RCA RD2840 Lyra HD Jukebox w/40 GB Hard Disc Drive

 (85 customer reviews)

I bought the RD2840 40GB Lyra jukebox when it first went out sale as exclusive at Circuit City. I've been quite happy with it.Pros: huge capacity (Windows reports 37.2GB total); low price; USB 2.0 High-Speed (=fast transfers!); drag-and-drop file transfers for both music and non-music; recognized by Windows as an external hard disk; graphic EQ plus a few presets; iPod-like interface; includes carrying case and car adapter; backlit LCD screen with adjustable backlight and contrast; good sound quality (after you replace the stock headphones); easy system software set-up (no reboot needed in XP); key lock via Menu button; line-out for hi-fi systems; ability to tag a song "Like" or "Dislike"; ability to import MusicMatch play lists; cute packaging box with handle.Cons: bulky (but surprisingly lighter than I'd expected); too thick; buttons can be unresponsive at times; cannot remember last song played after power down (really stupid! Who designed this thing?);...Read more

After reading several reviews of this product - some good and some not so good, I was a little reluctant. I bit the bullet and shelled out $300 or so and was very glad I did. Now, I've only had this for 2 weeks, but this thing has brought me immense joy.I must say that many of the "complaints" I've read have some truth to them, but the way I look at life is this: If I stay at a beautiful hotel with an indoor swimming pool, king size down beds, free room service and a gorgeous ocean side view - I'm not going to complain because I don't like the color of the shower curtain. Get it?The biggest competition, of course, is Apple's IPOD. Yes, it's better, but it's about twice the price. My friend has an IPOD and he tried to talk me into saving for one but he failed. He then conceded that my RCA Lyra was "pretty nice" after I showed it to him. For those who have never seen/held this unit, many complaints are that it's "big and bulky". Horse Hockey...Read more

I've owned all three 40GB players available today: Creative Zen, RCA Lyra, Apple iPod. This is the review I wish I had read before I started shopping. It was a originally more comprehensive but I had to trim it to 1000 words.For the most part, the Creative Zen has the best features of the three, as well as the best price. It sounds like a no brainer except for the fact that these things break like crazy! If you read some of the other reviews on here, you'll see a few people mention that their headphone jack shorted out when they dropped the player....well mine shorted out while the player was sitting on my desk not moving at all. I don't know a single person who bought one of these players and didn't have their headphone jack malfunction! Many reviewers suggest buying an extended warranty because of this problem. I would most definitely agree with them on that one, but personally I don't have the patience to wait a few weeks every time the player decides to stop...Read more