MP3 Players: What To Look For

Types of MP3 players

In general, there are two kinds of MP3 players, based on memory type. Hard-drive players, such as the 160 GB iPod classic, are largest in both capacity and physical dimensions. They're suitable for people on the go who find themselves stuck at airports for hours and want to relax with a large collection of music, movies, music videos and photos.

Hard-drive players are disappearing from the market, though, as manufacturers have largely moved toward flash-memory MP3 players, which are smaller and lighter -- but offer less storage space. Mainstream models today range anywhere from 1 GB to 64 GB of memory. Reviews say flash players are good for the gym because they have no moving parts and are smaller and lighter than hard-drive players. SanDisk has the jump on other manufacturers because they've been making flash memory cards for years. Most of their players come with a microSD card expansion slot, and some even integrate data on the card with the library on the player.

Experts recommend thinking about the following criteria before you purchase an MP3 player:

• Memory capacity. MP3 players now offer a minimum of 1 GB of music storage space, although 16 GB and 32 GB capacities are most common on today's players. Some MP3 players accept external memory cards for greater capacity. Hard-drive MP3 players, such as the Apple iPod classic, top out at 160 GB. One gigabyte of memory equals about 250 average-length songs.

• Music formats. MP3 players have different compatibility when it comes to music files. Here are the major ones:
  
  
  • MP3. This is the most flexible of file formats, supported by all players, iPod and non-iPod alike. There are many legal and not-so-legal sites that offer songs in this format. See our companion report on music downloads for more information. Most MP3 players come with software that allows you to convert existing music CDs into the MP3 format on your computer.
  
  
  • AAC. This is the format used by iTunes, playable only in iPods. However, there's also an iTunes Plus service that offers unprotected AAC files that some non-iPod MP3 players can play, though at present music selection is limited.
  
  
  • WMA. This format is supported by non-iPod players and used by major non-iTunes music stores like Napster and Rhapsody. There's also copy-protected WMA format (called WMA DRM) that's used by music subscription services. Subscription-based services like Napster To Go and Rhapsody charge a monthly fee for unlimited downloads (though you can't burn songs to a CD, you can transfer the music to your portable player). Not all MP3 players are compatible with WMA DRM and subscription services. IPod models cannot play any WMA files or music from subscription services.


• Headphones and earphones. Music quality can be greatly enhanced with a quality pair of headphones or earphones. Most earbuds that come with MP3 players are either subpar or only acceptable for things like the gym where you're not looking to hear detail. Be aware, though, that with really expensive headphones like those made by Shure or Grado, flaws in lower-quality recordings will stand out. ConsumerSearch has reports on headphones and earphones to help you choose the one that's right for you no matter your budget.