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Overview
You know, I always enjoy giving the
“little guy” on the block a chance to show their “stuff”. Remember,
we all cheer when the “underdog” aspires, excels and beats the big
bully on the block. PoGo, with the Radio Your Way (RYW) LX AM/FM
recorder/MP3 digital player and voice record, doesn’t want to be
another iPod “knockoff”, but they don’t have to as this trendy
little device has its own star power. After putting it through the
complete testing process, I believe the little kid on the beach will
soon kick sand in the big bullies face and stand proud after.
This is the first digital flash MP3 player I have seen, which has
the AM feature included for all of the fans of local talk, sports,
news and entertainment you have been accustomed to and grew up on in
your area. Let’s face it, we don’t always listen to music and I was
waiting for someone to step forward to give me my music and still
allow me to take a break for some local happenings of the day. PoGo
saw the need, listened to the people out there (I like manufacturers
who actually listen to what WE want) and crafted a fine piece of
electronic entertainment with fashionable design too. And we get it
at a reasonable price (quality without paying a high price based on
name alone). So, what does PoGo offer to the “little guy” cheering
section? Get ready to ride the digital jet stream.
Just think; programming your RYW to record shows you want in advance
anywhere you go. It’s your personal DVR/VCR/mini-PMP in this tiny
unit. Record your audio from any source and have it directly encoded
into MP3 or WAV format. Use the included accessories (stereo
headphone buds, USB cable, FM cable/necklace, line-in cable and AC
adapter) to enjoy it all.
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PoGo! radio is iPod white, but
besides that it is very different from an iPod. |
The controls are all
placed nicely for easy access and clearly marked. The unit powered
up quickly and the setup was easy on the clear LCD screen. Switch to
menu and you are able to set the time, date, calendar, sleep timer,
auto off function, repeat, play style, index play, internal and
external formatting, and view constant memory information. The
backlight is very bright and the contrast of the on screen
information is crystal clear. The record, timer, and mode buttons
are set apart for ease of use in the dark by touch. The jog dial
responds quickly when choosing between the menu, erase, speed and
A-B repeat buttons. The volume bi-directional buttons are located on
the right side just above the “hold” and reset area, again, for very
easy identification by touch or viewing. The headphone jack and
line-in/external mic jacks are located on the left side just above
the flush covered MMC/SD slot. The stereo speaker along the bottom
front of the RYW unit has very good sound, but, of course, using
your headphones will provide you the best sound reproduction. The
included ear buds do the job, but a nice pair of headphones will
give you real appreciation for your listening experience. The LCD
screen information is quite extensive and easy to read with or
without the backlight. It displays the radio band, memory
(internal/external), month, day, date, battery level, preset
frequency number, frequency, time and remaining memory, music mode,
navigation, bit rate, sound effect, track number, file info, L/R
sound levels, and voice mode. So much to keep you informed of
constant, complete status in such a small form factor. When
recording music, select from 32kbps-256kbps. Set the auto sync
(on/off or once/auto) function to separate a line-in recording into
files. Recording of AM/FM broadcasts automatically encoded to
MP3/WAV format was a cinch and I utilized different settings
(128kbps-256kbps). The sound was excellent considering it was from
an AM/FM broadcast. I transferred those recordings to my computer
and they, again, played and sounded awesome via my THX system. I
also recorded some of my favorite TV shows I knew I would miss by
setting up the timer. It worked and, again, sounded outstanding via
my computer THX audio system, home theater THX equipment, and other
stereos throughout and even over my PMP. CF and SD cards inserted
and extracted easily and were protected by a rubber-hinged cover. I
also transferred some needed computer files for my office and the
RYW acted as a perfect storage or “thumb-drive” device. The time
savings not having to encode into MP3 or other compatible formats
listed previously is a huge asset. FM radio reception was great even
without the included flexible wired antenna. The included
instruction booklet was precise and easy to understand and I have
never observed a more complete, concise product package as
everything the RYW does and is comes clearly described and pictured
on the outside of the box.
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PoGo! your way. More photos of
gadget model Kirsta
here. |
Conclusion
The design is solid
with one exception. The USB port cover is not attached to the unit
as the CF/SD is. The USB port cover will be lost unless this is
fixed. The only other desire I had with this “personalized” player
is the LCD screen could use an OLED upgrade along with backlight
color choices for the screen. I own several MP3 players, a PMP and
other gadgets, but this unit does all it is asked or expected to do
by the consumer and manufacturer. If it only knew how well it really
is! Typical MP3 players on the market today do not give you the
control and features the RYW does. And, hey, I love my AM capability
each day and I never miss my favorite programs simply by organizing
the timer function to record when, what and where I want. Freedom!
PoGo gives you that in this unique player/recorder so, now, go forth
and multiply thy RYW numbers. It’s PoGo or NoGo!
How to Buy
The Pogo
Radio YourWay LX sells on the
Pogo online
store. Couple other online stores carry it too.
Compare their prices.
See also the latest
SD-Card Deals.
Specifications
Portable AM/FM radio recorder
10 timer recording presets
Plays MP3/RVF/WMA
128MB-512MB internal memory
SD/MMC expansion slot up to 1GB
Nine hours of recording time
Direct MP3 encoding in 32/64/96/128/192/256Kbps
ID3 tag support
USB mass storage device (plug&play)
Rechargeable Li-Polymer battery
15 hour battery life
4 hour charging time
(160X96) Dot matrix LCD screen w/backlight
Built-in line/mic-in
Built-in internal speaker
AM 530khz-1710khz FM 87.50mhz-108mhz
Built-in internal mic
Firmware upgradeable
S/N ratio >85db
2.36” (W) x 3.93” (H) x 0.78” (D)
Weight: 3 ounces
CD ROM
USB port
Minimum system requirements:
CPU-more than 200mhz
RAM-more than 64mb
O/S-Win 98/SE/ME/2000/XP/MAC OS 10
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