OLED screen format now is come outs with same size and circle form with access button in side of its. Even the coming up information still minimum, but its existence is helping enough. Moreover, with 2GB capacities makes this gadget as alternative storage media. Happily, its write/read speed is quick enough.

For audio quality is still similar from the previous series and comfort enough with its figured in earphone. Besides as entertainment gadget, Zen Stone Plus also can be uses at sports activities. With stopwatch function, you can do time measurement beside enjoy your favorite song.

Like a granted wish! Although still carrying MP3 character which is simple, This Zen Stone Plus version adds almost all insuffiencies at Zen Stone series. Though this addition followed also with price addition, but it’s still so interesting to have.

Creative Zen Stone Plus Review
Price Range: $70
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YP U3 is also equipped by OLED screen which is clearly to be looked in various situations, even from a sideways angle. In this screen would be presented song information and menu from player. We like the USB head which can be exposed from within body which able to be connected directly to notebook/PC USB port. This way clearly convenient because do not require additional cable like MP3 player generally.

Player sound quality which also can set as FM radio and voice recorder makes we very impressed. You can also arrange the voice character produced and also player mode at play list. Besides, its support to some formats besides MP3 also makes you be free to choose audio file. Samsung also figures in nipper clip to be patch to clothes so seen like interesting accessory.

Samsung YP U3 can become MP3 player choice which fashionable. Besides, great sound quality and user-friendly touch button access is the main excellence. Its read/write speed is fast enough and sold with good price. It’s another trendy gadget for trendy people.

Samsung YP U3 Review
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Creative Zen 32 GB Review: Maximum Mini Player

Samsung YP-T10 Review: Tiny and Cheap Music Player

Samsung P2 Review: Bluetooth Boosts Flash Player

Even small, this new model is better if compared to the senior. The multimedia player which having 2,5 inch screen size is ready to play video file with MJPEG, WMV9, MPEG1/2, MPEG4-SP, DivX 4/5 and XviD format. While, in audio side this gadget can play MP3, WMA and ACC. JPEG, GIF, TiFF, PNG and BMP file can be displayed nice.

Moreover, this mini gadget can be synchronized to Microsoft Outlook Contacts and iTunes store. The result, various music file in the portal can be downloaded through special software which integrated in Zen 32 GB, and saved it to SD card external memory which also available.

This product also compatible with music service like Napster To Go and Rhapsody. ZEN also supports audio books and Audible.com. You also will satisfied with built-in FM radio and battery ability reach 30 hours in playing music and 5 hour in playing video for once full charge.

Creative Zen 32 GB Review
Specs:
- Dimension: 8,3x5,5x1,13 cm
- Weight: 65gram
- Display: 2,5 inchs TFT 16,7 million colors, 320 x 240 pixels
- Internal memory: 32 GB
- External memory: SD card
- File format: Audio ( MP3, WMA, non protected AAC, WAV and Audible 2,3,4), Photograph ( JPEG, GIF, TIFF, PNG, BMP), Video ( MJPEG, WMV9, MPEG1/2, MPEG4-SP, DivX 4/5, XviD)
- Other feature: Art Album, FM radio with 32 preset, voice recorder, clock and alarm function, volume restriction, customizable plays menu, function of as external drive, 8EQ setting
- Battery: 30 hours (music), 5 hour (video)
- Price: $349,99

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Samsung YP-T10 Review: Tiny and Cheap Music Player

Samsung P2 Review: Bluetooth Boosts Flash Player

Creative Zen: More Flash for Less Cash

Like YP-P2, YP-T10 provides three storage capacities choices, that is 2GB, 4GB, and 8GB (YP-S5 only provide 2GB capacities). Besides, this player present in various colour choices, that is black, white, purple, red, and yellows.

This music player takes the same form with its predecessor music player, Samsung YP-K3, and takes the features of the YP-T9. Its design is simple and cute. Although light, YP-T10 still felt solid and not frail.

YP-T10 has 2-inch TFT LCD screen, take almost half place of its front part. Picture presented is sharply enough. Under the screen there is the navigation button which sensitive to finger touch. USB UART 24 port located in under side.

Better than YP-K3, its 320 x 240 pixels (QVGA) screen resolution can play video with format of MPEG-4 and WMV with 30 frames per second (fps) speed. Meanwhile, for music, this gadget can play MP3 and WMA file.

Interface system owned by YP-T10 is clearly not look like Apple iPod interface and navigation. Samsung creates dog cartoon character so called Sammy, which will guide user in doing navigation.

Maybe it’s sound weird and odd. But, the children will love it. Adult user can choose one of provided themes. Its menus arranged to be neat, the navigation is designed intuitively, and the text easy to be read.

Samsung interface software at personal computer offers something interesting. He would automatically do podcast RSS feed synchronization when YP-T10 connected to computer. It also will update and download every file which you are subscribes to, and direct transfers it at Datacast menu in the music player.

When tested in our lab, the sound is so amaze me. The voice not fails if matched to Apple iPod Classic voice, by using Denon AH-D5000 headphone. The result, YP-T10 voice heard to be more loudly, crunchy, and solid.

Particularly if talking about its screen quality. It is really hotstuff screen. Video record and photo is presented sharply and so detail. But, because it’s glossy screen, YP-T10 is not able to yield black colour with good quality.

To support its harmony, this player also provides some equalizer styles which easy to access. It applies Samsung voice technology what named Digital Natural Sound engine (DNSe). This technology claimed able to present high quality acoustic sound for user.

Besides, YP-T10 has FM radio player, Bluetooth stereo (AD2P and AVRCP), voice recorder (working with internal microphone), and text viewer application.

Samsung YP-T10 Specs

- Dimension: 96 x 41,5 x 7,9 mm
- Weight: 43 grams
- Memory: 2 GB/4 GB/8GB
- Colour: black (midnight black), white (cloud white), purple (mythic purple), red (maple red), yellows (lime yellow)
- Screen Size: 2 inch
- Resolution: 240 x 320 pixel (QVGA)
- Duration:
- 30 hours for audio
- 4 hour for video
- Bluetooth: A2DP and AVCRP version 2.0
- Voice effect: DSNE 2.0
- Audio: MP3, WMA
- Video: WMV, MPEG-4
- Other feature: FM Radio, Text Viewer, Photo (JPEG), and voice recorder

Samsung YP-T10 Review
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Transcend T.sonic 820 Another Review

Zune 80GB and Zune 8GB Review: Microsoft Master Digital Music

Samsung P2 Review: Bluetooth Boosts Flash Player

Available in 4GB and 8GB capacities, the flash memory based P2 is a devilishly handsome gadget with a sharp 3-inch screen, FM radio, and the usual quality array of excellent Samsung user controls (like a seven-band EQ). The high-res touch screen looks fantastic, but the iPod touch’s screen is definitely easier to navigate.

File support is so-so. For audio, you get MP3, OGG, and WMA (with AAC support to come); MPEG-4 and WMV for video (though you get conversion software on the included CD) and JPEG for photos, Album art, photos, and video clips look fantastic on the horizontal 16:9 screen.

The P2 is a less-expensive yet elegant alternative to the iPod touch, but I’d hold off on buying one until those firmware upgrades unlock the Bluetooth capabilities.

Samsung P2 Short Review
Price range: 4GB, $200 list; 8GB, $250

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Zune 80GB and Zune 8GB Review: Microsoft Master Digital Music

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The Zune 8GB (also available in a 4GB version), Microsoft’s first flash-based player, doesn’t fare as well. The iPod nano is a better bet, with a larger screen in a much smaller frame. While the Zune’s new user interface looks spectacular and navigates smoothly on the 80GB player, the flash-based Zune models are riddled with jumpy menu navigation and delayed responses. My biggest complaint, however, is the minuscule 1.8-inch screen.

The newly designed Zune Marketplace-Microsoft’s answer to iTunes- is a big reason to buy a Zune player. Full of links to artist bios, band photos, and discographies, it makes iTunes seem like a big, boring spreadsheet. It's got some fun interactive features, and there are lots of other goodies, too: DRM-free songs and a $15 per month all-the-music-you-can-download plan. (One major bummer is the lack of video programming.)

One of the coolest features of both Zune players is wireless syncing. After a short setup, your Zune can use your wireless network to sync with your PC’s music and video library, which is something no Apple player offers. Microsoft didn’t have its act together in time for the launch, however: Until the company issues a firmware upgrade, which wasn’t yet available at press time, users must connect their PCs to their routers via Ethernet cable in order to load the Zune wirelessly. Microsoft claims the firmware update should be ready by the time most folks unbox a new Zune.

Overall, the Zune 80GB is a good-looking, feature-loaded device that bests the iPod classic, while the Zune 8GB isn’t nearly as compelling as the iPod nano. Neither of these players, however, touches the iPod touch.

Zune 80GB and Zune 8GB Review
Price range: 80GB,$250; 8GB, $200; 4GB,$150

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Cowon iAudio 7 Reviews: Bigger Capacities, Longer Battery Time

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So, in middle of year Cowon returns to launchs its newest generation music player, Cowon iAudio 7. Is this player can make the same astonishment like its predecessor?

Its physical is so similar with iAudio 6. Its size 2,75 x 1,25 x 0,75 inchs. The weights 32 grams lighter than its predecessors because not apply again micro hard drive storage, but memory flash storage. But its capacities two times bigger, which is 8 GB.

Compared to iPod Nano iAudio 7 is three times thicker. But iPod Nano also has wide and length which longer from this player, so that iAudio is seen smaller and still comfort to put into pocket.

Cowon iAudio 7 has 1,3 inchs screen. Unhappily, OLED screen in iAudio 6 is replaced by 260.000 colours LCD screen. Hold button is found on the top, together with some short cut buttons. In left side is available two minijack stereo, one for input line, another one is output for headphone.

Interesting thing which still be owned by this player is Swing Touch interface, like also its predecessor. Whereas iPod has wheel navigation, iAudio 7 applies touch navigation button, alike percent character (%). It’s diagonal bar button applicable to slide above the playlist.

User can shift upward or downwards the playlist by fiddling the bar button upward or downwards. But, user can also roll up the playlist upward or downwards, with pressing upper end or under end the bar button. While Play and Record button is put acrossed, in right-left bar button.

Unhappily, the graphic display is disappointing, so far than other player’s graphic menu, like iPod, iRiver Clix, Samsung Yepp, or Sandisk Sansa. The display menu is like graphic in mid era of 1990.

Besides as a music player, this tiny gadget also pack FM radio feature, photo viewer, voice recorder, line input recorder, and text reader. The gadget can play many music formats, that is MP3, WMA, WAV, and open format like OGG and FLAC, but minus AAC.

Its sound quality is good. User can also tune sound presented, with clicking 5-band EQ, adds clearness with BBE, play heavy sound with Mach3Bass mode, returns harmonic sound which losing when compressed with MP Enhance feature, and adds stereo separation with Surround.

For video with AVI, MPEG4, and Xvid format will be presented in 15 frames per second speed, with resolution quality 160 x 120 pixels. But, this player supplied with good battery.

Possibly, iAudio 7 is three time thicker than iPod Nano. But its battery durability is almost three times longger compared to iPod Nano battery durability. To tune your own music, it can play the music for 41 hours nonstop. While for playing video, this player will can life for 22,6 hours.

With volume setting at level 15 (maximum 40), minimum brightness level, and also audio enhancement feature is turn off, it can play music until 56 hours, comes near to Cowon claim, which said that this player can life until 60 hours.

Cowon iAudio 7 Reviews
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Transcend T.sonic 820 Another Review

Audio file support for the ZEN is fairly good, including WMA, MP3, and unprotected AAC. For video, the ZEN supports only WMV, but it comes with software to convert DivX/Xvid and MPEG-4 files. JPEGs are the only supported photo format.

The large 2.5-inch.320-by-240-pixel screen displays colorful and sharp images, and the interface uses graphics that are sharp, well designed, and easy to navigate. Audio quality is adequate, but you’ll want to upgrade the not-so-great bundled earphones.

Sure, the ZEN has its flaws: It’s nearly as big as some hard drive-based players: it doesn’t have a lightning-fast start-up time; and the interface can be a bit slow. But it works well, is expandable, and has more extras than you find in Apple players.

Creative Zen Short Review
Price range: 4GB ($130), 8GB ($200), 16GB ($250)

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Transcend T.sonic 820 Another Review

Samsung YP-U3: Cheap, Slick, and Cool

Left and right side of each touch pad functioned as Next/Fast Forward and Anevious/Rewind button. This touch still is flanked by four other controller buttons (Shortcut - can be program by youself, Options, Play/Pause, and Menu/Back) which must be pressed litle strong.

Half up body of Creative Zen Vision: M predominated by 2,5 inch LCD screen. This screen really felt nice in eye. Pictures, including video display are come up sharply and full in screen. For video, Zen Vision: M is not troubles. Many popular formats, for example DiVX and XvID, which able to be recognized it.

Also pleases, the picture can be your background picture (wallpaper). Its method is easy: select your best picture, press Option button, and select Set as Wallpaper. More, you can also set the screen brightness level. Besides walpaper which able to be change by us, Creative provides six colour themes as wallpaper.

The pictures and song it’s also able to made as rating and playlist. To see the picture its available the Thumbnail, List, Detail, and Zoom modus. Picture may be looked while you listening song.

There is one which really special here, namely keyword! Yes, Zen Vision: M figures in the keyword feature (keyword). When I type word “Closer” in its virtual keyboard, and came out the “One Step Closer” from Linkin Park collection on MP3 file which we have in Zen Vision: M.

Besides music/video feature, picture, function of FM radio, voice recorder, and organizer also carriedby Zen Vision: M. and so do the harddisk function, although rather disturbs because we must activate it first, then determines capacities wanted (512MB - 16GB).

Creative Zen Vision: M is really a personal media player bases on harddisk that pleasing eye and ear. No wonder if this player gets “Best of Show and Best Portable Audio & Video” at CES 2006. One factor is less we like is way of battery charged which must pass USB connection and sync adapter. Creative Zen Vision: M is available in Black, white, green, pink, and blue color.

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Transcend T.sonic 820 Another Review

Samsung YP-U3: Cheap, Slick, and Cool

Toshiba gigabeat U Series: Small, and a Snap to Use

When turned on, in its bright screen appears the information of remaining capacities. The T.sonic 820 feature is very completes: play music (MP3, WMA, WMA DRM) plus with lyric, records voice, photo /picture and text displays, records FM radio, play video, and presents clock in real time (RTC- Real Time Clock). Record MP3 directly from other source is also supported. For this last activity we need to apply line-in cable which available from buy package.

When functioning as voice recorder, T.sonic 820 offering one better-quality. The voice of course still be recorded in WAV format (ADPCM), but T.sonic 820 can be automatically stops record activity when doesn't detect voice. This VAD (Voice Activation Detection) feature is good for economizing memory capacity, but would be useless if we did record in noises room.

Unhappily when enjoys video (must be converted to MTV format) and also reads e-book, T.sonic 820 is not good enough. Its screen is undersize for Video. On the contrary happen when I read e-book. Its not available the choice to minimize text size which making I don’t enjoy to reads big sized text that presented per four lines but cut to pieces because present per 14 characters.

Fortunately T.sonic 820 is great in music /sound. Voice flown via the earphone can sway uour ear. More, the player can make our favorite songs playlist.

When we nonstop playing MP3 song at strong volume, built-in battery which attached in backside unit (can be seen with opening covers) can work during 10 hours 51 minutes 9 second. While when play video, its age is shorter: 6 hour 15 minutes 33 seconds. With a note, the battery has been full charged via USB connection during 4 hour 34 minutes.

Its slim body makes Transcend T.sonic 820 which has 1,93GB free memory is comfort to carry. Its complete music feature: supports lyric and playlist, and can present real time clock. Unfortunately its data transfer performance is not so fast and only supports single task. Transcend T.sonic 820 available in white (2GB) and black (4GB) color.

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Samsung YP-U3: Cheap, Slick, and Cool

Toshiba gigabeat U Series: Small, and a Snap to Use

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Measuring a minute 3.2 by 1.0 by 0.4 inches, the new 0.8-ounce YP-U3 (we’ll call it the U3) has a built-in USB connector, which eliminates the need for a cable. The U3 comes with 2GB of storage; it has Samsung's familiar graphics and touch-sensitive flat-surface buttons. And, compared with the Express, the U3 has a slicker look and a radiant screen.

A bright 1.8-inch OLED display occupies the left half of the front face. There’s nothing special about the organization; navigation is easy and straight forward. The main screen has five icons: Music, FM Radio, Voice Record, Settings, and Now Playing.

Holding down the power button for a couple of seconds on leashes a flashy start-up graphic in Samsung’s typical blue-on-black theme. If you have the player set to Resume (an item in the Settings menu), whatever song you were last playing will start up from the moment you left off. If not, it will still cue up the track but will revert to the beginning and won't automatically start playing. Now Playing is the default start-up screen, but by using the back button, you can easily access all menus. There’s no FM recording to be found, which is surprise, considering the U3’s inclusion of voice recording. (The Express offers both FM and voice recording.)

One slight annoyance is that it takes five steps to get to the main menu from the Now Playing screen (navigating backwards through song, artist. etc.), but navigation is quick nonetheless. It would have been better, however, if Samsung had thought to use the multifunction User Button on the top as a main menu button to bypass backwards navigation. This button is assignable only to Repeat A-B, DNSe (Samsung’s plethora of avoidable EQ settings), Play Speed, and Play Mode (Normal, Repeat, and Shuffle).

File compatibility is limited to MP3 (all bit rates), WAV, and WMA (including protected and lossless). The U3 has no photo or video function, which is perhaps a blessing. That s because most players that have tiny screens yet include these functions usually have to charge more for what ends up being a lousy feature. Unfortunately, the player also comes with so-so earphones. As usual, I seriously suggest upgrading to something better. And the U3’s battery life isn’t much to brag about. My test player yielded 12 hours and 3 minutes. (The Express didn't do much better, at just 14 hours.)

Knocking the Sansa Express off its pedestal is a difficult feat. When the 1GB Express came out earlier this year, I was thrilled to see such a simple, good-looking, easy-to-navigate device for only $60. (The 2GB model goes for $80.) Technology is not all about price, however, and although the U-3 memory isn't expandable like that of the Express, the U3 strikes me as a slightly better value. It's skinnier, a little slicker, and costs only $10 more than the Express with the same capacity.

Samsung YP-U3: $90.00

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Iriver Mplayer: Mickey Mouse MP3 player

Stilt, flaws are immediately apparent. The screen is a tiny 1.1 inches, the graphics are dull, and there's no video. This is probably just as well, though, because video and small screens rarely mix well. Loading the tracks via Windows Media Player 11 was easy, but file support is pretty limited: just MP3, WRA (including lossless), and WAV. The Gigabeat U series can display JPEGs, but photos don't shine on the tiny screen.

Navigation, however, is fantastic. The PlusPad button array, combined with the menu and Back buttons below the OLED, allows intuitive control of the device. Line-in recording can be monitored visually via on-screen left/right meters, and FM radio operation and recording is a simple and organized process. Battery rundown tests yielded a solid 18 hours 42 minutes.

The U series won't knock your socks off, but if you're not tied to iTunes, it delivers lots of features for the price.

Toshiba gigabeat U Series: $99.99

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SanDisk Sansa Shaker: Shake your Music Player

Iriver Mplayer: Mickey Mouse MP3 player

Menu navigation is no fun. Graphics look cheap and the interface is convoluted. Worse, buttons are easy to trigger accidentally, so on less you have the Hold switch on, simply moving the player to another hand or surface could make it skip to the next track.

The iAudio 7 can handle MP3, WMA, OGG, FLAC, and WAV music files, but there’s no AAC support, and the device screens only JPEG photo. Videos look especially bad: You must convert AVI, XviD, or MPEG-4 to a resized 160-by-120 MPEG-4 at 15 fps, using the included software.

My battery test yielded an impressive 51 hours 46 minutes, but the iAudio 7 is too much of a pain to navigate for this to really matter. If you're looking for a player with a great screen and a fun interface, spring the extra $30 for the iriver Clix gen 2.

Cowon iAudio 7: 4GB ($169.99), 8GB ($219.99)

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SanDisk Sansa Shaker: Shake your Music Player

Iriver Mplayer: Mickey Mouse MP3 player

Transcend T- Sonic 820: New Series, New Features

The player designs it similar with drum form with length is 7, 3 cm and 4, 1 cm diameters. The composition of bright color covers the player which having plastic and rubber material combination, makes it comes up attractive.

The Sansa Shaker ability to play music is in average level. MP3 and WMA file its fine to play. More than anything else is supported with internal speaker with great power, as alternative choice besides two ports jack to use headphone.

The unique from this player, to change the song track this player relies on shake method. But play and pause button remain added. Whereas forward and backward song mode can be accessed through controller band which having white color special sign that encircles the Sansa Shaker body. The same thing also applicable to arranges speaker volume strength level, which is turns around the controller band little bit according to icon indicator.
As a connection channel, this player use USB port. Meanwhile for the music file which sent via PC would be saved in internal memory. There are two choices available, 512 MB and 1 GB. Both also provide addition storage space slot for SD card type.

Sansa Shaker relies on 1 x AAA on battery as energy source. This battery can give this player energy to play the song until 10 hours long (with headphone).

SanDisk Sansa Shaker: 512 MB (US$ 34,99), 1 GB (US$ 49,99)

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Transcend T- Sonic 820: New Series, New Features

IRIVER CLIX GEN 2: It's All You Need?

This small MP3Player have 3 cm diameter, with 17 gram weight. So, this Mplayer look tinier compared to ping-pong ball. It’s suitable to use as accessories like a necklace. Even its tiny, you can count on the Mplayer ability. File of MPEG1/2/2,5 layer 3, WMA, ASF, MP3 And WMA is fluent to play on. It’s also supported by 'SRS WOW HD' equalizer, which capable to produce the best output sound.

These music players do not provide the button access to play the song. It’s changed by feature called "twist" mode. With little bit turning around the “mouse” left ear, you can change the volume level. The Right ear functioned to arrange song track (next track / previous track). For rewind/ fast forward the song which being listened, you can turn and hold the right ear for a few moments.

For play / pause function, you have to restart this player with the 5 second interval while you turn on the player or 1 second when turn off. Mplayer have the indicator lamp to shows on/ off status, which placed at left side of the “mouse” head.

Mplayer rely on the Lithium Polymer battery as the power source. The Energy refilling relies on the USB connector. For once charge time its able to supply 8 hours MP3 player life.

Do not like the early product; T-Sonic 530 and 630, this newest series equipped by OLED screen powered by 65 thousand color. The resolution is 128x128 pixels, with 1, 5 inch screen. T-Sonic 820 it’s able to display the video file with ‘MTV’ format, standard video conversion result (avi, qt, mov, 3gp, mpg and mpeg) using special software, it’s also included a recovery data ability, partition arrangement and also password arrangement for PC and other certain file.

MP3, WMA, WMA-DRM 10 and WAV file can listen with stereo headset and also additional speaker. The audio output quality can be arranged through equalizer choice and we also can set it manually. You also can use the playlist builder and Karaoke Lyrics to compile the playlist and present the song lyric for karaoke.

For whom that loves to read, this music player is equipped by e-book feature in text format (. txt). Radio FM is also available as an alternative choice.

Digital Voice recorder which enhanced has adopted the VAD (Voice Activation Detection) technology. The record result is producing a high quality sound, with the very low noise effect. You can record your sound via additional or internal mike.

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Using flash memory, like the iPod nano, the clix comes in varying capacities (2GB. 4GB.and 8GB). The new model borrows the excellent click-screen interface from the previous clix, and it's just as intuitive as the iPod's scroll wheel. The new model is also slimmer than its predecessor. The player's active-matrix OLED screen is slightly smaller than that of the 30GB and 8OGB iPod displays but has the same resolution, which actually makes for a sharper picture. I liked the slick user interface, and the graphics are attractive. Other nice features include an FM tuner and video viewing.

Loading the player is a snap whether you use Urge, Windows Media Player or Yahoo! Music jukebox. Yes it also plays iTunes Plus DRM-free AAC files. Be advised that all 4GB models will be optimized for Rhapsody interactivity, as well.

If iTunes isn't your thing, the clix is an excellent choice, with plenty of extras.

IRIVER CLIX GEN 2
2GB: $150
4GB: $200
8GB: $250

File compatibility for the Opal is more or less standard. You can play MP3, WMA, subscription/protected WMA, Audible, and WAV audio files and view JPEG and BMP images. Videos need to be converted to MPEG-4 (using the included software). The WMV file I converted, however, looked terrible: Pixelation was rampant on the tiny OLED screen. The bundled Yahoo! Music Jukebox software works fine for loading the Opal with files from your PC. Those who don't pay for Yahoo! Subscription music will find Windows Media Player the easiest program to use. Strangely, there's no FM tuner here.

Don't get me wrong, the Opal works. It's just not a pleasure to operate or look at. In my view, some competing flash players from Creative and SanDisk are much wiser choice.

RCS OPAL: $75

The Sansa Express has a vibrant 1.1-inch OLED screen for menu navigation, a digital FM tuner, and voice recording. And you can upgrade the 1GB storage by adding a microSD card-you can't do that with the shuffle. The Express lets you navigate your music library by artist, song title, and playlist. Also nice is how the left side of the player holds a USB connector that can be covered by a removable cap.

There's no denying that the Sansa Express is a budget purchase. It's not the most amazing music player out there, nor does it claim to be, but what it does, it does perfectly. Without a doubt, this is the new cheap MP3 player to beat.
Sansa Express: $59.99