New Neuros

[KeAz]

I just got my Neuros 80GB today. First it came in the 20 GB packaging which was kinda weird, but had an explanation note with it. No problem I don't care about the package. But I read the manual and it said to plug it in 8 hours first, so I have it plugged in. It also says the battery indicator blinks when it's full, but it started blinking the moment I plugged it in.

[rlovvo]

That's normal on the 80G model.  The blinking indicator means it is charging.  The bad news is, the indicator will continue blinking even after a full charge.  So, it's impossible to tell if the unit is fully charged or not while plugged in.

The manuals don't seem to keep up with the changes.  []

[KeAz]

The problem lies in how do I know when it's charged or not. The battery indicator is blinking full. not blinking 1,2,3 bars, but 3 bars all the time straight out of the box. Is Neuros charging and testing the models before shipping, do I have a bad battery and don't know it yet?

[rlovvo]

That's the point I am trying to make.  You won't know if it is charged by looking at the blinking display.  It is a fault of Neuros.  Your unit will blink whether it is empty or fully charged.  The only way to know is to unplug the unit, turn it on, and look at the battery indicator.

I believe the unit is shipped uncharged, so I would definately leave it plugged in just like the manual says.  Hopefully Neuros corrects this in the future ...

[KeAz]

Thanks I did just as a precaution. Next morning the charge light on the backpack was blinking slower and the display was off. I assumed it was fully charged. So I turned it on after installing the software. Then I transfered all my music (whith it still plugged in after turning it on). 4Gigs=12min, Good speed. Then to my surprise after all the battery problems I've read about, I've been able to listen to it 9+ hours today and it stayed running on batteries the whole time and part of that (1.5 hrs) was with NeuroCast ON. (I turned off NeuroCast after tranfering while still plugged in. When I turned ON the Cast, I turned the gain to the minimum to conserve power. I later raised it a notch for sound quality (The bass wasn't coming in very well). Also Cast was set to stereo. To my surprise even at minimum gain it over powered the local station on 104.9 which was the default. I changed the frequency to a non-used one however.
I'm currently still happy and still listening.

So far if I had to rate my new one for thinking about it.
1-10 Scale:
[]Sound Quality = 10
[]Performs as Advertised = 10
[xx(]Docs/Manual = 3 (Very little and mostly useless)
[|)]Portability/Style = 7 (A little bulky but not really unsightly)
[|)]Comfort = 7 (A little heavy and the earplugs need pads)

[]Overall = I give it a 8.
[]-1 for the cheapness(improper packaging, see above post) and bulky(size and weight)
[]-1 for dodgy quality(from other users posts) and docs(wrong and lack of)

As long as the battery holds out I'd easily recommend it to anyone with a large music collection.

What I'd like to see on the N3 for all to benefit.

1.Slightly smaller (Just drop the backpack and switch to a 1.8" Hd don't externalize the Mic or Broadcasting)Less plastic and fewer parts to break or loose is a good thing.

2.User Replaceable Battery (AA or AAA, cheap easy to come by)

3.Better manual(The install didn't match the docs, might prove a challenge for less tech savy users.)

A little bit of polish and this could easily be the #1 player on the market. (I think it is but IPaid users might not agree.)

For my benefit.
More colors and different backlight colors (I like black, but not a fan of orange)

Thanks,
Charles Lupton
[8D]

[rlovvo]

quote:Originally posted by KeAz

[xx(]Docs/Manual = 3 (Very little and mostly useless)

[]-1 for dodgy quality(from other users posts) and docs(wrong and lack of)

I agree.  After I read the manual (which I always do before using a new item), I was nervous that I might have bought one too early.  I do wish the manual and docs was better written, and much more accurate.

But, I can live with that since the device works so good.

[alien04]

There is one way I know of to tell if the unit is fully charged.
While its charging, press and hold the Down button and simultaneously push the lock button up; let go of the buttons , then unlock the Lock button. The blinking three bars will change to a numerical value. When it reaches 424 - 426 it indicates fully charged, I like to leave it an additional hour.

BTW - the button sequence I described will also work with the unit playing to show a numerical value of battery "left". When it gets down to about 390 expect immenent shutdown.

[Zithromax]

My charges are nothing like that. I get 414 at a maximum and it doesn't shut down until ~360 idle and then the drive starts reading. I don't think it is supposed to shut down at 390. That gives you a range of 36 while my range is 54.

[alien04]

That's interesting info. How many hours of play time do you get on a charge? Do you play it continuously? I have to recharge every third day, I play it for about 1.5hrs /day - so I'm getting less than 5 hrs of playtime per charge. Maybe time for new battery?

quote:Originally posted by Zithromax

My charges are nothing like that. I get 414 at a maximum and it doesn't shut down until ~360 idle and then the drive starts reading. I don't think it is supposed to shut down at 390. That gives you a range of 36 while my range is 54.

[Oosty]

quote:Originally posted by alien04

That's interesting info. How many hours of play time do you get on a charge? Do you play it continuously? I have to recharge every third day, I play it for about 1.5hrs /day - so I'm getting less than 5 hrs of playtime per charge. Maybe time for new battery?

Maybe there is something a little dodgy about the indicator. Mine has always read 404 at a full charge and doesn't shut down until it reads about 345. I get 8-9 hours of headphone play on a charge.

[Zithromax]

I never play it continuously long enough for it to shut down. I do get more than 6 hours of play out of it.

[KeAz]

Well, I've had it a few weeks now. I still support my earlier recommendations. In a few days I will do two full charge tests to shut off. One with one minus cast. Both with volume and cast @ 1/2 volume. I'll report my observed battery time. Battery time hasn't been an issue for me. I'm never off charge for more than 3 hours. I have an inverter in my car and keep it plugged in at the house and in the car. No other problems come to mind, so if there have been any they must have been minor.

Sincerely,
KeAz
Unlimited Phone Service $16.59/month!!
http://cheap.kreationz.net

[RevRon]

Since the posting of this topic, I've been listening to my 80GBN2 through the night, doing subliminal tracks etc. and I've had NO difficulty.  It's played anywhere from 6 to 8 hours straight through and is as "fresh" in the AM as it was in the PM. []
I'm still waiting for a more solid release date for the N3.  I keep seeing dates bouncing around of 3rd quarter then 4th quarter of 2006, now 1st quarter of 2007.  What are the problems and is there anything "we" the users can do to assist??


Rev. Ronald G.

[clibgold]

Where did you get the info on the N3 release? I looked all over the forum and the wiki and found no new info.

Hope they are considering flash memory for the N3. By the time it comes out, HD units will probably be on the way out.