Coby MP705-8G 8GB FM Radio/MP3 Video Player

With technology changing every day, it’s tough to keep up with the latest trends. Even if you do manage, how can you do so without breaking the bank? It is a recession after all, so we as consumers need to make wise decisions. So when I was on the search for a brand new MP3 player, I was surprised to find a full featured, affordable MP3 player that also provided plenty of bells and whistles.

The Coby MP705 Media Player is an affordable to way to stay entertained while on the go. With support for several media types, including music, video and photos, the MP705 is a full-featured music player, supporting MP3, WMA, WMA-DRM, WAV, TXT files, and even includes a built in FM tuner. Now, while this sounds good on paper, I wanted to dig deeper and put this unit through my everday routine to see how it held up.

The first thing I noticed about the Coby MP705 was its elegant design. The controls are laid out in a circular fashion along a touchpad,are intuitive, simple to use, and responsive. Above the touchpad is a 2” TFT LCD full color display that shows off the unit’s many features and capabilities. It provides access to the music files, FM radio and other options such as alternate language modes.

The unit I tested out had an 8 GB capacity, which holds approximately 1,000 songs. I plugged the unit into my computer using the supplied USB cable, to transfer music as well as charge the player. I used Windows Media Player 10 to organize the songs I wanted to transfer, and was surprised to find that I could transfer the MP3’s I purchased online from sites like Napster, URGE and Y! Music. Unfortunately, this product does not support files purchased from iTunes, but I still had plenty of songs to jam to on the commute home.

From the start, the MP705 surprised me. This player includes a comfortable set of Super Bass Isolation headphones that feature high performance Neodymium drivers, an unexpected but welcome addition to this package. This provides a deep bass sound and, because they’re noise isolating headphones, you’re sure to be rocking without any outside interference. The battery life was also impressive, lasting about 11 hours before it had to be charged.

All in all, the Coby MP705 is an impressive MP3 player with an incredible array of features and above average sound quality. A player like this would be a bargain at twice the price. Be sure to check out our sponsor’s page at aSavings.com for a great deal on this product.

Coby CAM5000 Digital HD Camcorder

When I think back on virtually every big event in my childhood, whether graduation, spelling bee, or piano recital, there was one constant: the twenty pound camcorder my folks had from the mid-1980s. By the time I was in elementary school, nearly 10 years after my parents dropped several hundred bucks for our Panasonic, it was still going strong and our VHS tapes chronicling the family events numbered in the hundreds. Now, flash forward another 10 years, and most kids today barely know what a VHS is. Regardless, there is no doubt that today’s camcorder is smaller, cheaper, and better than I could have ever dreamed of as a kid. The Coby CAM5000 is a perfect example of this shift.

The CAM5000 takes still pictures, video, and can even act as a webcam. It’s very similar to the Flip Video line gaining popularity, but it’s got lower price tag and is better quality in a lot of ways. And with a 5.0 megapixel picture quality and 720p resolution, you’re getting clear image in a package roughly the size of an iPod. For me, the best part of this product is the portability. I slip it in my back pocket and I’m ready to capture, edit, and save whatever I come across during the day—whether it’s a meaningful moment with that special someone, or maybe just that guy breakdancing to The Temptations on the subway. Either way, I’ve got it saved to show to my friends, family, or even post up on Youtube for the world to see.

As for the technical specs, as I mentioned before, it’s a 5.0 megapixel camera. It’s got a 2 inch LCD screen, an LED to successfully shed some light on life’s more dim happenings, a pretty good (4X) digital zoom, and a 128GB internal memory. The battery lasts 2 hours on a single charge, and it comes with software that makes it even easier to edit your video or images, especially if you want to post it on the net. The only problem I have with this camera is that the internal memory is a little small for the number of things I deem record-worthy on a daily basis. So, I had to buy myself an 8GB card to fix this, but since this product is a great price and fully SD/SDHC compatible and an 8GB card runs you around $20, this flaw isn’t anything that makes me regret my purchase.

All in all, this is a wonderful little camcorder. It’s great quality, light, and compact. Go out and get yours from our sponsor http://www.digitalfotoclub.com/product-features.asp?id=964802348 today!

Coby CSMP140 Boombox and iPod Dock

Where have all the boomboxes gone?  What happened to the good ol’ days of metallic rectangles, 4 feet long, spewing forth barely  coherent rhymes, resting on shoulders that swayed to futuristic beats?  Oh, now I remember… for starters, I moved out of Brooklyn.  Though credit must be given where credit is due, it was Apple that dealt the crushing blow to boomboxes when it released a 4-inch competitor called the iPod.  With it’s sleek design, straight-out-of-star-trek touch screen, and do-anything apps, the iPod has revolutionized how we interact with our music.  Accordingly, the boomboxes must adapt.

And adapt they have.  Although Sony still leads the market, smaller manufacturers like Coby have stepped up and released several boomboxes recently that deliver exactly what music lovers want today.  For starters, goodbye you unsightly silvery quadrate, and hello curvilinear heaven.  The Coby CSMP140 is just one of several new Coby Boomboxes that are designed with eye-appealing curves.  More importantly, they’re no longer monstrously big.   The Coby CSMP140 is barely 1 foot long, and even less than 1 foot tall.  Great looking and very portable, Coby hit the bullseye when they designed this product.

But what about sound quality?  It’s a Coby.  For those who don’t know what I mean, line a Coby up next to a Bose and compare.  You’ll notice a difference.  Line a Coby up next to a Sony, on the other hand, and you may or may not hear a difference (mostly depending on which Sony you chose).  Since it’s inception in 1990, Coby’s audio technology has grown in leaps and bounds and their boomboxes are reaping the benefit.  The Coby CSMP140 Portable CD Boombox & iPod Dock is a great example of the company’s emphasis on “offering innovative, quality products at attractive-prices” (about Coby).

Finally, the iPod dock.  The must-have feature of almost all audio related products today is iPod compatibility.  Well Coby truly shines.  The Coby CSMP140 not only comes with an iPod dock that allows you to charge your iPod as you listen to its music, the folks at Coby made sure the dock is compatible with all iPods.  So whether you have an iPod classic, the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th generation iPod Nano, the 5th generation iPod Video, or the 1st or 2nd generation iPod Touch, the Coby CSMP140 boombox will work for you.  In fact, the iPod dock on the Coby CSMP140 will even play music from the Apple iPhone, although it will have the iPhone prompting users to go into Airplane Mode to save battery life since the dock does not charge the iPhone.  The folks at Coby even designed easy-to-use adapters that fit around the iPod dock and let you slip your iPod, no matter which one it is, into the iPod dock safely and securely.

Between the sleek design, good sound quality, and iPod compatibility, the Coby CSMP140 Portable CD Boombox & iPod Dock offers great value.  Personally, I would like to see Coby release a version with a digital radio tuner rather than the analog wheel, and maybe find a way to fit the input selector in the front, rather than on the back of the boombox.  Other than that, however, I think the Coby CSMP140 Portable CD Boombox & iPod Dock would make a great gift for someone who likes to take their music on the go but does not want or need to be constrained by headphones.  It would also make a good gift for someone who needs an extra set of speakers for their iPod in a small room, like a home office, or a small apartment.  Finally, as with all boomboxes, this would make a good gift for campers and barbecuers who enjoy listening to their music in the background.

As always, a sincere thank you to Digital Foto Club for sponsoring this review.  If you’d like to buy the Coby CSMP140 Portable CD Boombox & iPod Dock, please consider buying it from them.

Coby CVH42 Deep Bass Lightweight Stereo Headphones

When I need a good pair of cheap headphones, I think of Coby.  With very few exceptions, Coby’s line of headphones have a tradition of unparalleled value: good sound-quality for unbeatable prices.  The CVH42 Deep Bass Lightweight Stereo Headphones carries this tradition on quite well.  According to Coby’s website, the CVH42 “are a simple, yet functional way to meet your audio needs.  Its open-air design and adjustable headband provides customizable comfort. High-performance 40mm drivers are designed for optimum quality listening.”  Now let’s be quite frank here, there is nothing “high-quality” about these headphones, so if that’s what you’re in the market for look at Sony and if you’re into Premium Sound then check out Shure and Sennheiser.  However, if you’re looking for a pair of “down-and-dirty”, take them everywhere, do anything with them, headphones – these are among the best in that class.

The reason I think the Coby CVH42 is among the best in this class is because it’s one of the few headphones under $5 where you can actually appreciate the bass in your audio.  In fact, there are many headphones that sell for as much as $20 that don’t relay the bass as well as this pair does.  Although the bass-quality is the highlight for these pair, I should mention something about comfort. Don’t expect thick cushions or fancy straps, but this is definitely one of the more comfortable headphones you can buy at this price.  They’re light, they adjust easily, and their soft pads are actually soft (which is more than can be said for other bargain headphones).

The next time you’re in the market for an affordable headset that’s comfortable and offers good sound quality, and want to try the Coby CVH42, consider buying it from one of our sponsors:

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