Karaoke machines have been around for a long time, but it wasn't until my kids wanted to sing along with their favorite songs that we decided it might be fun to review one. GPX Incorporated has a full line of Karaoke Party Machines offering a wide range of features. The GPX C1379 is a basic model that has CD+G capabilities, which provides a video output for displaying lyrics on the television to sing along with the music. The lyrics are displayed and highlighted as the music plays. Stereo audio jacks are also provided so that the music can be connected to the television or stereo system. The C1379 is a fully portable Karaoke machine that runs either on eight "C" size batteries or with the supplied AC plug. The top-loading CD player is fully compatible with CD-R media. Play, pause, stop, track select, program and repeat buttons are provided. The front of the unit has master volume, tone, balance and echo controls. There's a 2-digit LED display indicating the CD track number. A headphone jack is also provided.

The C1379 comes with one microphone, yet there are two jacks on the front of the unit should two people want to sing at the same time. GPX also sells their microphones separately. We tested this unit with two microphones and both worked equally well with the unit. In fact, feedback didn't seem to be a problem with this unit as long as the person holding the microphone was sufficiently far away from the speakers. A sample CD+G disc is included with the unit with songs from Christina Aguilera and 'N Sync.

Conclusion
The GPX C1379 Karaoke party machine is a compact unit capable of providing plenty of fun for the Karaoke enthusiast. Our kids had a blast with the unit and with two microphones they didn't fight over who gets to sing. We've been using the unit for several weeks now and it appears to be a durable design with the features most people would want in a Karaoke player. If you prefer to have recording capabilities, GPX also offers models with a built-in cassette deck. However, if you're looking for a simple unit with CD+G features, your money is well spent on this low-priced karaoke machine.
- Kevin Nakano

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