Rating: 
Summary: Excellent, well engineered product
Review: I was replacing an Archos Jukebox recorder 20, which has a cracked display (I guess it got squished in my luggage?) but otherwise works perfectly. After reading ALL of the reviews for all of the hard drive MP3 players I reached a conclusion that this is a great option for PC users. I like Music Match Pro, especially the utitlites for file naming and tagging options and was able to drag and drop my entire 10G music collection from the Archos to the Lyra without a glitch, without installing any drivers or software on my windows XP machine or having to store the files on the PC in between.After "profiling" (a menu command you run to index the files from the id3 tags for the excellent user interface) it all works perfectly!! The tiny Archos display, even before cracked was a almost worthless and the ridiculous user interface on the Archos is a cruel joke. I was almost glad for an excuse to replace it with an iPod until I checked out the Lyra. The Lyra RD2840 is not quite the IPOD - but a 40G Ipod with a car kit and a USB cable is going to be TWICE the price. Believe me I can afford it but I don't spend money foolishly. I would have to agree with all of the other reviews with respect to the sound quality etc. It is excellent and I am pleased with this purchase.
Rating:
Summary: A lot of power, but you need to study it carefully
Review: Originally, I was considering purchasing the Creative Labs 40-Gig MP3 player. However, the RCA Lyra came in about $50 less expensive and bundled with a car kit. Please keep in mind that, in essence, these MP3 players are hard drives and you should have a knowledge of how to do file management on the hard drive. You will want to organize your music files in folders and, perhaps, delete files from time to time. You can use Windows Media Player to convert your CD's to one of the compressed formats needed. Once converted, you can drag and drop the files to the RCA, which uses a USB connection, as you would any other files on a hard drive. If you are not computer savvy, the bundled MusicMatch software will do a nice job in helping you out. MusicMatch offers one other great feature. I listen to classical and jazz. I was shocked to see how many of my CD's have wrong information (or no information) encoded for tracks and such. MusicMatch offers some nice label editing and classification tools. I invested an extra $20 and purchased the "Pro" version of the software which will look up CD track information online although this feature is a bit hit and miss. There is one slight possible bug I found in this MP3 player. Right after transfering files to the player, you need to run a profiling procedure. Essentially, this does all the necessary classifications to a built in database. Right after I disconnect the USB cable, the MP3 player shows an error in profiling and there is an annoying buzz in one channel. However, if I shut it off for a couple of minutes, both problems seem to go away. This might be a memory management problem. With the MusicMatch software, compression and transfer takes about 5-minutes per CD. You will have a lot of room to fillup here. Overall, I am overwhelming pleased with this technology. I am sure that as this technology progresses, it will be easier to use. RCA seems to offer periodic updates of the software on its site. Highly recommended
Rating: 
Summary: Switched to Lyra AV jukebox
Review: *Third Edit* The RD2840 offers massive storage and is recognized by Windows as an external drive, which is a very important feature for me. Installing third party software to store non-music files or to have a large jukebox not even offer file storage was not an option. I posted about a random glitch in the 2840 where songs became distorted at random times. It appears the problem lies with having both WMA and mp3 files. When it plays a WMA file and then switches over to a mp3 the player distorts and garbles the playback. This is a known problem. This problem also exists on the Lyra 20GB AV device and that is where I found the information for this bug. While researching the problem I started to think about the AV jukebox and how $100 for a TFT screen, picture/video playback, and the ability to record both audio and video files made the AV jukebox highly attractive, even with shorter battery life and a smaller hard drive. I made the switch and totally love the Lyra AV, however I also believe the 40GB jukebox is a wonderful device because of the ease of use, large storage, price, and overall value. As a pure mp3 device the IPod is sleeker, smaller, and the software functionality is better, however you pay a large increase in price for these benefits. If RCA/Thomson can fix the glitches in their software/firmware I believe they have real winners and are giving consumers the best bang for their buck.
Rating:
Summary: Very easy to use, incredible amount of space
Review: I've owned this for over a week. Here are my comments: Cons:
Not a real "con" but the packaging for this thing was amazing. It was sealed so tightly they clearly didn't want anything bumping it. The plastic it came in was very hard to cut through and once cut, it was sharp. I sliced myself in my eagerness to get the Lyra out of its packaging so beware! Another "con" is the lack of documentation. While I was impressed that what was included came in multiple languages, it was not much. You have to print off the User's Guide at http://www.rca.com/documents/RD2825_2840UsersGuideENGLISH_702125_25.pdf. It would have been nice if there were some preliminary instructions included. I know that some electronic devices must charge for a full 24 hours before you use them. In any case, I think the first charge took 3 hours or less, which is not long to wait. It's also too bad that the software included was MusicMatch rather than just some simple editor for editing your own playlists. Lastly, the "thumbstick" on it takes some getting used to. Instead of pushing down on it left or right, you learn to sway the thumbstick left or right and then once you get the hang of it you're set. Pros:
The price is great considering what you get for it. The box contained: the Lyra (40GB!), a USB cable, headphones, an AC charger, a power adaptor for the car, a cassette adaptor for the car, a case for the Lyra, and stereo cables for connecting it to a stereo. And, the AC adaptor that plugs into your wall socket is horizontal rather than the typical bulky charger that takes up a lot of wall socket space. That was smart thinking. The real pro for this is that you install the drivers off the disk in a couple of minutes and then plug in your device and it is recognized as another drive on your system. Copying via the USB cable is extremely fast, I can transfer a CD of average length in 15-20 seconds. In short, for under $300, you get an immense amount of power at your fingertips. The device supports many audio formats and even it it doesn't, it also serves as a portable hard drive that you can put anything on and take it with you!
Rating:
Summary: Rca Lyra 40gb player (awesome)
Review: This Mp3player is awesome besides it having 40gb to hold a lifetime for most people of music music it is really easy to use with great features.Its great it includes graphic eQ great big blue display, chromeed out heavy duty body.The size is perfect it's not to big not too small fits anywhere.It can hold
3000 40 minute cds on it or 50 days of music.This is your best bang for the buck don't go out and buy an Ipod 40gb that cost 400.00 this is a much better value. The headphones are excellent nice and small earclip phones.The player pumps out tons of juice it is totally capable of runing studio headphones or any headphones with out using a headphone amp.Comes with easy to use instructions make sure you do the tuteral.Comes with car kit too and car ac adapter.If your thinkin of buying it, buy it,i strongly recommend it . Enjoy
Rating: 
Summary: Call me understanding.....
Review: I bought this as an xmas present to myself. The "first" one i received had a HUGE scratch across the screen. I thought i would be able to put up with it, but it was just ridiculous so i setup a exchange thru amazon (which i must say was the best part of my experience thus far.) the UPS guy was there the next morning to pick it up, and my replacement was there the following day. so far, i was ok with the situation, these things happened, and I hadnt ever had a problem with Amazon in the past so i figured, what the hay. Then the second one came and it ALSO had a scratch on the screen. much smaller, but still obviously scratched. I had just chosen to "deal with it". Then it started having the same problem another person mentioned in their review, it would not power up. I charged it till it was full, but it wouldn't power back up. I had to plug it in to get ANY power and then after about 20 minutes or so, if i would turn it off, it would not turn back on. "SCREW IT" i said. and i setup another return for a refund this time, not a replacement. I still think this is a good product and from all the other reviews i've read, it looks like my issues were just flukes. But im gonna take out the only variable in question and just go buy it at a retail store. That way i will be sure to avoid any cosmetic defects and i suppose i'll take my chances with the whole battery issue. wish me luck!
Rating:
Summary: an excellent jukebox
Review: Originally I was looking for an Ipod, but since people were going nuts for them and paying outrageous prices (I saw 5 Gb Ipods going for $200) I decided I should find a cheap alternative. I found the 40 Gb Lyra for $200 and decided to go for it. I've had it for two weeks now and I'm quite impressed. First of all, 40 Gb for $200 is an unbeatable price. Aesthetically, the player is nice. There is very little mirrored chrome (a little on the border) to be scratched, most of it has a nice matte or frost finish. It is the largest of the harddrive jukeboxes, but I haven't found it to be bulky--It fits nicely in my pocket. The LCD screen is large and backlit with a nice shade of blue which is easy on the eyes in the dark and attractive to the whole appearance of the player. I've read complaints about the joystick controls. If your basic faculties are intact you'll have no problem operating the joysticks, and may even find them optimal for browsing through hundreds of directories. As for what really matters, the playback, this is where the Lyra really shines. The playback is flawless--I've yet to see it freeze or skip. It is crisp, loud, and has an excellent graphic eq to bring out the desired sound of any song, along with several genre presets. The software package is okay, MusicMatch may be fine for the average user, but audiophiles and techies know its junky software. The package is great. It came with the 12v car charger, cassette adapter, RCA cables, usb cable, wall charger, decent headphones, an adapter for the line out jack, and a sleek protective case. Being usb 2.0 its pretty quick on the file transfers, it took about 10 minutes to transfer 23 Gb. It was advertised that the lyra gets 12 hours on a charge, however I usually get about 10 hours, not much to complain of. My only complaint with this player is the short pause time allowed until it backs out to the directory and its inability to save its place after turned off. The pros definately outweigh the cons. The Lyra 2840 is the best bang for the buck, even aside from the value, it is a top of the line mp3 jukebox
Rating:
Summary: Seems nice but it SUCKS!
Review: If I could give it a zero I would. I got it for Christmas and tried to charge it, after 5 minutes of charging it said "Battery Full". So, I unplug it and try to turn it on and nothing happens. I repeat this process for hours. Finally it works and I unplug it and turn it on, and it bursts open the case just comes off. I am now trying to fix the situation. What I am trying to say is buyer beware. Frustrated Consumer
Rating:
Summary: Recommended, nice alternative to ipod
Review: Simple, easy to use, and a good alternative to the i-pod. This was my 3rd mp3 player I've purchased, and probably the last one I will purchase for some time. No significant problems. Easy to start-up and download songs. Great (40 gb) memory, at an affordable price. I had a chance to compare it to my brother-in-laws i-pod, and the RCA held its own. The only real differnce is the i-pod is smaller, and quite a bit lighter. Fair enough, but that doesn't warrant the price differential. The Lyra is not unduly bulky, although it is somewhat heavy. Nonetheless, I have taken it on long plane rides and have had no problems. Sound quality is comparable to the i-pod (I'm starting to believe the i-pod is the standard for mp3 players). Downloading is easy. My only real complaint is the confusing "playlist" feature. I still don't know exactly how to create a playlist, although to be fair, I haven't had the time to figure it out. Finally, you cannot erase a song from the player itself ; this is problematic because I have one song that always crashes the player. Don't let this dissuade you, however. My complaints are minimal. And having compared it directly to the i-pod, I can tell you (unless price means nothing to you) that dollar for dollar, this beats the i-pod. And that says a lot.
Rating:
Summary: a monster drive, with some minor drawbacks
Review: This is my very first MP3 player. Overall it is a fantastic product. I would instist that the first thing you do is download and install the latest updates from the RCA website. They fix most of the little complaints that people have said about it elsewhere. Why I bought it. I was looking for a product that was affordable and I could take anywhere. I'm a pastor, so I can take the thing from my house, to my car and then plug it directly into my sound board for ministry stuff. Very cool. Here was my just1. size of storage. 40 gb is a monster amount of storage. 2. Accesories. This thing came loaded with everything from good software to a car kit to a rechargeable battery. 3. Ease of use. Love the fact that on USB 2.0 I can get a charge and download with one cord... awesome. 4. Price. So much cheaper than the other 40 gb MP3 players... and with more freebies. 5. Packaging. It was in a very nice package... rarely think about that but it was a nice touch. Critiques - 1. hate the headphones that came with it. 2. I wish that I could add more categories easier... such as Christmas music or whatever, I'd like to be able to do that easier. 3. Would like to be able to create playlists without using my PC. On a huge plus side... RCA seems to be listening to criticism of its products and make changes that can be updated via their website. Overall, a great product and worth my $$$.
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