Eclectic CH100 MP3/CD Player Preview

We obtained the Eclectic CH100 from Vertical Horizon for testing purposes. The unit comes packaged and looks identical to a CD player which you would use with your home stereo.

Physical Observations

Setup of the unit is quick and harmless, with only power and audio connections. The outputs on the rear of the CH100 are standard RCA audio jacks with color coded right and left connectors. This allows easy hookup to your home theatre receiver or even a small shelf system with auxillary inputs.

The Eclectic CH100 itself has an optional remote control, which was included with our sample. Similar to that which you would use with your current stereo, the remote is broken down into a standard numerical and track selection pad. The track forward and previous buttons work for both the CD and MP3 track selection. Independent of the CD audio, the MP3 playback has its own set of controls on the remote for a few special features. Necessary for directory surfing (such as albums, genres, etc.), there are buttons for returning to the root on the CD and selecting folders. These allow you to maneuver in and out of folders and find exactly what you want to hear.

Usage

After inserting a CD into the tray, the CH100 determines which CD mode is being used and lights up either "CD-DA" or "MP3-CD". It takes a few seconds as it reads the table of contents (TOC) on the MP3 CD. As you play audio, the file or track you are currently listening to is clearly displayed on the two line, green backlit LCD screen. File extensions and folder names are shown as you play songs and as make your way through picking your next song.

Since the CH100 is soley dedicated to music, the load time and decoding of MP3 files is fast and fluid. Surprisingly, the music played flawlessly as I administered the eFront durability test. This rigorous test consisted of banging on the top of it with my fist during playback.

Praise

This is a great selection for DJs who want to minimize the number of CDs required for a party. Also, its few connections and moderate size make transporting the unit a snap. Although some users prefer using laptops the job of being a DJ, the CH100 allows for an inexpensive alternative.

The Eclectic CH100 is very practical for those of you with many CDs of favorite songs who wish to consolidate their collections and do not wish to purchase a 100-200 disc CD player.

If you cannot afford a fast computer, you may wish to look into the Eclectic CH100. MP3 players are often a burden on your system. The CH100 will offload the system resources that are required to play CD and MP3 audio on your PC.

Overall, at a price of only $120 you can't go wrong buying the Eclectic CH100. Adding a CD player to your home theatre never got easier and the MP3 playing ability is alone worth the money.

Complaints

• The remote does not permit fast-forward and reversal of MP3 audio, although it works with the CD audio.
• The page for this model mentions random and programmable play, which was not present in the sample we obtained.
• ID3 tag reading was not present, so it was sometimes difficult to determine which file was being displayed.
• The unit does not recognize the difference from MP3 and non-MP3 extensions and will try to play such things as text files.
• Users without access to CD recorders will find little use for the Eclectic CH100.