC Jack (3.5 PH)
- Weight 60g (2.1oz)
- Dimensions 70mm (W) x 91mm (H) x 18mm (D)
- PC Interface 25-to-18 pin parallel cable
- Max. Output Earphones: 2.5mW x 2
- Frequency range 20Hz - 20 KHz
- Distortion Rate 0.01% ~ 0.1%
- S/N Ration 90dB
- Mega Bass Enabled 10dB (100 Hz)
Romulus 2 Rating:
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