First Look: Audio Player Is All Flash
OLED-based MobiBlu looks good, but suffers from a complex interface and a hefty price tag.Melissa Perenson, PC World
Stylish and compact, the feature-laden MobiBlu DAH-1400 flash-based audio player has the makings of the next portable device I'd love to carry around. It's crisp Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) display and high-quality audio make it very appealing, but after spending time with the unit, I've realized its somewhat complex interface, poor battery life, and high price make it less desirable than expected.
I tested a shipping version of the candy-apple red 256MB player. The $130 unit's super-light weight--just 1.3 ounces--makes it painless to tote around, and its small, rounded design makes it an attractive accessory when worn with the included lanyard.
The DAH-1400's OLED display is unique--the MP3 player is one of the first to use this technology instead of an LCD. When switched off, the monochromatic OLED screen assumes a shiny, mirror-like appearance. When switched on, the screen produces crisp, bright blue text on a black background. I found the three-line screen noticeably clearer and easier to read than comparably sized LCDs, and it even looked good outside in bright daylight and at extreme angles.
Small Package, Lots of Features
Beyond the novelty of the screen, the MobiBlu has a plethora of useful features. It plays MP3, WMA, and OGG file formats, and it supports Windows Media 10 DRM, so you can play protected files.
The unit includes an FM radio and a capable built-in microphone for voice recording; plus you can record music via a line-in source or from the FM radio. It also has a sleep timer, so you won't run down the power if you want it to shut off after you've drifted off. And if you need help waking up, don't fear: There's also an alarm clock. You can choose to display the time nonstop on the unit's screen, making it a high-tech pocket watch and music player in one.
Uploading music to the unit is easy: Jack the DAH-1400's custom USB cable into your PC, and Windows XP will recognize the player as a mass storage device, so you can transfer files via Windows Explorer.
Tricky Interface
You navigate the unit's menus using a joystick control on the front of the player and via a row of four multipurpose buttons that run along the side. Navigation is mostly intuitive, but I found the player's submenus confusing. Unfortunately, the poorly organized manual isn't particularly helpful.
Audio quality is good, and the included earbuds are adequate. During playback, the unit crams a fair amount of information, including the bit rate, file format, track title, battery status, playback option (shuffle and repeat all), and time elapsed. At times I found so much info on the tiny screen to be overkill, making me yearn for the simplicity of the screen-less IPod Shuffle. Surprisingly, the scrolling track title ticker doesn't utilize the whole screen, an odd and annoying misuse of precious real estate.
In another interesting feature, the player's Lyric Manager software lets you add lyrics to tracks. It's a nifty tool if you want to take the time to find lyrics, add them to your favorite tracks, and then adjust the timing on the lyrics' playback, so they appear at just the right moment. Unfortunately, I found the software obtuse and inelegant to use.
The unit has a built-in lithium polymer battery, which the company claims will last about 12 hours of continuous use. In my tests, I got about 8 hours and 45 minutes, which is mediocre for a flash player this size.
Pricing Hang-Ups
While the MobiBlue has some nice features, pricing isn't one of them. The 256MB unit I tested sells for $130, while the 512MB and 1GB versions sell for $160 and $210, respectively. That's about $30 to $40 more, across the board, than competing flash models (including Apple's IPod Shuffle and SanDisk's Digital Audio Player).
If you want a bright display, good sound, and a broad feature set in a small package, and don't mind a built-in battery with unexceptional run times, this player might be worth a look, in spite of its premium price. But casual users seeking a clean, uncomplicated digital audio player would be better served looking elsewhere.