10. Coby Mp3 Player
This player is a super value. There really isn’t much I can say, about a player that has this many features, and looks this great, and costs less than 40$, except that this is a great deal. The Coby Mp3 Player has a 2 GB flash memory and a 2″ full color LCD screen. It has a super sleek design and comes in cool colors like red, blue and black. It uses a touch pad control and has an FM player.
It supports many file formats and really is a great bare bones player. The touch pad works well and the screen is large enough to navigate the menus. This player is great for when you are on the go or at the gym. If you play hard and are afraid of damaging your player, this affordable option, will get the job done, and prevent you from losing out on much, if you should break or lose it.
Even though this player is very high quality and will last a long time. This player also comes with decent headphones, and 3 videos and 2 songs installed. It also arrives fully charged so it’s ready to go right out of the box. Bottom line this player is pretty decent for a low end player it’s worth the price and worth taking a look at.
9. SanDisk Sansa Fuze
SanDisk is the leader in making flash memory cards so it’s no surprise that they can create a solid little flash memory player. The Sansa Fuze is an 8 GB player but it is expandable because it has a swappable memory card. It’s a tiny player about the size of a credit card and to it’s credit it has a tiny price tag. If you are looking for an affordable flash mini player then this could be an option.
This player holds up to 2,000 songs and has an FM radio with 40 presets. It also has a built-in voice recorder and you can listen to audio books on it. The battery should hold a charge for 24 hours of use. You can also watch movie clips on the Sansa Fuze. Just hook it to your PC using the USB port and drag and drop clips from windows media player. For longer videos and photos you can add storage with the MicroSD/SDHC card slot.
File formats that are supported include MPEG-4 video files and MP3 audio files, as well as WMA, WAV, Audible and Overdrive file formats. If you use any type of device with flash memory, chances are you are using a SanDisk product. They do flash memory and they do it well. This is a solid little flash player at an affordable price. If you want a bare bones MP3 player and don’t want to spend a lot this is a good choice.
8. Creative Zen X-Fi 2
Creative has been involved in the mp3 market since the beginning and this latest creation has a touch screen and excellent sound. In fact the main pro of this unit is the X-Fi sound. X-Fi sound is audio that sounds like speakers in your home instead of listening to a pair of earphones. With X-Fi2 that comes with this unit, you get super audio clarity with all formats including mp3s, movies, video, and FM radio. The quality noise isolating earphones that come with this unit don’t hurt either.
Since touch screens are all the rage these days this one comes with a 3-inch TFT LCD touchscreen, for easy navigation. It supports multiple audio formats, and has a built in speaker so you can share your music out loud. It also has an integrated FM radio and a voice recorder. Who doesn’t like the sound of their own voice?
This unit has a 32 GB storage capacity and a slot for a micro SD card for further expansion. It also has a video out jack so you can share movies and photos by hooking it to a television set. As far as organization it has a built in alarm, calendar, tasks, and contacts. Another cool feature I like about the Zen X-Fi is you can download RSS feeds with it. You have to sync it to your computer via USB, but then later on when you are at work, or waiting in line at the Doctor’s office, you can catch up on the latest news and your favorite blogs.
This player is nice and looks good, the touch screen isn’t the most intuitive but, it isn’t bad. This player is lightweight and easily fits in your pocket and can be a great source of entertainment when you have downtime through out the day. But the biggest reason to purchase this player is because of the sound. If you actually want an mp3 player and sound quality is your main concern the Creative Zen X-Fi2 is a good choice.
7. Cowon iAudio 9
The Cowon iAudio 9 is a great slim fit mp3 player. It plays video and audio. It also comes with an FM tuner and a voice recorder. And you can use the unit to view text and photos. Cowon makes many different mp3 and pmp players but the iAudio 9 stands out because of the slim fit and it has a sleek look and comes in great colors.
This unit also comes with customized sound effects and n easy to use interface. Did I mention how sleek, cool, and ultra compact this unit is. If you’ve read my previous reviews you know I’m a Nano fan, but something about this player draws me to it. Besides having 39 JetEffect presets for custom sounds. It has good sound quality.
The controls are intuitive and easy to use. You can access the menus using your thumb and the bottom portion of the unit. Whether your looking for music, videos, or recording, you have easy access to all of the control functions.
Many different codecs are supported for playing all of your music files and the repeat play and sectional repeat are great for studying a foreign language. Another great feature is that it has a built in external speaker so you can listen to it without headphones. Plus there are tons of flash games, and it is compatible with Audible for all of your book listening needs. And it has a cool auto-lyrics feature in case you actually want to sing the real lyrics.
If Santa doesn’t bring me that Walkman I’m hoping I get this instead. The more I write about this player the cooler I think it is. In fact it even comes in environmentally friendly packaging. Once it is removes from the cone shaped plastic case. You can invert the plastic case and use it as a pencil holder or small vase. If you want cool this my be the mp3 player for you.
6. Sony X-Series Walkman
It’s possible the Sony X-Series Walkman should be rated higher. Lately touch screens are all the rage. And this player not only does touch but it does it well. In fact some of the scrolling features rival the iPod touch. Plus it has built in noise cancelling and the earphones that come with the player are actually usable. I can’t say the same thing for those uncomfortable white iPod earphones.
As far as being an mp3 player this device has a long battery life and excellent sound quality. You can download songs in different formats and belong to your choice of subscription services. It also has a built in FM tuner and a slacker app. With this app you can get free music through the integrated WiFi. But, you do not need a constant connection. The walkman will cache the songs and only needs the WiFi connection when refreshing the stations.
The touch screen on this player is actually fun to use. It has a bounce back effect when scrolling through long lists and a tilted scrolling effect for scrolling through photos and album art. This player also has some control buttons on the top side. So you can actually turn it on and change songs without removing it from your pocket.
Placing files from different formats is easy with the Walkman you can simply drag and drop from your desktop or from iTunes. The screen on this unit is also great for viewing photos and watching video. There is also a dedicated You Tube button so you can watch You Tube videos with your WiFi connection. It also has built in transcode for video and you can watch videos from Amazon Video On Demand.
You can also browse the web with this player and my favorite function is that you can subscribe to podcasts through the unit. The player has a jack for using on airplanes and has a built in equalizer. If you already have an iPod or just want to try something different this new Walkman is worth a look. In fact I think I know what I’m getting for Christmas.
5. Zune HD
The Zune has finally come of age. In fact the Zune HD 32 GB should probably be rated higher than number five. So, what is the best feature of this media player? It’s the HD, of course. Microsoft has made no bones about HD being the future, and the Zune is probably just a beginning, but a great start anyway.
The 32 GB capacity will hold about 8,000 songs or 48 hours of standard def video or 10 HD videos. The Zune has a 3.3 inch screen with a 480 x 272 resolution. Plus it has HD radio which gives you crystal clear sound and more listening choices. Provided you are within an HD reception area. Plus you can do most everything all the other players can do. You can watch movies and TV in HD. You can download and stream music, and games and browse the web with a Wi-Fi connection.
The Zune has a nice interface and easy to use quickplay shortcuts. You can download many free games and play them to your favorite music. It also has a built in accelerometer and a touch screen. You can also wirelessly sync your Zune with your home PC or use it as a Jukebox.
A feature, that Zune users actually like, is the Zune marketplace. It doesn’t have as many choices as iTunes, but some prefer the easy to use interface, and it has enough options to keep you busy for months. The radio also has the tagging feature. Where you can tag a song you are listening to, and the Zune will save the title, so you can purchase it in the marketplace at a later time.
The Zune is actually a decent player and fans of HD should love this. It also has a sleek new design and gives the iPod a run for it’s money.
4. Apple iPod Nano
For me personally this should be rated the number 1 mp3 player. I don’t want a giant mp3 player that does everything and I don’t want one so small that I can only listen to 100 different songs. So for me the Nano is perfect. It is small, but not too small, and it has a bright colored screen, and it still does almost everything, and what it does it does well.
The latest Nano comes in your choice of bright colors and has a polished aluminum finish. Plus, some new features, include a video camera, and an FM radio with live pause, which is a DVR like feature, that allows you to pause live radio for up to 15 minutes, and then listen where you left off. This is great for not missing your radio shows, but still having the ability to communicate with co workers.
Another cool Nano function that goes along with their FM radio is iTunes tagging. When you are listening to the radio and you hear a song you like you can tag the song, then later you can look it up, and find out the name and artist, and the details, in case you would like to purchase that song on iTunes.
The built in video camera is great for taking quick videos on the go and it will even record sound. Plus you get to add special effects including Thermal, Mirror, X Ray, Motion Blur, Sepia, and Cyborg. When you get home you can plug your Nano into your computer and then watch, share, or upload your videos to You Tube.
Plus it has the regular iPod music player functions. Including genius play-lists, and mixes, the iPod cover flow, and the cool shake feature. Where you can shake your iPod and it will shuffle your songs, and give you a random mix. Another interesting new feature is voice over, that will give you the name of the artist, and the song you are listening too. Yes, the new Nano can talk.
The new Nano also has a built in pedometer based on the use of the accelerometer to keep track of your steps. And if this isn’t enough you can step it up with the Nike Sport Kit which will keep track of all of your running and fitness goals, and also downloads them to your computer for a complete record with charts and graphs.
The Nano keeps dropping in price, and increasing in function and usability, so you can’t go wrong with this mp3 player.
3. Archos 605 WiFi
The Archos 605 WiFi may seem a little dated, compared to the iPod touch, but it is an excellent mp3 player with excellent sound. And it doesn’t have the proprietary iTunes issues that all of the Apple products have. But where this device really shines is as a portable movie player.
This unit features a touch screen that can be operated with your finger or a stylus. The sound quality is excellent and the screen resolution at 800 x 480 is very high quality. With the built in WiFi you can stream movies and music that are stored on your computer. Plus the system has many available functions such as a web browser and even a dish network plugin that enables you to transfer movies and shows from your set top box to the Archos 605.
You can also use WiFi to download from You Tube or any other video sharing service. Most video formats are supported and there are no proprietary standards. It also has a DVR function where you can record your favorite shows directly onto the unit, and then you can watch them on the go.
As far as a music player goes, you can store and listen up to 15,000 songs, which are easily organized using the ARCLibray, and most poplular formats will play. The Archos 605 has been around for awhile and it has a lot of features. It really shines when it comes to sound quality and watching and storing movies. There is also a larger Archos 705 available and some newer sleeker mp3 models available. But this unit definitely gives the iPod touch a run for it’s money.
2. iRiver Clix
I happen to be a huge iRiver fan, in fact my first mp3 player was the cool little iRiver that you could wear around your neck. I would use it at work and my co-workers were usually impressed. So I was happy to place the iRiver Clix in the number two spot. Unfortunately this unit is a bit dated now and it’s hard to come by. Although iRiver has several other promising units available. That I will review in the future.
If you can find a model of the Clix some of the features you will enjoy are an FM tuner and FM recorder, along with a voice recorder. Flash games and several cool flash menus. A 30 FPS video player and a bright 2.2″ AMOLED screen. It also has a built in reader for your text and an alarm clock. Plus you can purchase music from several different subscription services.
The Clix is a beautiful little device and if you don’t want to use a propritary system it definitely gives the iPod nano a run for it’s money. But if you are really interested in an iRiver model I would probably suggest checking out some of their later versions and getting a newer model. Unless you find this unit at a really great price.
1. Apple iPod Touch
The Apple iPod Touch seems to be the king of mp3 players. After all it was Apple that created the iPod and made mp3 players a household item. The latest iPod touch has all of the functionality of the iPhone except for the phone part. That means that all of the cool apps and messaging and Internet features that are available on the iPhone are also available on the touch. Except for 3g but you can use WiFi with your iPod touch and avoid those expensive data plans.
The iPod touch comes in three models with an 8GB at $199 a 32GB at $299 and a 64 GB at $399. So with the touch you can get more storage capacity than with an iPhone, which is great since it is an mp3 player. Besides holding up to 30 hours of audio playback, you can sync your iPod touch with iTunes, and take advantage of new genius mixes. This feature will search your music library and create mixes of songs that go together.
The new versions also come with voice control so that you can tell your iPod to play a certain song without ever having to take it out of your pocket. If you are in a WiFi hotspot you can instantly download music, movies and TV shows from iTunes. The touch also has a touch screen and of course the cover flow feature. But where the touch really shines is when playing games on the touch.
It has a built in accelerometer that rotates from portrait to landscape. But when playing games your iPod will become the steering wheel. Combined with the multi-touch feature when you play a game you are actually interacting with it by touching the screen. There is even an app to make your iPod turn into a musical instrument that you play by touching the screen.
With the touch you can also browse the Internet and use the maps function, as well as stay in touch with your favorite social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. This mp3 player is also a game machine, a movie machine, a pocket computer, and a pretty cool little gadget.