Creative Zen Mozaic (8GB, black)
March 2, 2009 by blogtopia
Filed under MP3 Players
The Creative Zen Mozaic offers a unique design, great sound quality, and a sweet, customizable interface. It’s packed with features such as an FM radio, a voice recorder, a built-in speaker, and photo and video support. The player is also a good value, and video battery life is exceptional.
The Zen Mozaic lacks dedicated volume controls and it only works with Windows XP and Vista. Videos must be transcoded with the included software.
Apple iPod Nano (fourth generation, 16GB, silver)
March 2, 2009 by blogtopia
Filed under MP3 Players
The fourth-generation iPod Nano is more attractive and colorful than its predecessor and includes Apple’s new Genius playlist tool, a tilt sensor, and accessibility features for the visually impaired.
To use the new Nano, you must upgrade to Apple’s iTunes 8 software with its laundry list of hardware requirements; the rounded screen invites glare; sound quality is only average.
Apple iPod Touch (second generation, 8GB)
March 2, 2009 by blogtopia
Filed under MP3 Players
The second-generation Apple iPod Touch has it all: music, videos, photos, podcasts, e-mail, Web browsing, Internet radio, games, Nike+, Wi-Fi music downloads, and an App Store for adding thousands of custom features.
The second-generation iPod Touch may be overwhelming to users looking for a simple music player; audio quality is average; and iTunes software is required.
Apple iPod Classic (second generation, 120GB, silver)
March 2, 2009 by blogtopia
Filed under MP3 Players
The second-generation iPod Classic adds a new Genius playlist feature to its time-tested combination of music, video, podcast, audiobook, and photo playback.
EQ control is limited; some older iPod video accessories may not be compatible; the plastic screen is susceptible to scratching; users are required to use the latest version of iTunes, which may not work on some older computer systems.
Cowon iAudio 7 (4GB, silver)
March 2, 2009 by blogtopia
Filed under MP3 Players
The Cowon iAudio 7 is one of the most versatile MP3 players available. It plays music, video, and photos; has unbeatable sound quality; records line-in, voice, and FM; supports OGG and FLAC file formats, plus DRM-protected WMA; works in MTP and MSC connection modes for use on both Mac and PC; and has an unmatched rechargeable battery life.
As tiny as the iAudio 7 is, it’s still about three times the width of an iPod Nano. The reflective, glossy plastic found on the front and back of the player is prone to smudges and glare. There’s a learning curve to the Swing Touch interface, and we would like to have seen support for Audible audiobooks, as well as a memory expansion slot.
Creative Zen (16GB)
March 2, 2009 by blogtopia
Filed under MP3 Players
The Creative Zen sounds fantastic and features a brilliant color screen capable of displaying photos and video. The player offers a smorgasbord of desirable extras such as an SD card expansion slot, an FM radio, a voice recorder, and a user-definable EQ. It has a slim, pocket-friendly design; is very user-friendly; supports subscription music; and sports a reasonable price tag.
The Creative Zen only comes in black, the control pad feels cheap, and it doesn’t come close to matching the max 60GB offered by the player it’s replacing.
Iriver Clix (4GB, second generation)
March 2, 2009 by blogtopia
Filed under MP3 Players
The next generation Iriver Clix is even sleeker and slimmer than its predecessor, but offers the same unique and intuitive interface and stellar audio quality. This player comes packed with extras such as an FM radio; a voice recorder; an alarm clock; support for subscription content as well as OGG and Audible files; and photo, video, and text viewing. The Clix includes SRS Wow sound effects, it has good battery life, and it’s priced competitively.
There’s no cradle or line-in recording options for the new Clix yet, and Iriver doesn’t offer an easy way to get video content for the device.
Ibiza Rhapsody (30GB, black)
March 2, 2009 by blogtopia
Filed under MP3 Players
The Ibiza Rhapsody offers about every feature in the book, including Wi-Fi and stereo Bluetooth capabilities; podcast support with wireless updating; photo, video, and subscription music support; on-the-go access to Rhapsody; updatable themes and wallpaper; even a basic Web browser. It also comes in a variety of colors and is one of the few high-capacity, hard-drive players available. It’s easy to use, the interface is well-implemented, and the processor is powerful.
The Ibiza Rhapsody is expensive compared with competitors, and it has copycat looks. It also lacks EQ enhancement options and has a poor battery life. Works with XP and Vista only.
Microsoft Zune 120GB (third generation, glossy black)
March 2, 2009 by blogtopia
Filed under MP3 Players
The 120GB Microsoft Zune MP3 player has expanded the usefulness of its Wi-Fi and social music-discovery features, added support for games and audiobooks, and maintained enviable features, such as a 3.2-inch glass LCD, friendly interface, exceptional navigation control, audio- and video-podcast support, superlative FM radio, wireless syncing, good audio quality, and a built-in composite-video output.
Battery life isn’t great; high-quality earbuds are no longer included; the glossy plastic front is more prone to scratches and smudges; and using many of the new features without a Zune Pass music subscription can be disappointing.
Sony NWZ-S738F Walkman (8GB, black)
March 2, 2009 by blogtopia
Filed under MP3 Players
The Sony S-Series Walkman is nicely designed and has a high-quality feel; it offers a load of cool extras such as integrated noise-canceling, an FM tuner, podcast support, and a smart playlist creator. The display is bright and crisp, and the interface is customizable and easy to navigate. The player sounds great right out of the box and features several sound-enhancement options. It has Rhapsody DNA and works flawlessly with Amazon Video On Demand. Battery life is superb.
The S-Series Walkman maxes out at 8GB and doesn’t include memory expansion. The packaged earbuds, which are necessary for the noise-cancellation feature, may not be comfortable for all users. There’s no voice recording option.