MP3 Players

PC Magazine reviews MP3 players in single-player reports and occasional multi-player roundups. The reports are logical and easy to read, but the magazine doesn't cover as many players as CNet.com. Reviewer… Tim Gideon says the latest Apple iPod nano "easily earns our Editors' Choice" for design, screen quality and interface. The Microsoft Zune 120 GB hard-drive player is preferred over the Apple iPod classic, and Gideon recommends the Samsung YP-U3 as a worthy low-budget buy.

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Consumer Reports' most recent MP3 update is a comprehensive affair covering 35 flash and hard-drive MP3 players, although some of them are variations of the same product (separate listings for players with… different song capacities). Ratings are clear and well explained, but there isn't a lot of discussion about individual MP3 players. While some content on the site is free, ratings are only available to subscribers.

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Although Daniel Evans doesn't compare the 10 models in this roundup of low-price MP3 players; he highlights a few top picks, and all players are linked to PC Magazine's full reviews (listed above). He… recommends the iPod shuffle as an "ultracheap" choice, though the Creative Zen Stone Plus is a better value with FM radio and equalizer capabilities. If you want a cheap video-capable player, the SanDisk Sansa View has a decent 2.4-inch screen.

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This Australian site covers a wide range of products and gives star ratings. Some reviews, however, are reposts from sister publications, such as PC World (U.S.), and many discontinued models remain on the… site. Not all players reviewed are available in the U.S. Reviewers go into details about sound quality and label the iRiver Lplayer and SanDisk Sansa Fuze as Best Buys. They also give the Samsung YP-U3 their highest rating for smooth bass and great detail at a low price.

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Most of the popular MP3 players get lots of user feedback. Unfortunately, most also get very positive ratings, making Amazon.com not as helpful as it could be in spotting which are the very best. On the… positive side, if you read deep into reviews, you'll find some nuggets of wisdom about ease of use or durability that typically don't turn up in professional reviews. That makes Amazon.com certainly worth a stop once you've narrowed down your choices.

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This U.K.-based electronics review site covers a good range of players, though not all are available to U.S. consumers. There's a 10-point rating system, although most get a seven or eight. A few players… get a Recommended designation, like Apple's fourth-generation nano, though the reviewer likes its design more than sound quality or new features. iRiver's Lplayer has impressive sound quality, while SanDisk's Sansa Clip and Creative's Zen Stone perform well for the price.

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Pocket-lint is an "independent gadget news and reviews" U.K. site. They have a 10-point rating system, but most models get a score of eight with no Editors' Choice picks. Still, they give a useful summary… of good and bad points. Apple's newest iPod nano gets a nine, though it lacks features such as an FM tuner and microSD card expansion. The Creative Zen Stone Plus also gets a high rating for delivering quality sound at a cheap price.

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In this article for Smart Computing magazine, Tessa Breneman discusses five noteworthy MP3 players. Although she doesn't compare them or recommend one over another, there's useful input about strengths and… weaknesses. Not surprisingly, the more expensive Sony Walkman NWZ-S718FBNC, which includes noise-cancelling earphones, and Microsoft's Zune 80 GB player are praised for excellent sound quality and video playback. However, the SanDisk Sansa View, iRiver E100 and Archos 105 are worthy choices at a lower price point.

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