X

Photos: RCA Opal MP3 Player

RCA delivers a budget-priced MP3 player capable of playing videos and DRM-protected audio content. Menu navigation could use some work, but all-in-all, the Opal packs in a lot of features for a great price.

CNET Reviews staff
32422435-2-440-PURSE.jpg
1 of 7 Corinne Schulze / CNET Networks
The Opal is very light, but it's not the most compact player we've seen. This may work to your advantage, however, if you're looking for a device you can easily dig out of a backpack or handbag.
32422435-2-440-SD.jpg
2 of 7 Corinne Schulze / CNET Networks
They don't come much skinnier than the Opal. In this view you can see the small hold switch on the side and the reinforced bulge behind the headphone jack at the top of the player.
32422435-2-440-BUTTONS.jpg
3 of 7 Corinne Schulze / CNET Networks
Taking a cue from the swooping spots of color found on the front panel, RCA set the navigation controls tilted slightly to the left. It's a neat visual trick, but from a practical perspective, it makes navigation a bit trickier.
32422435-2-440-0.jpg
4 of 7 Corinne Schulze / CNET Networks
By accident, the Opal we received was set to a foreign language. With a little luck, we were able to guess our way into the language settings and set it to English.
32422435-2-440-FT.jpg
5 of 7 Corinne Schulze / CNET Networks
One of the Opal's navigation quirks we aren't thrilled about is the Menu button (the button marked "M," found above the direction control). In most cases, pressing it twice would take you back to the Opal's main menu. Under some circumstances, however, pressing the Menu button twice would only take you back to a submenu, requiring you to use the arrow buttons to back out to the main menu. We would have liked a press-and-hold method for ensuring the main menu can always be accessed in a pinch.
32422435-2-440-TP.jpg
6 of 7 Corinne Schulze / CNET Networks
The headphone jack at the top of the Opal also acts as a line-input connection and USB port (using a special cable).
32422435-2-440-PALM.jpg
7 of 7 Corinne Schulze / CNET Networks
At under $80, the Opal makes for an adequate iPod Nano stunt double for those times when you just don't want to risk putting a pricey gadget in harm's way. Support for Audible audio books and subscription music content make the Opal a suitable player to take to the gym. We still wish it had a radio, however.

More Galleries

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera
A houseplant

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera

20 Photos
Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra
magic-v2-2024-foldable-1383

Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra

10 Photos
The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum
Samsung Galaxy S24

The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum

23 Photos
Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design
The Galaxy S24 Ultra in multiple colors

Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design

23 Photos
I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites
img-0368.jpg

I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites

34 Photos
17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About
Invitation for the Apple September iPhone 15 event

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About

18 Photos
AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?
img-1599-2.jpg

AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?

17 Photos