Just like in the two other reviews here, I also had the problem with a "click" (or some strange noise) after each track in Single mode. My F300 came with firmware version 12.18, and after upgrading to version 17.23 this issue was solved (really annoying problem!). Now, I'm pretty satisfied. However, I don't use all the features. I use it to play backing tracks, so I just locate the track and play it always in single mode. Therefor, I have no use for the more advanced cueing capabilities, pitch shift or the mic inputs.I would really like the Volume knob to feel a bit tighter, but have not many other cons than that.
Today, one may want to consider the newer Denon DN-F650R, which features recording, balanced XLR inputs/outputs, digital in/out, integrated power supply ++ (however, to a much higher price). F300 works fine for me after the firmware update!
The unit seems solid, well-built and lightweight. I was slightly disappointed the power supply is external as it becomes just another part to be looked after. The plug can be secured to the unit with a tie-down strap but the wall wart still hangs off the unit and could easily have been made internal with, ideally, a common-as-dirt IEC power cord. It's made for permanent installations so that's a minor issue.
Sound files will easily load on an SD/SDHC card or USB memory stick but beware. When using Mac OS-X to do this, it will add a set of .DS_Store files with names identical to your tracks. That means you'll have TWICE as many "sound" files on your menu when you load it into the unit. These files don't contain audio, just meaningless info about icon size, placement and other OS-X housekeeping chores. The unit dutifully lists them but won't allow you to play them. This means you'll have to scroll through every one of them on your way to track #01! It then lists twice as many "sound" files in the counter and if you have 25 tracks in a folder, track #1 becomes track #26. I may find a workaround for this but not as of this writing. If you want to play the tracks in order (as I often do) these are another speed bump on the way. Clearly the unit is designed to be loaded from a Windows/PC computer.
Display of filenames during playback is extremely limited because for exact order playback, you must include the two-digit track number as the first characters in the filename. Since the unit always displays the period and file extension at the end, i.e. .WAV or .MP3, you have only four characters left to name the track. This happens even if you take out the file extension in the filename. You can use longer names, of course, but then the unit will scroll through the entire name endlessly while it's playing. You can't turn off this feature. Personally, I find it annoying.
The front panel controls seem pretty well laid out but navigating to folders on the memory cards and USB sticks involves pressing and turning a knob and that seems a little cumbersome. When locating a track one simply cues it up and it's ready to play. Each time the unit is powered off or you switch folders, you must reset the "info displayed" during playback function (filename, title name, artist, album name, or display off) because it seems to forget this setting. I'd like to display only the filename and leave it there but there doesn't seem to be any way to do that.
Now I will review this unit for use in live event playback. I have two main complaints which I think are significant. First, the unit emits an audible "tick" when transitioning between tracks. This is usually not noticeable but if you're playing individual tracks which have quiet sections where you transition, you'll definitely hear it. Second, the unit doesn't have a silent FF/REW when you're cueing up a specific time in the track. I previously used Minidisk to play back audio for recitals and was able to search inaudibly by simply hitting "Pause" before either Fast Forward or Rewind. Pressing these buttons while playing gave me audible cueing if I wanted it, but doing so over a large PA system can get annoying and distracting so I avoided it. That this unit doesn't offer silent cueing is a potential liability. In addition, when you are cueing audibly from a complete stop, it's easy to cause the unit to repeat a short section at your destination rapidly. That can get really annoying. And you have to recover from it by hitting stop again or pause so you can then play normally by hitting play. Also, when playing back a track and hitting PAUSE or STOP, if you press the |
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