RCA Lyra 128 MB MP3 Player

1 Not the top quality, but still decent...
As a first MP3 player (purchased just for the heck of it), this tiny little thing really isnt too bad. I paid about $80 for it at WalMart in June of 2004, and it worked for a good 9 months before beginning to give me minor problems. A rough landing on a schooldesk turned it off, and the headphone jack began to perform strangely, sometimes only playing through one ear, sometimes two. This problem is temporarily fixed by wiggling or rotating the headphone plug an inkling.

I never had a problem with the battery cover, and I never use software that comes with flash devices of any kind (just drag and drop in XP), so no complaints there. When this device was purchased, newer models were not available, but at this point I would reccommend to get the sturdier RD2010 instead of this one. If you must get this one, it can be found on EBay for relatively cheap (and you can know whether those work or not), as can most low-end MP3 players.

All in all, not a bad choice, but there are better ones.

2 Sounds great
I actually owned the K@zoo but bought it before they had XP compatible software. You had to use their "jukebox" software which was crap. It sat around for a year or so before I could use it. RCA doesn't care at all about its customers... honest! ...BUT this player sounded GREAT. It had different sound settings so you could set the music to your taste. I think 'rock' was the setting I used. The player didn't have much memory so I bought the LYRA 1070. Same crap with the software. I could get the music on the player, but not the expansion card or some big hassle like that. RCA again was a pain to deal with.. no help at all. ...BUT this player too had those sound settings and it sounded great!

Ok, both players were stolen from my bag at the gym, so I bought a Creative MUVO. It doesn't have the easy controls like the RCA's When I have the player on my waist while running, I like to operate it without having to look at it. Kinda hard to do. ...But the worst part is I have no good volume on this player. I have it cranked all the way up and if the gym's music is too loud, I can hear it over my headset! I'd have to go into increasing the recording volume or something on the source music on my computer... but who has the time.. I'm using the same files I had on my RCA players. When I wrote to Creative, the weren't any help. Oh and their software has something (I can't recall off hand) that is so illogical about it that I didn't even use it. I used the drag and drop method but I have mixed cd's and they fade right into the next song, but there is a track marker so it counts as another track. This player put a pause and so it breaks up the mix. I didn't have this problem with the RCA.

Anyway... I'm going to get another LYRA, maybe a used one... hoping they sound the same, but as I mentioned and some of you have too, they have their share of problems... it's just that I need to be able to hear the music like I want and this player sounds great. Do any of you have a comparable recommendation for a great sounding mp3 player that's not by RCA... Or what RCA player is the best?

3 Great idea with really bad quality
I like the shape, the controls and the expansion slot. Too bad the production is so shoddy.

The control buttons either stop working or start controlling the wrong commands. For example, I can control the volume from the song selection buttons, so now there is no way to skip to the next song. Hopefully next week it will switch back.

The battery compartment top uses a 1/16" plastic tongue to latch. And of course that broke, so now tape holds the battery in.

And finally, once the battery life gets below 50%, a quick movement or change of volume turns the player off. Aggravating to say the least.

4 Very poor, not recommended
It sounded great and has great features, but manufacturing quality was horrible. The 'select' button didn't work most of the time, and the USB connector was very fussy.

To make matters worse, it disconnected (bad USB connector) during download to my SD memory card and killed a $60 card.

Then to add insult to injury, the customer service from RCA is absolutely awful. No phone support, very slow reply to email questions which led to a toll-call to a secret phone support number, during which the support person denied that the player could be at fault. When I asked to talk to her supervisor, she told me that no one there could help me.

For fun, I tried to contact the corporate offices. They don't seem to exist.

I would not recommend purchasing a Lyra, or anything else from RCA.

5 It's awesome!
When I bought my first mp3 player, I was a little nervous about it. But the RCA Lyra showed me that I had nothing to be nervous about. It's so simple to use, everywhere from playing it to putting music on it. I recently also found out that it's waterproof. I left it in my pocket before it got washed and I remembered it when it was in the dryer. It didn't work at first, but after a day it works just fine!

6 Nice Player, with a 184 Songs Limit

The RCA Lyra is cute and compact. It also sounds good. Unlike those multi-functions buttons on other models, the Lyra has separate buttons for Stop/Play/Forward/Backward; so they are easy to operate. As it's been mentioned in many of the reviews before, the battery door feels quite flimsy. I worry that it may break off each time I changed the battery. Battery life is very good using NiMH rechargeable.

One important point: It's great that this player accepts SD card for extra memory, but there is an undocumented limitation: I'm referring to the 128MB model. While the player can read from a 1GB SD card, however, a maximum of 184 songs can be recognized. The PC sees the SD card as an additional drive and you can stuff the 1GB card full with songs, but only the first 184 can be played! Say your typical song is 3-4MB a piece, then effectively, any extra memory above 512MB is not usable. That's a shame.

7 Good product - affordable - easy to use
I go to the gym several at least 4 times a week, some of them are spin classes. I was looking to get an MP3 player for those times I was on my own. I asked a guy about one he had and he had this Lyra. The arm band is what got me interested in it. It stays on great and the device is protected very well. I did lots of research on other players and just wasn't up to paying over $100. This one really suits my needs. I don't need vast amounts of memory and the sound is really good. The software is easy to use. I use Windows Explorer to move my files around. A couple of hints I have come across.

I copy all my files over to the drive. I don't cut and paste. That way they stay on my hard drive. Also, one other reviewer was displeased with not getting them in order. Once you get the songs on the drive, you can rename the files with a number at the beginning of the file. That way you can get them in the order you want., e.g., 01 Song name. I also read somewhere where 1 mb is equal to 1 minute. So essentially this drive is about 2 hours. Also, I found out that you can plug computer speakers into the device and listen to it at home. I have a spare set of computer speakers and use this method sometimes.
I buy my batteries at Dollar General - uber cheap - I don't really track how long they last but at 4 for $1.00 it suits me fine. Overall, I am happy with this product.

8 are you serious?!
I found the Lyra to initally be pretty good. I am always on the go and kind of clumsy. I need an mp3 player to be durable. I will soon be purchasing a new mp3 player because my battery cover is now held on by tape. I dropped the player on carpet and the piece that locked the cover on, broke off. so I am very disappointed in the structure of the player, the size of the player is nice and conveniant and the buttons are easy to find but that is where it stops. The headphones are uncomfortable, who was in charge of that decision! I don't drive, so public transportation is key for me and I use my headphones all the time. I had to switch out the headset so my poor ears would be comfortable. It is really sad more thought was not put into this player.

9 HIT OR MISS. I SAY DON'T TAKE THE CHANCE
After reading other reviews it seems this product is either really good for some or really crappy for others. I got this for Christmas last year and it seemed ok as a gift. Windows found it right away and it was easy to put music on it as what should be expected. But I started to hate it because of the fact that I can't adjust the order of the songs unless I delete them and put them back on in the order I want them in. The battery cover is flimsy and the whole thing is made out of cheap plastic. Now recently this thing stopped working all together on me. I put music on it but the thing freezes and says there are 00 songs on it. After looking at other reviews, I say don't take the chance of getting a crappy player.

10 ............You decide
I have had this product almost a year now and i have to say there are pros and cons!

Pros:
1-Excellant size[fits into pocket nicly].
2-Great connection speed.
3- wma compatible.{if u dont have windows media player get it.
4-it has a lock button for sensitivity[wich sum dont]
5- the screen is a descent size.

ok the Cons:
1-If YOU DROP IT you are screwed . I say this because i was shooting hoops one day during half time of a game and i had it in my hand and i crouched down to take a shot and it fell out of my hand due to a stray ball. it dropped about 2 feet and and the tiny device that holds the battery into the player broke off! from then on i had to use rubber bands or athletic tape to hold it on, becuase without it u cant listen to it. Scotch tape does not work. So in other words it is kinda fragile compared to others. the putting on of tape and rubber bands gets tiresome because of the sumwhat small play time.

2-The strap it comes with is a joke and is hard to get the mp3 player in it.

3-Its been alomst a year since i got it [got it Dec 27 03]
and my sound system doesnt work. it started this strange plague ever since october and i cant recall any happening that might of messed it up. I first thought it was my headphones fault, but after testing about 4 other headphones my hypothesis was wrong. I tried updating it but nothing happened, the updating process didnt even work and i have an XP and roderunner,great combo in my p-o-v.

4- The size is good and bad but it is bad because it can be easily lost if not careful.

5-buttons could be bigger, though it all depends.

Well u heard my opinion and you can think what u want. One word to descbribe this: OK
But, i want more storage and better sound so im goin to go with the Creative Zen Mini.

11 Cheap Construction
This player was all that I wanted it to be when I bought it for my son - I even bought one for myself. Shortly thereafter, though, my son's battery compartment door broke - there's a tiny plastic tab that locks it closed. If mine hadn't broken shortly thereafter I'd say he was rough with it, but I know I wasn't. The plastic tab will first loosen, which VERY annoyingly shuts off the player in the middle of use, and then it will break off completely. It's a poor design (or perhaps this was what it was designed to do so you'd have to buy another). Now we have 2 MP3 players with taped-closed battery doors. I wouldn't buy another.

12 Great Value! A Great Alternative over iPod Expandible Memory
When I was shopping for an MP3 player, there were many different kinds. Of course like everyone, I liked the iPod but $249-$399 is a lot of money. I looked at size and I liked the 256MB kinds but they were $149 (for an extra $100, I could get an iPod that holds a lot more songs). Finally I found this one. I liked it a lot from the descriptions and reviews. And I saw you can buy a memory card (SD or MMD) to expand the memory in your mp3 player (about $30 at samsclub.com for an SD 256MB). At first I thought 128 MB would hold on like 25 songs but if you set the quality setting to a right level (WMA 64k) you can fit in about 4 hrs. of music and about 63-70 songs (depending on size). When I plugged it in with the included USB port, Windows XP immediately found it and I could already transfer my library to the MP3 player (or memory card). The included CD comes with drivers, MusicMatch Box v8.2, Mood Logic, and offers, while when online, you can get free music downloads. While it comes with MusicMatch Box, I use Windows Media Player 10 (free at microsoft.com) and I can transfer songs quickly and at a good quality level (WMA 64k). And also with MSN Music, Walmart Music Download Store, Napster, and many others you can legally download songs to Windows Media Player to put on your RCA Lyra. (I burn the songs to a CD first then put them on Windows Media Player again at my quality level/file size.) Also, the size it really small so I just put my RCA Lyra in my pocket. But, sometimes I use the included armband and headphones. Now I got this on a special sale at circuitcity.com for $69 instead of $89.
There is also a 64MB version of the MP3 Lyra here on amazon.com for $49 (for people who don't need a lot of songs on the built in memory card, for people who have an additional memory card, for people who want to save money, or for people who like the color). If you don't want to spend a lot of money this is a great MP3 Player.

13 Not a wise investment!!
I think $30 would be a better price for the RCA Lyra. I decided to buy one as an alternative to the more expensive mp3 players. I just needed something to listen to to run on a treadmill. My brother also bought one the same time I did, because it seemed like the best value for the purpose. Five months after I got it, it would cut off at random times. I finally realized it was because the battery door is flimsy, and it pops away easily unsecuring the battery. I mentioned something about needing a new mp3 player to my brother, and he told me his broke too. I asked him what happened and he reported the same thing - the battery door. His won't even play anymore though. I know reviews are a dime a dozen, but the market for mp3 players is so big now, that you should invest your money elsewhere. I decided to pay a little more money on my new mp3 player, and I am in love with it. I won't say what it is though, because I don't want this to be taken as a negative ad against the RCA lyra just so you will buy another specific brand.

14 Review of decent 256 MB player
Before I begin this review, I need to offer this disclaimer: I am reviewing the 256MB version of this product (model # RD1075). I have to post this review on the 128 MB product page because the 256 MB version of this product does not have an item listing on Amazon.com. So, other than that matter, the rest of this review is for identical products.

I was forced to get an RCA Lyra 256 because my Rio Chiba inexplicably ceased to work despite no obvious signs of damage or malfunction. The RCA Lyra is less complex and less refined than the Rio Chiba, but for the purposes of what I needed it for (working out), it suited me. Like the Rio Chiba, the RCA Lyra 256 uses Flash memory to store MP3 and WAV music files for listening enjoyment. Like the Chiba, the Lyra also provides memory upgradeability to using Secure Digital or MultiMediaCards. The sound quality on for the Lyra is top of the line for the most part. The Lyra is also compact, which makes it very viable to use when working out.

Now, for all the good of the Lyra, the bad must be pointed out. Unlike the Chiba, the Lyra does not have an FM Tuner. That however, is minor, since this is a less refined product and, as a result, less expensive. The other, more glaring cons, involve the playback quality and physical endurance of the player. As stated above, the sound quality is great for the most part. However, when the battery starts to run low, there are barely noticeable pauses that occur in the middle of songs that can be somewhat distracting. In addition, this same pauses can occur if the transfer of music from the computer to the Lyra isn't completely clean, which happens a little too much for a USB transfer. The Lyra's physical endurance is also a concern. The flash-drive Lyras are likely to be used almost exclusively for running and other workout activities. So, they should be built to endure a bit of pounding. Alas, mine fell on a carpeted floor twice and the latch that keeps the battery cover closed broke off. So, to use it, I have to tape the battery cover shut. A typical Lyra is likely to undergo much more abuse than that, making this unacceptable. It should also be noted that the armband that comes with the item is mediocre at best. While firmly holds the Lyra against the arm, the way it is designed makes it nearly impossible to operate the controls on the device, since they are all covered by the thick fabric of the armband.

Despite the cons in this review, the Lyra 256 still garners a positive recommendation because it meets my base requirements. It still functions; it still plays high quality music; and, it is a perfectly-suited complement to my athletic endeavors.

15 Keeps on Ticking!!
I absolutely LOVE this mp3 player! I received it as a gift in October 2003, and it still works as it did the day I got it! I'm a clumsy person and it's been dinged and knocked around. When it gets dinged a little too hard, it'll shut off, but turn it back on, it's good as new. It's definitely worth the money. I also love that XP immediately recognizes it and pulls it up as another drive. It makes it easy to change music when I'm in a hurry. I also bought an fm transmitter by Belkin (around $20) and it plays through my car stereo flawlessly. I like the earphones that came with them. My ears are tiny and earbuds hurt. I also clip them on my shirt when I'm not using them. This is truly a great buy and worth every penny!

16 Great MP3 Player for running or just around the house...
I bought my RCA LYRA RD1071 from Walmart about 2 months ago for $79.00. It is my second MP3 player and I have to say I am very pleased with it. I fit 50 songs on the built in 128 MB card (Using MP3PRO). The armband is great for running and a lot better then the belt clipped ones. Yes it will fit the upper arm, I have 17" arms and I have no problem. The headphones took a little getting used to, but work great while running, I have never had an issue. The main feature I feel is missing is a backlight. If I am running at night I have a hard time seeing what buttons to push. No big deal though there is not that many buttons to mess with. To the person that is having problems with the songs skipping in the middle, that is probably a PEBKAC or ID10T error I would say. I have had no such problems.

17 good , but lasted an year.
Looked an excellent buy for its price and upgrade capability. Bought it in march 2003 and it finally started giving problems in aug 2004. Worked well till then.
The problem I have now is that the audio can be heard only from one headset, there seems to be some problem with the output jack.

I would recommend to buy the newer models.

18 Pleased with my purchase!
I bought the RCA Lyra 128MB MP3 Player some three months ago and I must say I am pleasantly surprised with the performance. The problems I have are with the accompanying software - Music Match, and not with the actual player itself. I find the process of saving my existing mp3 and mp3PRO files in Music Match and then having to create a playlist and then having to transfer the files somewhat tedious, but other than that the only complaint I have is that the player's ample display does not have a light so I can't see anything in the dark. I find the quality of sound to be more than satisfactory, and unlike other customers I don't have any problems with the earphones that have come with the product. Additionally, I am pleased that I can use RCA plugs (sold separately) and plug the player into my home theater system and really listen to some booming music from a player that most people around me think is a pager or the battery from a cordless phone! I would recommend this product for people who enjoy music but aren't slaves to the extras like high-tech headphones!

19 Overall, worth the money.
I recieved this player as a gift about 4 months ago, and it has worked perfectly to date. I would recommend it to someone searching for an inexpensive mp3 player, or someone with a relatively small music collection. The only problem I've ever had with it is its lack of a backlight.

20 Never Had A Problem
I don't care what anybody says about it. I have never had problems with skipping, shutting off for no reason, or short battery life. I bought mine was instantly amazed. It's really easy to transfer songs using Music Match that comes with it. And the expandable memory slot is handy because I can get cheaper cards with just as much memory as the next. The DSP sounds great and all 'round I've never had a problem. The only beef I had with it was the headphones that came with it, but I never use headphones that come with any audio device that I buy. Everyone who is writing a bad review because they have had the Lyra skip, shutting down with no reason, and short battery life probably just coincidently gotten the faulty ones. I recommend buying the Lyra if you do not need that much play time when using an mp3 player. I use it all the time and I even use it to store and play sports music beds between commercials and commentary for the radio station I work for. So if you're looking for a not-so-huge memory mp3 player, the 128mb Lyra is for you.

21 Don't Buy It!
I don't care what anyone else who's reviewed this item says, don't buy it. I bought one, got it home, and it kept freezing in the middle of songs--I had to actually pop the battery out to reset the player. I returned it immediately. I foolishly thought I must have a defective player and just got a replacement. That one worked well until shortly after the store's 14 day warranty ended then started acting up. It turns itself off as if on a whim. Sometimes it decides to skip. Sometimes it freezes in the middle of songs and I have to do the reboot thing. When the battery gets even half-way discharged, the player will turn itself off after every song it plays. I used to be able to carry it in my pocket, now if I do it skips or turns off so I have to carry it while I walk (I'm not an arm-band kind of girl though the player comes with one). It's just a pathetic player. Really, don't waste your money. I can't stress this strongly enough. I wish I'd bought ANYTHING else.

22 Perfect!
This bad boy is amazing. I've only had it for a few days, and it's my first mp3 player so I can't compare it. However it's perfectly sized (I can make a fist around it). It hold 4 hours! That's a lot in my book. I heard that the battery flap comes off easily, but I beg to differ. It's fine just the way it is. My only complaints are that you have to use MusicMatch to put songs onto the mp3 player, and the instruction to actually put songs on the thing are terribly blunt . Overall it's great for you if you workout or run etc, it comes with a pleasant armband. The cheap RCA headphones it comes with, well, I didn't even bother trying to use them. I have my own so it's no big deal.

Pros:
-up to 4 hours of music
-small but perfect size
-great options to use for listening (ie random, repeat, etc)
-nice armband included
-great price ($80 at Walmart)
-very nice sound

Cons:
-Musicmatch is necessary to load songs onto the Lyra
-instruction booklet is horribly blunt
-if you stop in the middle of a song and turn it on later,
it starts over on that song again (not too bad though)
-amusingly stingy headphones included (what's new)

23 So far so good!
When my Nike PSA Play(120) quit recognizing the MMC card I installed, and within days quit playing music altogether, I knew I had to do something.

Since I use my MP3 mainly in the gym, it had to be something that was small, light, easy on the batteries, and easy to use. I did my research and headed to my local Radio Hut to purchase the NIKE 128MB M3 player for $99. When I got there, I found out the newer version had no expansion slot. That would have been a waste of a $60 MMC card. What a crock!

The Hut had several other MP3's and on the advice of the clerk, I purchased the RCA Lyra 128 which did have an MMC expansion slot. Let me say though that I was skeptical about this player. I've not been a fan of RCA in the past.

So, I got home and cracked the plastic, anti-theft packaging with my handy plasma cutter and immediately started hooking stuff up. I already had a USB cable hooked up from my last MP3, so the included cable is now in my drawer with the other "extras."

My computer, and even MS Media Player immediately recognized the player, although Media Player couldn't read the MMC card. I went to RCA's website and it said I needed to upgrade the firmware on the device. Yep, that figures. It was surprisingly easy and hassle-free.

That done, I jumped over to my windows explorer (not IE)and clicked on the MMC port which my computer assigned drive:I. It immediately told me the MMC was unformated. Now, the disk was formatted and had songs on it when it was in my previous MP3 but for some reason, it had crapped out. So, reformatted it. HEY, NOW MEDIA PLAYER RECOGNIZES IT.

Just for grits n' giggles, I tried to install a song on the MMC and lo' and behold it WORKED! Hallelujah!

So, unlike my NIKE PSA PLAY 120, I had no trouble getting my computer or Media Player to recognize or upload songs. And I didn't even have to touch the CD that came with the MP3 player. Why learn yet another Audio organizer software when I'm happy with Media Player.

So, pros and cons:

PROS:
- darn easy to install
- tiny
- cheaper than the competition (by $10 at Radio Hut)
- installs songs on the expansion MMC much faster than my previous MP3 player.
-
CONS:
- when are Asians gonna realize Americans are big? I use this in the gym and I have big arms. The tiny little armband cuts off my circulation even when the armband is adjusted as big as it will go. And there's no belt clip either. I'll have to tuck the armband down my pants I guess.
- not everyone has ears that will accomodate ear clips. Give me regular old sporty earbuds or something that I can use. 'Cause chances are, I'm not going to buy a pair of RCA headphones so you're not gonna make extra money off me that way.
- Shell is lightweight plastic. One ding and I'm liable to break it.

So, all in all I'm happy so far. We'll see in a few months.

24 I wanted to like it...
and at first I loved it. It's great for working out because of its size and weight. But it stopped working after 3 months-- and I hadn't bumped it or anything. I sent it in for replacement and the company quickly sent me a new one, which I appreciated. However, that brand new one didn't work at all. Two friends of mine have the same player, 1 had to get hers replaced after 3 months also. The other ran over hers with a bike and it still works just fine. It's really a hit or miss product.

25 Best damn mp3 player
This was my first mp3 player, it is a great choice, it has great sound AWESOME portability, it just great period! I know my stuff believe me...i always research everything...and this is a great product for the price...but at ultimate electronics its 10 bucks cheaper. The only thing i would want this mp3 player to have would be a voice recorder, and a FM tuner. The more expensive Lyra has those. So if you looking for a great product under $100 bucks...you found it!

26 stops when bumped
Doesn't handle bumps and hits very well i.e. wearing while working out or gardening. The player just stops and goes to the first song. Does the same thing when battery life gets low. Not impressed with battery life.

27 Not Worth It
I had this product for 3 days and it began to mess up. If I played a song it would cut out or freeze. The only way you could get it to play again was by taking out the batteries and then putting them back in. This product is not worth buying at all.

28 cool design - does not last
I bought one of these at Target and really enjoyed it for about 4 months. The battery clip broke (cheap plastic, poor design) forcing me to tape the battery into it just to make it work. Now, target wont stand behind the product and it is inconvenient at best to use. Don't buy this product..

29 One year old and still perfect
I bought this mp3 player a year ago, and it's still working perfectly. I'm very happy with it and have recommended it to others, who are also extremely happy with it.

30 Mine lasted 4 months.
Maybe I got sweat on it - but it started cutting out and now it will play for 30 seconds then stops.

That is not OK for 100.00 - it isn't disposable at that price.

31 It was fun while it lasted.
Used it for running. Nice honeymoon.

I had no problems setting it up - downloading music, got a card for the expansion slot, upgraded the ear phones. Just loving life on the road with tunes blasting.

For 3 months. Then it started cutting out whenever it was bumped. I can not even put it into the armband before it cuts out. Tried new batteries, different arm band - it just won't work anymore.

This is the seond one - I also had a YEPP that died after 3 months.

I guess I will investigate having it fixed - but I run everyday - I don't want to screw around for a month and then find out it is unfixable.

Isn't there a simple flash MP3 player that is loud and sturdy? That's all I want - no radio, no voice recorder.

32 Great Mp3
This is the best Mp3 player in the world. It is easy to use, transfer songs, and the quality of the music is incredible! I would highly recomend this over other Mp3 players. The price is great to, I got mine for only $89.99 dollers. I also bought a SD card to expand the memory up to 256MB instead of 128MB. By it it is the best thing in the world.

33 Great Mp3
This is the best Mp3 player in the world. It is easy to use, transfer songs, and the quality of the music is incredible! I would highly recomend this over other Mp3 players. The price is great to, I got mine for only $89.99 dollers. I also bought a SD card to expand the memory up to 256MB instead of 128MB. By it it is the best thing in the world.

34 Highly recommended
Great little MP3 player - not a lot of bells and whistles, but it sounds good and it's reliable and expandable. The instruction manual is not very clear, but fortunately the player is pretty easy to use.

35 A Good Mp3 Player
this is a good thing wen i first baught it i was a little skepticle because of all the haters that was on this site wen i got it,it felt very lite so out of stupidity i smacked it on the wall it cut itself off but it came bac on and started at the same place were i left the head phone are sort of freaky but they do the jod all in all this is the bomb! this plastic made body is so cheaply made and that suxxx but if i had to get anotha one i wud get the same thing

36 You get what you pay for? Not in this case
This is definately one of the better MP3 players on the market. The sound is incredible and the battery life is insurpassed for its weight. I just got it and I'm more than pleased. (you can get this for 87.34 at walmart :P.) Which brings me to my next point...
There are no mp3 players around with this kind of price. There aren't as many features as some others, but come on. It's less than $100. If that doesn't make you buy it, the sound is incredible (I have $20 or $30 streetstyle headphones).

Pros : VERY inexpencive, light, easy to use, fairly speedy song uploads, and I could go on.

Cons: The headphones it comes with are fairly cheap, but not horrible and songs seem to fade in at the beginning, but still... for the bargain shopper

This is a MUST BUY

37 Not the most gorgeous, but I love it
My husband wanted to get me an MP3 player so I finally decided on this one because of it's itty bitty size, clear cut design, button placement (I have acrylic nails and those 4-way joy stick buttons can be a nightmare!) and enclosed carrying strap/case. I love it. It's easy to put songs on and operate. My gripes are that it stores the songs in the order it wants, not how you want them or put them on so I usually listen to it on Random. I tried numbering the tracks before their name when I loaded them but that didn't work. I haven't used the expansion slot yet because I only load about 2 hours worth of music on at a time. The carrying case is boring blue but comfortable and it needs a plastic window because you can only get to the volume buttons (on the side) easily. Sometimes I try to Skip and instead I Pause because I'm pressing through the fabric at where I think the button is. Lastly, I don't like the battery life indicater. I use rechargeables so cost isn't an issue but after one song on a freshly charged battery the indicater goes down to half and stays like that for a long time until it finally just turns off.

I don't use the provided headphones because I love my 12 year old Sony's. I do recommend also getting a Belkin transmitter (about $30) so you can play it through your car stereo.

38 Just shy of perfect
I LOVE this little thing! It is perfect for running or an form of exercise. Here are some of the pros and cons of it:

Pros:

�Crystal clear MP3's
�Excellent headphones
�Comes with DSP settings
�Comes with a cool song, "At The Bottom Of The Sea"
�Extra extra long battery life (well over 15 hr. on 1 AAA battery)
�Clear LCD
�Expandable memory
�Tiny and lightweight
�Cheaper than other digital audio players
�Can hold any file type
�Great wristband
�Easy to install
�Comes with ID3man, a program that names your songs correctly

Cons:
�No backlight for nighttime use
�Display only scrolls once
�WMA files pop or click
�Songs slightly fade in

As I was writing this, I was listening to it!

39 Music Match? Who needs it!
This is a nice little MP3 player from RCA. Does what it's supposed to do at reasonable cost. But, I DON'T LIKE MUSIC MATCH! And, you don't have to use it to load MP3 files onto your Lyra player.

On My Computer on your PC you'll see a list of your drives: A, B, C, D, etc. When you use the USB connector to attach your Lyra to your PC, it becomes a drive on your computer. Look for it, and you can just copy & paste or drag your MP3 files onto the drive and into your Lyra player. Soooooo much easier than using Music Match, and you don't get yet another piece of software clogging up your hard drive.

Not sure how My Computer will list the Lyra drive on all Windows operating systems, so you may have have to plug in and reboot before your machine will display the drive.

So, load the Lyra software and driver files from the Lyra CD, but skip the Music Match software load if, like me, you detest using software like that.

Happy listening.

40 i love my boyfriend
i love my boyfriend cuz he gots this mp3 player hes HOTT

41 What A Gem!!
I got this little gem about 2 weeks ago and I love it. It's compact and lightweight and downloading was a breeze on Windows Media player. I fit 65 songs in a matter of minutes. The only thing that I find a bit disappointing is that it doesn't have is a backlit it would come in handy since I like to listen to music at night. The armband is very useful during my workouts and I happen to find the volume level exceptional. One thing I would like to be able to do is download songs straight from napster onto my player so if anyone knows how to do that please let me know. I ideally wanted a ipod but I didn't really want to spend that kind of money so this is a great substitute and I highly recommend this item.

42 Pretty Good, But Not Great
I received this mp3 player for my birthday in 2003. It comes with everything you need and its quite easy to set up. Most computers will detect it automatically, and the software that comes with it is very helpful, which includes a smaller version of MusicMatch Jukebox. The headphones I got with it were okay if you plan on using the included arm strap, but I decided to use different ones because the arm strap was uncomfortable and the cord was too short to reach my pocket. The tuner presets worked out alright.
For some reason they designed it so you can only change the volume level while a song is playing, so if you pause your music or are just starting it up, you are not able to lower the volume if need be.
I also noticed if you weren't using the arm strap and you accidentally bumped the mp3 player, it cut out all of a sudden and turned off. This was especially annoying when you are listening to a song and when it cuts out and you start it up again, you are back at the song you were at the last time you manually turned the device off. I didn't think I would bump into it that much, but I surprised myself many times.
128mb memory is great, as is WMA playback. I also like the expansion slot, you can add much more memory without spending an arm and a leg. The transfer rate with USB 1.1 wasn't the best, and there is no support for USB 2.0.
Overall, an okay product for its price, but there are better mp3 players out there.

43 problems with the rewind button
In principle I think this is a great product.

But I've tried to buy it twice, and both times the rewind button didn't work. The 'press and hold' feature on the rewind just jumps to the beginning of the track, rather than running quickly backwards through the track as it should do.

This is an important feature for me, since I want to use the player for language learning. So I've had to return the product twice, and doubt I'll bother to try again.

Maybe there was just a single batch that has this problem, rather than being every single player on the market. I don't know.

44 wow!
I am what you would call a smart shopper i compare prices and try to find the lowest price possible. well, this is the cheapest and best product i have found in this particular department it is way cool and as one person said totally durable! Also its real small and compact this my friends is a smart deal! Buy this ignore what the RCA hater says hes just a fool. RCA is in fact one of the top 10 brands for electronics. SO to sum things up dont listen to what HATERS say follow your heart (by the way i'm not a hater, ask my friends or other haters):). I think you should totally buy this!

45 Great product for the price
I picked this player up a few days ago from Walmart to replace an old intel player I had. I mostly wanted it for going back and forth to class and the occasional roadtrip. I'd done a bit of research and read reviews and this seemed like a great product that was easy to use - and it definitely is.

I came home in a rush and wanted to add on songs before I had to leave 15 minutes later, I had the player full in about 5 minutes - no problems whatsoever. My computer (WIN XP) recognized the device immediately. One of the reasons I decided on this player was because you don't necessarily need to use the programs included, you can go to your My Computer folder and the Lyra shows up as an additional drive, and you can simply drag your files into the folder. It works like a charm.

In MP3 format I'm able to fit about 25-30 songs, depending on quality. I just loaded it with WMA files and was able to fit 38 songs at 128kbps quality and the sound is perfect, next time I'm going to bump it down to 96kbps.

I was real hesitant about the headphones included, I usually stick to earbuds or the wraparound style that Sony has. I really do like the ones included though. The sound on them is great and they feel secure on my ears. I also like that when I get to class I'm able to just clip them onto the neck of my shirt and don't have to worry about stuffing them in my pocket or having them around my neck.

It's nice that they included the armband/case with the Lyra, while most of the time it will be in my pocket I know I will take it on my bike with me when the weather gets nice. And the actual case does remove from the armstrap, you are even able to use the loop on the case to attach it to your belt.

There's two things I don't really like about the Lyra and they could be easily added by RCA if they chose, so I gave it four stars. 1. The casing is plastic, it should be more durable, especially if RCA intends this to be a sport player. 2. No backlight, this isn't a huge drawback, but it seems like such a simple thing it should be included automatically.

Overall great player and I would definitely purchase it again and recommend it to my friends.

46 Nothing but cool
This is an awesome mp3 player. Easy to get mp3s off the internet and to put CD tracks on it. It takes no time to transfer music onto the player!! Everyone should have one!!!!!

47 Very Cool!!!!
This is my first mp3 player and I didn't really know what expect when i bought it but I love this little thing !! It is very easy to put music on it. I have downloaded 10 mp3 off the internet and they all sound great. I love this and people who don't even want a mp3 player should buy it. Everyone should have one!!

48 Good For The Price
This is a good player for the price.

I am a soldier stationed in the Middle East and wanted something compact, cheap and with no moving parts to take with me.

This player fit the bill.

Pros-
1. It is cheap, small and rugid. Works well in the heat.
2. It holds a lot of music. Depends on the compression.
3. I can expand the memory. I have a 128 and 256 SD card with different music and swap them out. I leave the things I listen to the most on the player itself. Also, I use it to transfer data (and that is any file type there is, including viruses, so be careful, and you can scan this device for viruses) if I need to, between different computers. As soon as I can get my hands on a 1 Gig SD (if one exists), I am going to buy one (the computer accesses the card like a removable drive).
4. Works on every computer I own. I use I-Music to make my MP3s, so I didn't have to use the software that came with it. But I had no problem hooking it up to - An Apple G4 Desktop PCI Graphics, An Apple 12inch G4 Notebook, A Dell C600 Laptop, An old '386 SX machine (this took some work, though), Windows 2000, XP, ME, NT and 98SE. It does take some work on the machines to get them to recognize the device, but this has more to do with the operating system than it does the player. It was also recognized on a laptop running VM Ware or Virtual PC using a Linux Operating System (with the USB drivers installed).

Cons-
1. Battery life - I use reusable batteries, 'nuff said.

2. I didn't like all the plastic, but it is still holding up, so this is a minor problem. When it breaks, I'll just buy another one. (Cheap, OKAY!)
3. No backlight.
4. You can't play just one track over and over unless it is programmed, and the track programming takes a lot of work to get down.
5. The earphones that come with it are not very good. Bought a set I like better.

That's it. As I stated above, it is cheap. You get what you pay for, and yet, for the price, I think you are getting quite a bit with this little player.

49 THIS IS SO DURABLE...
I just wanted to share that my husband accidently left his RCA Lyra in his pocket after exercising and it got washed in the washing machine. It came out and played perfectly! You would never know. That is as durable as they come.

50 Very impressive performance at under $100
Having been a "holdout" for the last couple of years at getting an mp3 compact unit, my resistance finally folded when the cost of the RCA Lyra dropped under $90.

Like many here, I researched several different players and decided upon this one for two simple reasons:

1) Sound quality of RCA products that I have purchased previously. RCA does a terrific job of audio fidelity and this unit is terrific at rendering the highs/lows and everything in between.

2) Expandability through the use of SD cards. Most mp3 players that are under $100 do NOT have expandability, and this one does through the use of secure digital cards. Since my digital camera also uses this media, I already had a card that could become dual purpose.

I've had the unit for over one month and it works just as advertised. It is recognized as an external hard drive by my Dell Windows XP computer - no special software needed, just plug and play - and I can drag Windows Media files directly into the unit (via USB port) or onto an SD card and insert the card directly into the Lyra. The music starts without any other configuration.

At 128 bit rate, the unit (without an additional sd card) holds about 30 songs of average length. I then used my computer to convert some cds to the WMA 64 bit rate and was able to increase the number of files on the basic Lyra (again, without any additional memory) by about 60%.

I've since added a 256 mb sd card (I would recommend Panasonic, since they are made in Japan - not in China, which has quality control problems) and now my unit holds well over 120 songs - about 7 hours worth in a unit that is about the size of three AA batteries side by side.

Amazing.

In terms of battery life, one AAA battery - which is all that is needed - lasts about 6 to 7 hours. I particularly like the supplied arm band carrying strap...perfect for walking, hiking, running. I use the unit every day to exercise with and it has significantly increased my pleasure - when listening to music tracks one forgets about the time and effort when you are out walking or jogging.

I've ALREADY gotten my money's worth and I think that if you're in the market for this type of unit, you'd be hard pressed to replicate the quality of audio, the size, and the expandability with anything other than this Lyra.

A terrific little gem that EXCEEDED my expectations - which were fairly high.

51 I love this cute little fella
This has to be the smallest and lightest player on the market. It weighs next to nothing, even with the AAA battery and has about the size of a matchbox. Installation was a breeze on my Windows ME system and the computer recognizes the player as a separate drive when connected via the usb cable. If a sd card is in the slot, this too is a separate drive (eg. drives E and F). I don't even use the included musicmatch software, I just drag and drop the mp3-files onto a sd card and pop it into the player. How much easier can it get? A nice feature, which my old player didn't have, is that it remembers the last song that was played when you shut it off and continues from there.
Oh, by the way, the sound is great too, although I don't use the included headphones.
The only potential problem I can see so far is that the battery compartment lid seems to be a little shaky and might break when not handled carefully.

52 Stay away from the Lyra and ALL RCA/Thomson products
When I bought this I had forgotten the horrible experience I had with an RCA e-Book reader three years ago. I've had no end of trouble with it, and as usual, RCA provides no customer support. There is no telephone number to call in the product literature and sending them an e-mail is just as effective as sending my cat an e-mail. Stay way from this Lyra, and stay away from RCA products in general. It will lower your stress level!

I wish Amazon would let me give this ZERO stars, but one star is the lowest rating Amazon will allow.

53 Firmware Bugs
Although this is priced very competitively for the features it boasts, there are a few glaring problems I have experienced with this product.
1) If you are 200 minutes into your audio book file (works just like music files) and you press pause to talk to a shopkeeper about the cheese you want to buy, your lyra will save power and turn off. When you turn it back on, it will start from the beginning of the file and you will need to fast forward.

2) Fast forward is only a brisk walk. To fast forward 200 minutes, you will need to hold a hard-to-press button for approximately 40 minutes.

3) Calling/emailing support to report the issue of Fast Forward results in talking to a brainless employee with comments like "we are not tech service, we're customer service," and "We don't have an engineering department at RCA," and "This product is not the latest version, so it's highly unlikely that anyone will fix this problem [by patching the firmware]."

4) An other problem I've noticed is that Fast Reverse doesn't work. Instead it goes all the way back to the beginning of the file.

54 SUPER !
I just purchased this product last week but i am very pleased with it . i did not buy it from amazon ( its a couple of dollars cheaper at wal-mart) but i found the reviews very helpfull . the sound is clear , crisp and better than my old diskman in sound . it has expandable memory , so when you get tired of the 2-4 hour limit you can add on ( although its pricey) its great for traveling with , its about the size of a small pager , light too . I had no problems installing it although i found it alot easier to just upload my music with windows media player than the musicmacth . once i had my files lined up it took about 5 mins to upload the music to my player ! great ! the usb port is a little loose from the time i opened it , so i would call that the one drawback . word of advice , if you buy it register online so that you get the 1 year waranty because these things are known for the broken batery door syndrom . i would deffinatly reccomend this to anyone who considers quality a plus with out spending the money . if you a big music guru go for the ipod .

55 Save yourself the time/inconvenience--do not buy!
Growing tired of working out with my straight 80's cassette player, which finally broke after using it for 14 years, I resolved to finally get a more high tech device--one that did not need me to take time out of my day to transfer CD/mp3 to cassette tape for my workout. I thought this would be perfect because of its size-the main reasons I need it are for working out and studying.
HOWEVER, I encountered some huge problems. Although the software was very easy, and the size/weight was right, the piece of garbage began to malfunction after the 1st day. The buttons for volume & track skipping were seriously cheap plastic that broke. Though I read in other reviews that the volume went up really high, my trashy "volume up" button just broke and wouldn't work at all. The battery also was so hard to get out that I had to just leave it in when I returned it to the store.
I may take these words back later, but I went back to the store and bought a Sony Minidisc for a few bucks (seriously, like three dollars) more than the Lyra. The buttons still seem cheap, but luckily they're not as dire as the Lyra situation. Also, I like the idea that I can get more than 120 minutes (like the Lyra) on each minidisc (up to 320 minutes with just a slight loss in music quality), and when I want to change music (from hyper workout music to mellow studying music), I don't have to go into my computer & change playlists, or pay big $ for a memory card--just change discs! At less than a couple bucks (literally) for each disc, you can't go wrong! Also, the battery problems with the Lyra are not there with the Sony Minidisc--it's true that it plays for 56 hours with one AA battery. I've probably used it for more than 22 hours and not even one bar has gone down on the battery picture. Sorry to use this to plug another product, but I wanted to let people know of their other options.
I just hope to save someone else the time and effort that I spent being excited and downloading music into this piece of garbage, then losing it all when I had to return it to the store--sorry to all the poor souls who buy this!

56 TOO MUCH FUN!
This is my first gadget I've really bought except for my digital camera and it was super easy to figure out! The instructions are idiot proof and I had so much fun using it! The arm strap is very adjustable and comfortable to use when lifting weights or anything else! I love this!!

57 NOT FOR MAC USERS!!
This product is a total lie. On the package it says it is compatible with Mac and PC. After having problems being able to play songs that I dragged to the player, I called technical support who informed me that they prefer that you use Windows and that they don't have any information to support Mac OS users. I explained that the reason the player was even bought was because it was compatible with Mac. The woman apologized and explained that they prefer you use Windows. The whole thing is extremely ludicrous and a complete lie. I will never buy another RCA product again. I am furious.

58 STAY AWAY FROM RCA!
I received this as a gift and had a horrible experience just trying to install the software and drivers on my PC. I have Windows ME and tried unsuccessfully for hours to get my PC to recognize it as a external drive. I tried installing the special drivers for Windows 98/ME/00 without any change. Kept locking up my PC and creating system errors. The troubleshooting guide put blame on Windows OE saying, 'you must make sure that you have all Windows updates installed first' which I also tried and it still failed. The installation guide troubleshooter actually said to contact Microsoft with any problems like its their fault RCA's product doesn't work. Since there was no customer service phone number provided, I went to RCA's website and tried their troubleshooting steps and still had no luck. I ended up emailing RCA and am still awaiting a response (said allow 3 days, its been 3 weeks). So I ended up returning it and getting a Digitalway MPIO FL100 128 MB player which has more options and only cost about $10 more. It took 3 minutes to install and about 10 minutes to load music and use. I also have a Creative Labs Nomad Zen 20g which I am very pleased with. So stay away from RCA! It should have 0 stars.

59 awesome
I received this mp3 player for Christmas, and was suprised to see exactly how many tracks could fit in this tiny little thing! Although the armband is supposed to be for exercising, I like to attach it to my bedpost so that I can listen to music while I fall asleep. My sister received the larger 256mb Lyra with FM radio, and loves it as well. If you are looking for an MP3 player for someone who doesn't need anything fancy, the 128mb one is perfect.

60 GREAT BANG 4 YOUR BUCK!!!
This is my first MP3 player, but I know it's one of the better ones. First, it didn't work on my imac OS, but that wasn't a problem 'cause we just bought a new dell with windows XP so we didn't even need to add the software 'cause XP comes with a newer version. Simple, I LOVE the lock feature to stop it from draining my battery. Speaking of the battery, I've played my 24 tracks like a HUNDRED times and it still is on the first part of the bettery life. VERY clear. cool casing, and the headphones are sleek. and it even comes with a great song!
At the bottom of the sea......do de do de dum dum...

61 Nice!
I just bought it from Target since I couldn't wait to own one and get into the 21st century. I got mine for 79$ 64 Meg. I am thinking of going back and getting the 128 Meg. I love it so far. Easy to operate. Great Armband. Loud. Easy to operate and an awesome first MP3 player. RCA rules.

62 Not worth it!
I purchased this product at Radioshack (for $110) a little over a month ago, and and first I was unbeleivably pleased. This machine held MOST of my music, it was small, and it was very simple to use. Without a memory card, it only held about 30 songs, therefor I bought a memory card for $75 which doubled my memory. Additionally, there is not backlight!

Now it is worth $185 with the card and it only holds 67 songs. The machine started to turn off unintentionally, and the music was played with the vocalist being completely drowned out. I went back to Radioshack, and they gave me a new one. It isn't any better. I have been researching ipods and for $250, I could have 2500 songs! That is less than $75 more, and I'm sure the quality is better. Dont buy this product, because it was expensive for doing so little. I would go for the iPod!

63 Lemon
Got it home, the software was easy, downloaded tracks successfully, then it wouldn't stay on...I mean not for 20 seconds...tried new battery after new battery, but that wasn't the problem.
Funniest part was, when we returned it to Wal Mart, they simply wrapped it back up to put on the shelf for some other poor soul to bring home---they even left our downloaded tracks on it...
The good news: The good news is that it came with one kid's promotional song preloaded on it that played fine before we tried to put our own music on there. So if you just want to pay $90 to hear "Fish at the bottom of the sea"...go for it.

64 Can't be any easier to use! Great price.
First of all, I think Amazon.com site is great! This is the first place I look to see customer reviews before plunking down a chunk of change for electronics.

** Thanks to the many users of the site!!!! **

Just got mine's today (at "Wally World" for 94 bucks, no sales tax in Anchorage, Alaska). Can't think of any easier way to operate the player.
1. DO NOT NEED TO INSTALL THE LYRA SOFTWARE WITH WINDOWS XP unless you need to "rip" your CD's and don't already have a program that does that.
2. Once you plug in the USB cable, Windows treats the Lyra player as another drive. All you have to do is cut and paste MP3 and WMA files.
3. Can set up a playlist right on the player.

Thought about getting the newer "Combo memory/MP3 players", but problem is that they are not expandable. Also with Rio players, you need to have another program/patch for Media player to transfer the music onto the player itself.

65 A Good Deal
After buying my 11 year old daughter this player for Christmas, I decided to get one for myself. I find the Music Match jukebox software to be a very good program. I am just learning this whole MP3 thing, and the Music Match makes it easy. The player itself is small, lightweight, compact, and easy to use. There are buttons on the side for the volume. The player has very good sound coming out of the headphones. I have noticed that it takes an extra second or two for the display to change when the fast forward/rewind a song button is pressed. However, after the player is shut off and turned back on again, the player starts with the last song played before it was shut off. The armband is okay, but the buttons are not easily accessible. But, they can be pressed through the armband fabric. I have added a 64mb memory card and I am considering getting a higher memory card. Does anyone know what the max memory card is that can be added to this player? I would like to add a 256mb memory card. Can anyone email me and let me know if they've had some problems with that?

66 It's a great product.
I bought this product yesterday and I am crazy about it. I bought it for $90 at Circuit City. It is a great product. I like the headphones and the armband, except for one thing. It would be nice if the armband had a clear plastic cover so you can see the song title and press the buttons like pause, stop, fwd., bwd, etc. while still keeping it covered. It would also be nice if the LCD screen had a backlight so you can read it in the dark. The volume is great, it goes so loud! It is so easy to just drag files to the player using Internet Explorer with Windows XP. MusicMatch software is very confusing. I can't figure it out. To convert CDs to MP3 files, I recommend dBpowerAMP at www.dbpoweramp.com. It is a very good product for converting files. It is a free download. It lets you choose many things, like compression size, and the destination file.

Overall, this player is a very good player.

67 Great For Workout
RCA LYRA is very small and comes with a great arm band for working out. Headphones are excellent and clip onto your ears. SOUND QUALITY IS UNBELIEVEABLE! I use this to run & workout & it is GREAT! Don't buy the expandable memory until you realize you're going to need it. Also, it is VERY easy to download & delete music to the player. I have not had any problems with it yet and i think it's great & definitely worth your dollar :) Good luck!

68 We love it!
After reading the positive reviews for this item I bought it for my boyfriend for christmas. When I saw how teeny it was(about the size of a small pager) I was shocked and wasn't sure about how good it would be but it has worked out so well for us. The 128MB holds only about 40 songs but I wanted a flash memory over a hard drive because they're more durable (did I mention I bought this for my boyfriend?). It has an expansion slot where you can add more memory though, which you can buy from $35-80 depending on the amount of MB (and I think you can also use the memory card in your digi cam as well if you're worried about being frugal). The sound is crisp and contrary to some other reviews that I read the volume goes very high and the software is simple to use; I had it installed and filled with music in under ten minutes and when I wrote down the instructions for my boyfriend so that he could put music on it himself there were only 5 simple steps. I also bought him a casette adapter (the same as you would plug into a discman) so that he can listen to his mp3s in his car and it works great. The only downside that I can think of is that it goes through batteries quickly. And obviously if you're looking to store 3000 songs this is not the mp3 player for you, but otherwise I'd say the product is well worth the money and is very convenient to use especially for beginners or the casual computer user/music listener.

69 Awesome
I just received this for christmas and it was easy to load software on my computer and download to player has great sound and very easy to use, great to run with. Great little player I love it. Headphones I thought would not work well since I have never tryed the clip on ones but boy was I wrong they are great they have great sound and fit snug against your ear....Would definetly recommend this MP3 Player

70 BOUT TO BLOW UP!!!
I love this little thing, but when battery replacement time came up, the only thing i could say is "What the *&#@" When i go to put the same kind of battery in that i had purchased it only played up to 10 songs and would cut out after that. Apparently songs 11-25 are over-exhausting the battery. Also trying a different brand would lead to a total cut-out and wouldnt let me even see what songs i had. Is it just me or did batteries change to different powers but same size??? I would purchase this player again but i know that you will need to get specialized batteries from the company ahead of time, so im not.

71 Easy to use software
I love this little MP3 player. It is great for running. The MusicMatch is very easy to use. I use music from my CDs mostly- just compress and then drag and drop. Very cool. It is programmable, so you can program you songs into any order or just play them on shuffle/random- otherwise they are alphebetical. I kinda like the headphones for running- They clip on and stay put plus they allow outside noise in so they are safer. I would use my other wrap arounds if I was not running. I have about 30 songs on it at one time and I do not use the MP3Pro, just regular MP3 files. You can fit approx. 2 hours of music on it with reg MP3 files. Plus it is expandable. It is great.

72 Disappointed from beginning to end
When I opened this peice of crap on Christmas day, I was disappointed to find that it wasn't an ipod. As the package tells you, you can fit 4 hours of music on this. THIS IS A TOTAL LIE. Even after compressing all of my files of music, I could only fit about an hours worth of music on it. Besides this inconvenience, the earphones are an uncomfortable piece of crap, and the mp3 player itsef is anything but durable. Take my advice and don't bother buying this unless you only like a few songs

73 Be prepared to install software patches.
Don't buy this MP3 player if you are uncomfortable with downloading and installing software patches and manipulating hardware drivers on your PC. This player requires additional software updates from rca.com in order to make the music tracks play in the order you want, rather than in alphabetical order. Also, the installation directions from rca.com are not quite correct, so you'll have to rely on your personal experience with computers to successfully install the patch. Once this is accomplished, the player works OK. I also suggest looking at the online discussion boards for other pitfalls of this product. The users seem to know more about the product than RCA ... and there is NO toll-free technical support for this product.

74 Very unhappy
I found this to be a piece of "you know what". Very user unfriendly and I use computer and technology all the time.

Would not buy....period
PH

75 Is This All?
I got this mp3 player for my 14th birthday, and it's really, really awesome. I've never owned a MP3 player in my life, but this seems to be an awesome player. I've had trouble with fitting the player in the armband, though. The only thing I'm wondering is why can I only fit 12 songs on it? That really turned me off about it! Or maybe I just have huge mp3 files...

76 Only 4 stars cause I've owned it all of 1.5 hours...
but I've 26 tracks loaded and am enjoying it immensely. Barely bothered with the instruction manual; since I'm running Windows XP, just plugged in the USB cable and it recognized the device as a new drive...was easy to copy files to it right away. Not going to bother installing the enclosed software (musicmatch). Comes with one stupid song loaded.

And the sound is great. Using my old pair of Sony ear buds with volume control on the cord - won't even need to fiddle with device's +/- when in my coat pocket. I'm going for a walk now. :)

77 Nice size and simple once you figure it out!
I bought this player two months ago and it's been great for the most part. The arm band and small size of the player make it great for workouts. You'll need a better set of headphones for working out than the included set. No big deal, you can find some for about $10. Another issue I've had is that the SD memory card came loose a couple of times in cold weather and caused the player to shut down. If you only need the 128MB of included memory, you should be fine. Also, the additional memory card will drain your battery faster. One other thing I didn't like was that it took me a while to figure out how to transfer playlists while using musicmatch. After you figure it out, its great, but it took me a while.

All in all, I like this player and it seems like a good value for under $100. It's got all the basics you want for a device you can use on the go.

78 Nice Features, But Cheap Little Plastic Body = No Durability
When my last mp3 player broke a few months ago a spent a long time researching the newer models. I eventually decided on the Lyra.

PROS
1) nice, big LCD screen
2) very small and easy to fit into a pocket
3) the buttons were well-laid out and I especially liked the volume buttons on the side
4) lots of people complain about the headphones, but I had a previous pair and like the clip-on design.

CONS
1) The arm band is really not practical if you are not working out, and there is no clip.
2) NO DURABILITY. The reason that the Lyra 128 get such a poor rating is because, even with all of its nice features, it didn't last me more than a weekend. About two days after I received it in the mail, i dropped it about 2 feet onto a tile floor. (I will make a point of saying now that I had a Nike PSA]play 60 for 11/2 years and dropped the thing upteenth number of times. Never once did it stop working.) The RCA, on the other hand, would start playing after the drop, but when I tried to skip songs it made a terrible screeching noise and then would turn off. Also, if the player was jostled too much it would switch off.
Needless to say, i returned it the next day and will not be purchasing another one.

79 WHAT????
the LCD has no backlight??? tell me this isn't so...i have been reasearching for a good MP3 player since last month, and i was already starting to think that this was the one, until i read a review that it had no backlight!!! i like to listen to music at night so this doesn't help me at all...

80 a good bargain for a solid player
I upgraded to the RCA Lyra 128 from my old Rio 600. I'd had problems with the Rio breaking down (and also SHOCKING ME IN THE EAR!), and the reviews of the equivalent 128 mb Rio (the Rio S50) complained of the same problem (the breakdowns, not the ear shocking). So I switched to RCA.

Though it doesn't sport the huge capacity of pricier players, the Lyra is perfect for casual listeners, students, or bargain hunters. I did a lot of research on similar mid-range mp3 players before purchasing this one, and this and the Rio S50 were the only ones at this price range that got such positive reviews.

The RCA Lyra has a wonderfully compact and lightweight design. The interface is simple and user-friendly: the buttons are all in good locations, the feel of the player is good (in your hand, pocket, or in the armband), and operating it is about as simple as operating a discman. It's pretty no-frills, and I like it that way.

Obtaining tracks for the player is a bit tedious. Though it is easy to drag and drop tracks without compressing them (using MusicMatch or Windows Media Player), with only 128 mb of memory this will only get you around 2 hrs of play. Compressing files into wma format on Windows Media Player is more efficient, but takes time to master. I consider myself pretty computer-savvy but it took me a good hour to get the latest version of Windows Media Player, upload all my tracks, and then toggle the level of compression. Also, compressing the files takes time - about 20 minutes from computer to player. If you want radio-quality sound, you can compress the files all the way down to 32 kbps and cram in around 8 hrs of songs. I settled for 64 kbps and get 4 hrs of songs, and now it doesn't sound like silverware in the garbage disposal.

There are some minor annoyances to this player that weren't an issue with my old Rio (or the Rio S50). 1) the Lyra screen is not backlit, so it's harder to see at night or in the dark. 2) the LCD display doesn't scroll, so I never get to see the full title of my songs or the artists' names. 3) as a compromise for its tiny size the player runs on a single AAA battery, which is admittedly less convenient than the single AA that a Rio runs on. However, the thing is so lightweight and well-designed I can't stay mad at it for long.

Of the mid-range mp3 players, this one's definitely a good bargain for a solid player. I'm loving it (and the lack of shocks to the ear).

81 I like it, crystal clear sound, but batteries are an issue
I just got one of these things at WALMART today because I was really fed up with all of the annoying plastic CDRs scattered all over the floor in my room. You don't even need to install the software that comes along with the player if you have a place to burn the music like windows media player..just plug it into the USB port and you're good to go. Now back to the battery issue. This player requires one AAA battery. Sounds good eh? Nice and lightweight. One prob. It only runs for eight hours of happy music playing time. I would just reccomend buying some GOOD quality rechargable batteries to save money in the long run. Trust me. You'll need em. If you're used to making cds and have a huge hard drive, i would reccomend making lots of playlists. That way you can erase songs from the player and put songs on easier when you need them. What I really like about this thing is it will burn FAST. Like 7 min for 30 songs. You'll like this gadget.

82 I like it, crystal clear sound, but batteries are an issue
I just got one of these things at WALMART today because I was really fed up with all of the annoying plastic CDRs scattered all over the floor in my room. You don't even need to install the software that comes along with the player if you have a place to burn the music like windows media player..just plug it into the upc port and you're good to go. Now back to the battery issue. This player requires one AAA battery. Sounds good eh? Nice and lightweight. One prob. It only runs for eight hours of happy music playing time. I would just reccomend buying some GOOD quality rechargable batteries to save money in the long run. Trust me. You'll need em. If you're used to making cds and have a huge hard drive, i would reccomend making lots of playlists. That way you can erase songs from the player and put songs on easier when you need them. What I really like about this thing is it will burn FAST. Like 7 min for 30 songs. You'll like this gadget.

83 This is great
I just got my RCA LYRA 128 mp3 player. I find that the sound is absolutely amazing i could not beleive it when i heard it at the top volume. Set up was much easier than i thought with transferrs being resonably fast this is both on XP and 2000. I like the fact that it is so so so small!! I thought it would have been a little bigger. It is the perfect mp3 player for going to the gym. As a student it is so small that i can and will take it to the library with me. I dont like the ear phones they are too big for me but thats my only complaint. The arm band is also good abd i like the key lock function.

84 Electronics Fan
Just bought the MP3 player got it home downloaded some songs everthing was easy but when I play it not enough volume! Im a much older person then the generation who likes these kind of gadgets but I was disappointed (not enough volume) I have it turned all the way up and can hear my TV over it I even changed headpones to my Sony headpones still doesnt work! I like my music loud when Im listening to Ozzy, you young folks will be disappointed not enough cranking volume!! Too bad, its a neat MP3 player but its going back, I wonder if all the digital MP3 players have low volume??

85 Great for running!
I've been using it for 2 months, and am VERY pleased. The player installed flawlessly with my XP Professional systems, and the Music Match software works OK, but has some bugs. I'm using MusicMatch 7.5, the newer versions might be a little better, but haven't tried them. Some of the other critisims -- such as played songs out of sequence is due to the music match. The trick is create a playlist, save, send and then do not reorder the tracks, or the songs may play out of order.
The only weak part of the unit is the headphones, but decent headphones cost $20. I like the Panasonic RP-HS40. I havent't use the SD cards much (I use them for my digital camer, and pocket PC) because I heard they suck up the battery. With the install 128MB memory I've been getting the full 15 hours.
Use the MP3 Pro as opposed to the MP3 format. At 96kbps it sounds great!

86 Amazing player
Installation was a breeze. It comes with MusicMatch Jukebox and once installed, you can drag and drop using MusicMatch or Windows Explorer. Player is super-light and comes with a sturdy arm-band. The sound that comes out of this is amazing. Very clean and the volume can go very loud. Plus, it's expandable with a SD/MMC card. Can't ask for anything more. I'm buying one card for me and another for my girl so we can share the player. I'll never go back to CD player's now.

87 Major Flaw
The device isn't bad on the whole, but the the extraordinary difficulty in getting a computer to "recognize" the device, enabling downloading, makes using it almost impossible. There is a magic formula (load software, turn computer off, turn comp. on, plug in cable to both computer and device, turn computer off, start again in different order, chant mantras etc.), but I've only stumbled across it once. As there's no telephone support, you're on your own. (the instruction manual is poorly written and confusingly organized) The software comes w/ a number of unrelated applications, that serve to make an irritating experience even more unbearable. After four days of tinkering, I returned mine.

88 Really now, what more do you need???
Let's not get crazy here. Save your money, this is all you need. Minute size, great sound (LOUD!!), cheap, and...oh...did I say cheap. This is all you need. Believe it or not, I sent back my iPod for this and saved $400.

89 best
this was the best mp3 player i ever brought its a great price and alot of memory [128 mb]. the headphones are a little big and clunky but have great sound. i was downloading songs in 10 minutes. its really small and light it has a battery indicator. the aaa battery is included and lasts for about 15 hours. it has an armband. it comes with a usb cable. the software is a little hard. i didn't even use it. it works on windows xp. overall its the best mp3 player for its price.

90 I though it would be a good player.....
I bought this player of a few days ago and i thought it would be great. I put some songs on it and it worked fine, until i was on track 17 and wanted to listen to track 8. I started pushing the "previous" button and all of a sudden i hear a loud pop in my ear and the system resets. This happened to me about 4 or 5 times before I decided to return it. I suggest not to buy from RCA...I have bought other products from them before and they turned out just like this one.

91 So cute!
A cute MP3 player. You can probably get one made by Now Evolution for cheaper, but Evolution's quality is questionable. This one seems more durable, and music transfers are smooth if a slow over USB 1.1. The product picture here doesn't do justice to the screen, which is actually pretty clear. I think the sound output is pretty good. Web support however, is not the best.

92 Best Bang for Your Buck
I've had this MP3 player for a few weeks now and so far, so good. It pretty much has everything you need except for a backlit display and an FM Tuner. It comes with 128 MB of memory, so you can fit a lot of music in there right out of the box. I added a 128mb card and was able to load 50 songs and probably could have added a few more because some were long songs. Moving the songs over to the player was easy, all I did was connect the USB cable (included) to my pc and it recognized the player as a new drive. The unit itself will display the song name as well as the artist name. You can play the songs alphabetically (default) or randomly or you can even program a custom order. It has several `equalizer' modes: Flat, Bass, Pop, Rock and Jazz.

The headphones included are different. They are not ear buds (I never could use those) nor are they the standard kind with the band over your head. These have individual earpieces that you clip on `over your ear' (like some of those hands free sets for phones). They work well enough, but take a little getting used to.

All in all you can't beat it for the price. I'd recommend it highly if you can live without the FM Tuner and don't plan on using it in total darkness.

93 little but almost perfect
I have been using this product for 2 months and first of all i am pleased to own it. The first thing that makes this product different is its size. it is really very small though you can even carry it in your pocket.This ability provides you to listen to music anywhere and anytime, you wont have to carry these large cd players which is a very hard job and which makes your apperance bad. All i am saying is thet nobody understands where that music comes from when they see that headphones but no players but it is hidden in your pocket. The second satisfying property is that its memory i dont think that nobody needs to listen more than thirty songs at a time and if you really bored of them change them all. it also provides multimedia card for more memory and it is quite useful.The only thing that makes the product almost perfect is the money you give to batteries or the time for recharching them , it is like a monster of the batteries and finishes them before 4 hours that is one bad thing. Note: Keep the player away from the water.

94 Of the four MP3 Players I've Owned, this is the best
The RCA Lyra 128MB for [this price] is an incredible deal.

Here are my experiences with the four different MP3 players that I have owned:

Rio 64MB:
Not enough memory
Terrible Earphones
LCD Froze when snowboarding
No armband
Clunky controls and PC interface

Nike/Phillips 128MB:
USB Drivers wouldn't load on WIN98 SE PC
Impossible Technical Support
Terrible instruction manual
No expansion slot?
I never got to play with it but being rechargeable sounded cool

RCA Lyra 1080 128MB [Blue Unit]:
Belt clip is a joke
Personally, I don't need an FM tuner
Clunky Controls
Great headphones

RCA Lyra 128MB:
Great armband
Small, light, compact design
Simple controls
Windows based drag and drop loading or Musicmatch software
Good headphones
Simple 'Key Lock' mechanism
Great Price

95 Great Sound in Slim Tiny Package!
I finally jumped on the mp3 bandwagon, and couldn't be happier with my purchase of the Lyra 1071. It is amazingly small and light but has great sound. I bought it to use while owrking out and use the enclosed arm band, but also just use it while it's in my pocket. It also great for traveling while on planes. With a 128 MB expansion card, I have over four hours of music. And music is super easy to load on - two drivers (one for the Lyra, one for the expansion card) appear and you can just drag and drop mp3's and wma's in their folders. I highly recommend this - bought it risk free at circuit city knowing i could take it back any time within 30 days , but of course I decided to keep it!

96 Great for the money
I didn't think I'd need a new dedicated MP3 player since I already have a few Pocket PCs, but as I took up jogging, I needed something small and wearable. Then one day I saw a guy jogging with the Lyra, so I said what the heck, it was on sale at CC, so I bought it. What a good decision! The French designed Chinese made MP3 player has very good sound, which is probably the most important thing with an MP3 player. Of course, getting the files in is probably even more important, otherwise what's the point, right? Here I use it with my Fujitsu laptop running XP. I used Windows Media Player to load the internal 128MB with almost 3 hours of my all-time favorites (some in WMA and others in MP3), then I bought a Panasonic 256MB SD card which I'll use to store music that I'll change often. I haven't tried any MP3Pro files, since I don't have any encoded in that format, but with WMA you can save 50% in storage vs. MP3 and get the same quality music. I just don't want to convert my MP3s to WMAs, plus storage is cheap. But it's good to have a player so versatile and having such good sound. I also like the buttons "last" and "next"; finally the French are doing something that makes sense! Like I said, it's made in China, so don't expect the Japanese kind of high-tech finish, but the player seems durable enough for my newly started jogging career. Best of all, as many others have pointed out, a totally great price for an expandable MP3 player.

97 great product
i recently bought the rca lyra, it is light weight and very easy to use. The sound quality is quite good too. I was attracted to this product because of the expandable memory and the reasonable price. The only downfall is that there is no backlight.

98 I am impressed..
As others have already stated, this device does have it's own share of little glitches. but nothing major. I think the player has excellent sound and battery management. The interface is also very user-friendly-- almost dumb proof. One think this device does which no other comparable player from other manufacture does is to play mp3PRO files. These new file formats have incredible compression algorithms to save you even more space. BTW, this device is supposed support only 64kbps-96kbps mp3PRO encoded files, but I gave it files encoded even at 18kbps (for voice recording) and it was able to play it without a hitch.

For the next revision of Lyra my wish list are as follows:
- Faster USB connection
- Greater expandability (now it goes up to 256mb)
- AM/FM tuner added
- Voice recording feature
- Better compatibility with the MusicMatch (ID tagging)
- Iron out the Windows glitches

99 Good for windows 2000 bad for windows ME
I use two computers. The RCA Lyra 128 MB worked great on the computer with windows 2000. It literally took about 4 minutes to start loading songs. Unfortunately the computer with windows 2000 is at my work. My computer at home has windows ME. The RCA Lyra does not work with windows ME. I tried loading firmware, and plugins both from the enclosed CD and from websites, but the computer using Windows ME fails to recognize the device, and assign it a drive. It is too bad I don't have windows 2000 at home. I unfortunately have to return this and find another player.

100 Pretty Good... but it has its quirks
After looking ay many different types of MP3 and WMA players, I settled on the RCA Lyra 128MB model. I liked it small size, 128MB of internal memory (most other models only have 64MB), and the fact that it is expandable with SD/MMC cards. I would have preferred that the unit use Compact Flash cards, but that would have made the player larger. My other choice would have been the Ipod, but I did not feel like dropping [the money] for a MP3 player.

My main intention when I bought it was to use it for running and general listening. I have read several bad reviews regarding the included armband, but I was surprised on how nicely designed it actually was. The main criticism of the arm band was that it was too small to fit around the upper arm above the triceps. Now I am a very big guy with big muscular arms, and I have absolutely no problem using the arm band.

I encountered some difficulties trying to get the music into the player at first. Windows XP recognized right away without having me installing any drivers, but the copying and pasting of files to the player through the My Documents application did not work. The player keep scrolling through the songs and would not play any of them except for the annoying "Under the Sea" song that was included with the player. I then used Windows Media Player to move the files, and then the player worked without any problems.

I have been running with the player several times, and the only problem that I have encountered was once I could not get the player started. I would hit the play button, but that would only just cause it to pause. After a few minutes of frustratingly playing with it, I increased the volume and Whala! It started working normally again.

Overall, it has been a good player, but with a few quirks. I think that you will find that all of the MP3 players have their quirks.