MP3 Players: Reviews

Updated October 2009
 

Best MP3 player

*Est. $140 for 8 GB Compare Prices
 
Expert & User Review Sources:

CNET: Donald Bell at CNET gives the new iPod nano an "excellent" rating, saying the fifth-generation model is "the best one yet." ...

PCMag.com: Tim Gideon gives the Apple iPod nano an Editors' Choice award, saying "nothing else in this price range comes close to its ...

Arstechnica.com: Like most reviewers, ArsTechnica.com questions the placement of the video camera, but editors say it feels more natural after ...

TrustedReviews.com: Britain's TrustedReviews.com recommends the new iPod nano, and reviewer Hugo Jobling says this nano is "inarguably Apple's ...

iLounge.com: Although Jeremy Horwitz says the video quality is "mediocre," he raves about the sound quality of the new iPod nano. Horwitz ...

Laptop Magazine: Jeffrey Wilson at Laptop Magazine says the iPod nano won't wow you with its audio quality, but he thinks it's a good value and ...

Macworld: Christopher Breen at Macworld runs through the nano's new features, concluding that it is a "far more functional, flexible and ...

T3.com: Katherine Hannaford likes the larger screen, built-in pedometer and video filters on the new iPod nano, but she doesn't ...

Pocket-lint.com: Dan Sung at Pocket-lint.com gives the iPod nano a rating of seven out of 10. Although he wishes the nano could take still ...

Amazon.com: Only 20 reviewers comment on the latest Apple iPod nano on Amazon.com. Many reviewers say they think this is the best nano ...

 

Best touch-screen MP3 player

*Est. $280 for 32 GB Compare Prices
 
Expert & User Review Sources:

CNET: The iPod touch earns an "outstanding" rating from Donald Bell at CNET, who says it "still leaves its competitors in the dust." ...

iLounge.com: Jeremy Horwitz at iLounge.com says he thinks the third-generation iPod touch is "unquestionably better" than the previous ...

TrustedReviews.com: The new iPod touch is also recommended by TrustedReviews.com. Hugo Jobling calls it an "utterly fantastic device," although he ...

PCMag.com: PCMag.com gives its Editors' Choice award to the iPod touch, saying it is "the best iPod around." Although Tim Gideon says he ...

CNET: If you're deciding between the iPod touch and Zune HD, this comparison is a must read. Three CNET editors rate both MP3 ...

Macworld: Jason Snell at Macworld compliments the iPod touch on its faster speeds, which is great news for gamers. Overall, he calls it ...

Pocket-lint.com: Although he acknowledges that the new iPod touch hasn't received many major changes, Dan Sung at Pocket-lint.com says he ...

PC World: The iPod touch tops this list of best MP3 players at PC World. Although the list was updated at the end of September, the full ...

Outside Magazine: Outside magazine has brief reviews of audio players, and the iPod touch wins the Gear of the Year award. Jeremy Spencer says ...

Amazon.com: Approximately 40 reviewers give the new iPod touch an overall rating of four out of five stars. Some owners are disappointed ...

 

Best iPod alternative

*Est. $290 for 32 GB Compare Prices
 
Expert & User Review Sources:

CNET: The Zune HD scores an "excellent" rating from CNET's Donald Bell. The OLED display, video quality and long battery life get ...

Arstechnica.com: Although he finds the interface a little frustrating and dislikes the on-screen volume adjustment, Nate Anderson at ...

PCMag.com: PCMag.com prefers the iPod touch (it earns an Editors' Choice award), but the Zune HD gets an "excellent" rating. Tim Gideon ...

Laptop Magazine: The Zune HD gets high marks for its stunning screen and HD radio, although K.T. Bradford says Microsoft has to offer more in ...

PC World: Sept. 15, 2009Ginny Mies says the Zune HD is a "huge step forward for Microsoft," and she praises the sexy design and video ...

Wired: Like other reviewers, Wired is impressed by the OLED touchscreen and HD radio, but thinks the iPod touch is superior when it ...

Electronista.com: The Zune HD gets high marks at Electronista.com. Reviewer Jon Fingas says video looks great on the display, although direct ...

CNET: This article from CNET is a great comparison between the iPod touch and Zune HD. Three CNET editors rate the MP3 players on ...

Amazon.com: More than 150 reviewers give the Zune HD extremely high ratings at Amazon.com. Many owners really like the Zune Pass music ...

 

Best sound quality

*Est. $380 for 32 GB Compare Prices
 
Expert & User Review Sources:

CNET: Jasmine France at CNET says the Sony X Series Walkman is a "superb choice for audiophiles who want a luxury device." She rates ...

PCMag.com: The Sony X Series Walkman gets high marks at PCMag.com, where Tim Gideon calls it "the best non-iTunes-centric player you can ...

Anything But iPod: Grahm Skee at AnythingbutiPod.com says the Sony X Series is an "awesome music player" that is worth the price if you can ...

Laptop Magazine: Like most reviewers, Jeffrey Wilson at Laptop Magazine says he thinks the Sony's web browser is its biggest weakness. Still, ...

PC World: Ginny Mies at PC World has lots of good things to say about the 3-inch display on the Sony X Series Walkman, saying it's "one ...

Gizmodo.com: Dan Nosowitz at Gizmodo.com says he thinks the Sony X Series is not a serious contender against the iPod touch, and he ...

Wired: Not surprisingly, Terrence Russell at Wired isn't impressed with the web browser, but the sleek design, audio quality and ...

Amazon.com: In about 20 customer reviews, the Sony Walkman X Series earns an overall rating of four out of five stars. One reviewer says ...

 

Budget MP3 player

*Est. $50 for 4 GB Compare Prices
 
Expert & User Review Sources:

CNET: The SanDisk Sansa Clip+ earns an Editors' Choice award from CNET, where Jasmine France calls it an "unbeatable value." ...

PCMag.com: PCMag.com also bestows an Editors' Choice award on the SanDisk Sansa Clip+. Thanks to its small screen and good sound, Tim ...

Anything But iPod: Grahm Skee at AnythingbutiPod.com is happy with this update to the popular SanDisk Sansa Clip, especially the addition of a ...

Computer Shopper: The SanDisk Sansa Clip+ earns yet another Editors' Choice award from ComputerShopper.com. Like other reviewers, Matt Safford ...

Electronista.com: Jon Fingas at Electronista.com says the SansaClip+ is "possibly the best wearable MP3 player yet." However, he thinks SanDisk ...

PC World: Ginny Mies at PC World says the SanDisk Sansa Clip+ feels a little sturdier and more solid than its predecessor. Mies is also ...

Gizmodo.com: Dan Nosowitz at Gizmodo.com thinks the SanDisk Sansa Clip+ is a better choice than the iPod shuffle, largely because it offers ...

Amazon.com: Only a handful of owners rate the SanDisk Sansa Clip+ on Amazon.com. Overall, the few reviewers posting here are ...

 

MP3 Players Runners Up:

Samsung P3 *Est. $150 for 8 GB

3 picks by top review sites.

Cowon S9 *Est. $260 for 32 GB

3 picks by top review sites.

iPod Classic *Est. $240 for 160 GB

2 picks including: Amazon.com, iLounge.com…

Creative Zen Mozaic *Est. $60 for 4 GB

2 picks by top review sites.

Sandisk Sansa Fuze *Est. $65 for 8 GB

1 pick including: Amazon.com, PC World…

     
 
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Samsung YPP3JCB 8 GB MP3 player
Buy from Amazon.com
from Amazon.com
New: $149.75
In Stock.
Average Customer Review:  
 
 
 
 
     
 
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Cowon S9 32 GB Video MP3 Player with Touchscreen (Titanium Black)
Buy from Amazon.com
from Amazon.com
New: $299.99 $209.99   
In Stock.
Average Customer Review:  
 
 
 
 
     
 
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Apple iPod classic 160 GB Black (7th Generation) NEWEST MODEL
Buy from Amazon.com
from Amazon.com
New: $219.99 $219.00   
In Stock.
Average Customer Review:  
 
 
 
 
     
 
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Creative Zen Mozaic 4 GB MP3 Player (Black)
Buy from Amazon.com
from Amazon.com
New: $79.99 $72.80   
Average Customer Review:  
 
 
 
 
     
 
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SanDisk Sansa Fuze 8 GB Video MP3 Player (Black)
Buy from Amazon.com
from Amazon.com
New: $144.68 $69.99   
In Stock.
Average Customer Review:  
 
 
 
 

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