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Overview
Hello once again, the item I am reviewing today
is the LAKS Memory Music Wristwatch.
On the outside, it looks like a standard wristwatch, unless you look
closely at the face of the watch, it's then you notice various words
on the face (Mode, MP3, Random Play Rec, Record, USB ).On the
bezel of the watch you see more words (Power, volume+ and -, charge,
delete, play, and mode/on/off). The words on the bezel mostly are
right over the various buttons around the case of the watch (there
are 5 in all).
So overall, it looks like a normal wristwatch. Ok so there's a
short USB cable built in to the wristband, it blends in nicely too,
when needed, you simply take it out of the grove it sits in on the
wristband, then connect it to any USB port on your computer. (1.1 or
2.0 works). This is how you add or remove songs and voice messages
from the watch, and also how you charge the Li-Ion battery for the
player.
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Laks Memory Music MP3 Player
Wristwatch. |
Usage
As a watch, it does what it needs to do, and
keeps time well, has a small magnified area on the watch lens over
the date, so you can read it easier, the hour spots, and the hands
of the watch have a glow-in-the-dark coating on them, though it
doesn't work too well (took a few days to see it actually did work,
though the glow wasn't very bright).
As a MP3 player
however, it works very nicely, once you figure out the controls,
there are lights built under some of the hour points on the face
(the ones where those various words are on the face) the lights tell
you which feature is in use, or which equalizer setting is in use
(though, the faceplate doesn't mark what the equalizer settings are,
they are listed in the manual you get with the watch). Overall sound
quality is very nice , using the included ear buds the sound was
clear, and on the rock setting, had nice bass also. There are 5
settings in all (pop, rock, classical, jazz, and none). The watch
handles MP3, WMA, and WAV files for playback. You can also use it
like a “thumb drive” keeping various other computer data on the
watch, though, the test version only had 32 MB on it, Mostly, I have
been using it as an MP3 player, and as a voice recorder, yes, you
read right, the watch also has the ability to record voice messages,
there's a small, very sensitive microphone at the bottom of the
watch, near the headphone socket (which by the way, is not a
standard headphone socket, but a smaller one, the do give a short
adapter cable though, so you can use regular headphones, which also
works well, I tried it with my usual headphones I use and both sets
works very well with the watch.
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Laks Memory Music MP3 Player
Wristwatch shows MP3 functional states with little LEDs in the
Dial. |
Obviously there are some drawbacks to this style of MP3 player, the
main one is, you can't see what song is playing, since there is no
digital readout. There is also no speaker built in, so you have to
use the headphones to listen to your voice messages, not a major
problem, but still would be nice if there was a small speaker
available.
I also tried it
with my Audiobug FM Transmitter, but had mixed results, at first it
worked well, then after a minute, it sounded like the song was
skipping (gaps were popping up), the songs played fine on the
headphones though, so I'll have to look into this more.
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The Laks MP3 watch looks like a
normal wristwatch.The left one is also a technology wrist
watch the
Casio
Camera Wristwatch. |
More
MP3 Player Reviews
Conclusion
Overall I really like the LAKS
Memory Music Watch, I have been wearing it just about constantly
since I received it. I use the player a lot, changing songs often (I
find I can keep about 50 minutes of either WMA, or MP3 files on the
watch, and still have room for use as a voice recorder (the version
of the watch I see on the website comes in either 128 or 256 MB, so
room shouldn't be a problem). If they make any changes to the watch,
it would be nice for some readout for the song data (I know they
probably can't, but still, would be nice). Also, the wristband
cannot be replaced with an off the shelf wristband, as ˝ of it has
to have the USB cable in it, they do give an extra USB cable
replacement kit with the watch though.
Overall this watch looks good, sounds good, and has a nice GEEK
appeal (yes I am a geek) I mean, how many watches can you pull a USB
connector out of, and hook to your computer??
Good Points:
1) Very clear sound, either with the included ear buds or other
headphones.
2) VERY good battery life, I have yet needed to hook the watch to
the computer to just charge it.
3) Works as a flash drive
4) built in voice recorder works well
5) the Equalizer settings are all different, and all nice sounding
Bad Points:
1) No display to show what song is playing, a minor complaint I
know.
2) The included ear buds are nice sounding, but get uncomfortable
after a while (they do give foam pads for them, which helps a lot
though.
3) No easy to replace wristband
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The Laks Music Memory back plate. |
How to Buy
ThinkGeek is selling the
Laks Music Memory 256MB version for $199.99 in the
United States.
The Laks Music Memory is also sold on
www.laks.com, starting at 89Euros
(32MB).
About Laks
Established in 1986 by Lucas Alexander Karl
Scheybal and managed as a genuine family-run Austrian company today
more
than ever, LAKS has its finger on the pulse of time. Its customers
include many of world’s largest corporations. For some products,
export reaches 98%. Company customers use the
Future Lab to create new developments.
Specifications
MP3 player with phones
1m cable (long enough for tall people)
lithium battery with integrated USB plug
bus-powered
charging time 1.5 hours
play time 4-5 hours
Voice Recorder for memos (Win & Mac)
Flash Memory with integrated USB device
real hot plug&play
Japan movement is separated from MP3 player
dial diameter: 30 mm
width: 42 mm
thickness: 15 mm
total length of case: 62 mm
2 years warranty
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