Philips Expanium EXP103 Personal CD Player
Out of stock |
Similar in Portable CD Players
- Anti Skip Buffer: 45 sec.
- Overview
-
Reviews
-
Compare Prices
User ReviewRead All Reviews »
Worth Every Little Penny I Cried Over Spending...
Pros
Extremely light, and portable. Comes with everything you need.
Cons
Headphones suck, and can only use in car with cassette player. Serial # disappears!
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
This is perfect for those looking for affordable way to listen to MP3 on the go.
On the road again, a song that pretty much sums up my life. I have amassed a countless number of MP3's and got tired of having to cart around CD after CD to play in my car stereo or on the run. Not to mention that I am also a blues review writer (for a local tiny paper), and listen to countless demo's and CD's while on the road and in hotels. I looked into mp3 players and found that most really only offered 32 to 64 megs of storage. When talking in mp3 terms that isn't much listening pleasure at all.
Sure I could plunk down the major change for the Jukebox, but I really am not ready for that kind of commitment. I needed something that would not only play mp3's but be portable, compact, affordable AND play regular CD's. Tall order? Not really once I came across the Philips EXP103 or Expanium as I call it I was hooked. There was no turning back, the credit card was in my hand, and I hit submit order. For me this was a big purchase, I am pretty cheap. I at no time though even thought twice over the price.
Would I regret this, I wondered. Only time and my experience with this item held the answer.
Expanium Unleashed
How's The Philips EXP103 look?
It's a slick little silver on top and off black on bottom number. The silver gives it a sleek, hi-tech look that I love. It is shaped like a square save for the bottom that is beveled. It has Expanium emblazoned toward the bottom and the Philips name in the center. It says MP3-CD playback on it as well as CD-RW compatible and Skip protection. It has 6 buttons that are arranged with two in on top long wise, and the other four being width wise. It opens by moving a grooved button to the right. A Hinged door opens to reveal your CD.
Cost
Ok first things first for a cheapskate like me. The cost was a issue, but not one that turned me away from this product. You will spend about the same amount for a portable device that doesn't play regular CD's, and has only 32-64 meg of storage. It's not really too expensive when you look at it in those terms.
Accessories
When my little box arrived from the online retailer I was giddy with delight. Ripping open the wrapping and seeing the box, caused a white light to shine. Ok maybe it wasn't that special, but it sure felt that way. Included with the Philips EXP103 was :
A Car Kit : That contained the cassette tape adapter and cigarette lighter power adapter. This is great if you have a cassette player in your car. I don't, I have not had one for about 5 years now.
AC/DC Adapter : This comes in extreme handy when I am at the hotel, or just sitting near a power outlet. You don't have to rely on batteries or drain them when there isn't a need to. The cord is of ample length to move around a bit.
Earbud Headphones : Silver small earbuds that had a nice sound to them while they lasted. These totally are useless. They don't stay in your ears, and break pretty easily. You can't adjust the length either. I know this is standard for headphones BUT, the others at least let you adjust the length. One ear has a longer piece of cord, while the other ear has a short one that tends to fall out. It falls out because the wire is too short, so when you move it falls out. First the rubber came off, then the headphones came apart. The sticky that they use to hold it together doesn't seem to hold up. This might have been a defective pair. BUT, the replacement pair sent to me by the company did the same thing!
Other Features
Mp3, CDA Playable : You can play both mp3 CD's as well as your regular store bought music CD's. This is great since you can fit a lot more mp3's on a cd in data mode, than you ever could in CDA format. And you can carry along your CD's as well they play perfectly on the Philips EXP103
Program, Shuffle, Repeat : Basically offers the same thing a normal CD player would. Programmable which does come in handy. Shuffle for those surprise order of tracks. Repeat, well sometime we just have to hear a song over and over. Each feature works great, even though programming it might be a tad hard for beginners.
Skip Protection : It says it has 100 second skip protection. I am always on the go with the Philips EXP103 and have never had a skipping problem.
Battery Life : The claim of a 10 hour battery life is pretty on target. When I used alkaline batteries I did get about 9 - 9 1/2 hours life out of them. With my rechargeables (which I recommend) I get about 6 hours play time. This is good considering you can recharge for free, and not have to run out and buy new batteries.
Line Out : Perfect if you want to connect it to the home stereo for listening on the big speakers.
Bass Boost : Does cause a noticeable difference in the sound, but only when you are using the headphones. So if you hook it to the home stereo it won't do jack.
Things I Don't Like
Display : The display doesn't show names of the songs, or artists. You simply get a number stating the folder number, and track number. Oh, and a picture of a little CD with mp3 across it. It will also display BATT when the battery is low, and a picture of a battery.
Sensitivity of Buttons : You can't really keep this stored away in a case while walking or moving around a lot. The buttons can slightly be touched and they will change the track, set it to program or the thing shuts off. Depending on what button is pressed upon.
Disappearing Ink : It seems that my serial, model and type numbers were written in disappearing ink. Having owned this a few months the numbers have faded away. No this did not get wet, was not left in the rain, or sweat on. I don't get it.
Headphones : They were cheap, and did not last. However you can get a better pair (not everyone likes earbuds) for a small price. I already had another set lying around, so I wasn't too put out.
My Thoughts & Recommendations
This is the way to go if you are looking for a CD/MP3 player that won't put you out on the streets. The pros far outweigh the cons. I do not regret my purchasing decision at all. Even with the small earbud problem.
I recommend this to you for its affordable price, lightweight ease, and features. I had a coupon for $25 off when I purchased this that made it much more affordable than the other players on the market. Do your homework (which you obviously are doing if you are reading this) and settle on a player that has the best features that YOU are looking for.
Enjoy!
~EricaAnn~
Sure I could plunk down the major change for the Jukebox, but I really am not ready for that kind of commitment. I needed something that would not only play mp3's but be portable, compact, affordable AND play regular CD's. Tall order? Not really once I came across the Philips EXP103 or Expanium as I call it I was hooked. There was no turning back, the credit card was in my hand, and I hit submit order. For me this was a big purchase, I am pretty cheap. I at no time though even thought twice over the price.
Would I regret this, I wondered. Only time and my experience with this item held the answer.
Expanium Unleashed
How's The Philips EXP103 look?
It's a slick little silver on top and off black on bottom number. The silver gives it a sleek, hi-tech look that I love. It is shaped like a square save for the bottom that is beveled. It has Expanium emblazoned toward the bottom and the Philips name in the center. It says MP3-CD playback on it as well as CD-RW compatible and Skip protection. It has 6 buttons that are arranged with two in on top long wise, and the other four being width wise. It opens by moving a grooved button to the right. A Hinged door opens to reveal your CD.
Cost
Ok first things first for a cheapskate like me. The cost was a issue, but not one that turned me away from this product. You will spend about the same amount for a portable device that doesn't play regular CD's, and has only 32-64 meg of storage. It's not really too expensive when you look at it in those terms.
Accessories
When my little box arrived from the online retailer I was giddy with delight. Ripping open the wrapping and seeing the box, caused a white light to shine. Ok maybe it wasn't that special, but it sure felt that way. Included with the Philips EXP103 was :
A Car Kit : That contained the cassette tape adapter and cigarette lighter power adapter. This is great if you have a cassette player in your car. I don't, I have not had one for about 5 years now.
AC/DC Adapter : This comes in extreme handy when I am at the hotel, or just sitting near a power outlet. You don't have to rely on batteries or drain them when there isn't a need to. The cord is of ample length to move around a bit.
Earbud Headphones : Silver small earbuds that had a nice sound to them while they lasted. These totally are useless. They don't stay in your ears, and break pretty easily. You can't adjust the length either. I know this is standard for headphones BUT, the others at least let you adjust the length. One ear has a longer piece of cord, while the other ear has a short one that tends to fall out. It falls out because the wire is too short, so when you move it falls out. First the rubber came off, then the headphones came apart. The sticky that they use to hold it together doesn't seem to hold up. This might have been a defective pair. BUT, the replacement pair sent to me by the company did the same thing!
Other Features
Mp3, CDA Playable : You can play both mp3 CD's as well as your regular store bought music CD's. This is great since you can fit a lot more mp3's on a cd in data mode, than you ever could in CDA format. And you can carry along your CD's as well they play perfectly on the Philips EXP103
Program, Shuffle, Repeat : Basically offers the same thing a normal CD player would. Programmable which does come in handy. Shuffle for those surprise order of tracks. Repeat, well sometime we just have to hear a song over and over. Each feature works great, even though programming it might be a tad hard for beginners.
Skip Protection : It says it has 100 second skip protection. I am always on the go with the Philips EXP103 and have never had a skipping problem.
Battery Life : The claim of a 10 hour battery life is pretty on target. When I used alkaline batteries I did get about 9 - 9 1/2 hours life out of them. With my rechargeables (which I recommend) I get about 6 hours play time. This is good considering you can recharge for free, and not have to run out and buy new batteries.
Line Out : Perfect if you want to connect it to the home stereo for listening on the big speakers.
Bass Boost : Does cause a noticeable difference in the sound, but only when you are using the headphones. So if you hook it to the home stereo it won't do jack.
Things I Don't Like
Display : The display doesn't show names of the songs, or artists. You simply get a number stating the folder number, and track number. Oh, and a picture of a little CD with mp3 across it. It will also display BATT when the battery is low, and a picture of a battery.
Sensitivity of Buttons : You can't really keep this stored away in a case while walking or moving around a lot. The buttons can slightly be touched and they will change the track, set it to program or the thing shuts off. Depending on what button is pressed upon.
Disappearing Ink : It seems that my serial, model and type numbers were written in disappearing ink. Having owned this a few months the numbers have faded away. No this did not get wet, was not left in the rain, or sweat on. I don't get it.
Headphones : They were cheap, and did not last. However you can get a better pair (not everyone likes earbuds) for a small price. I already had another set lying around, so I wasn't too put out.
My Thoughts & Recommendations
This is the way to go if you are looking for a CD/MP3 player that won't put you out on the streets. The pros far outweigh the cons. I do not regret my purchasing decision at all. Even with the small earbud problem.
I recommend this to you for its affordable price, lightweight ease, and features. I had a coupon for $25 off when I purchased this that made it much more affordable than the other players on the market. Do your homework (which you obviously are doing if you are reading this) and settle on a player that has the best features that YOU are looking for.
Enjoy!
~EricaAnn~
