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More…The chrome-accented Archos 104 looks chic, and its surfaces are smooth to the touch. The 4GB player, which comes in silver, black, or pink, has a 1-inch hard drive, which you can hear clicking away inside as it operates. At $160 (as of 7/21/06), it costs less than a 4GB Apple iPod Nano and competes well with other players of the same capacity. Although it's a shade larger than an iPod Nano and weighs over an ounce more, it has a smaller, 1.5-inch screen.
Archos 104 mini music player (4GB)
Pricing
$68.58 - $76.90 From 2 Vendors Get Best Prices »
- Spec Navigator
- Battery
- Display
- Disply
- Features
- General
- Included Hardware
- Included Software
- Interface Connections
- Software
- Storage Included
- Storage Media
- Supported Audio Formats
- Supported Image Formats
- Supported Video Formats
Features
| Equalizer Settings | 0 |
| FM Recording | No |
| Plays For Sure | Yes |
| Presets | 0 |
| Replaceable Battery | 0 |
| Video Output | No |
| Video Support | No |
| Voice Recording | No |
Included Hardware
| AC Adapter | No |
| Firewire cable | No |
| Included Hardware |
|
| Remote Control | No |
| USB cable | Yes |
Interface Connections
| Firewire | No |
| Headphone output | Yes |
| Line Out | Yes |
| Microphone input | Yes |
| USB | Yes |
| USB Host Adapter | No |
Storage Media
| Compact Flash | No |
| Memory Stick | No |
| Memory Stick Micro | No |
| micro SD | No |
| mini SD | No |
| SD card | No |
| Smart Media | No |
| xD Picture Card | No |
3
2 User Reviews Add your own »
$68.58 - $76.90
From 2 Vendors
Get Best Prices »
- Lab Tested
- How We Test MP3 Players »
Pros
Low cost
Stylish design
Cons
Sub par audio quality
Photos looked dark; no video support
Bottom Line
Low-cost model looks chic, but it lacks video capabilities and an FM tuner. Photos looked dark on small, 1.5-inch screen.
Archos 104
104 mini music player (4GB) Review, by Paul Jasper August 15, 2006
The main control is a four-way dial with a center select button, similar to that on many digital cameras. It also has a menu button and a back button. Despite the way each button contains multiple functions, you quickly get used to these slightly quirky controls. For example, the up and down buttons adjust the volume during play mode, and while you turn on the player by holding the menu button, you turn it off by holding the back button. The included earbuds are of average quality, but they do have a handy volume control built into the wires.
In the PC World Test Center's new audio quality tests, the Archos 104's scores were far from perfect. Our test equipment measured high levels of harmonic distortion and a low signal-to-noise ratio compared to other players we've tested. In my informal testing, I noticed a lot of noise in the audio, especially at higher volumes.
The Archos 104 plays MP3 and WMA audio files, but not AAC and Ogg Vorbis formats. It lacks an FM radio tuner and has no recording abilities. No PC software is included, but the device integrates well with Windows Media Player for synchronizing with your music collection, and it supports Microsoft's PlaysForSure system for online music store subscriptions. The internal lithium ion battery charges from your PC's USB port while it's connected, but you'll need to buy one of the optional power adapters to charge it on the go.
The player displays photos in JPEG format, but I was unimpressed with the results. The screen resolution is only 128 by 128 pixels, so you see little detail. Photos looked very dark, even with the screen brightness turned up. Images from an 8-megapixel digital camera took about 15 seconds to display, though they do appear progressively from top to bottom while you wait, unlike other players that just show an hourglass. I was also disappointed to find that I couldn't listen to music at the same time as viewing my photos.
If you can live without video on a portable player, and you don't mind gazing at a small, low-resolution screen for photos, this low-cost model is worth a look.
Paul Jasper
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PCWorld Lab Results
- Rating Breakdown
-
76
-
60
-
71
- See Complete Lab Results »
Performance Comparison with Similar MP3 Players
76
86
79
89
Performance
| Crosstalk, Average (dB) | -73 |
| Frequency Response Deviation, Average (dB) | 3.3 |
| Maximum Usable Output Level, Average (dBV) | -8.9 |
| Signal-to-Noise Ratio, Average (dB) | 64 |
| Total Harmonic Distortion and Noise, Average (%) | 0.11 |
User Reviews
Average User Reviews for Archos 104 mini music player (4GB)
1 Review Add your own »
- Latest User Reviews 1 review
-
Reviewed by: Amiel
Duration of ownership: 2 Years
Weaknesses: Very bad service
Overall: I usually donât leave reviews and I actually bought the Archos Gmini XS200 (not the one here) but thought you should know about their service. I sent my MP3 player to be fixed a month ago and when I called today to check on its status they said that it will take up to a month to charge my credit card! Not sure why they did not charge it as of yet and they wont start fixing it before payment is made. Base on this fact, it will take over two months to get my MP3 back. I called them today for the 5th time. Hope yours wont break.
Review Now! Already own it? Tell us What You Think
User Reviews From Around the Web
-
Reviewed by: wrkissel
Strengths: Long battery life, easy content loading, variable navigation speed (a must for audiobooks), small size, good color display.
Weaknesses: Does not play 32kb and 64 kb mp3 files, e.g. audiobooks, which other Archos products do play.
Overall: I have never found a low bit rate mp3 file that the XS100 and XS104 players would play. (These low bit rate files are used for audiobooks where small file size is more important than high audio quality.) Fortunately, these files can easily be converted to the wma format, which these players do play, using Goldwave software. In spite of this inconvenience, the XS104 and its predecessors are my favorite players. Whereas I spent more time trying to get my four iPods to work than listening to them, Archos products actually let me enjoy my audiobooks.
Shop for the Archos 104 mini music player (4GB)
| Merchant | Price | Merchant Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Tech for Less Store | $68.58 Buy Now » | |
| Tech for Less Store | $76.90 Buy Now » |
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