RCA Pearl (2GB, black)
Manufacturer: RCA Part number: TH1102
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Product series
- Accessories
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- If you're looking for a better-sounding alternative to the Sansa Express, the RCA Pearl does the trick--but be prepared to deal with a funky user interface and disposable batteries.
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Where to buy
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon.com Marketplace |  | See Site | Enter zip code to get total price: Price +Tax +Shipping =Total price | as of 11/07/2009 |
CNET editors' review
RCA Pearl (2GB, black) price range: $75.99
- Reviewed by: Jasmine France
- Reviewed on: 06/28/2007
- Updated on:09/19/2007
- Released on: 06/01/2007
The good: The RCA Pearl offers surprisingly good sound quality and is very inexpensive. It also includes some useful extras, such as audiobook support and microSD card expansion slot, and there's a built-in USB interface.
The bad: The Pearl is a bit of a bear to use, and the bulbous battery compartment can make it take up more than one USB port. It also takes disposable batteries, which will need constant replacing. The headphone jack is awkwardly placed.
The bottom line: If you're looking for a better-sounding alternative to the Sansa Express, the RCA Pearl does the trick--but be prepared to deal with a funky user interface and disposable batteries.
Plug-in-style MP3 players--that is, those with the USB interface built right in--have been enjoying a bit of a renaissance lately, as evidenced by the recent release of the SanDisk Sansa Express. RCA has now joined the trend with the Pearl, one of three players in the company's new Gem Line. Like the Express, the Pearl is also aimed squarely at the budget-conscious, with 1GB and 2GB versions retailing for $39 and $48, respectively. The RCA offers decent sound quality, so it could give the SanDisk a run for its money--if not for the bulbous design, funky menu structure, and disposable battery.
The RCA Pearl comes in three shiny color options, depending on capacity: the 1GB player in midnight blue, the 2GB in black, and a 512MB version (apparently not available in the U.S.) in light gray. Embedded into the front of the player is reflective face that's not quite as mirrorlike as that found on the Express. The design isn't ugly, but it won't be winning any fashion awards any time soon. The player measures 3 inches tall by 1 inch wide by 0.8 inch thick, making it reasonably compact but still thick around the middle. A bulbous battery compartment accounts for a quarter-inch of that thickness and takes away from its plug-and-play ease--you may need to free up more than one USB port to accommodate its girth. We'd have preferred a built-in battery. As it stands, the Pearl takes one AAA (included), which is rated for 15 hours.
Upon picking up the Pearl, you'll notice that its smooth feel makes it feel nice in the hand--and the battery compartment even provides a reasonable gripping platform. However, the headphone jack--located on the top right edge of the player--makes right-handed operation of the top controls awkward. It's especially difficult to activate the record button, which is located directly next to the jack. The menu key is to the left of that and is easier to press. There's also a power/hold switch on the top and a microSD card slot for memory expansion--always a nice touch. The bottom of the Pearl houses two rockers--one for track shuttling and one for volume--and a play/pause button. A cap conceals the USB interface is on the left side.
As with the RCA Jet, the Pearl has a quirky menu structure, with two top menus instead of one. Although the interface is easy enough to get the hang of, the wacky menu organization makes certain things take more effort than they should. Also, unlike with the Jet, the Pearl doesn't organize songs into an artist-album hierarchy, which makes it a pain to find a particular track. As a result, the Pearl makes a fine shuffle-play device, but if you require more organization in an MP3 player, you'll want to look elsewhere.
As for features, the Pearl does OK. It offers just a small (1-inch), monochrome LCD (with a rather garish green backlight), so there's no photo or album art display and certainly no video support. However, the player supports Audible and WMA subscription services such as Yahoo Music Unlimited. You also get an on-the-go playlist function, five EQ settings, a voice recorder, and surprisingly good sound quality.
In fact, we found that with a pair of Shure SE310s, bass response was pretty much incredible, and music overall sounded rich, clear, and warm. You probably won't be purchasing a pair of $250 earbuds for a $50 MP3 player, but that audio response capability is something to consider if you already own a good pair of headphones. To RCA's credit, sound quality through the included earbuds was also decent, though bass is considerably lacking. Battery life is average at 14 hours (based on CNET Labs testing).
In the case of the RCA Pearl versus the SanDisk Sansa Express, it's tough to choose. The Sansa is exceptionally easy to use and offers a better design for its plug-and-play purpose, but the Pearl sounds much better. It really depends on the user, but for casual use--which is really what these players are made for--the Sansa is probably the winner.
User reviews
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One of the best AAA battery mp3 players
by mitchnet12 on July 21, 2007
Pros: Expandability and AAA battery
Cons: Dot matrix screen, limited configuration options, odd controls
Summary: I have been on the hunt for an mp3/video player which ran on a AAA battery. They do exist but aren't good quality. I settled to buy the ...
Summary: I have been on the hunt for an mp3/video player which ran on a AAA battery. They do exist but aren't good quality. I settled to buy the Pearl instead. Here's what guided me in buying and some of my opinions.
I don't think that the editor's review gives much credit to this device. It isn't a Stone Age artifact if it uses a AAA battery. In fact, if you have a fast NIMH charger (and batteries), you can have a fresh battery charged from any time under 30 minutes. You don't have to waste your money on a USB wall adapter or leave your mp3 player plugged into a USB hub or your computer overnight for charging. There's some savings!
The interface is a little bit odd at first glance but for it to be compact, I suppose the buttons had to be laid out the way they are. The volume button scrolls vertically and the track search horizontally (in the menu). The navigation menu is limited to three lines. It isn't the worst navigation layout I have seen. One thing I do wish was in effect was the ability to flip the screen through the settings.
The size probably isn't much larger than the size of a small package of Juicy Fruit. It's not the most compact but isn't much of a turn off for me.
I purchased a SanDisk 2GB Micro SD card previously in anticipation of purchasing a compatible device on sale for $60. I have it completely loaded with 600 songs and they are all supported and detected. Some other expandable mp3 players limit you to how much you can add or the number of supported songs. Some previous Lyra models had this flaw.
The sound is fantastic to say the least. I drive with an FM tuner and every device needs to have its volume boosted for an effective signal. I definitely have that with this device! There isn't any cracking when the volume is pushed to the max!
Data transfer is a little bit sluggish but for how often the files may be added or removed, it doesn't matter much.
There isn't an FM receiver but if you have the right songs, who really cares (unless if you listen to the news or something, that's a different story). Most mp3 players get poor reception anyways.
Voice recording isn't as easy as pressing a button but it records in Mono WAV at 8,000 Hz. It probably wouldn't be as great for a concert bootleg but one could give it a try. It's probably best used for voice only.
This mp3 player is overall a great value! It meets all of my needs so check it out!Updated
I would like to add that the software which is included is/features Yahoo! so they're looking to get you to sign up for their services (almost as bad as buying a Dell and getting their trial programs installed). You aren't limited to using their software to add music but can through Windows Explorer.
The MicroSD card does not eject when you push on it, you have to pull it out.
If you don't create play lists (through their software), you are limited to playing from folders. The files are only displayed by a numeric order, not alphabetical. I'll have to add a number to the beginning of each file name (using a utility program) to have the files play in the right order. ID3 Tags have no effect with this problem.2 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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AWESOME mp3 player. Has served me VERY WELL
by seeker1111 on October 29, 2009
Pros: AAA Battery run (no need to worry about li-ion running low, but I use rechargeable anyways so I get best of both worlds!)
-MP3... screw the I-pod!
- Voice Recorder
-VERY STURDY (I washed the sucker and it still works!)
-Micro SD slotCons: - volume control is a bit low.
- no AM radio
- if you chance the music files on the card or internal memory it has a long load time
-navigation is (obviously) not the best, but extremly functional
-"random" play is not really randomSummary: Just a great thing. Wnet to walmart to buy a voice recorder and saw that this little baby was about the same price as a full on voice recorder. and ...
Summary: Just a great thing. Wnet to walmart to buy a voice recorder and saw that this little baby was about the same price as a full on voice recorder. and I have used it, and it works GREAT! I have recorded music over the radio, I have uploaded talks, and books, recorded conversations, listend to radio, have my music, and ON TOP of that, I inserted a 4gb Micro SD card and expanded the whole thing, now I have a large amonut of memory to listen to music! just really good job RCA, love the thing!
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It can use rechargeable AAA batteries
by rjemmons on February 20, 2009
Pros: You can use rechargeable or non-rechargeable AAA batteries which you can get pretty much anywhere there is a civilization.
Cons: AAA batteries make a player a little thick. If you want a stylish wafer thin player, this is probably not for you.
Summary: I am not sure why the editorial reviewer would say you'll have to keep replacing the playe'rs AAA batteries. You can buy a recharger and rechargeable AAA batteries. ...
Summary: I am not sure why the editorial reviewer would say you'll have to keep replacing the playe'rs AAA batteries. You can buy a recharger and rechargeable AAA batteries. You get the best of both worlds. When your battery goes dead, swap it out for one you keep in the recharger. If you are in Timbuktu without your recharger, you buy a regular AAA at the nearest 711 store. Also, in my experience, the AAA batteries have a pretty good lifetime.
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almost perfect for an inexpensive MP3 player
by pspin2154 on October 12, 2008
Pros: Good Sound, small, nice looking.
Cons: Often I do not have pockets and with no place to hang a chain, I must hold it in my hand, not very practicaL
Summary: I like it for the most part, the only thing is everything is very small and sometimes difficult to use, takes a couple of tries to do what I want ...
Summary: I like it for the most part, the only thing is everything is very small and sometimes difficult to use, takes a couple of tries to do what I want to do, such as start, stop or get to another song. I would have liked it better if I could hang it around my neck with a chain, but with nothing to attach to, this is not an option.
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Can not load audio books, no instructions or directory
by Clivery on September 3, 2008
Pros: Only good for music and radio.
Cons: Although it has several snap shots of books loaded we have tried to load an audio bible but it ends up under music on the player, mixing chronicles and Enya just don't cut it.
Summary: Does not do as advertised, not worth the money. Buy something a little better and save the heartache.
Summary: Does not do as advertised, not worth the money. Buy something a little better and save the heartache.
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Poor quality but at the right price.
Pros: It's inexpensive and has multiple color choices for it's LED.
Cons: Clunky interface, awkwardly placed headphone jack, poor sound quality.
Summary: The Pearl is a great choice if you're on a tight budget and need an mp3 player. You will get what you pay for however. The first thing I ...
Summary: The Pearl is a great choice if you're on a tight budget and need an mp3 player. You will get what you pay for however. The first thing I noticed about the pearl was that even on it's max volume setting the sound just wasn't very loud. After replacing the headphones that came with the player I was able to get the volume up a bit and the sound quality did noticeably improve but it was still well below expectations. The interface is awkward and difficult to navigate. The price point is really the only redeeming feature of the product.
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In response to C/NET Something outside of the Ipod generation is not such a scary idea
by Innuendoman on May 29, 2008
Pros: Excellent size..sits flat in your pocket then bouncing side to side * guess c net didnt factor that in* Seperate controls.. easy to follow menu .. Folders, excellent sound and replaceable battery
Cons: Biased opinions from C/NET * go to independent sources guys.. If someone is telling you to go for an mp3 player that doenst sound as good as the model they are testing...something is wrong here *
Summary: Im somewhat concerned about the legitimacy of articles from sites that take advertising revenue and this article is why.. They tend to move towards the ones that contribute to thier ...
Summary: Im somewhat concerned about the legitimacy of articles from sites that take advertising revenue and this article is why.. They tend to move towards the ones that contribute to thier site or magazine then the quality of an item .. I can speak to you about sandisk ..Ive used thier mp3 players and all i can say is buying something that has a built in battery is a no no .. Instead of just replacing a battery, you have to replace a whole unit which is far more expensice then tossing in another rechargeable.. not to mention useless if you are travelling and forget your laptop ...You an get a triple a bettery in any country in the world.. There isnt an internet cafe that has a open ubs port for you to power up your system ..which makes sandisk products and ipod out of the question to me .. THe sandisk products i have purchased came with a rechargeable built in .. both were dead when i bought them and makde me think about what happens if it died off warranty.. .. 10 bucks for a rechargeable batter unit to 60 bucks for a new mp3 player..do the math .. Size wise .. I watched the video ... did they say it was bulky?? Are they on crack ?? Have they actually looked at the size of the thing? An ipod is much monger and 10 times the size of this..and so are most SANDISKS!!!! Its slightly thick to house a battery ..where the other ones are LONGER AN take up MOST OF YOUR POCKET.... see where i am going with this.. .. Another thing..just use it for a shuffle player...Ok one do not use yaho jukebox comes with this. drag and drp yourself and since music can be sorted on this through folders.. You can choose what album you want to listen to by putting it into its own folder and thus makes the argument that this is only a shuffle mp3 player blown out of the water ...
My last complaint from the review.. Who in the right nake recomends something else that they just clearly said does not sound as good? If its an mp3 player alone ..what you thinking you are going for..Oh wait..thats right SOUND!!. Overall you are getting a great mp3 player ..teriffic sound that has longevity by being able to change the battery . Dont ever buy one that you cant -
Handy and delightful
by keystone76033 on March 10, 2008
Pros: loads like a thumb drive
Cons: The 1gb version only access 512 sd
Summary: I have the 1gb version I got for christmas. The micro sd external memory will only access 512mb, so the total is 1.5gb. This is still an awesome amount ...
Summary: I have the 1gb version I got for christmas. The micro sd external memory will only access 512mb, so the total is 1.5gb. This is still an awesome amount of music in so small a package. The menu system took some exploration, but it is easy after a few trial attempts. The plug in usb port is very handy although it make block a second port. The sound quality is great. I found the battery only lasts about 6 hours at the max volume level. I have external amplified craig speakers that extend the life of the on board battery, because I can play at less than half the volume level. I am looking for an MP3 player with more memory capacity, but at 1.5 gig, this is a fantastic beginner player.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: RCA
- Part number: TH1102
- Description: The TH1102 plays open mp3 and WMA audio files and is compatible with most secure music downloads. Record voice or audio directly to mp3 player. Built-in hi-speed USB connector lets you quickly transfer music and files directly to and from your PC without cables. Optional expandable memory allows you to store additional songs, audio books and files.
General
- Product type Digital player
- PC interface(s) supported Hi-Speed USB
- Flash memory installed 2 GB Integrated
- Digital storage None
- Weight 1.2 oz
- Dimensions (W x D x H) 1.1 in x 0.9 in x 3.1 in
- Color Black
- Available body colors Gray, Black, Blue
- Voice recording capable Yes
- Included accessories USB extended cable, 1 x AAA battery, Earphones
- Software type Drivers & Utilities
Carrying Case
- Case type None
Digital Player / Recorder
- Supported digital audio standards MP3, WAV, WMA
- Playback modes Repeat all, Repeat shuffle, One track repeat
- ID3 tags support Yes
Built-in Display
- Audio system built-in display LCD
- Backlight display Yes
- Display illumination color Red, Blue, Cyan, Green, White, Purple, Yellow
- Features Adjustable contrast
Audio Features
- Digital sound processor (DSP) Yes
- Sound output mode Stereo
- Additional features Hold button
CD System
- Playback modes Repeat
- Digital audio standards supported MP3, WMA, WMDRM-10
- ID3 tag support Yes
Equalizer
- Equalizer factory preset qty 5
- Equalizer factory presets Pop, Bass, Flat, Jazz, Rock
Remote Control
- Remote control None
Microphone
- Microphone type Built-in
- Microphone operation mode Mono
Headphones
- Headphones type Binaural Ear-bud
- Sound output mode Stereo
- Connectivity technology Wired
Connectivity
- Cable(s) included External, 1 x USB extension cable -
- Connector type 1 x USB 2.0 4 pin USB Type A, 1 x Headphones Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm
- Slot(s) provided 1 x microSD
Battery / Power
- Battery AAA alkaline AAA type Standard battery
- Mfr estimated battery life 15 hour(s)
- Power device type None
System Requirements
- Peripheral / Interface devices USB port
- Operating system Microsoft Windows 2000 / XP
- Min hard drive space 150 MB
- Min processor type Intel Pentium III 500 MHz
- Min processor speed 500 MHz
- Min RAM size 128 MB
Product series
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Manufacturer: RCA
Specs: Digital player, 1 GB, MP3, WAV, WMA, AAA alkaline AAA type Standard battery
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Manufacturer: RCA
Specs: Digital player, 2 GB, MP3, WAV, WMA, AAA alkaline AAA type Standard battery
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Manufacturer: RCA
Specs: Digital player, 512 MB, MP3, WAV, WMA, AAA Alkaline AAA type Standard battery
Accessories
Manufacturer info
- RCA
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse RCA products on Shopper.com
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- Website: http://home.rca.com/EN-US
- Address:
1002 New Holland Avenue
Lancaster, PA 17601 - Email: ato-sales@tce.com
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