Philips SA2323/37 2 GB Flash Audio Player (White) | List Price: $49.99
Discount Price: $49.99
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Brand: Philips
Binding: Electronics
Features: - Robust and portable 2 GB MP3 player with built-in FM radio
- Supports MP3, WAV, and WMA playback
- Speedy USB 2.0 connectivity; no cables or software needed
- Easy-to-read LED display; includes ID3 tag support
- Built-in voice-recording feature
So far, so good [Posted on 2007-12-17]
I bought this device Friday, and it is working pretty well so far. I have never owned an I-Pod; and I wanted a cheap MP3 player, with a radio, and powered by a battery, for traveling. My friends' I-Pods often seem to run out of power at the most inopportune times, so I wanted something I don't have to recharge, or send back to the manufacturer when the battery wears out.
On Saturday, my running partner's I-Pod battery crapped out, so I lent her my Philips SA2323/37 for our 9-mile beach run. There doesn't seem to be a case or belt (bikini, for her) clip available for the SA2323/37, so we used her I-Pod case/clip/holder. A little tight fit, but I locked the device so the buttons wouldn't be triggered, and it worked fine. Poor woman had to listen to a whole Grateful Dead '88 show during the run, which can be tough for a non-Deadhead... No complaints though...
It would be nice if there was a case/clip available so this can be worn while running or otherwise working out. It's small enough to be carried in my shorts pocket, but during a 9-mile beach run my shorts get sweaty. I looped a shoe-string through it to wear it around my neck, but it would bounce around too much during a run, which is annoying.
Anyone who buys this device really needs to download the firmware update from the Philips website: it improves the sound quality appreciably. The software included on the CD ROM makes updating the firmware via the Internet quick and easy.
The sound quality still isn't great; but this is my first pocket MP3 player, so I don't have the experience to compare it to other players. I bought it to have music when traveling on airlines, so it doesn't bother me when the recordings buzz during quiet musical passages. The ambient noise on a commercial jet covers up this buzzing anyway. Louder passages sound fine through my Panasonic sound-isolating earphones.
The radio works pretty well too, and it doesn't have the buzzing that stored MP3s exhibit. I like the fact that the radio has presets (a little tricky, at first, but you'll figure it out), automatic and manual tuning. Most digital tuning radios are fussy about tuning into weak and distant stations; the manual tuning option on the SA2323/37 let's you lock into these stations, and even store them as presets. For me, this is really great: best I've used.
A little unnerving was when I put some more CDs on the device yesterday, and when I subsequently turned it on, it could find no folders or music. The display said "No Folders". A search through the .pdf manual for "No Folders" yielded zero results. Now, why would Philips put a message on the display "No Folders" then not have that message anywhere in the manual? Philips can be annoying, discussed below. I re-connected the SA2323/37 to the computer and looked at it through Windows Explorer; indeed, all of the music and folders were there. Upon disconnection from the computer, it worked fine again. I don't know why it hiccuped like that.
Documentation is only available as a .pdf on the CD ROM or via Philips website. I would have preferred the manual on paper - there certainly is plenty of useless written material included in the package, in many different languages. One English manual, and none of the other junk, would have been much better. The manual would be handy because the user interface has a bit of a learning curve, and the device doesn't give the user much time to contemplate options before selecting them. By default, it quickly reverts to current settings/functions if the user doesn't make a selection of new ones fast.
Also, the start-up screen upon power-up is very long and tedious. It's probably only 20 seconds, but it seems to take forever in use. Somebody at Philips doesn't realize that it doesn't leave a good branding impression to have the owner/user have to wait for the device to start functioning. Philips does some very strange and annoying product changes, as anyone who owns a Sonicare electric toothbrush can tell you.
In conclusion, this device is very convenient, works pretty well so far, and seems like a good value for the money. There are some annoying aspects to it, but I feel like I have gotten what I paid for, so far...
Awesome product! [Posted on 2008-04-15]
Philips SA2323/37 2 GB Flash Audio Player (White) Is an awesome product and very easy to use!
Waste of Time [Posted on 2008-04-21]
I spent about three hours on this thing trying to get all my songs transferred over from my old MP3 player. After all of that, it only put about 70 songs on it when I tried to put about 300 on it. I was very disappointed!
Not such a hot product [Posted on 2008-07-25]
Like Art Commerce, I had never owned an MP3 player when I bought the Philips SA2323/37. Since I own a couple of other Philips products, I expected their usual high quality, and was disappointed.
The first player froze, and nothing I did, or the tech advice person suggested, would unfreeze it. I must admit that they were prompt in exchanging the defective device for a new one.
My primary complaint is there are absolutely no instructions on how to use the player. NONE! Not on-line, or on the CD-ROM that comes with it. It's strictly a trial-and-error learning experience. If you're prepared for that, then, by all means, buy the SA2323/37. I can intuit quite a bit, if given at least something to go on. Not so with this.
Terrible [Posted on 2008-08-17]
My version it takes about 22 seconds to load the operating system. That's way too long. The LCD screen is minimal. The setup offers few bells and whistles. The volume output is low. Not great for a noisy gym or commute. The sound quality is cheap. The fast forward is incredibly slow. At best it ffds at 3x. That's okay for a 3 minute song but really sucks if you want to ffd through 30 minutes of a podcast. I really don't want to wait 10 minutes to ffd to the middle of a podcast. You can not reverse from the end of a podcast.
Bottom line: no advanced features and basic features implemented horribly. Don't waste your money.
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