Digital Trends

 

When the TrekStor Vibez MP3 player was first announced, it was wryly described by a journalist as “being shaped somewhat like J-Lo's derriere”. In fact, TrekStor's own website features the nude silhouette of a curvy woman next to the vibez. Does this sort of advertising mean that the vibez is as sexy as some unclad hottie? Perhaps it means that you too will have naked women standing next to you if you buy the vibez. One can ponder the many messages. 

 

Seriously though, the vibez is a sleek looking MP3 player that won the coveted 2007 "red dot design award" for its unusual shape and curves. Without a doubt, the vibez stands out amongst other MP3 players. There's a particular quality about the vibez that makes it feel comfortable in the hand. A combination of the aforementioned curves, the unassuming 3.2oz. weight and the mixture of surface textures all seem to work well. 

 

While the exterior of the vibez is unusual and breaks the mold in a good way, the functionality is hampered by confusing menus, difficult navigation, quirky configurations and the very poor ability to handle text and album art on the same screen.

 

On a more positive note, the TrekStor "vibez" has a huge list of features for a palm-sized MP3 player. Without a doubt, the feature-set goes way beyond common expectations. Here are just some of the things that the vibez brings to consumers:

 

·    Playable file formats: MP3, WMA, WAV, OGG, FLAC

·    Editable M3U and WMP playlists

·    Crossfade or "gapless" playback between two songs

·    Full-color TFT display with 176 x 132 pixels

·    Maximum 12GB for tons of music and computer files

·    Upwards of 20 hours battery life

·    Integrated voice recorder an line-In recording from other audio devices (as WAV)

·    Album art and ID3 tag display

·    Fully parametric equalizer

·    Shuffle and intro function

·    On-the-fly adjustable pitch (play speed) of any song

·    Files can be deleted directly on the player

·    User-controlled backgrounds & themes

·    Optional FM radio (activated by SIM card, sold separately)

 

I really like the fact that songs can be deleted directly from the vibez player without having to sync with a PC. This is something I would love to see on the iPod.

 

There are several superfluous features like the integrated stopwatch. Why someone would need a stopwatch in an MP3 player eludes me. Its size suggestions you would not want to run with this player.

 

The vibez comes with a sturdy but somewhat clunky-looking lanyard. The lanyard is a near-exact duplicate of the strap that was included with a point-and-shoot digital camera I bought years ago. 

 

The vibez weighs about 3.2oz., so little strain is put on the lanyard or your neck. Speaking of weight, the vibez is about 2.5 times the mass and exactly twice the weight of the nano. Of course, the nano tops out at 8GB, whereas the vibez offers 8GB, 12GB and 15GB models.

 

I found two more simple but important things to like about the TrekStor vibez. First, the battery is easily replaced by any user. It's about as easy to replace the battery in the vibez as it is to replace a cell phone battery. Just pop the back cover off and swap the proprietary battery. It took me about 15 seconds to do this. In fact, one could have several vibez batteries - one in use, and one or more spares ready at an instant.

 

The second feature that I really like is the mini-USB connection. The iPod uses a proprietary dock connector which means that users have to keep and carry a dedicated cable just for the iPod. The vibez mini-USB connection is universal - I can use any mini-USB cable to connect, charge and sync the vibez. I can then use the very same mini-USB cable to download photos from my camera, charge my cell phone, etc. Kudos to TrekStor for this smart move.

Image Courtesy of TrekStor