DaremoS

After read lots of prejudices here concerning a non Meizu player like Onda VX858, I’ve decided to write a review. Having had a M6 for 20 days, having a M3 (what keeps me fully satisfied except one long commented issue), a Teclast C260, having the chance to test many times an iPod Nano, and a iRiver X20, I think I am in position to judge what IS this player also called Honey.

I am an audiophile and I devote lots of my time to listen to music in all the possible ways, I am also capable to distinguish what is a good video or a still picture.

Brief Description. I’ve bought a “compatible Onda VX858” in which I’ve installed the latest original Onda firmware which is 00.00.0017. My VX858 is a Rockchip device of 2Gb, with touch screen and mini SD slot for up to 4 Gb. Touch screen can be played by fingers or through a stylus pen, no stylus pen provided. Screen is QVGA TFT of 2.8” size with resolution of 320x240. I don’t have information about colours but I suppose is above 262k colours.
The device has just 4 buttons: one, for switch on and hold, one to access main menu and two extremely useful buttons to manage volume up and down.
No traces of the manufacturer.

Sound. This version of firmware can play MP3, FLAC, APE (normal set), WMA (no lossless), WAV, No support for OGG yet.
The player uses a Wolfson WM8750 audio decoder, which has been chosen also by Teclast to bring a better sound to their latest players.
All test I’ve done have been without EQ, and listening my favourites songs that I’ve listen in all others devices I have tried.
Playing MP3, APE, FLAC or WMA the sound is the best I’ve listening in a devices of this type, well defined and precise deep bass sound, crystal clear treble and midrange, superb stereo with no traces of distortion of any kind.
EQ functions is still basic in VX858, but is announced for next releases Microsoft PlayFX, a function for spatial sound and effects.

Video. This version of firmware can play AVI (xvid/mp2) and FLV.
Play AVI at a resolution of 320x240 up to 24 fps , recommended up to 22 fps for good audio synchronization. The screen of 2.8” brings the best video I’ve seen in an MP4. Size of screen is superb for clips and even for movies with subtitles. I’ve tried AVI at 25 fps but sound get out-of-synch.
Beware!!! When video is played from a SD card, user must be sure that is using a high speed removable card. Video will sound good but surely will be out-of-synch!!!

Touch screen. Touch screen can be used through fingers or some pen acting as a stylus or pointer. I’ve choose to use fingers as I don’t want the screen scratched by a hard stylus. For an unknown reason, for me have been easier to control functions holding the device in a hand, pointing with thumb of the same hand.
At first appears as a bit unresponsive, but after some time it gets easier to handle, the system has a useful “calibrate” function that seems to work properly. I’ve noticed that using a soft tone called “bee” to control the device (by hand and ear), is even easier to control its functions.
Selection is done in two touches: one to select and one for action. Thru touch it’s possible to do fast forward and backward in sound and video by keep pressing the icons.
Anyway, touch screen is slower than use of buttons, but it’s not disgusting in any way.
I wasn’t fond of touch screen due to greasy finger prints that are unavoidable, surprisingly the excellent backlight make this mark invisible while in use… sort of coated cover or protector. Anyway it requires constant clean with a soft cloth.

Firmware. Onda is delivering new versions of firmware frequently and all versions are available in Onda site (www.onda.cn) in Chinese with a small portion in English. For a machine not so old in the market actual version is 00.00.0017 which I suppose it has 16 versions before.
When it’s loaded is shown the typical 9 functions of Rockchip devices in icons in vertical position: “music”, “video”, “pictures”, “radio”, “text”, “record”, “browser”, “games” and “settings”. Each function can be accessed by touching it; within each function all information are distributed vertically, except by option “video”, which is turned right to take advantage of its size. Each of this option has on top and bottom, a sensitive area that can allow open a small sub-menu to go back to principal menu, return, go back and forth, go to browser and other related options. This areas disappear automatically when aren’t needed, reappearing when any of the areas is touched. Extra menus are in FM radio to manage station memory. Other difference is option “Music” now without the useless typical rockchip spectrum resulting in a cleaner screen. In option “picture” buttons up and down volume are used to navigate back and forth images. Option “Settings” lead to another set of 9 icons for configuration of the device.
The firmware is fully skinnable, thru RKLogoEdit or other alike.

Conclusion. As a Rockchip device, it lacks on automatic ordering of files, like it is sort by artist, album and song, solving this by browsing files through the “explorer”. The system doesn’t have date and time and the managing of ID3 tags is basic (but both functions will be implemented in new firmware versions according to Onda announcements). In other words, is a rather basic operating system but extremely reliable, which do excellently all the functions implemented.
Onda VX858 brings the best sound and image I’ve found in an MP4, being over passed by M6 just in display of still images.

An important note about some editing I've done to this text: when I was testing FLAC and FLV I do have the files in a non high-speed card mounted in the SD slot.
That's totally wrong!... try to get the best SD cards available or use it just for lossy formats. Lossless formats and videos requires a high transfer speed to achieve the best quality.
Due to this I did have to rewrite some paragraphs.

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