Creative’s NOMAD Jukebox 3: 1st IEEE1394 Digital Audio Player
Reprinted from a Creative press release:
MILPITAS, Calif., April 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Creative, the worldwide leader in digital entertainment products for users of the personal computer and the Internet, today announced the NOMAD Jukebox 3, the first digital audio player with SB1394 (IEEE-1394 compatible) connectivity to the PC. The NOMAD Jukebox 3 comes with a 20GB storage capacity to hold up to 8,000 songs and an industry leading sound playback quality of 98dB SNR (line-out) and is now shipping to retail and on-line outlets at an estimated street price of US$399.99. A 40GB version of the NOMAD Jukebox 3 is slated for online availability next month at US$499.99.
The NOMAD Jukebox 3 connects to the desktop or notebook PC through either SB1394 or USB 1.1. With transfer speed reaching less than one second per song, the SB1394 connection is ideally suited for use with Creative’s Sound Blaster Audigy family of sound cards, which also feature SB1394 connectivity.
Navigating through up to 40GB of content on the NOMAD Jukebox 3 is easy, thanks to the introduction of the Scroller wheel, which allows users to move through the interface and create playlists on-the-fly in seconds. Just press the Scroller on the first letter of a favorite artist, song or genre to quickly jump through the alphabetic listings to a desired selection. The Scroller also accesses a host of customization options and EAX environment presets to create the sound of music being played in different venues, such as an arena or jazz club. In difficult listening environments such as a plane or car, and late at night when trying to tone down sudden contrasts in the audio track, activate Smart Volume Management (SVM) which intelligently controls the dynamic range of a song for a superior listening experience. Besides evening out the volume ‘bumps’ in an audio track, SVM also employs a ‘Match Volume’ (normalization) feature to keep the playback volume of all the tracks on your playlist at the same level.
Users can unplug the NOMAD Jukebox 3 and listen for up to 22 hours without the need to recharge the batteries. The player ships with one rechargeable lithium-ion battery that powers up to 11 hours of continuous playback; and a second battery (available separately) can fit in the convenient second battery bay.
In a home or office setting, front and rear line-outs and Multi-Channel Effects on the player allow users to enjoy 3D audio with 4.1 or 5.1 speaker systems such as the Creative Inspire(TM) 4.1 4400 or Creative Inspire 5.1 5300. The optical and analog line-in port enables audio encoding from just about any source (MiniDisc player, DAT deck or CD or cassette player, etc.) in real time directly to the NOMAD Jukebox 3 in MP3 or high quality WAV formats.
The NOMAD Jukebox 3 is not limited to storing only music files. Data transfer functionality also enables the player to store, manage, and transport photo, text and video files.
Features and Benefits
— SB1394 (IEEE-1394 compatible) and USB 1.1: Transfer music, photo, text
or video files in seconds with SB1394;
— Second Battery Bay: Up to 11 hours of continuous playtime with one
lithium-ion rechargeable battery, offering up to 22 hours of
uninterrupted playback when both battery bays are used (second battery
available separately)s
— Scroller: Intuitive Scroller navigation makes it possible to find
songs, albums, artists or playlists in seconds and allows the user to
create and name playlists on-the-fly;
— Industry leading sound quality: Offers up to 98 dB SNR playback
(Line-Out), frequency response of 20Hz-20kHz, and harmonic distortion
output at less than 0.1%;
— Massive Storage: 20GB or 40GB versions to hold vast quantities of
music and other file types;
— Optical and Analog Line-In: Can take any optical or analog input (CD,
MiniDisk or cassette players, DAT deck, etc.) and encode directly into
MP3 or WAV format in real time, and does not require a pre-amp source;s
— Smart Volume Management: Normalizes file volumes regardless of how
recorded and customizes the audio output to match noisy environments
such as on a plane or in a car;
— AudioSync: Found in PlayCenter 3, AudioSync synchronizes a PC music
library, or only tracks from a user-specified genre, artist or
playlist, to the NOMAD Jukebox 3;
— Anti-skip Protection: Provides up to 7 minutes of protection to ensure
smooth operation while on the move;
— EAX Audio Technology: Provides Smart Volume Management, Environment
Effects, Time-Scaling, Multi-Channel Effects, Headphone Spatialization
and Advanced EQ;
— Creative PlayCenter 3: Provides an intuitive interface for encoding,
decoding and archiving MP3, WMA or WAV files as well as converting
unlimited numbers of CD tracks, and managing and transferring audio
files to the NOMAD Jukebox 3;
— Creative File Manager: Can be used to move non-music files quickly and
easily;
— Upgradeable Firmware: Firmware can be updated via web downloads to
support new features and enhancements; and
— Optional Accessories: Users can customize and personalize their player
with an infra red remote; convenient PC docking station; wired remote;
wired remote with FM tuner, built-in mic, and LCD; car adapter kit;
protective leather carrying case; interchangeable faceplates; and extra
lithium-ion rechargeable batteries.
For more NOMAD Jukebox 3 information and full product descriptions of available accessories, visit http://www.nomadworld.com/.