Compaq MP3 Player

I purchased my Compaq PA-2 as an impulse buy on ebay. After seeing it listed, I did a little research on the Internet and found its specification to be most agreeable for only £40.

Size:
This little player has excelled at replacing my Walkman. For starters, it is incredibly small at about half the size of a packet of cigarettes. The two ‘AAA’ batteries it runs on weigh more than the device itself!

Durability:
This player is very durable. I have dropped it once or twice and chipped the silver paint around the screen. I have even used it in the bathroom and it is still going strong

Batteries:
I would advise any potential buyers to invest in some rechargeable batteries. Because, although standard alkaline cells last for about 13hrs this drops dramatically if you have the volume turned up or you are using speakers.

Volume:
While I am on the subject of volume it has to be said that the 10 levels are not at all even. The first 3 steps seem to increase the volume a lot more than the other 7. This is fine if you enjoy your music fairly loud, but is a little inconvenient if you like to have precise control over the volume level.

Sound quality:
The sound quality is exceptionally good, with some preset styles like “Jazz” or ”Rock”. Much more useful is the custom setting where you can set the Bass and Treble levels.

File types:
MP3’s give good quality, but use up the players standard 64mb MMC card rather quickly. I have found it far better to use WMA files; these have the advantage of being of high quality but also small file size. The player will display the name of the file being played on its blue backlit screen.

Memory:
As I have previously mentioned, the player uses MMC cards and has room for two of them. I have not yet had the chance to use more than one card, but it will defiantly accept two 64mb cards and maybe even 128mb ones.
64mb cards are available for about £10 from ebuyer.com

USB connection:
The USB connection to the pc works well, although it can be slow. It usually takes about 30 seconds per file on my computer.

Software:
This is the only problem I have had with the player. It states that you can use this player with Windows Media Player, however I have had no such luck. This means that I have to use the “Music Match Jukebox” program that came on the software CD. The program works, but it is a lot less convenient as I have all of my music indexed in Windows Media Player. Additionally, if you wish to use WMA files as I have you will have to make them in medial player (or use specific software) and transfer them to the device using Music Match.

Additional:
The player comes with a removable belt clip.
The left and right edges have rubber on them, which is both attractive and useful for wet or sweaty hands.
The way the buttons are set out is excellent and makes it easy to turn on and off in the dark / through a pocket.
To avoid accidental button presses, the unit has a hold switch on top.
It does not have all the features of a modern player, but the advantages far out weigh the disadvantages. It defiantly would buy a replacement if given the chance.

Note:
Avoid the original PA-1 if possible as its battery life was very low.

Conclusion:
A fantastic little gadget that will bring you entertainment for years. Only let down by its poor software.