Reviews related to : MP3 players
It looks like a round neck pair of in ear buds. It is, so you could use them as a simple music player however it is also a Wearable Music Player with Fitness Tracker, so it can play music in a beat to match your heart rate (pulse).
12cm across and 12cm tall would match the non-twisted size of these buds, each ear has a 5x2.5x1cm unit in front of the bud and their total weight is only 42grams. It would be totally wrong to describe this as a music player even though it can play music.
Here something that I have not looked at recently a couple of MP3 players, both from Sony. The first is a water resistant offering mine was white. The second in more normal black a unit that claims a quick charge time of only three minutes.
This is an all in one unit with the earbuds fixed into the player unit. With some earbuds you can choose to hang them directly from the ears of to take them round your neck, here there is no choice as the ‘C’ shaped band will only locate in the ear if you then go behind your neck. The stretched out length of the band connecting the two buds is 33cm but is will always return to two ‘O’ shapes.
Do you remember your first one? I am, of course, referring to your first portable media device such as an MP3 player.
I have just had a flashback – fortunately it was not painful but it did remind me of my first MP3 player. This was a device, whose antecedents I have forgotten, that I won as a prize in a charity raffle. Actually it was not the prize attached in my winning ticket – that was a signed Chelsea football shirt from the period when Dennis Wise played for the club and they had just won the FA Cup.
Its been a while since I have looked at an MP3 player rather than an iPod. It is also a nice small unit that is smaller than most of course size and weight mean the display is tiny in comparison to some units but this is from Sony.
The Sony Walkman NWZ-B173 measures 8.5x2x1.3cm and it weighs just 27grams. Perhaps the biggest thing in its favour is that you can plug the USB connection (remove the cap of the unit) into a PC it is read as a drive and then you just Drag and Drop items. We all take Drag and Drop for a given today but if you are old enough to remember times before it you still appreciate what it gives not least when certain products do their best with fancy installers to stop you using it.
The unexpected arrival of a small device gave me the opportunity to give my regular MP3 player a break as I checked out this Archos device.
The Archos Clipper is an MP3 player with 2GB of internal storage that comes with the claim of being big in sound and small in size. As this is the smallest, although not by much, MP3 player that I have seen then I can certainly confirm the latter while the former claim is perhaps more debatable. The Archos Clipper, which features a spring clip on the back of the unit thus explaining its name, has dimensions of 53 x 27 x 10mm (H x W x D) and weighs just 14g.
When is an MP3 player not an MP3 player? It is when it also includes record, video, FM radio, camera and ebook reading capacities.
Those of us of a certain age will, no doubt, remember with some affection when our mobile entertainment came in the form of a portable cassette player with the Walkman being the popular option. Admittedly this entertainment was only of the audio variety but we were in seventh heaven as we listened to our favourite music. Then along came digital. Now we could select from a range of MP3 players with the incredibly successful Apple iPod taking the lead.
Up until recently my walking music needs were catered for by the Sansa Clip device. This small (55 x 35 x 16mm) silver and black device has been a regular accoutrement clipped (a feature that explains the products name) to my belt but now it has been replaced. So it is time to say a fond farewell to the Sansa Clip as I welcome the arrival of the Sansa Clip+.
This small MP3 player is available in a choice of 2, 4, or 8GB capacities. Whereas the original Clip device came in a choice of five colours, this new model can be purchased in sleek black unless you go for the 4GB version which will also be made available in either burgundy red or ice blue. This review is based on the black 4GB model.
And you shall have music and video where ever you go could well be the theme for various pocket size devices currently appearing on the market. Joining the ranks of these types of products is the Archos 3 vision.
With its black and silver trimmed fascia, the Archos 3 is available with a choice of metallic red or chocolate backing which does displays a warning regarding possible hearing damage due to excessive volume levels. Weighing just 63 grams and having dimensions of 95 x 52 x 9mm, this media player can fit easily into a pocket without causing an unsightly bulge or weigh you down.
The latest incarnation of one of the best and easiest to use MP3 players the Sansa Clip, this one comes with 4GB of internal memory plus it also has a micro SD card slot so if 4GB is not enough you can add even more memory.
On first glance it looks very similar to the previous incarnation of the Sansa Clip but the clip on the back is more substantial and this unit has no rounded corners. It is 5.5x3.5x1.5cm and weights 28grams. The screen is 2.3x1.2cm but can still show four lines of very readable information. The USB connection (transfer data and charge) is on the left side near the top with the volume rocker below it. The top has just the on/off button while the bottom is clear.
I have owned a first generation Apple iPod Nano for a while; just recently it started to become unresponsive and then early on Sunday stayed switched on with no button working. So as I was working with a product that needed an iPod what do I do?
Having purchased a number of things from Amazon and have a Prime account meaning I get guaranteed next day delivery free. This however only works on items ordered on Monday to Thursday. Recently I have seen same day delivery offered so I paid my £7.38 and had a brand new iPod sitting on my desk seven hours later and my review was able to be completed.
I have been enjoying the vast range of sounds from this unit for a couple of months. Just about time to buy for Christmas as this item that would make a perfect gift/purchase for anyone who loves their music.
Within this small unit it has the ability to play CD’s, FM and DAB radio, an adapter is supplied to incorporate your iPod or iPhone and of course you have an auxiliary input so anything from your MP3 player can benefit from the speakers provided. It also accepts input from SD card and even has a USB input; alas so far it has steadfastly refused to make the tea or even do the washing up. It is 25x14x16cm with cables fitted.
Adding to its range of MP3 devices, SanDisk has released the Sansa Fuze model for those wanting both video and music mobile playback facilities.
Measuring 50 x 7 x 78mm, the Sansa Fuze, with its ability to play MP3 and WMA audio tracks plus video clips, is the company’s obvious challenger to the market leading iPod nano device. Positioned between the excellent Sansa Clip and Sansa View units, the Sansa Fuze is available with 2, 4 and 8GB storage capacities in a choice of blue, red, pink, black or silver. This review is based on the 4GB version of the product. Taking over the top half of the unit’s front is a 1.
This is described as a USB Turntable, the difference from other - more expensive units recently reviewed is that you are not forced to save in MP3 but other formats are available including .WAV that means your LPs can be turned into CDs.
The Veho VTT-001 Record Deck measures 29x27x8cm, which include the overhang at the rear for a USB lead. However as soon as you put a 12inch LP on the turntable the space required is 30x32x8cm. Unlike most solutions this unit also claims to work for 10inch, EP’s, 45’s and even 78’s. I have my doubts about the last mentioned as a diamond stylus on 78’s would soon lead to problems but it does have the speed setting for 78’s.
Sometimes you could be forgiven for thinking that mobile music was the sole preserve of the iPod but there are other devices often with a far more attractive price point.
Size, as we all know, isn’t everything – a truism that is perfectly illustrated by the Sansa Clip. This is a tiny MP3 player measuring 55 x 35 x 16mm. The Sansa Clip is available in a choice of colours such as Black, Candy Apple Red, Hot Pink, Silver and Ice Blue with capacities of 1GB, 2GB or 4GB. This review is based on the silver 4GB model.
This is a tiny MP3 player that also can make voice recordings. Although it is tiny the screen is still very readable and with battery life of close to twenty hours between recharge it certainly has things in its favour.
Firstly it is small enough to fit in the palm of the smallest hand. It is 4cm wide and tall and only a smidgen over 1cm thick, the weight (before you attach the earbuds) is just 27grams. The top has on/off and back buttons as well as the 3.5mm jack socket. The right side has the volume up and down buttons and the rather good pin hole microphone. The bottom has the hold slider switch and another pin hole marked reset.
I must be showing my age as I remember the days when 20MB was a large hard disc (I actuary remember the days before hard discs) now an MP3 player with 8GB of internal memory in a tiny body and compete with rechargeable battery.
It is 5.5x3x1.5cm and weights only a few grams. The back has a clip taking .5cm of the stated width and this can open to 1.5cm meaning it can be clipped onto almost any item of clothing. This is the second item I have recently reviewed that makes a mockery of the claimed battery life, stated at 15 hours I actually got 19 hours and 30 minutes not once but twice.
Storing your music collection in MP3 format is just the first stage as you let your creativity take over with help from a product from Magix.
Although various competitive formats have appeared since its introduction, MP3 remains the choice for many when storing their music. It does not matter whether the original tracks were stored on vinyl, tape, CD or Internet based sites, the content generally ends up in MP3 format on a computer’s hard disk. But once it there, what do you do with it? Magix MP3 Maker offers a range of features designed to help you take the next steps.
Here I am looking at two items that come from the company that charges $3 US shipping no matter how large your order. Fist an MP3 player that looks like a largish Lego brick and then an Alarm Clock radio that takes SD cards so you can wake to your choice of music guaranteed.
BB5003 MP3 Player Lego Brick This is a MP3 player but instead of using either internal memory or that of a USB stick it uses a Micro SD card (the ones most mobile phones use) this also gives you another way of transferring content from your phone to a PC or visa versa. It is 5.5x3.x1.5cm and mine was yellow but I think there are other colours.
Adding to the range of iPod accessories, not developed by Apple, is a new speaker and recharging unit from Logitech.
click to enlarge The influence of the iPod phenomena continues to spread. The latest example of this trend to come my way is the Pure-Fi Anywhere product. Developed by Logitech, this product is a one-piece, portable speaker set with a centrally positioned docking station for the ubiquitous iPod.
Apple were arguably late to the MP3 market - but when they got there, they certainly made an
impact. Five generations on and the original distinctive iPod family were joined by the 'Touch',
sporting many of the same features but in a significantly different package.
click to enlarge The iPod Touch arrives in a fairly small package, sporting John Lennon on the front. Inside the box you'll find the device itself, Apples hallmark white headphones, white USB cable, a docking adaptor to allow the Touch form factor to work with the existing range of iPod accessories, a cleaning cloth and a tiny perspex stand.
Main Menu
