I-Jam IJ-828 MP3 and CD System

Rating:
Summary: This was OK before Rio Volt came out
Review: I bought my IJ-828 almost a year ago and swapped it two weeks ago for Rio Volt. The I-Jam product served me well, but it is pretty much outdated by today's standards.

It is built on the dreaded Genica platform (although I must admit the only quality problem with my player was that it did not charge NiCds, althought the instuction said it would). Genica means:

- playback quality which is ok, but inferior to Rio Volt

- it can't play MP3 files with the bitrate above 192 kbps

- it doesn't support ID tags and has only a 1-line numerical display

- it doesn't have a remote control

- cumbersome directory navigation and no RESUME function

- SHORT battery life for MP3 playback (4 hours)

- cheap looks and chroming on buttons which is wiped off in two months

The positives of owning it are:

- PRICE (this thing is cheap, but it does what it is supposed to do)

- decent MP3 antishock (it spins the disk continuously,and 40 sec buffer is more than enough) -- pls note that the player either doesn't have or has very short CD antishock

- stylish headphones (I wouldn't say the quality is superb, but the looks are cool)

- 8-min voice recording (theoretically it is a plus, but for me a useless feature - never used it)

Overall rec: if you can afford getting yourself a Rio Volt, wait before Amazon has it back in stock. Do not get stuck with a previous-generation product, which IJ-828 is.

Rating:
Summary: I-Jam IJ-828 MP3 and CD System
Review: I can't express how much I love this product. The combination of mp3 and CD systems in one revolutionized the way I looked portable music. I fully endorse and recomend it.