Dusseldorf-based Maxfield has just landed in the UK, and its first product to grace our shores is not too bad at all. But it is pricey considering it lacks features which are today considered standard.
The G-Flash Metal (£95) is an MP3/WMA player available with either 1- or 2GB of non-upgradable flash memory. It’s hardly the most feature-rich player on the market, but its no-nonsense design, attractive OLED and impressive sound make it very appealing. Maxfield even ships the player with a full copy of Toni Braxton’s ‘Libra’ album pre-installed.
The smart-looking USB device is encased in robust brushed metal housing (87x35x21mm, 45g). In addition to the stylish look the 128x32-pixel OLED display is crisp and clear, if a touch small and awkward to navigate. Not only are OLED displays (organic light-emitting diode) bright, but they consume significantly less energy than traditional LC displays. As a result the G-Flash Metal keeps going up to 18 hours with only one AAA alkaline battery.
A storage capacity of 1GB isn’t exactly groundbreaking, but is enough space for about 16 hours music or voice recording up to 64 hours using the built-in mono microphone. In addition to music in MP3 format the player also supports WMA files. And thanks to the support from Windows DRM the player supports music downloads from popular Internet music portals such as Musicload.de and AOL Music.
Similar to any self respecting digital audio player, the G-Flash Metal also functions as a portable storage device for all your data (programs, pictures, videos and presentations), which can be accessed directly via the built-in USB interface. The downside is that it can’t display photos or play video, and there isn’t even an FM radio - features we’ve all come to expect from modern digital audio players. The player doesn’t even support lossless compression formats or gapless playback.
Although the G-Flash Metal is very compact and its features relatively limited, we were really surprised by its solid sound quality. The inclusion of Sennheiser’s impressive MX 400 stereo earbud headphones was also a welcome surprise. You can further customise playback using the six equaliser settings (X-Bass, Jazz, Classical, Rock, Pop and Normal) pre-installed in the player, but there’s no option to tweak audio levels (we would have liked to increase treble levels, for instance).
Playback functions include Normal, Repeat One, Repeat All, Random, and Random All. Volume is controlled by means of no less than 41 steps. The player can be connected directly to hi-fi equipment and active loudspeakers thanks to the 3.5mm headphone jack, but there’s no built-in Bluetooth. Technical specifications include an output of 10mW (5mW right/left), signal-to-noise ratio of >90 dB, and frequency range of 20Hz to 20kHz.
All stored data on the device can be edited, installed and deleted quickly and easily thanks to the inclusion of easy-to-use browser software and a Special Edition (i.e. cut-down) copy of Magix’s easy-to-use MP3 Maker software. Songs are organised according to title and interpretation using ID3-Tags. You can also drag-and-drop audio tracks directly to the player.
Accessories supplied with the G-Flash Metal co-ordinate perfectly. For instance, the neoprene protective bag with a belt clip is ideal for travelling or sweating it out in the gym, and the branded carrying strap guarantees optimal freedom of movement. For added convenience, Maxfield supplies a USB cable in case your USB slots are at the rear of your computer.
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