Simple Music Player Reviews

4.8 Rating 99 Reviews

The Simple Music Player in Red/Green is an easy-to-use MP3 music player for individuals with impaired cognition, memory loss, or Alzheimer's.The simplest of operation, play music by lifting the clearly indicated lid, close the lid to stopControls have been demonstrated to be highly intuitive, requiring no prior knowledge or explanationVolume set by family, friends, or carers, so it cannot be accidentally changedMusic uploaded via USB to any Windows, Apple, or Linux PCCapacity: 4GB (approx 1000 songs)Dementia ResearchThe "dementia music player" was developed in light of research undertaken by Designability, which showed many benefits of providing people who have dementia with music they enjoy.Many of our customers have shared experiences of their loved ones enjoying the act of listening to music, but they've sadly lost the ability to operate a conventional music player; The Simple Music Player for dementia was designed to overcome this problem.The design of this MP3 player also makes it a popular choice as a simple music player for elderly people who find modern MP3 players difficult to operate.RequirementsCompatible device with USB port (see examples below)A) Windows computer or laptopB) Apple Macbook/MacC) Any other device with a USB port that can transfer filesTo upload music to the Simple Music Player you need a device that has a USB port with the ability to transfer files, as this will be how you transfer music onto the music player.Unfortunately we aren't able to advise whether your device has a USB port and whether it can transfer files, however, the vast majority of modern computers and laptops have this functionality.How to use the Simple Music PlayerTo start playing music, simply lift the lidUnderneath the lid is one large button that can be used to skip track (optional)Close the lid to turn the music off

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Phone:

024 7642 2224

Email:

support@alzproducts.co.uk

Location:

Unit 2, 68 Bayton Road, Exhall
Coventry
CV7 9EJ

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“I have been massively impressed by the Simple Music Player I purchased for my sister who is living with Alzheimer's. The design is so well thought through even down to the standout red which means she won't not see it amongst various other nostalgia stimulating items on the top of the chest of drawers in her room in the residential home where she now lives. The build is excellent in wipe-clean durable, textured plastic on all sides apart from the rear panel which is a sturdy piece of mdf with the various connection slots inserted in it. Best of all is the sound quality which is crystal clear and capable of filling a large room with conversation going on - eg a sitting/meeting room in the home or even a rented room at the back of a pub. Volume is easily adjusted with the concealed openings underneath so it can be suited to the needs of the moment. Also worthy of mention are the non-slip rubber feet which ensure it stays in place, even on a slight slope. I did wonder about whether a carry handle might have been helpful but overall I think that it's best without. The machine will mainly be kept in one place, plugged in and ready to use. It's quite possible that the activities organiser in the home would like to use it in a common room (she was very impressed with it too) but mainly it will stay put in my sister's room. So, if it needs to be moved it can be carried with two hands and the absence of a handle (in the style of Roberts radios) means it doesn't cause distraction or confusion to the user and, of course, doesn't get in the way of the opening of the simple lid which turns the music on and off. Similarly, the simplicity of the design of the player's functions may seem excessive - no repeat option, always returns to track 1 on the playlist if switched off etc. However, in light of the need to keep things as simple as possible, these are in fact plusses. If a user wanted to find a particular track amongst many that would be tricky. On this aspect of navigating the tracks, I haven't found a way to download the list of songs that I've put onto the player in the order that they appear on the player. All the Mp3s that I prepared on my computer transferred quickly and easily onto the player but they are not in the same order on the player as they were in the list on the computer. If it's possible to make a printable list of the tracks in the order that they are now on the player that would be helpful... So, this aside, many, many top marks for the SMP. One big problem for me was the technology needed to gather the Mp3s into a file which I could then download onto the player. I have a Spotify Premium account so, to avoid download costs of sourcing tracks from Amazon or iTunes, I wanted to make a list of songs on Spotify and then transfer it across to the player. Not easy! I tried various 'free' converter software packages which can remove the Spotify 'tag' which would prevent it being played anywhere except via Spotify. There may be one that works but in the end I bought a package called: NoteBurner Spotify Music Converter. It cost just over £35 but was worth it. I even had online support (from China!) when I needed help to find how to register my download as a full package. Without this registration process (you needed a code that was sent by email once the order had gone through) the program worked but would only download the first 90 seconds of the track! It took quite a while to convert each song and you could only transfer a limited number at a time but it did the job and I ended up with all the tracks I'd found on Spotify converted into Mp3s that would work on the SMP. (NB I was working from Spotify Premium - £9.99 per month. I don't know if the transfer of tracks is possible from the free version of Spotify.) I did try contacting the Alzheimer's Society who say they have trained support to help people with how to use the player but none of these contacts ended with anyone who could actually give me advice on the specific questions I needed answers to about converting Spotify tracks to plain Mp3s. I also had a problem with a couple of tracks that had been recorded for me live as videos: one was an MOV file and the other Mp4 format. For these I did find a free converter program online which turns various file types quickly and easily into Mp3s. It's called: Switch Sound File Converter. It took a long time searching on Spotify to find the favourite tracks I wanted to put onto the machine but actually it took even longer to sort out the process of converting these to the Mp3 format that could go be downloaded. Having done all this and got the machine up and running the moment of truth came just a couple of days ago - her 71st birthday - when my sister opened the box and followed the instructions on the lid. She was immediately recognising the tracks, even before the lyrics started, and then singing (and dancing) along to each one. I pre-warned the other diners in the restaurant where we were celebrating and they gave her a round of applause which she loved! The next day when we set it up in the home there were other residents also joining in, recognising the tracks and singing along together. Totally, transformationally and touchingly brilliant! I know how the process of tracking down the songs was emotionally powerful for me - memories of people, places from the past were coming to the surface that I hadn't remembered in years. For my sister, I think the process was very similar: she could recall, word for word, so many of the lyrics - and not just in English and almost all the singers! It gave us a shared experience which are not so frequent these days and brought back many happy times. One of the stated features of the SMP is how it can calm and soothe and I am sure this will be the case. However, on the basis of the first couple of times, I would add that it can also energise and enliven. Use with care!”

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“These are absolutely excellent- have bought 2 as gifts and recommended to others . So easy to use , money well spent”

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“My mom has Alzheimer’s and this product has brought her a lot of joy . My only criticism would be the large plastic Koto badge on the front . My mom does insist on trying to push it instead of using the flap on the top . It is too prominent and does look like part of the workings of the player .”

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“Excellent product instructions a bit vague for silver surfer like me 82 Everyone that has seen the product was impressed Good choice of pre loaded music”

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“Bought this for mother in law who has dementia and who always loved to sing. I believe the music player has rely enhanced her quality of life and she loves it. This is actually our 2nd one as she broke the first one however it was not a problem with the player it's just unfortunately part of her illness.... We couldn't think of not getting another so I think it speaks volumes about it.”

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“I did have a little trouble loading the music but a much younger brain managed it easily! This product is brilliant for my dad who has Alzheimer's and loves music. I couldn't find a device he could manage by himself until I purchased this. He can now listen to what he likes when he wants to. It's wonderful seeing him singing along with his favourite songs.”

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