Chic
128Mb compact MP3 Player
I
first got introduced to Personal Telecom, Inc (Chic) back at the Comdex
2000 show, while we found their products interesting we did not get the
chance to acquire samples for review for quite a while. Last month however
at the Comdex 2002 show we finally arranged to get their MP10 MP3 player
in the lab.
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Features
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The
Product
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- 128MB Storage
- USB Connection
- LCD Screen
- Great Sound
Quality
- 4 mode audio
preset
- Compact Size
- 9 hour battery
life
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Before
starting this article, I would like to give a little introduction of Personal
Telecom. Founded in January 1996, they are retaining technologies by several
Asian government bodies, enterprises and corporations. They were selected
leading IT Company by the Ministry of Information and Communication and
the Kyunggi province. Personal Telecom produces
multimedia products such as MP3 players, digital voice recorders and digital
audio broadcasting systems.
In
this review we are looking at their compact MP10 128MB MP3 player, how does
it compare to our previously reviewed products? Let’s find out.
A look at the MP10
MP3 Player
I must say that the
most striking feature when taking the MP3 out of its package is its tinny
size, measuring only 1.7”x2.7”x0.9” and weighting 32g without the battery
makes this little piece the smallest MP3 player tested by Target PC. In
addition to being compact, the MP10 is built on a stylish design and is
available in different colors; we received their blue version. While you
can get the MP10 in different colors, you also have the choice between the
64Mb and the 128 Mb version. As you can see the
unit features a round looking LCD screen surrounded by a chromed border,
while the LCD screen is not really round when operating I must say that
the design looks quite good.
The LCD displays all the essential information touching the player’s data
and features; this includes the name of the MP3 file, Track Number, Playing
time and miscellaneous information in form of icons such as battery life
and the equalizer mode.
The menu lets you customize some of the player’s options and access features
such as the hold option that blocks all keys on the unit in order to prevent
accidentally pressing any buttons while jogging. Here’s an overview of the
menu of the MP10.
Menu Options
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MP10
MENU
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Play
Mode
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Equalizer
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Hold
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Delete
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Setting
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Menu
Exit
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Normal
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Normal
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Confirm
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File
list
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Contrast
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Repeat
one
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Classic
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Cancel
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Go
up
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Backlight
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Repeat
all
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Jazz
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Scrool
speed
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Shuffle
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Rock
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Go
up
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Intro
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Go
up
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Go
up
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On the front of the
MP10 you find two volume buttons in form of up and down. On the upper left
you find the headphones output jack fallowed by the strap holder attachment
situated on the top. Going to the right side you find the Play/Stop/Rew/FF
controller which in addition is used for browsing the LCD menu. Continuing
is the mode key used to enter the menu of the MP10. Last is the USB port.
The MP10 operates with a single AA battery (included in the package) and
is claimed to offer up to 18hs of play. While I wouldn’t totally count on
the 18hrs play claim, it still manages to do quite well. After some testing
the unit did about 9 hrs of play before the battery went to its lowest potential.
While we had some installation
issues with the past players reviewed on Target PC, I’m happy to say that
the installation process of the MP10 went like a charm. Simply pop the Chick
MP3 CD in the drive and click the next button when the startup installation
screen will appear. When the program will be installed proceed by connecting
the player to the computer with the supplied USB cable, and you’re set.
The MP10 offers an equalizer featuring four different presets (normal, classic,
jazz and rock). The rock preset will increase the bass output, the Jazz
preset offers an increased output of the treble. Classic will increase the
bass and the treble output and finally the normal preset will focus more
on high treble and lower bass. With these modes being onboard, you can easily
customize any type of music for your taste. I found the audio output of
the MP10 quite satisfying, bass is very deep; it sounds great when played
loud and most importantly no bass distortion was present on maximum volume.
Summation
I found the MP10 to be an interesting pick for people looking for a compact
and stylish MP3 player. The MP10 is by far one of the smallest and lightest
MP3 players on the market right now. Not only can you now hold up to 128Mb
worth of MP3 data in your palm but you can also enjoy it with its four equalizer
preset and audio quality. The 128MB version going for around 160$ USD easily
puts some of the MP10 competitors to shame.
Oleg
Mitskaniouk 
02/12/10
