Habrahabr on the NMP-280 screen :)

    Today at customs there was a lot of interesting things, but my attention was drawn only to the NEXX NMP-280 media player , so in this review it will be the main character.

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    Of course, I joked about customs. But about the player it really goes! Overview, traffic. NEXX

    Companythe general public has been known since about 2002 and the roots of this company grow from the well-known Hong Kong [and whose roots are not growing from those parts now? ] - since then the company owns a good piece of the pie of the multimedia device market. The devices produced by the company (MP3-players, navigation systems, DVD-players) never eagerly asked for money for a name, but to say that the company works only in the budget segment means offending the company. And if you read other reviews, almost everywhere the price-quality ratio is observed, which in most cases is the golden mean. Stability is a sign of mastery.

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    Today I’ll talk about the experience of communicating with the latest player from the Flash MP3 line.

    Equipment


    Inside the box (the size of a VHS cassette) were:

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    - Flash MP3 player Nexx NMP-280;
    - Headphones;
    - Pads-earpads;
    - A wire for connecting the player to a computer;
    - A disk with software;
    - Documentation.

    Black pearl in a shell:

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    It is very nice to see the documentation ONLY in Russian - it is strange that often many manufacturers of hardware (and not only) forget about the largest state and about the most-most powerful one. The manual itself is worthy of a separate pair of lines. Firstly, in some chapters there are small introductory texts, well, for example, what is firmware, why and how to change it - thanks to such a mathematical part, even a first grade student will not have any questions. Everything is painted in great detail, but at the same time, without excess water, where necessary - there are illustrations.

    On the disk are drivers for Win9x and the program AVI Converter. In Win 2K / XP / ... no drivers are needed (unless, of course, you did not delete the contents of the dllcache folder) - when connected, the player becomes a separate drive, which can be operated as with a regular flash drive.

    Appearance


    The size of the device is 88 × 57x12 mm, which is very attractive. Initially, a protective transparent film is glued on the front of the player. Black glossy plastic. God forgive me for comparing), but the player is very similar to a smaller iPhone, which does not have a control button. There are no bulges or irregularities on the front panel of the player - nothing to distract. Even there is no label, and this is very strange - after all, for many manufacturers, tenfold mention of a proper name on the device is much more important than anything else. I like this design :) The surface itself is quite easily soiled - it is a pity that the manufacturer did not take care of the further aesthetic appearance of the device and did not put rags in the kit.

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    An all-metal chrome insert goes over all the end parts of the device, resulting in a now fashionable combination of black and metallic luster. Everything is fine, only this insert, like the front panel, has the ability to accumulate prints on itself.
    Turn the player over. Yeah, here’s the label - on the rubberized “bottom” in the very center there is a NEXX inscription, below which is written the model, volume and so on. To the right of this inscription is an external speaker. Along the entire perimeter of the bottom of the device there are small gray inscriptions that tell about the purpose of the elements located on the ends of the device. Rec > Hold > Play / Pause / Power > Menu >± > Prev / Next > Reset > T-Flash > Mic . Something is not clear? Everything will be now!

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    On the left side there is a hole for attaching the lace to the player [I did not have it in the kit, although it is listed in the configuration. On the other hand, on page 7 of the manual it is clearly stated that the manufacturer reserves the right to change the characteristics of the device and the scope of delivery without prior notice. Therefore, if anything, it is better to check the current configuration on the product page ... the main thing is that the player is put))]. Next is the Rec button, which includes a recording function - yes, yes, the player can also be used as a voice recorder. If you read the instructions, you can find out about the purpose of this button in other modes. The Hold switch (times) locks the device.

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    On the upper end part are the main player control buttons. The very first one is responsible for turning the device on (s) - after holding the player for 2 seconds, it turns off. A short press pauses the playback and turns it on again. The Menu button allows you to activate additional options in different modes, while long-term hold opens the main menu. Then there are four buttons, combined into two “rockers” - volume and switching tracks - the same buttons navigate through the menu.
    On the right side, as I said, is a fairly quiet external speaker, a Reset hole, an expansion slot for a microSD card and a microphone. Underneath all of this is a 3.5mm-miniJack.

    I almost forgot about connecting the player to the computer - it is carried out only through the supplied wire. Unfortunately, this is not a standard USB-miniUSB-B cable, but a rather specific connector that I have never seen before. The wire is inserted into the player quite tightly, but for sure. Then it connects to the computer, after which it automatically starts charging. It turns out that if you go traveling, you will have to look for not a power outlet, but a free USB port to charge the player) Why it was impossible to use the cable just mentioned, it is not clear, but with what it is, the player loses some versatility.

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    In the HD Tune Pro 3.10 program, the player was defined as a regular medium, the speed characteristics of which are as follows: The

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    diagonal of the TFT display is almost 3 inches, to be more precise - 2.83 ”. Resolution - 320x240 - is the same as mine next to my PDA;) The screen displays up to 65,000 colors, it is very bright and the text is read normally.

    Turning on


    As I said, it all starts with holding the button for two seconds in the key (s).
    A short screen saver, after which the main menu appears, consisting of 8 elements (each of which is assigned a large icon): music, video, radio, photo, text, games, recording and settings.

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    Initially, it’s difficult looking at the screen to control the buttons whose values ​​you still don’t remember, and at first I always turned the player on the back side. But very soon I got used to the location of the buttons and, I must say, the navigation turned out to be very convenient. Something must be sacrificed - minimalism on the front panel and 15 minutes of getting used to navigation, or navigation with captions on the front panel.
    The mode you are in is always written in the upper left of the screen, and the battery charge and volume level in the right.

    Music


    Unfortunately, the player only supports MP3 and WMA, but many users no longer need it. When the player starts, the last track that is played immediately starts. The type of player is very familiar, quite informative. A single press of the Menu button opens a list of files, which is nice - even with completely clogged memory, this happens almost without brakes. Rewinding a track to any place is also calm.

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    The sound power per channel is 10 mW, the frequency range is 20 Hz - 20 kHz, the signal-to-noise ratio is 85 dB. There are 8 equalizer presets, you can create your own.

    Video


    Only AVI format is supported. Included with the player is a special program for conversion, very convenient.

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    Initially, the player recorded some kind of demo of good quality. Later, in the program, I convert a couple of clips from the disk, such as the narrow-eyed Chinese playing tennis with the nunchucks - classmates checked out :) The video is played without jerking or some other quirks, like music, is rewound quickly and without problems. Well-implemented function, well done - brighten up leisure time or travel time is quite possible.

    Radio


    I liked the radio too. More precisely, how it is organized. I don’t really have to listen to the radio, so I don’t remember a single frequency for memory - I used the auto-search for stations. In the range from 87 to 108 MHz, the player found about 20 stations, which it arranged in a convenient form for navigation - in frequency. You need to switch between them using the Prev-Next keys, the Rec button allows you to record the broadcast. The necessary radio stations can be saved, but not more than 30 pieces.

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    There is a manual tuning in increments of 0.5 MHz. It is a pity that the name of the stations is not displayed. Radio operation is only possible with inserted headphones.

    A photo


    You can watch photos in JPG format. There are no settings (except for selecting the desired file from the memory) in this mode - no zoom, no rotation, no effects - a simple rather quick slide show and that’s it. You cannot view photos and listen to music at the same time.

    Text


    The player makes it possible to read texts in TXT format, I had no problems with encoding. There are also no settings - white text on a black background, a little higher - a slider showing the percentage of "reading". Well, perhaps, even the scroll speed You can bookmark the Rec button, and the Menu button allows you to select available documents. You can listen to music while reading.

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    Games


    At our disposal is a simple tetris, which is very inconvenient to manage. IMHO, too much. It’s good that it’s not a helicopter simulator :)

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    Record


    In the main menu of the player there was a place under the icon of the recorder. The sound is recorded in WAV, the quality can be adjusted. Shows the recording time, the time for which there is enough free memory. You can exit the recording only by holding the Rec button and nothing else.

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    Settings


    There are a lot of settings and they are all divided into categories - music, radio, recording, display, viewing, system and shutdown time. It does not make sense to list all the settings, but I will name a couple of them. Available 13 interface languages, 5 levels of display brightness and two backlight modes (normal and economical). Several music playback modes - there are plenty to choose from.

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    The manufacturer promises about 15 hours of continuous playback. However, with the backlight often turned on, at maximum volume, the player stayed with me for 4 university couples + the round trip time, which amounted to about 12 hours. In video mode, they promise about 4 hours of operation, but I have not tested this parameter yet. In principle, this figure can be trusted.
    When the battery runs down, the player displays a low battery message and then turns off. While charging, the picture is constantly displayed on the screen, although it would be more practical to make it possible to fully use the player. Some inconvenience is caused by the lack of a charge indicator on the screen.

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    A full charge cycle is approximately 3 hours.

    Woohoo!


    I once had players - an airiver, an iPod, a carpet. Almost everywhere, the ears that came in the kit did not turn out to be anything special. The iPod was a medium-sized fountain, the ear curls hurt from the iRiver’s legs, and in the x5 coof they wheezed already at 30 volume divisions out of 40.

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    Therefore, I have long reconciled to the fact that when buying a player, I need to immediately take something from the plugs. And, to be honest, I did not expect anything special from the bundled headphones. However, what I heard this time, I was somewhat pleased. At maximum volume, I did not notice any artifacts, the sound was clear and very juicy, even some basses were present. For a person who is not able to distinguish sound through ordinary wires and wires from oxygen-free copper, this is what is needed. The headphones are black, big enough, but they easily got into my radars.

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    The length of the wire fit me perfectly - in a pocket on jeans, it easily reaches under a shirt without interference, without creating any tangles inside.
    Later I tried the Audio Fischer Equilibrium and Sony MDR-EX90LP gag player - just great! Jumping at the Aviamotornaya obstacle near the last carriage, under “ DJ Fresh (feat Mary Byker) - Nervous ” ( mp3 ) at maximum volume, I almost started dancing on the escalator :) And the track “ The Qemists - Stompbox (Spor Remix) ” ( mp3 ) caused excessive salivation and involuntary bouncing with legs and arms) By the way, taking this opportunity, I advise these tracks to lovers of dnb sausage.

    Summary


    This is no longer a simple flash player without a screen, but also not a food processor with a camera, Wi-Fi and a touch screen. This is an affordable solution that can replace more than one device. By the way, the touch screen would be superfluous here and that's why. The device is designed for active use, and listening to music, it will probably lie somewhere in your pocket. In this case, it would be impossible to use the touch screen, therefore, in this case, the hardware buttons are more than justified - you can switch tracks directly in your pocket. If you watch videos or movies on the player, then the player will be in full view all the time, and it is unlikely that you will often need to squeeze something on the screen - once set to play and you're done. In addition, the touch screen would significantly increase the cost.

    Almost everyone liked the device, but still, I would like to see something in the future. Since the player is capable of playing video, it’s a shame to be limited to only one format - I want to add at least the FLV format. I connected the player to the computer, as I threw downloaded videos from YouTube on the USB flash drive and watch and show it.
    Clock. I’ve got used to controlling time for a long time and in order to find out, I have to go into my pocket and watch time on the PDA. But surely this problem can be solved by adding only one setting - indicated the time at the first start and let it be displayed somewhere in the corner of the screen. New firmware, you are welcome! ) It would be nice to make a plug for the card slot - dust may get inside the case. A standard USB-miniUSB wire would be much more practical and versatile.

    As a final part of the review - a small video review.


    Control weighing


    Cons
    - Marked front panel;
    - From music plays only MP3, WMA and WAV;
    - Non-standard connector for connection;
    - Charging only from a computer; nothing can be done while charging;
    - Quiet external speaker (but still, it is more a player than a tape recorder);
    - You can’t watch photos while listening to music. You can read the text.
    - The headphones in the kit are decent, but on the shelves there is better;).

    Pros
    - Stylish appearance (and "interior"), quality materials, good assembly; small size and light weight;
    - A sufficient amount of memory for most tasks; the presence of an expansion slot for microSD-cards up to 2GB;
    - Easy connection and operation;
    - Large bright color display;
    - Multifunctional (photo and video, texts, radio, voice recorder);
    - Excellent sound quality;
    - Long working time;
    - Sample documentation;
    - Price (3300r).

    Total


    If you are affected by the financial crisis, and you really want the player and you agree to the option without rhinestones, cameras and other touch screens, try looking towards the Nexx NMP-280. He performs his main task at the top five, in addition to this, offering quite a few other interesting functions, such as viewing photos and videos, a radio with a voice recorder and the ability to read texts. I did not find any significant minuses or shortcomings, but something, of course, you can still bring to mind. And if you can fix some little things in the software by updating the firmware, then increasing the volume of the external speaker will probably only be in future models.
    You can use the headphones from the kit for the first time, but it’s better to find something separately. The result is a great player for more than an attractive price. A universal gift, is that you? :)

    PS: If someone is familiar with such a bundle as LabView + NI Elvis - write to ICQ 770007. I would like to improve the technical level of articles, so as not to be unfounded sometimes. Thanks in advance!

    The other day - a review of Orsio b731 and three nas-s with raids - stay tuned;) Success!

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