NOMAD MuVo NX Review: A Memory Stick with a Penchant for Music - Comparing the EQ Presets
(Page 7 of 7 )
There are four EQ presets: Pop, Classical, Jazz, and Rock. These help enhance the sound according to the genre of the music. Once a user discovers and gets comfortable with the Custom EQ settings, he/she won’t want to look at the presets again. The custom EQ allows for the user to use the unit at its full potential -- which is actually pretty good. The settings leave a bit to be desired, but given the simplicity of this unit’s software, it’s understandable. I just wish that I had to option to tweak the presets to my liking. My opinion of what Classical should sound like doesn’t exactly match theirs.
- Pop
- Song: Lose Yourself, by Emminem
- Only complaint is that there’s note enough bass. Very flat sound.
- Classical
- Song: Double Violin Concerto in D Minor, by J.S. Bach
- I found myself having to turn the volume all the way up in the “classical” setting. Very flat – sounded like I was listening to FM radio more than an MP3 of 128kbps. Lacking sufficient treble. I was struggling to enjoy the music.
- Jazz
- Song: Suavemente, by Georgie & Russell.
- Very bass heavy – overtly so. Listening to Beck’s Loser, revealed the full deficiencies of this setting (I used this song due to the wide range of elements used).
- Rock
- Song: One Step Closer, Linkin Park
- Sound is good. This was just about the best EQ setting out of the bunch.
Most responsive settings in this unit were the Rock and Pop settings. The Jazz and Classical setting fall directly into the hands of this unit’s weaknesses: Namely, that it’s pretty quiet. Using those two settings, you can forget about using this unit in a noisy environment, like an airplane, or jogging close to a busy street. Good for controlled environments, like an office, or while at the gym.
Conclusion
Overall, this unit has performed quite well. For those with a physically active lifestyle seeking a portable digital music solution, this fits the need, and does it with style. At around $160 from ThinkGeek (for the 256MB model), this is not a bad buy. If you’re looking for something that can hold every single song in your CD collection, then this is obviously not for you. Look instead for something with a larger hard drive.
One last item of note is this unit's power consumption rate. According to the specifications, the MuVo NX will last up to eleven hours playing MP3s, and up to nine playing WMAs. However, using one AAA Energizer e2, I was able to have this unit playing 128kbps MP3s for over 15 hours. Why, that's about the amount of the time it takes to fly from Miami to Mumbai! Other reports give this unit a continuous play time of over twelve hours with regular Duracells and Energizers, so the specified times are conservative indications of the unit's potential.
| DISCLAIMER: The content provided in this article is not warranted or guaranteed by Developer Shed, Inc. The content provided is intended for entertainment and/or educational purposes in order to introduce to the reader key ideas, concepts, and/or product reviews. As such it is incumbent upon the reader to employ real-world tactics for security and implementation of best practices. We are not liable for any negative consequences that may result from implementing any information covered in our articles or tutorials. If this is a hardware review, it is not recommended to open and/or modify your hardware. |
