• PC World
• » MP3 Players

HanGo Personal JukeBox Remote Solution

WHAT'S HOT: Looking to clear up some space in your room? How about ditching that stereo system in favor of the HanGo player. If you've got less than 80 CDs in your collection, the Personal JukeBox makes a legitimate replacement, with its 5GB hard drive that can hold almost 1200 songs. If that's too extreme, the unit comes with stereo cables to run from its headphone jack to your stereo. The player, at about the size of a thick Zagat Survey, offers a well-designed display screen that provides plenty of room to see what you're playing. You can create folders by genre, such as rock or jazz; read the entire song title and artist info; and scroll easily through the songs and folders with the unit's intuitive navigation. Though the unit is expensive at $749, you'll save on battery costs, as the player ships with a rechargeable lithium ion battery, which last approximately 11 hours--good for that long airplane flight.

WHAT'S NOT: The price tag on this device is a steep $749. Moreover, there's no backlighting to help you see which songs you are changing, a problem if you're trying to make selections in the dark. Because the device features a hard drive as opposed to a Flash memory chip, sharp jostles can cause the player to skip--similar to what happens with a portable CD player.

WHAT ELSE: The large LCD allows for extensive track information. Well-built headphones can handle strong bass tones and have a rare built-in mute button.

BEST USE: Because of its high-end price tag, this unit would suit serious digital music aficionados only or those who want their music collection housed on one portable device.

SUMMARY

HanGo Personal JukeBox Remote Solution $749; 5GB hard drive, USB, rechargeable lithium ion battery, JukeBox Manager Software, 1-year warranty, 9-hour weekday tech support. Remote Solution 858/974-7253 www.pjbox.com