Philips EXP401 Pocket eXpanium CD-MP3 Player with 100 Second Anti-Skip

Philips EXP401 Pocket eXpanium CD-MP3 Player with 100 Second Anti-Skip

Product Description
Amazon.com Review
The return of the 3-inch CD--now rechristened as an "8 cm CD"--was inspired by the popularity of solid-state MP3 players. With no moving parts and only tiny memory cards for information storage, MP3 players require little pocket space. Portable CD players, on the other hand, even in the service of MP3 playback, can't help but be larger than the average MP3 player--which is where the pocket eXpanium comes in.

Philips's EXP401 8 cm CD player is indeed small, measuring a mere 3.5 by 4.5 inches (though it does seem a little thick at 1.25 inches). Since the trays or spindles in most standard CD and DVD players accommodate 3-inchers, and since few commercial baby CDs have seen release outside Japan (where the format continues to thrive), the incentive for investing in a dedicated 8 cm CD player surely isn't prerecorded music. And that's OK, because Philips just might be onto something here.

Using recordable 8 cm CDs and MP3 or AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) compression, one disc can hold more than three hours of music (compared with only 21 or so minutes of CD-quality PCM audio). No encoding software comes with the player, and, of course, you'll need a CD burner to take full advantage of the portability and extended playback. But, properly equipped, the EXP401 is a fun and worthy entry in the MP3-CD field, excelling both ergonomically and sonically.

The player lets you access digital-music files individually or in user-designated folders (called "albums"), simplifying the process of sorting through the 30 to 50 tracks you might end up with on each of your discs. It'll also play "mixed-mode" CDs--that is, discs bearing both linear PCM (CD) and MP3/AAC audio data--but doing so requires manual switching between PCM and MP3 modes.

Philips boasts nearly two minutes of "Magic" electronic skip protection (ESP), and, supernatural or not, we were unable to induce interruptions in our tunes shy of stopping playback or skipping to another track.

In our tests, we were impressed with the player's sound quality (through good headphones), with the player exhibiting ample amplifier power and pleasing, effortless sound from known CD sources. Compressed-audio files vary in their fidelity, of course, but Philips seems to have nailed the analog end of things with a quality headphone jack and volume control. The digital dynamic bass boost is actually useful, with level 1 offering a refreshing boost in the bass only and level 2 jacking the low end even further and introducing a little extra treble as well.

We strongly recommend using a better-sounding, more comfortable set of headphones than the included ear buds. As long as you stick with .125-inch minijack headphones, compatibility with the handy clip-on remote control won't be an issue.

Included in the box are the EXP401, a user's manual, one blank 8 cm CD-R, a limited-function clip-on wired remote control, a pair of ear-bud headphones, and an AC adapter. The EXP401 runs on a single AA battery (not included), from which it derives about three hours of playing time for an MP3-CD with electronic shock protection on (five hours with ESP off), and six hours for standard CD audio (with EPS on or off).

Supported bit rates: MP3: 32 to 320 kbps; AAC: less than or equal to 160 kbps. Total number of music files and albums: around 350 (with a typical file name length of 20 characters). The number of music files that can be played depends on the length of the names, but given the relatively limited storage capacity of the 8 cm discs, this shouldn't pose a problem. --Michael Mikesell

Pros:

Small size, large storage capacity

Easy navigability

Good sound quality

Hold and resume features

Supports AAC compression

Strong anti-skip protection

Lightweight

AC adapter included

Cons:

No ID3 tag support (for artist and song titles)

Limited battery life with MP3 playback

Limited non-MP3/AAC applications

Slightly flimsy build quality

Product Description:
The pocket-sized 8cm eXpanium eXp401 is Philips' exciting, new-generation MP3-CD player. Philips has used 'pocket science' to create a miniature player that's 40% smaller than a standard CD player - but still really big on music.The eXp401 uses cheap and convenient 8cm CDs, which hold a full three hours of tunes (compressed at 128 kbps). Simply Rip it! Burn it! Spin it! to compile and play a whole pocket full of your choice in music.

Philips EXP401 Pocket eXpanium CD-MP3 Player with 100 Second Anti-Skip

Philips EXP401 Pocket eXpanium CD-MP3 Player with 100 Second Anti-Skip

Average customer rating:

Still in love after all these years...
Great Idea - Needs work.
some problems, but usable
finally, one that fits
Great little player

Philips EXP401 Pocket eXpanium CD-MP3 Player with 100 Second Anti-Skip

Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: CE
Binding: Electronics

Audio & Video | Refurbished & Used | Special Features | Electronics Features | Electronics
Accessories:

Motorized SkipDoctor by Digital Innovations (Model 1013000)
Sony MDR-V700DJ DJ Style Monitor Series Headphones
Fellowes Nylon CD Wallet (224-Disc Capacity)
Fellowes Nylon CD Album (320-Disc Capacity)
Sennheiser HD570 Traditional Over-Ear Open Dynamic Hi-Fi Stereo Headphones (Black)

Product Features:

Enjoy more than 3 hours of music from one 8-centimeter MP3-encoded CD
Supports MP3 and AAC formats, audio CD, CD-R, and CD-RW
100-second electronic skip protection (above average)
3-hour playback with 1 AA alkaline battery
UDF support (record data files using drag-and-drop); earbud headphones and AC adapter included

ASIN: B00005O02X

Amazon.com Review

The return of the 3-inch CD--now rechristened as an "8 cm CD"--was inspired by the popularity of solid-state MP3 players. With no moving parts and only tiny memory cards for information storage, MP3 players require little pocket space. Portable CD players, on the other hand, even in the service of MP3 playback, can't help but be larger than the average MP3 player--which is where the pocket eXpanium comes in.

Philips's EXP401 8 cm CD player is indeed small, measuring a mere 3.5 by 4.5 inches (though it does seem a little thick at 1.25 inches). Since the trays or spindles in most standard CD and DVD players accommodate 3-inchers, and since few commercial baby CDs have seen release outside Japan (where the format continues to thrive), the incentive for investing in a dedicated 8 cm CD player surely isn't prerecorded music. And that's OK, because Philips just might be onto something here.

In our tests, we were impressed with the player's sound quality (through good headphones), with the player exhibiting ample amplifier power and pleasing, effortless sound from known CD sources. Compressed-audio files vary in their fidelity, of course, but Philips seems to have nailed the analog end of things with a quality headphone jack and volume control. The digital dynamic bass boost is actually useful, with level 1 offering a refreshing boost in the bass only and level 2 jacking the low end even further and introducing a little extra treble as well.

Pros:

Small size, large storage capacity
Easy navigability
Good sound quality
Hold and resume features
Supports AAC compression
Strong anti-skip protection
Lightweight
AC adapter included

Cons:

No ID3 tag support (for artist and song titles)
Limited battery life with MP3 playback
Limited non-MP3/AAC applications
Slightly flimsy build quality

Product Description

The pocket-sized 8cm eXpanium eXp401 is Philips' exciting, new-generation MP3-CD player. Philips has used 'pocket science' to create a miniature player that's 40% smaller than a standard CD player - but still really big on music.The eXp401 uses cheap and convenient 8cm CDs, which hold a full three hours of tunes (compressed at 128 kbps). Simply Rip it! Burn it! Spin it! to compile and play a whole pocket full of your choice in music.

Customer Reviews:

Still in love after all these years..........2006-03-09

I bought two of these from eBay a few years back - one for me, and one for my now-fiancé. I was obsessed with its "small is the new small" style, and I loved its globular, from-the-not-so-distant-future look.

Was I impressed with it? Yes. Am I still? See previous answer. According to the manufacture date, this sexy little number will be five years old this September, and it has yet to cheese me off.

True, it's not a battery conservationist's dream - what high-drain one-battery device manufactured in 2001 is? In the not-so-distant future, I charge two NiMHs, use one, and keep the spare in my pocket. Come on, folks - it only uses ONE BATTERY!

True, it's more than twice the size of my Rio Chiba Urban, which I also adore. But I don't have fifty SD cards, nor do I have the time to write and rewrite to the few that I have. I do, however, have fifty 88-cent 8cm CDRWs, and it takes a heck of a lot less time to write a 192MB CD than it does to transfer 128MB over USB 1.1 - not only that, but the player doesn't need to be anywhere near the computer, sucking batteries, while I'm doing it.

True, it doesn't display song/artist/album information. Neither does the iPod Shuffle, and rich brats are all over those things like a fat cat on a bag of Meow Mix. Besides, you made the CD; you know what's on it. Element of surprise, and all that.

True, it's slightly cheap and plastic-feeling. Here's a news flash from the not-so-distant future, kids: consumer electronics these days are rarely made with an eye for craftsmanship. Both of our units look only slightly worn after years of use, and they have that kind of stylistic "je ne sais quoi" that will have our descendants praising it as we do the Phonospheres of yore.

So yes, it has served me well over the years. It's a shame it's no longer made, to my knowledge. Actually, come to think of it, maybe it's a good thing - I'm the only one (besides my fiancé) who has one, and its kooky kitsch potential will ensure its collectibility in the not-so-distant future.

Great Idea - Needs work........2004-04-16

Bought this for my wife to use at work; was impressed by the resume ability and 2-minute ESD. The resume ability was for her to listen to long audiobooks; as the resume ability does not work (see review by "An electronics fan"), that idea is down the drain. Secondly, also mentioned in "An electronics fan"'s review, the machine turns off if you take a particularly hard step while walking with it in your hand. Pitiful. Will be giving this away and buying a better one.

some problems, but usable.......2003-07-22

I like this product for its convenience, small size, and good sound quality. The mini-CDs hold about 4 hours of music in MP3 format (128 or 160 k-bit) each, and are very easy to carry around with you. As for the battery problem alluded to by previous reviewers, I solve the problem by using rechareable batteries and carry a couple spares with me.

I do have a couple problems: 1) the resume button doesn't work on my machine every since I got it. 2) after a month of use, my player starts shutting off whenever there's a jolt to it or if I drop it into my bag. Perhaps I've not been very careful with it, but the player should be better built than that. I will probably try a different mini-CD player next time, if the problems start to annoy me too much.

finally, one that fits.......2003-06-24

i have been looking for a device to listen to my music on the go, while i am jogging, driving or in the gym. i have tried the card based ones, fullsize cd players and also the hard drive based ones. finally this mini-cd player is the one that fits my life. it doesn't skip at all, even when i was jogging on the road, good idea to get an optional clip. I have a few mini CDRWs and i use them constantly, i fit upto 40 songs on a single disc. this baby works great for me, Battery life is also very good. i have had it for couple of months, as good as new.

Great little player.......2003-03-28

...I tested this out one weekend on the Metro, and also by walking around DC. I listened to it for over five hours, most of them without the ESP turned on, it never skipped while I was walking and the sound/headphones were much better than other unit I have used in the past. Navigation is generally easy, as you can skip by tracks, or skip by alblums, if you burn your songs into folders on the disk. Very easy.

The media is 100X better than memory cards - it is an unbelievable difference if you've ever used MMC or SD cards before. It's cheap ...which unless you are hardcore, is a LOT of storage. I ripped/encoded 25 of my own CDs and they fit on eight mini-CDs, totaling just over 24 hours of music. There is a problem of transportation; I used a Case Logic wallet designed for a full size CD player, and the CDs shifted around a lot. Hopefully someone will address this in the future.

My only complaint is that the unit is generally less sturdy than I would like. If you are careful then it probably won't be a problem, but even when the lid was locked down, it still moved from side to side a little. I was not impressed with that. But I got a two year warranty from BB, so I don't really care.

Electronics:

Electronics

electronics

Recommended Consumer Electronics:

Nokia 9200 9290 Holster for cell-phone and cellular phones

PANASONIC RPSDH01GU1A 1GB SD Secure Digital Card

Refurbished HP DeskJet 6540 Inkjet Printer

5180xt Lmp 1800 Lpm 110/220v 55 Dba Cabinet Coax/twinax Scs

SVA USA 17" LCD Flat Panel Monitor - VR17B

Belkin Car Cord Charger For Sanyo 3000/4000/4500 Series Wireless Phones (F8V790)

Zonet ZUN2210 - network adapter ( ZUN2210 )

Audiovox DV1531 200-Watt 5-Disc DVD Home Theater System

Portable Samsung 40GB/5400rpm/8MB 2.5" USB 2.0 External Hard Drive for Apple Powerbook

Myst V: End of Ages (Dvd-rom, Pc/mac)

Boss Audio 630U MP3 / CD Receiver with USB and Memory Card Ports