Philips GoGear ShoqBox PSS110 (256 MB) MP3 Player
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- Number of Songs: 64
- Usage: Music
- Interface: USB 2.0
- Main Storage Type: Built-in Memory
- Storage Capacity: 256 MB
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Should've been better
Pros
cute, alternative to the mainstream, long battery life, features
Cons
sound, memory, too big for portable
Recommended it?
No
The Bottom Line:
this is a unique model without any direct competition. it is a good idea, but realized bellow its potential. I'd wait for future models.
I have to admit - I am not a big fan of MP3 players. Not sure why, they just annoy me. I didn't think I'd have much use of one, therefore I never bothred. But during my last trip during which the car cd player was stolen and we were stranded for an 8-hour-trip each way with nothing to entertain us, I decided it was time to do something.
My first choice was a decent boombox, because I wanted something that can play for more people than just me in my headphones, but they are pretty big and frankly uncool. So when I saw the ShoqBox I decided it was the solution to my problems. Being a huge Philips fan I got a warm and fuzzy feeling that my favorite company was the first one to come up with the idea. It pains me to admit that I was hugely disappointed.
I think that this product is a great idea, but tries to please too many users, and do more than it can handle. The idea is for a tiny little package to produce a big sound and be able to play MP3s, fm radio, as well as any external source you connect to it. Well it really does all those things, but with all the limitations that come with tiny speakers. Indeed the sound is bigger than the size of the box would suggest, but is by no means a pleasure for the ear. It sounds its best with speaking voices, so if your main use is talk radio it might be a good idea. But being an MP3 player predominantely I doubt many people would appreciate the clear speaking voices.
As an Mp3 player it is too large to be a pocket companion, and too small to acommodate speakers large enough to produce good, self contained sound. On top of that the built in memory is only 256 mb, enough for about 80 songs at CD quality compression. There is no slot for an additional memory card. The file transfer to the unit is done over a USB 1.1 connection which is somewhat slow, and utilizes the included music match software, which I personally did not like much.
Once loaded, the player provides all the basic player functions - repeat, random play, skip. The nice display is in cool blue and easy to read even in direct sun light. In Mp3 playback it shows information for he current song played, time, as well as the name of the next song on the list.
The other things the shoqbox is designed to are playing FM radio and playing external sources, such as portable cd players, laptops, etc. Unfortunately to play FM radio it needs an external antena, which kind of defeats its portability. Another notable problem is that tunning is only possible through stored FM presets, stations can not be tuned manually. The alarm clock function is a nice touch. It can be programmed to wake you up in any of the available modes.
The shoqbox also has a several equalization modes: pop, jazz, classic, rock, as well as a bass boost control. This is all nice, but manual tone controls are not available so you better be satisfied with the available presets. The bass boost mostly just makes the sound more boomy and less clear.
It's a shame that there are so many negatives about this player, but here is another one. Since it has an input for an external source and Mp3 capabilities, it would've been a definite bonus if the shoqbox were able to record the external source. Unfortunately it is not.
Too big for a portable, too small to provide a decent sound, too short on memory, and a bit too expensive for what it is, this player was a nice idea, but never realized to its potential. As it it its best features are its design, fairly long battery life (about 10 hours when used with the speakers), and its pretty blue display. If I had to choose again I would either buy a player with more memory and a nice set of powered speakers, or wait till Philips comes up with a model with expension slots, modular design with larger speakers and a smaller controller unit, and why not a remote control?
My first choice was a decent boombox, because I wanted something that can play for more people than just me in my headphones, but they are pretty big and frankly uncool. So when I saw the ShoqBox I decided it was the solution to my problems. Being a huge Philips fan I got a warm and fuzzy feeling that my favorite company was the first one to come up with the idea. It pains me to admit that I was hugely disappointed.
I think that this product is a great idea, but tries to please too many users, and do more than it can handle. The idea is for a tiny little package to produce a big sound and be able to play MP3s, fm radio, as well as any external source you connect to it. Well it really does all those things, but with all the limitations that come with tiny speakers. Indeed the sound is bigger than the size of the box would suggest, but is by no means a pleasure for the ear. It sounds its best with speaking voices, so if your main use is talk radio it might be a good idea. But being an MP3 player predominantely I doubt many people would appreciate the clear speaking voices.
As an Mp3 player it is too large to be a pocket companion, and too small to acommodate speakers large enough to produce good, self contained sound. On top of that the built in memory is only 256 mb, enough for about 80 songs at CD quality compression. There is no slot for an additional memory card. The file transfer to the unit is done over a USB 1.1 connection which is somewhat slow, and utilizes the included music match software, which I personally did not like much.
Once loaded, the player provides all the basic player functions - repeat, random play, skip. The nice display is in cool blue and easy to read even in direct sun light. In Mp3 playback it shows information for he current song played, time, as well as the name of the next song on the list.
The other things the shoqbox is designed to are playing FM radio and playing external sources, such as portable cd players, laptops, etc. Unfortunately to play FM radio it needs an external antena, which kind of defeats its portability. Another notable problem is that tunning is only possible through stored FM presets, stations can not be tuned manually. The alarm clock function is a nice touch. It can be programmed to wake you up in any of the available modes.
The shoqbox also has a several equalization modes: pop, jazz, classic, rock, as well as a bass boost control. This is all nice, but manual tone controls are not available so you better be satisfied with the available presets. The bass boost mostly just makes the sound more boomy and less clear.
It's a shame that there are so many negatives about this player, but here is another one. Since it has an input for an external source and Mp3 capabilities, it would've been a definite bonus if the shoqbox were able to record the external source. Unfortunately it is not.
Too big for a portable, too small to provide a decent sound, too short on memory, and a bit too expensive for what it is, this player was a nice idea, but never realized to its potential. As it it its best features are its design, fairly long battery life (about 10 hours when used with the speakers), and its pretty blue display. If I had to choose again I would either buy a player with more memory and a nice set of powered speakers, or wait till Philips comes up with a model with expension slots, modular design with larger speakers and a smaller controller unit, and why not a remote control?
