MP3 Audio Players Review

The Good

Let you take your entertainment with you; lots of MP3 audio players available to choose from; lots of great features available

The Bad

Prices can be high; proprietary files

The Bottom Line

Definitely purchase MP3 audio players if you love music and entertainment. Just look for the most features you can get in your price range and be aware that proprietary files with some players mean you want to make a choice then stick with it.

Review

The choices for MP3 audio players currently on the market are staggering. Dozens of models from different manufacturers are sitting on the shelves. There’s no question that purchasing MP3 audio players is a good idea for many music fans (or even entertainment-on-the-go fans). Choosing the right models is a different issue altogether.

The best MP3 audio players are usually going to have flash memory instead of traditional hard drives. Flash memory may not be capable of holding as many files but it will be more likely to withstand the rough and tumble world of your purse, pockets, or back pack more easily. Flash memory has no moving parts which can break if dropped.

Most people do not need the massive amounts of storage space found on the larger models of MP3 audio players. Unless you intend to download and store full length motion pictures, thousands of photos, or your entire CD collection on the player, you’re probably going to be fine purchasing one of the smaller models, perhaps an 8 GB model. Another down side with the larger players is the amount of time it takes to sync them. Filling up a 120 GB music player is going to take a little while.

Check for other features as well. For example, do you want an FM tuner? Some MP3 audio players have them; others do not. Do you want a built-in equalizer? Do you want a screen or the ability to play video? These are all questions you should be asking yourself before you really make a choice.

Our opinion is that you should opt for as many features as you can possibly get since once you have the player you may wish you could look at photographs or play games. For the most, the FM tuner is not going to be that useful unless you don’t have a lot of music of your own or you just love listening to the radio.

Another issue is the use of proprietary file formats with some of the MP3 audio players. This means that the player can only recognize a specific type of file, usually one designed by the manufacturer.

This is the case with Apple’s players. As long as you plan to stick with one company, this won’t be a problem. If you want to have a wide range of music and video buying options, you might want to choose one with more flexibility in this department.

Check out my other guide on flash mp3 players and car cd player