Rating: 
Summary: Nice MP3 player - but WMA files snap crackle and pop!
Review: Likes:
-Upgradable firmware.
-This thing gets LOUD.
-128 MB RAM
-Compact lightweight unit.Dislikes:
-Windows Media tracks (.wma) played with an annoying popping crackle similar to an old vinyl record that had been played too many times.
-MusicMatch software is not the most intuitive. I have an extensive collection of music in WMA format as I like Windows Media Player for creating CDs from my playlists. When I saw the Intel Pocket Concert supported .wma files, I bought it. Media Player recognized the device and exported my playlists easily, but when playing the wma files on the Pocket Concert, the songs 'crackled and popped' even though they were ripped at the highest bit rate. Intel's Audio Manager software didn't support the transfer of .wma files with digital rights technology so Media Player was my only option for wma transfer to the unit. I went to Intel's website (they say that wma with digital rights tech. is supported) and upgraded the unit's firmware - but that didn't help with my .wma problem, but did give the unit better Fast Forward/Reverse functionality. I used the included MusicMatch software to rip my CDs into MP3 format and they sound great. The player does achieve very high volume levels and does have bass and treble control that is adequate. MusicMatch took me a little while to get proficient at transferring my CD tracks to MP3, but I finally got the hang of it. I do love the way the thing sounds when playing MP3 files, but I cannot reccomend it for wma files. The docking station is handy and I recommend getting the accessory pack. The current $... mail in rebate has brought the price down to a reasonable level for a 128 MB player.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Product......A Keeper
Review: I just bought the Intel Pocket Concert approximately 2 hours ago. I had been planning on buying an MP3 player for some time now. I got on Amazon and started searching. I thought the most logical stop would be the Rio 800. I read the product specs and it was everything I wanted and more. Then I scrolled down to the reviews and I at once decided this was not the product for me. I would say about 80-90% of the reviews were complaints. I then went to the Intel Pocket Concert. I read the specs, just as good as the Rio. Then I looked at the reviews. Almost every one was 4-5 stars. I knew that this would be the product for me. Everyone, however, was out of stock, including Amazon. I finally found one at a local electronics store. I brought it home, installed the easy to use software, I had a little bit of trouble with my connection to my computer, but the "Help" section helped me out lickety split. I uploaded music, and in about 5-10 minutes, I was rockin' out to my favorite bands.
...If you are looking for quality, performance, and lots of storage, get the Intel Pocket Concert, you wont be sorry!
Rating:
Summary: Read This Before Buyin!
Review: Ok. I was hunting for some Mp3 players, and I fell in love with this one when I first saw it. It looked, Im my opinion, nice, sleek, modern, simple yet powerful. I got it. There is only one CON, out of this whole product, and it is this hiss. It isnt loud, but when there is quiet music goin on or no music at all it is there. So I decided to write the Intel people, and give them my beef. Within 1 day I recieved a reply from one of their techinicians. He told me to send in my mp3 to an address he sent me via email, and he will replace it with a fixed, brandnew Pocket Concert via overnight delivery. After one day! What he told me was there was a glitch in the software installed into the Pocket Concert itself which makes it read the music weird. He will, within days, send me a fixed un glitchified one! It will only cost me an extra $5 (Sending it there). Which isnt a big deal sense I'm in love with this player. So there is a hiss, but easily fixable and passable. Next I've heard several complaints on how the headphones are uncomfortable. This isnt the case for me either. I'm guessing they put them on pulled to far back, thus putting pressure and/or discomfort on the ears. If "you" just simple place them on the ears without pulling them back, there will be no problems. Put'em on like they r suppossed to be... :-) The sound quality is as good, if not better than CD quality with 128kbs... and with the extra Treble and Bass boosts, it's the most beautiful thing in the world... The cost is a tad bit steep, but it is better to spend 300$ on the best available mp3 player than wasting 100$ on an mp3 player which will be about as much quality as a duck... Get it, and Get it now.
Rating: 
Summary: Bad headphone jack and noise
Review: Pros: Device and Windows software are simple to use. Large backlit display. Can be played loud.
Cons: Faulty headphone jack. Static during quiet passages. I have used the Pocket Concert almost daily for a couple months now, and I really like it, but yesterday it finally broke. It just started exhibiting the same problem another reviewer mentioned, the headphone plug had to be positioned in just the right way to work. Unfortunately by the end of the day, the jack was actually loose inside the case, and would not work at all. Being adventurous, I thought I might be able to fix it. I bought a precision Philips screwdriver at the local Radio Shack, removed the back, and removed a circuit board. It appears the jack was held in place by (insufficient) glue and solder. I epoxyed the jack back in place, resoldered the four pins back (just reheated the pins. I didn't _add_ solder!), and miraculously it seems to work again. It did reset itself to the original 1.00 firmware, so I had to download the 1.10 firmware again. Once I did that, all the tracks I had stored played just fine. On the plus side, the Windows software for managing the audio tracks is easy to use. This player can play LOUD. I never need to go over 50% volume. The display is bright and clear, at night and in daylight. On the minus side, besides the headphone jack problem, there is constant white noise in the background. It is especially noticeable during quiet passages of music. For me it is tolerable, but if they can make portable CD players that don't have noise, you'd think they could make solid-state devices without noise. I have some other minor gripes: Tracks always get added to the end of the list. They cannot be reordered without deleting them all and adding them one at a time again. The FM tuner is virtually useless. It picks up only a handful of stations, and what it picks up is very noisy. I use bookmarking a lot, and I wish it were a one-button click, instead of a click-and-dial-and-click. So I have used this player a lot, and now I plan to continue using it a lot. If it did not break, I would have given it 4 stars, maybe even 5 since it may be the best of what is available, but for the average consumer, having a ... device break after only two months is unacceptable.
Rating:
Summary: Just fantastic
Review: This player is easily the best one I've ever come across. It looks good, it's well-built, and most importantly, it just works. The software installed without any trouble, I spent a few minutes filling the 128 MB of memory, and then the player just plain played. And it sounded fantastic. (Note that this experience was the exact opposite of my experience with the SonicBlue Rio. That product was flimsy, the software didn't install, and the player was "DOA", not even able to turn on. The Rio is easily one of the worst electronics products... ever!) The Intel Pocket Concert is a great product. Put it at the top of your list.
Rating:
Summary: May not look like much, but it's a solid performer!
Review: Let's face it... The Intel Pocket Concert could appropriately be considered a bit of an ugly duckling. Intel apparently spared every possible expense in the visual design of this otherwise excellent audio player. Thankfully, I'm not one to judge a book by its cover, and I would encourage you to do likewise. After having a miserable experience with the Rio 800 128 Meg player (completely dead -- and later returned -- after less than a half hour's use), I was on the hunt for a replacement. I had looked at (and dismissed) the Intel previously, but decided to give it a whirl. I wasn't disappointed. Compared to other similar products, the Pocket Concert is perhaps not as full featured. The Rio 800, for example, has greater depth and breadth to its menu-based configuration system, with various bells and whistles. But those extras (like multiple, canned EQ profiles) are of questionable value anyway. Where Intel did seem to get it right is with the user interface, and placement of the controls. Unlike the Rio's "fat finger unfriendly" approach, the Intel Pocket Concert has nicely spaced front panel buttons that prevent missteps. And the side-mounted switches, "spin and push" wheel, and volume controls make one-handed operation not only possible, but easy. The "zero/zero" EQ (treble and bass both zero) seems slanted toward headphone users, where it sounds quite good with the supplied headphones, or others I've tried. When hooked-up to the cassette adapter (from the optional Accessory Kit), however, the EQ is bland, for reasons that aren't clear (perhaps my car audio system is responsible). Either way, most people are going to use this with a headset, and the fidelity, volume, and signal-to-noise ratio are all quite good, living-up to the claims on the box. Bear in mind that 128 Meg of memory will buy you roughly 2 hours of 128 kbps encoded music (roughly CD quality). To get 4 hours, you'll need to downsample clear to 64 kbps, which has a noticeable impact on audio quality and fidelity, rendering about FM or "worn cassette tape" fidelity. You may want to tinker to see what works best for you and your ears. While the lack of memory expansion (proprietary or otherwise) is a drawback for some, this unit is strong on plusses to offset that: 1. For a start, it uses standard AAA batteries. If you get the optional Accessory Kit with rechargeables, you can always put in regular batteries if the rechargeables die during your morning jog. 2. The headphones that come with the unit are quite good, with the newer-style, around-the-back-of-the-head design. 3. You have a wide choice of software to load your music... Windows Media Player, Musicmatch Jukebox (included), or Intel's own Audio Manager software all can be used interchangeably. 4. The LCD display is quite readable, with a novel scrolling artist and title feature, along with a blue electroluminescent backlight for nighttime use. All in all, I love my Pocket Concert. Now if it only looked a little cooler...
Rating:
Summary: This is a very good product overall.
Review: I had some trouble setting up this product at first but after
that it just transfers files from my computer fast.
I use Windows XP media player, which is very easy to use.
The included software (Intel Audio Manager) is easy to use also. Pros:
Good sound quality
Good audio capacity
FM tuner
Long battery life
Internal amplifier
Easy to use
Durable (Still try not to drop it) Cons:
Neckphones are uncomfortable
Volume control is difficult to use I recommend buying these items to use with this player:
Headphones (I bought the Nova 71 made by Optimus which is inexpensive and works great)
AAA Nickel Metal Hydride Rechargeable batteries and charger or the Pocket Concert Accessory Kit (the batteries and charger you can find at Radio Shack or on Amazon) Kazza is a useful program that allows you to download music, videos and a lot more. (In the review guidelines I cannot include URLs) It is free. To get it just go to a search engine and search for kazaa. I found out these things using the player:
Use the belt clip on you belt NOT on your pockets. The player
will fall if you use it on your pockets. Keep it in one place. It is easy to loose it (I keep it on my computer).
Rating:
Summary: High Capacity, Solid Construction, Slight Hiss In Music
Review: Alright, first the complaints:
- the mp3 loading program auto-arranges the order in which the songs are loaded, which is somewhat annoying. The program is straightforward to work with, though.
- the unit goes through batteries like there is no tomorrow, and there is no DC outlet adapter available for this unit for those of us who do lots of driving. (This unit is certainly not built like a high-efficiency portable CD player - quite a shock to the wallet when you first get it - 6 to 8 hours for two AAA batteries, depending on battery quality.) If you're like me, you're too busy to bother with rechargeables. I recommend going to an online auction service and buying yourself a large lot of AAA batteries for cheap - you'll be happy you did.
- there is noticeable hiss at lower volume levels; I don't really find this a problem because if I listen at normal levels, it's difficult to hear when the song begins, but it's still noticeable. (If you listen to lots of light Classical/Vocal music, the hiss will drive you nuts, though.) The Good:
- rock solid construction (the unit is moderately heavier compared to other mp3 players), lots of storage capacity, straight-forward and well-placed controls, +/- 9 step bass/treble controls, automatic backlit screen for night use (turns on when selecting a song from the play list, adjusting play properties, and changing the volume), random playback and loop functions Bottom Line:
If light hiss in songs is not important (i.e. you commonly listen to mainstream popular music), I'd recommend this system hands-down for the comparatively higher storage capacity and relatively lower price as compared to other MP3 units on the market.
Rating:
Summary: Only Problem Was My Problem
Review: One reviewer mentioned a problem with the headphone jack and the inability to make a solid connection. I thought my unit had the same problem, which even led me to return it (twice). I finally discovered that I wasn't pushing in the headphone connector firmly enough. Once you do that, the connection is VERY solid. Couldn't be happier with the performance.
Rating:
Summary: Intel Quality
Review: Having used many different MP3 players I can honestly say this unit is of high quality, and is very easy to use. The audio manger software is straight forward and very few clicks are needed to get the music into the player. There is no comparison between the Intel and Rio800. The Rio is pure junk and advise anybody to stay far far away. If you are undecided just read the reviews on the Rio800 -I can vouch for them firsthand! Go with the Intel or Archos Jukebox.
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