• 128 MB of upgradeable flash memory; expandable via Multimedia cards

• USB connection for fast downloads

• Digital FM tuner with 10 presets

• 3-line backlit display

• Includes headphones, USB cable, music management CD-ROM, 2 AAA batteries, and carrying case with belt clip

Compatible With Mp3, Mp3 Pro & Windows Media Files. Backlit, Alpha-numeric, 3-line Dot Matrix Display. 128 Mb Internal Flash Memory. External Multimedia Card Slot. Digital Fm Tuner With 10 Presets. Usb Connection For Faster Downloads. Upgradeable For Future Audio Compression Formats. No Moving Parts For Skip-free Audio Playback. Includes Musicmatch Jukebox Personal Music Management Software (for Pc & Mac). Online Instruction Manual & Support Information. Includes X-phone™ Stereo Headphones, Neck Strap, Removable Hanging Hook For Waistband & 2 Aaa Batteries.

I wasn't able to find any specific instructions (could be I didn't look hard enough) on how to download my mp3's to this device, but after loading the software, I was able to play with the software and download into this mp3 player within 15 minutes.

This player comes with Musicmatch software where all of your files are managed. Keep in mind that you cannot download raw mp3's into this unit, as the Musicmatch software converts your mp3 files into mpy files. Therefore you wouldn't be able to just go to your friends house and download mp3's off his/her PC without the Musicmatch software.

To download into this mp3 player, I simply hooked it up to the provided USB cable, opened up the Musicmatch software, went to "file", then "send to device", and then I simply clicked and dragged my mp3 files from a folder on my hard drive to the Musicmatch software then hit the download button. It took about 6 seconds to convert one mp3 file to an mpy file and download into the player. It's that simple...

All in all, I am very happy with this mp3 player and would gladly recommend it to those looking for a combination mp3 player and FM tuner for a reasonable price!

24 of 24 found the following review helpful:


Good sound quality, plays MP3 and WMA raw, downloaded direct  Nov 14, 2003
I bought this machine a month ago at Radio Shack

Positive:

No need to use bundled software that many reviewers have complained about. Just plug in the USB cord and it pops up on your computer as another drive. Drag and drop the MP3 or WMA files you want, it will play both types without any intervention for the user.

This is my third MP3 (and WMA) player and the one with the best sound so far.

Many reviews complain about a belt-clip, my model did not come with a belt clip, it came with a very clever elastic arm band that holds it perfectly on your upper arm. I have used it 2-3 times a week at the gym and it is so much nicer than all the other Walkmans (yes I am old, the tape type) and CD players I have hauled to the gym.

Very good value for money.

Negative

The headphones are comfortable, but you can improve sound quality with better headset.

The radio is a nice feature with impressive auto search and memory for many stations, but all that does not matter because the receiver is so poor that most channels give you terrible static noice that ruins the experience.

All in all I am very pleased. The additional memory slot came in very handy as I had an old MMC 128 meg card laying around from an old digital camera. Just fill it with music, pop it in, and voila - you have 256 meg or in my case 61 songs to enjoy.

Good value, buttons and interface easy to use, I have not (yet) had any problems with the volume getting stuck on maximum as some people have reported.

Have fun.

37 of 40 found the following review helpful:


Great Value, as long as you keep a few things in mind...  Mar 21, 2003 By Jonathan Ciccone
Have been looking for an MP3 player for working out and traveling for some time now. Have looked at the Rio for a while but it just seemed so ...expensive. Came across the RD 1080 and decided to give it a try. I LOVE IT! FM Tuner works well, and has good reception and quality. Sound quality for the unit is very good. It's small and lightweight and seems to be pretty reasonable on battery life. However, I'd make sure you keep a few things in mind before you buy.

1) You have to use MusicMatch. Period. No other options. (As far the other user's comment about paying for upgrades to the software, I'd splurge and buy the lifetime membership to the software. I bought it a year ago and love it).

2) This is NOT a replacement for your $2000.00 home sound system. While it comes with some preset equalizer settings, you can't get too creative with the sound quality. But for [the price] you're getting a pretty ... good value.

3) Download times are slow (approx 15 min for 20 128k songs)

4) Belt clip does not really secure the player if you're pretty active with it (ie off-road running). No arm band either. However, you can readily rig one up with a little bit of creativity.

5) You have to use MusicMatch. Enough said.

All in all, I'm VERY happy with the player as an all around compact way to carry lots of great music with me in the outdoors or working out.

19 of 19 found the following review helpful:


Fun toy with great sound but some annoying details  Jul 28, 2003 By science gal
The RCA Lyra is my introduction to digital music, and overall it is a positive experience. The price is far more reasonable than many of the other 128 MB MP3 players out there, especially as it was one of my Amazon.comGold Box offers. However, before you buy, you should keep the following in mind:
Pros
1. Nice sound. Other reviews have complained about an annoying "hiss" between tracks, but I have not had that problem.
2. Surprisingly nice radio reception, with several (10 I think) preset stations.
3. Easy to handle. I have no difficulty in working the buttons/knob even when I am running.
4. VERY lightweight - you don't notice it when you exercise
5. Once you figure out the software (more later) it's pretty darn easy to generate and load music into the player.

Cons.
1. The belt clip is a joke. When I first saw it, I thought, oh, cool idea. Then I tried to use it. It does NOT want to stay clipped. It seems to work OK when I am running, but it will fall off if jostled. Don't try to listen to it while working with your hands (like I did while painting my basement) as anytime that you knock the headphone wires with your arms the player will "leap" off your waistband.
2. The software instruction manual. HAHAHAHA. When you read the hardware manual you will be instructed to go to the software manual for specific into on Music Match and how to download the music to the device. THERE IS NO PRINTED MANUAL FOR THE SOFTWARE. It is part of the tutorial on the installation CD. Don't bother to try to print it out either - it won't.
3. You have to use Music Match software. While the software is not difficult to use, it will annoy you to no end. It CONSTANTLY bugs you to upgrade. OK, already! And when you go thru the tutorial, the onscreen pics are for the UPGRADE, not what comes with the player.
4. Slow download times.

In summary, the player has great sound, small size, is more flexible than some other MP3 players on the market, reasonably priced and is easy to use once you figure it out. The downside is that it might take you a bit to figure out how to use it IF you are new to digital music, and the belt clip could be improved. Overall, a fun toy.

23 of 24 found the following review helpful:


Decent Value  Sep 28, 2002 By PalBri
I have owned this player since July 2002. Unlike some of the reviews, this player has been very good to me. Sound quality is very good and I like the fact it is small and comes with a neck strap (I constantly use it at the gym). One annoyance is that it does not use RAW MP3 encoding: it converts files to a proprietary code via MusicMatch Jukebox, a piece of software that is more bloatware and can be cumbersome to use. However, I have not had any problems with installation, downloading, uploading, etc. Another annoyance is the headphones: they are too loose and I had to use an already owned existing pair. So far, support is non-existent on their website, even after numerous inquiries(I was told I was one of the first to buy and that it was not yet widely available).
Overall, the value is very good for the price: it is upgradeable via memory flash cards. Battery life is about 7 hours of play time (I usually change the 2 AAA batteries about once per week). I do recommend this player if you are a gym nut or a runner as it is lightweight and quite rugged (RCA has built a solid player)and is small enough to not get in the way. Again, sound quality is decent and comes with equalizer presets as well as Bass/Tone controls. Radio quality is average. I just wished it used RAW MP3 files.

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