Pogo
Radio YourWay - Review
By Keith Benicek, Editor-in-Chief - Audiophile
October 27, 2004 - Page 2
If you want to archive it, Pogo has included an excellent Windows interface utility called RYW-Explorer, to download the proprietary compressed (about 16:1 ratio) RVF audio format from the Radio YourWay and convert it to WAV formats for storing, editing or converting later to MP3 and burning a Music CD later.
Think we’re done there? Not a chance, because
the Radio YourWay is also a MP3 music (or anything else you’ve
archived in MP3) player. Just use the included utility application and
move some favorite music onto a SD/MMC Card, plug the card into Radio
YourWay and listen to your tunes while your traveling about too. It
won’t have the menu showing the song names, like an iPod does,
but for some extra entertainment value it does quite nicely.
And there is one more feature I particularly like and that is that Radio
YourWay can also record your voice live with either the built-in microphone,
or a pre-amplified microphone that you can plug into the side 1/8-inch
stereo jack port. Great for a business person to take notes, record
a small meeting and I’ve used it with an external mic for interviews
for the Tech Minutes I do for many CBS affiliated radio stations. Audio
recording quality is quite good.
All the controls on the Pogo Radio YourWay are excellently placed for one-handed use. On the right side (looking at the front) are the Volume control, Hold On/Off switch and External DC jack. On the left side are the USB port, External 1/8-inch Microphone/Line-in jack, 1/8-inch Earphone jack and the SD/MMC slot. There is also a separate combo Record/Pause/Stop button which is red.
The front of Radio YourWay has the Multifunction play buttons, six more buttons for Mode, Timer, A-B Memory Source, Repeat, Erase and Remain (remaining recording time for internal or auxiliary SD/MMC card. The Monochrome LCD display is not illuminated but is easy to read in moderate to bright lighting conditions and contains all the info you’ll
ever need to know what
is going on with the Radio YourWay. We would like to see a soft blue backlight
with auto time out, for low light situations even if it means making the
unit a bit bigger for a third or fourth AAA batteries.
On the back is a decent
sounding speaker to review what you’ve just recorded, or just to
listen to in a quiet environment. A coated wire dipole antenna is included,
as is a “ear bud” style stereo earphones which will act as
an antenna, because there is no internal antenna. A USB transfer cable
and 1/8-inch Stereo patch cord cable are also supplied.
All the accessories
you'll need to record (click image)
The retail price is USD $149.99 and is available through many retailers, including Frys Electronics (also Outpost.com), Amazon.com, J&R Electronics
An external 3VDC AC/DC power supply is available from Pogo Products at a very reasonable price.
Bottom
Line –
Pogo Products Radio YourWay is far more than an audio gadget, more that
just a radio recorder and more than a digital dictation/meeting recorder.
To anyone who loves to listen to radio and hates to miss a favorite show,
it is crucial to have and it is also a great companion and tool for someone
in business.
We frankly can’t
find any thing say negatively about Radio YourWay. Imagine what Pogo could
create in a small table top version, with stereo speakers, CF card slot
to use a 1GB card and a high-performance antenna? Radio TiVo! For the
$149.99 price, Radio YourWay is a steal! Tech-edge E-zine gives Pogo Products
our Editors’ Choice 2004 Award, and 5 Thumbs-Up Tech Lab rating.
(5
out of 5)
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