| | |  | Notebook Accessories | Home » » » » » RCA Pearl 2 GB MP3 Player with FM Radio and Direct USB (Blue) | | | | | | | Description: | | Sleek and slender, the RCA Pearl is a gem of a digital audio player. With a direct USB connector, you can download your favorite open mp3 and WMA, and Unprotected AAC tracks from any computer. If you need more space, use the expandable memory in the MicroSD Card Slot to add memory. Also enjoy the ability to listen and record FM radio directly on the device. With 35 hour battery life, Nothing shines quite like a Pearl! | | | Features: | |
• 2 GB of flash memory stores up to 600 songs or 8 hours of video
• Connect directly to your computer with the built-in USB for fast file transfers
• Included EasyRip software makes quick work of building and managing your music library
• Add more memory using the MicroSD slot
• Enjoy up to 35 hours of music playback with one AAA battery
| | | Product Details: | | | Product Length:
| 3.06 inches | | Product Width:
| 1.09 inches | | Product Height:
| 0.73 inches | | Product Weight:
| 0.35 pounds | | Package Length:
| 5.8 inches | | Package Width:
| 5.2 inches | | Package Height:
| 1.3 inches | | Package Weight:
| 0.3 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 31 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers.
 A piece of trashAug 13, 2009
I purchased my first RCA Pearl in May 2009 and found it so easy to use that I purchased two more for my children. By the end of July all three units had stopped working. They won't turn on and the computer doesn't even recognize them when they are inserted in a USB port. RCA's technical support is nonexistent. Don't purchase an RCA product ever again!
Battery operated silence. Not the upgrade I hoped for.Jul 10, 2009
Received the 1Gb Pearl, as a gift. The 1Gb was convenient to have on my Wing, as I could change the batteries on a long trip and not have to worry about having a computer to recharge. I figured I would by the same brand as the one I had seemed to work great. Buying the 2GB pearl was not a good decision. It worked once and then never again. Troubleshooting via the instructions on the customer support web page didn't work. Sent Audiovox (RCA) an email explaining the problem and they told me to do the same thing as on the web. (Waited two weeks for a reply.) I had to delete all the files and reformat the device. I did this twice and reloaded just a few songs to see if it would work, but it didn't. They said I could send it back with all the original items, to include the receipt. If I didn't have the receipt I could send them $47.77, in a trackable manner (UPS/FedEx $$). They would then look at it and determine if it could be fixed or should be replaced under warrantee. It wasn't over $40 new! Since I could get a new one here for $20.00, I could replace it twice and it would even include shipping! The original 1Gb Pearl still works fine, but I purchased a different 2Gb MP3 so I could have more music. Not a good deal, they should send me the $47.77
 Never AgainJul 02, 2009
My PEARL model worked for about four months. Then one day I turned it on and it said my music file was EMPTY. EMPTY!!! I restarted it and it flashed the logo then turned off. My USB port wouldn't recognize it. I sent it to the company, and finally after two months they sent it back and didn't even say if they fixed it or not. Obviously they did because it worked for a week before refusing to turn on. The PEARL logo just stayed there forever and it didn't turn off unless I ripped the battery out. I called Wal-Mart and they refused to take it back. I called the company and they said I might have a virus. So I attempted to upgrade Firmware today but it keeps saying it can't write the files. The EasyRip program says I have music but I can't get to it! I formatted the player but nothing works. If only I read the customer reviews before buying this junk! Take it from someone who is suffering at the hands of this product at this very moment: don't buy it! (Good thing I still have my Creative Muvo v200 model. It may have next to no memory but it still worked even after I dropped it in the bathtub!)There is no reason why the PEARL shouldn't be working, so I am ANGRY!!! But trust me, reading bad reviews of this product made me feel better.
BummedJun 22, 2009
I bought this mp3 player sometime back in December 2008. After 2 weeks of use it would freeze up on me. A call to RCA said that it needed a firmware upgrade. Okay, this helped for about another 2 weeks until it started to freeze up again. After several more battles with this unit I brought it back to Walmart and they agreed to exchange it for a new one. However, this new one could only be returned within the next two weeks otherwise any returns had to be dealt with RCA. I should have known this was a bad omen. Well, here it is June and for the last month it only works if you don't bump it. If you do it turns itself off. Absolutely no good for carrying around. Sneeze on it and it shuts off. Now I'm saving my money for a Sony. My kids have an older Pearl model (not sure model #) and they have worked great.
 Good little unitJun 16, 2009
Had I read these reviews it's likely that I wouldn't have bought my Pearl on a whim. After reading these reviews I'm pleased to say that my Pearl has worked very well. It came with firmware version 1.2.5.0 and I've not had any of the lock-ups that seem to have plagued other reviewers. I have noticed skips in MP3 playback and after finding that it wasn't my music collection at fault I opted to update to firmware 1.2.5.5 which is only supposed to add some AAC support. The MP3 skips seem to have been reduced with this new firmware but I only have a few hours of total listening time with it since I did the update.
The update was an event in and of itself. I first tried it on my computer at work and the program just crashed. I then tried it on a laptop with W2k and while the program ran it never seemed to find the Pearl. A friend loaned me an old machine with XP where he could log in as administrator and the program ran and still could not find the Pearl. After trying the suggested troubleshooting steps to no avail I simply removed the Pearl while the program was running, took out the battery and plugged it into the USB port and finally the updater found the Pearl and the update went flawlessly.
This is my first portable MP3 player so I don't have a lot of experience with these devices. That said here is my list of ups and downs.
UP
* Small size, easily hidden in a pocket and doesn't weight much more than the AAA battery.
* Integrated USB connector.
* Bright easy to read display
* Comes up as a mass storage device on later Linux systems. I've had no problems with file management from my Linux laptop.
* Plays MP3s up to 320 kbps.
* Supports WMA, MP3, and AAC formats.
* Uses common AAA battery with an advertised life of 35 hours.
* Micro SD card support means almost unlimited storage although it's tough to decide whether buying SD cards or another player is money better spent.
DOWN
* May have skip issues on playback.
* Doesn't support OGG files.
* Integrated USB connector may require an extension cable on some computers.
* Included ear buds are next to worthless as they keep falling out of my ears.
* Included software is Windows only. While this is to be expected, it's still a bit galling that in 2009 only one computing system is "supported". I've not tried the program in Wine to see whether it would be useful, but since Linux systems already have so many fine audio tools, I haven't missed it.
Overall I'm satisfied with the Pearl. It's relatively inexpensive and works well. If it supported OGG files it would be almost perfect for me. I just need to find a good set of earbuds to go with it. A pocket is required to carry it as nothing is included in the unit but that hasn't been a huge issue for me as I've primarily used it to listen to my music collection in the truck with a cassette adapter. It's a good unit and I can work with its limitations. Perhaps I'll have to hunt down a 4 GiB unit someday.
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