Amazon.co.uk Review
A substantial update to Creative's Jukebox 2, the imaginatively titled Jukebox 3, improves on a winning formula with a host of features including a considerably smaller case, improved playback controls and faster file transfer.
Of the many new features the Jukebox 3 has, one of the major improvements over the Jukebox 2 is the player LCD screen and menu controls. The Jukebox 3 now features a scroller wheel on the side which enables fast and easy access to all the options and available music. This does take a bit of getting used to, but after a while it'll become second nature. Data transfer from a computer can be done via USB or FireWire (SB1394 as they like to call it). Transferring files and creating digital audio is a breeze with the Creative PlayCenter 3 software.
Because of the sheer amount of storage space the Jukebox III has, you don't have to worry about having to remove songs to fit new ones. The 20 GB storage contains enough space for about 8,000 tracks in MP3, WMA or WAV format, which is a lot of music. With up to 11 hours playback on one battery pack, it'll deliver pleasure of an audio kind for a long time. The unit also features an additional slot for a second battery pack giving up to 22 hours of audio playback.
Playback quality is what's key to any digital audio player and the Jukebox III doesn't disappoint. The player has more audio settings than anyone would know what to do with. Some of them are a bit gimmicky, but the EAX setting is the most interesting as it can be set to different music styles such as rock, pop, classical and jazz. With a firmware upgrade (downloadable from the creative Web site), a user-definable equaliser is available. The Jukebox III can record/encode files directly from an audio source via the optical/line-in socket on the side of the player. You can record in either MP3 or WAV audio formats at different qualities ranging from 64 kbps to 320 kbps.
The Jukebox 3 package includes headphones, carry case, credit card-sized remote control, USB cable, software, battery pack and battery charger/main unit. In addition to this, the unit is supplied with a wired remote control that incorporates a cool back-lit display, an FM radio tuner with 32 presets and a built-in microphone that enables live recording. This is more than just a small update to an already super product; it's a major overhaul and well worth getting even if you already have an MP3 player. The inclusion of the additional remote control makes this a really great buy. --Martin Snelling
Manufacturer's Description
Your music. Your data. Your choice.
The Creative Jukebox 3 allows mobile users to store and enjoy up to 8,000 tracks of audio or 20GB of data. Tracks can be transferred from a PC in seconds via the lightning-fast SB1394/FireWire interface (IEEE1394 compatible). Users can also record direct to the unit in WAV or via real-time MP3 encoding. Wide connectivity, including USB, digital optical/line-in and dual line-out, together with high quality output, make this light, compact system the perfect partner for personal and home audio enjoyment. The powerful battery gives up to 11 hours use and a new user interface ensures simple, total control. This system is the ultimate choice for top-quality, go-anywhere, digital audio.
