REVIEW: Best Portable MP3 / CD Players

Znews.com --
Portable MP3 players are the Walkman on steroids. With some players able to hold over 4,000 music tracks, you can now put your entire CD collection onto a little gadget that you can slip into your pocket and take with you anywhere.

Choosing the Right Player
Make sure to select a player that will work well with your needs and lifestyle. For example, will you use the player for jogging? If so, you'll want one that is light and small, and doesn't skip, and you don't necessarily need a huge strorage capacity. If you'll be using your portable player for business travel where you can put the player in a bag and listen remotely, you may want a hard-drive player with a lot more storage capacity so you can take all your music with you on one device. And then of course there's price. Portable MP3 / CD Players range in price from $100 to over $400, depending on feature set, unit size, storage capacity, and other factors.

Storage capacity is an important factor when choosing your portable music player. There are a couple of different classes of Portable MP3 players. The Apple iPod for Windows (see below) or SONICBlue's Rio Riot, or the CreativeLabs Nomad Jukebox 10GB (click on link for reviews), for example, are hard-drive based and hold a lot more songs than the Intel or the Samsung, which use memory cards for 64-128 mb of music storage. Another option is the iRiver SlimX CD/MP3 player. With this ultra-slim unit you can rip a CD filled with up to 150 MP3s, and use the excellent remote to manage all the tracks.

Though the iPod or the Rio Riot cost a lot more, you can download thousands of songs onto them. The Apple, for example, with its lightning fast firewire connection and 20 GB of storage, is a powerful monstor compared to the slower USB connection and 15-20 song capacity of the less expensive 64-128mb models, which are smaller and cost much less. The Rio Riot also boasts 20GB of capacity.

Prices and features vary, but you can't go wrong with one of the portable MP3 players listed below.

Apple 20 GB iPod
Price: $464.00 (20 GB) or $371 (10 GB)
This new 20 GB model for Windows features a large 20GB storage capacity (holds 4,000+ tracks or can double as portable hard-drive), uses fast firewire connection, small and light, good battery life (8-10 hours), fast recharge (1-3 hrs), excellent design, intuitive interface, good iTunes software included, firmware software and bug update, backlight, built-in synch function. (Also available in smaller 10GB size). The iPod supports MP3 (up to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR (variable bit rate), WAV, and AIFF files, and is firmware upgradeable. To use the iPod with your PC, you'll need a FireWire port and you must be running either Windows Me, Windows 2000, or Windows XP Home or Professional.

Redesigned scroll wheel
FireWire interface for fastest digital transfer available
overed FireWire port
Keep up to date with new calendar/scheduler and built-in clock
System requirements: PC with built-in FireWire or Windows-certified FireWire card; Windows Me, Windows 2000, or Windows XP Home or Professional
Includes wired remote control, remodeled headphones, Musicmatch Jukebox Plus software and carrying case with belt clip

[MORE INFO]

Recommended Accessories:

Sport headphones:
-Aiwa HP-JS30S Swoops Style Stereo Headphones
-Sony Sport Behind-The-Neck Headphones
-Sony MD-RG59G Sports Engineered, Water Resistant Headphones
Carrying case:
-XtremeMac Deluxe iPod Case

Other Products in Similar Class as iPod:

iRiver SlimX iMP-350 CD/MP3 Player with 8 minutes ASP and Upgradeable Firmware
Price: ~~$149.99~~ $99.94
Pros: Excellent sound quality, very slim (16.7 mm), sleek and durable design; excellent anti-skip and scan features; plays MP3s, WAMs and AFS, upgradeable firmware, holds two nickel-metal-hydride rechargeable batteriesand two AA's (for up to 23 hrs of play); includes excellent remote; FM radio, supports Winamp style M3U playlists
Cons: No belt-clip, small display font size may be difficult to read for some, awkward display of longer names, no battery charging when plugged into A/C.

Features:

Color: Black with gray trim
Material: Plastic
Water resistant: No
Antiskip protection: Yes (up to 8 minutes)
CD-R compatible: Yes
CD-RW compatible: Yes
MP3 compatible: Yes
Supports ID3 tags (text display): Yes
Forward/reverse scan: Yes
Hold switch: Yes
Pause: Yes
Remote control: Yes (inline remote on headphone cord)
Volume control: Push-button
Antishock on: Yes
CD track and time: Yes
Low-battery indicator: Yes
Extra bass: Yes (EQ preset)
AC/DC adapter input: DC in
Headphone jack: Yes
Optical digital-audio outputs: 0
Automatic volume limiter (AVL): No
CD programming: Yes
CD release button: Yes (latch)
CD Text: Yes
Headphones included: Yes (earbud)
Headphone inline volume control: Yes
In the box: 1 RioVolt SP250 portable digital audio CD player, 2 sets of headphones, "getting started" guide, audio management software for PC (RealJukebox 2) and Mac (iTunes), 2 AA rechargeable batteries, AC adapter, and carrying case
System requirements: CD-ROM writer (to create your own CDs); 166 MHz processor or better; Windows 9x, Me, NT 4.0, or 2000, or Mac OS 8.6; 32 MB RAM; 30 MB hard drive space; Internet connection with Web browser
Locking CD lid: No
Power-save mode: No
Random/shuffle disc play: Yes
Repeat play: Yes
Resume play: Yes
Skip forward/back: Yes
Battery type: 2 AA
Batteries included: Yes (rechargeable)
Battery life (standard): 15 hours
AC/DC adapter: Yes
Car kit: No
Carrying accessory: Yes
Width: 5.2 inches
Height: 1.2 inches
Depth: 5.8 inches
Weight: 8.3 ounces
Warranty, parts: 1 year
Warranty, labor: 1 year

Read Znews.com's full review of this product
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Intel IDAP264NA Personal Audio Player
Price: $140.99.
Pros: Intuitive controls, very durable, small and light weight, good sound quality, excellent battery life (uses only one AA battery for approx. 10-14 hours play), comes with 64mb memory (can add additional 64mb memory), changeable faceplate design, has treble and bass controls, comes with belt clip. Includes good quality, easy-to-use MusicMatch software for burning CD and organizing play lists.
Cons: Ear-buds uncomfortable and may fall out of ears, buttons may be difficult to push, no backlight display, no AC adapter, doesn't display song title when playing, belt clip may be weak for some joggers.

Features:

Total included memory: 64 MB (currently expandable to 128mb)
Audio playback time (near CD quality): Over one hour with MP3 files, over two hours with WMA files
Onboard memory: 64 MB
Included memory cards: None
Compatible memory type: MMC (MultiMediaCards)
Memory expansion slots: One
MP3 playback: Yes
G2 playback: No
WMA playback: Yes
Audible content playback: No
SDMI compliant: Information unavailable
Upgradable: Yes, firmware upgradeable
Display: LCD
FM tuner: No
Voice recording: No
Battery status display: Yes
Color: Dark blue with clear panel for adding your own faceplate
Track programming: Yes, via Intel Audio Manager
Random play: Yes
Repeat: Yes
Forward/reverse: Yes
Bookmark: No
Hold: Yes
Tone: Yes
Preset EQ curves: No
Bass boost: No
AC adapter: No
Car adapter: No
Belt clip: Yes (removeable)
Carrying case: No
Batteries included: Yes
Headphones: Ear buds
Software: Intel Audio Manager, MusicMatch Jukebox 6.1
Interface: USB
Transfer rate: Information unavailable
Signal-to-noise ratio: 90 dB
Battery life: Up to 10 hours
Compatibility: PC only
PC system requirements: Microsoft Windows 98, 98SE, Me, 2000, or XP, USB port, 32 MB of RAM (64 MB recommended), 4x or faster CD-ROM drive, 131 MB hard drive space (63 MB for Intel software; 23 MB for optional Intel Audio Sampler, Volume 2 files; 45 MB for optional MusicMatch Jukebox 6.1)
Mac system requirements: N/A
Width: 2.5 inches
Height: 3.6 inches
Depth: 1.5 inches
Weight: 3 ounces (with belt clip but without battery)
Warranty parts: 1 year
Warranty labor: 1 year

[MORE INFO]

Recommended Accessories:

Extra 64mb Memory:
-SanDisk SDMB-64-470 (MMC) MultiMedia Card ($49.99)
Sport headphones:
-Aiwa HP-JS30S Swoops Style Stereo Headphones ($19.99)
-Sony Sport Behind-The-Neck Headphones ($19.99)
-Sony MD-RG59G Sports Engineered, Water Resistant Headphones ($29.99)

Samsung YP-20S Mini Yepp 64 MB Digital Audio Player
Price: $119.99.
Pros: Very small and light weight.
Cons: Short battery life (approx. 2 hrs on 1 AAA battery), headphones not very good, included software only allows you to rip 50 songs, after which you must pay for online upgrade.

Features:

Total included memory: 64 MB
Audio playback time (near CD quality): Over 60 minutes
Onboard memory: 64 MB
Included memory cards: 0
Compatible memory type: None
Memory expansion slots: None
MP3 playback: Yes
G2 playback: No
WMA playback: No
Audible content playback: No
SDMI compliant: No, but is compatible with SecuMax copyright protection system
Display: LCD
Bookmark: No
FM tuner: No
Tone: No
Voice recording: No
Color: White
Track programming: Yes
Random play: Yes
Repeat: Yes
Forward/reverse: Yes
Preset EQ curves: Classical, jazz, rock, normal
Bass boost: No
AC adapter: No
Car adapter: No
Carrying case: No
Batteries: 1 AAA battery
Headphones: Necklace earphones
Interface: USB
Transfer rate: 2.4 Mbps
Signal-to-noise ratio: 85 dB
Battery life: Up to 4 hours
Compatibility: PC and Mac
PC system requirements: Windows 98, 2000, and Me, USB port
Mac system requirements: Mac OS 8.6 and above, USB port
Upgradable: No
Software: Yepp Explorer software
Width: 1.4 inches
Height: 2.7 inches
Depth: 0.9 inches
Weight: 1.13 ounces (without battery)
Warranty, parts: 1 year
Warranty, labor: 1 year

[MORE INFO]

Recommended Accessories:

Sport headphones:
-Aiwa HP-JS30S Swoops Style Stereo Headphones ($19.99)
-Sony Sport Behind-The-Neck Headphones ($19.99)
-Sony MD-RG59G Sports Engineered, Water Resistant Headphones ($29.99)