• PC World
• » MP3 Players

RCA Lyra Player

WHAT'S HOT: The Lyra boasts the best equalizer of any of the machines we tested. You can choose from preset selections like rock, pop, and jazz, or tweak the five-band EQ to your liking. If you like to listen to your music at high volumes, you'll like the Lyra capabilities: It's one of the loudest of the players we tested.

WHAT'S NOT: The Lyra comes with only 32MB of memory, and since this player uses a parallel port (instead of the speedier USB), changing the eight or so songs you can fit on this unit takes time. The device lacks built-in, on-board memory, and a small drop caused the memory card to pop out; a more secure gateway would have helped keep the card in its slot. The button layout for various controls is clunky, making adjustments difficult. Finally, if you need to call tech support, you'll have to pay the phone charges: The Lyra doesn't come with a toll-free number to call.

WHAT ELSE: The RealJukebox software included with the device is very easy to use, and the instruction manual provides lots of helpful and thoughtfully put-together material with screen shots, diagrams, and pictorials.

BEST USE: If you're an audiophile who demands EQ control, this is the player for you, though more memory would be better.

SUMMARY

RCA Lyra Player $199; 32MB of CompactFlash memory, supports MP3 format, parallel port, two AA batteries, RealJukebox software, 1-year warranty, 24-hour toll-free tech support. RCA 800/336-1900 www.lyrazone.com