Music is the oldest tension buster, that’s why in old age kings always carry singer and poet with them. You and me can also call ourselves as king as we also carry our singer and poet … but not with us … in our pocket … Yes … I am talking about top 10 Mp3 players.
If you are planning to purchase … then read these tips and reviews
Rank 1: iPod Video 30Gb
Outstanding features: Available in black and white and colour, the iPod Video 30Gb can hold 7,500 songs or 75 hours of video playback and is the best-looking player your money can buy.
It features a large 2.5 inch colour screen capable of displaying images and videos at a maximum resolution of 320 x 240 pixels.
The circular touch-pad navigation is easy to use. Besides support for audio and video, it can entertain you while you are on the go with Podcasts and audio books.
With a built-in calendar, contact list, notes, world clock, stopwatch and a few games, it also acts as a personal information manager (PIM).
A single battery charge can last 20 hours.
Drawbacks: The LCD is too small for playing videos.
The screen is scratch prone, so be sure to invest in a protective casing. Also, the lack of in-built speakers and A/V cables (you need to buy them separately) make it a not-so-ideal portable media solution.
Final word: The name, iPod, is synonymous with MP3 players today. Though slightly expensive, it is undoubtedly the best music player around. But if you are a true audiophile and do not mind spending a few bucks extra, look no further.
Rank 2 : IPod Nano 2Gb
There are fun games that can entertain you on the move. The navigation is done through a circular wheel that is simply amazing and responsive.
The sound quality spells excellence. To enhance your music, there are also 22 preset equaliser settings. It also has a world clock that displays time in analogue and digital formats.
Drawbacks: The screen is susceptible to scratches. It does not have an FM tuner or voice recorder.
Final word: A must-have player that is cool to look at and offers a plethora of additional features.
Rank 3: Creative Zen Neeon 5Gb
Outstanding features: If you are looking for a lightweight, sleek music player, this is it. Weighing just 55 grams and 15.9mm thick, the Neeon has a 7 colour changeable LED backlight.
Its memory is flash-based, making it lighter as compared to other players. The 5Gb capacity can store around 1000 songs.
The Neeon comes with an FM Tuner coupled with FM and Line-in recording. With five equaliser settings (one can be customised), it delivers decent sound. You can even jazz up the player with the Stik-OnTM skins available from Creative.
Drawbacks: The player is sluggish at times and there is clearly a lag in performance. Moreover, you cannot listen to tracks when the player is attached to the PC.
Final word: Though the Neeon has an intuitive navigation and decent sound quality, the price is a little on the higher side.
Rank 4: Samsung YP-D1Q 2Gb
Outstanding features: How about having a digital camera in your MP3 player? Samsung YP-D1Q does just that. It features a 2-megapixel camera for photography enthusiasts. You can take photos while listening to your favourite music.
It looks more like a phone with a large screen (1.8� TFT LCD), but it can play MP3, MP4, WAV, OGG and ASF files.
It also has an FM Tuner and boasts Samsung�s proprietary Digital Natural Sound Engine (DNSe) for an enhanced music experience. It can deliver 20 hours of playback till the battery dies down.
Drawbacks: A bit expensive for the kind of features offered. One can buy a similar capacity MP3 player and digital camera with much better resolution at this price.
Final word: The Samsung YP-D1Q is different from the rest. Adding a digital camera may make this acceptable by photography buffs but, for music lovers, we doubt this will create an impact.
Rank 5: Sony NW-HD5 20Gb
Outstanding features: Weighing just 155 grams, the NW-HD5 comes with a 20Gb capacity and is available in silver, red and black.
It can play MP3, ATRAC3 and ATRAC3 plus files (Sony proprietary sound format).
The unique thing about this hard disk-based player is that it has a sensor that can detect sudden jerks or falls and stops the hard disk operation; this prevents your MP3 player from crashing.
The buttons are on the face and are well laid out.
The player can also be attached to external speakers or to your car stereo as it supports output from line-out.
Sound output quality is excellent and true to the Sony tradition.
Drawbacks: Though a good player, this one has quite a few drawbacks. You need to use the bundled Sonicstage software to transfer files.
If you copy files from your laptop and want to transfer it to your PC, you can't, as the player locks the files stored in it.
Final word: If you don't mind the restrictions and want Sony sound, the NW-HD5 will not disappoint you. But, at this price, there are many better players available.
Rank 6: MobileBlu DHB 100 5Gb
Outstanding features: This player can hold up to 2000 songs. It supports MP3 and WMA audio files.
It is firmware upgradeable, which means that if the company wishes to provide additional audio format playback, it can be done with just a firmware upgrade.
Weighing just 100 grams, the DHH 100 is compact with a metal body.
Though the player has a monochrome display, navigating is easy.
With a microphone in front, you can enjoy voice recording and take a nap during your economics lecture.
The earphones, as well as the in-built speakers, deliver crisp sound, but it isn't that loud.
Drawbacks: Though you can insert an additional SD Card in the slot, you cannot play files from it. Also, it does not have the playlist feature that most other players support.
Final word: The player offers what it is made for -- good sound output. If you think 5Gb can hold your music collection, go for it.
Rank 7: iRiver U10 1Gb
Outstanding features: The iRiver U10 is a portable media player that comes with 512Mb and 1Gb capacity.
Besides playing MP3 files, it can also display text, movies (AVI format only), and images.
This is also the only player around to support Macromedia Flash games.
The 2-inch LCD gives crystal clear display and is one of the best in its category.
The player can also tune into local FM stations.
The sound quality is decent and the player has a good battery life.
Drawbacks: The U10 supports only AVI files as a movie format. Also, for transferring photos, you need to use the bundled software, hence no drag-n-drop.
The maximum capacity offered is 1Gb, which is low considering it is a portable media player.
Final word: One of the unique players available. If you love playing flash-based, colourful games and don’t mind the memory limit, the U10 is definitely a great gadget.
RANK 8 :
Outstanding features: This tiny cube-shaped MP3 player will definitely make heads turn. It comes in 512Mb and 1Gb capacities and weighs a mere 18 grams.
It has a bright OLED screen and supports MP3 and WMA sound formats.
It also has an FM tuner, Voice and FM recording with SRS WOW effects. The navigation is simple and the player offers 10 hours of playback time with a single battery charge.
Drawbacks: It cannot play files in alphabetical order. Also, it is slightly expensive when compared to others offering similar features.
Final word: A great flash memory based Mp3 player that looks stunning. Definitely way ahead of the iPod shuffle in terms of features.
Rank 9: Samsong YP Z5Q -2GB
Outstanding features: The first question you ask is -- is it the iPod Nano killer?
It boasts of a larger screen (1.8in colour TFT) than the Nano and has 2Gb Flash memory. The YP-Z5 is available in two capacities �- 2Gb and 4Gb.
The YP-Z5 supports MP3 and WMA files as audio formats and JPEG as image format. The sound quality is great and this can be credited to the proprietary DNSe sound technology.
It is extremely slim.
Drawbacks: The YP-Z5 lacks an FM tuner and voice recorder. Also, the navigation touchpad is a bit uncomfortable to start with.
Final word: A tiny, sturdily built player that is light in weight and offers good sound quality. Had it been priced right, it would surely have turned the heat on the iPod Nano.
Rank 10: Transcend T.sonic 610 1Gb
Outstanding features: This player looks more like a cell phone. It has a nice, user-friendly interface and navigation, can play MP3 and WMA files and can also record sound.
The company claims its Li-ion rechargeable battery lasts at least eight hours.
The sound quality is decent and a blast at full volume.
The player also has a FM tuner, and comes with 512Mb and 1Gb capacity.
Drawbacks: Does not have a colour display. Compared to others, the battery life is also not that great. Also, as it supports USB 1.1, the data transfer speed is not that fast.
Final word: This is a no-nonsense easy-to-use MP3 player for people whose priority is just music. With the price tag it retails for, this is a decent buy with extra features like recording and an FM tuner.
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