Mp3 Technology

Oppo's Blast PMP

Oppo announced it's latest portable media player:  the 6.9mm Blast PMP.  This player's in the pinnacle of trendiness.  This sleek slim design is pretty awesome-looking, great colors and this device seems to perfectly blend with anyone's lifestyle!  It is a low-maintenance player that truly gives you peace of mind! 

The Blast supports FLV video format, it will introduce the DBEE (dynamic bass enhanced engine) and will support Lossless Audio (FLAC and APE) as well as GIF/GIF animation, JPG and BMP. Blast uses Transflash storage.  Unfortunately, prices and availability are not quite known yet.

Ministry of Sound: with a name like this, how can it be bad?

I just heard that Alba Electronics will soon release its latest: Ministry Of Sound MOSMP085.  Although, previous Ministry of Sound players have not been too too successful, this one may prove to be promising! 

If the 2-inch TFT display is enough to distract you from the rather bland design, a voice recorder and internal speaker are also included.  This player support MP3, WMA DRM, and WAV, however six preset equalizer settings and a lyric display function will contribute to the decorative aspect, I guess.

This player comes in 1 Gb for $90 and 2 Gb for $100...kinda makes the 1 Gig pointless, though, if you ask me.  Guess it's not all in the name!  Well here's what this thing looks like:

Zune's 30 Gb Video

One Mp3/video player that I have noticed many of my friends have is the Zune!  The Microsoft Zune has very good playback performance of audio, video, and photos.  It's got a very intuitive and colorful interface, good FM radio with RDS and works well with Zune Marketplace software.  It's integrated wireless options allow sharing of songs and photos and there are many accessories.  Although, the Microsoft Zune is not backward compatible with WMA-DRM9, has weak native video support, it cannot play protected content and doesn't offer video from Zune Marketplace.  Also, it cannot be used as a hard drive, no UMS support and it cannot use Wi-Fi to sync, stream, or purchase content.  Although, the Zune is the best choice for most users. But lukewarm format support and the cool but limited Wi-Fi capability will have advanced users seeking more. The Zune is an exceptional start, though.

Average user rating from 353 users

Good

6.7

out of 10

Amazon:  30Gb: $210

Ebay:       30Gb: $210 (New)

                          $180 (Used)

Sandisk C100

The Sansa Express is SanDisk’s budget MP3 player selling fairly cheaply.  Although it's what you would expect from an inexpensive MP3 player, there are a few features that give it a little bit of an edge in this type of Mp3 player market, one is its microSD slot for memory expansion of up to 2GB. Memory is cheap nowadays; you can easily get a 2GB microSD card for around twenty dollars.  This Express is not perfect, but it may be worth having as a second MP3 player, or it may be a nice for a first time buyer looking to get into portable digital audio without breaking the bank.  Also a great buy for an Mp3 player you have for working out; without worrying about it breaking!  I found one on Amazon for the 2Gb for $50.

Turntable Mp3 Player

Denon's new Denon Pro Dj Mp3/CD turntable lets you take back control.  With this cool new Mp3/CD turntable, you can just load your Mp3s onto a CDR, pop it in, and you're all set! The new DN-S3500 provides full MP3 playback CBR/VBR up to 320kbps, next track reserve with crossfade, 7 on-board effects, and a deep pitch resolution of .02/.05%. Although, it still has to be plugged into a laptop or PC to function.

Cowon D2

The Cowon D2 MP3 player offers a sleek and compact design dominated by a touch-sensitive screen. The device is packed with almost every feature in the book, including video playback, voice recording, and an FM tuner. The D2 comes with a handy stylus/kickstand, and the sound quality is great.  The Cowon D2 is pricier than similarly featured MP3 players, and it's a bit heavy. The touch interface won't appeal to all users, specifically active ones.  If you can get on board with the Cowon D2's PDA-like touch screen interface, the reward is great-sounding audio, a smorgasbord of features, and a fantastic battery life.

Average user rating from 111 users

Very good

7.7

out of 10

Amazon:  4Gb: $190

               2Gb: $165

Ebay:      4Gb(Red): $187

Toshiba Gigabeat

The Toshiba Gigabeat S makes its mark as a supercompact 30GB or 60GB portable video player. It supports many music, video, and photo file types, including subscription services, and it has a bevy of features, such as an FM tuner and support for digital camera transfers. Best of all, the device is completely intuitive, thanks in part to an improved Portable Media Center operating system, and it boasts excellent sound performance.  Unlike many portable video players, the Toshiba Gigabeat S does not record audio or video. There is no voice or FM recording, and the two-cable AC adapter quickly becomes annoying. Also, the Gigabeat S is an MTP device and requires Windows XP. Finally, rated battery life for video is weaker than Toshiba had originally suggested.  Many prospective MP3/PVP buyers have been waiting patiently for this compact, easy-to-use, one-stop-shop for media files   I guess  the Toshiba Gigabeat S was worth the wait!

Average user rating from 164 users

Very good

7.2

out of 10

Ebay:   60Gb: $160 

(Sorry all others are unavailable)

Ipod Nano 8Gb

The second-generation Apple iPod Nano takes on a new scratch-resistant aluminum body, making it stronger than most other plastic mp3 players.  It is available in a variety of bright and shiny colors, is still very slender but more durable, thanks to a seamless construction. It supports photos (with thumbnail grid) and album art and has great sound quality.  It unfortunately doesn't play videos, but you generally dont care to watch videos on such a small screen, and there's no built-in FM tuner or recording capability; not all color options are available for all memory sizes.  This second-generation Apple iPod Nano is like the successful offspring of an iPod Mini and a first-generation iPod Nano. It's small, stylish, user-friendly, durable and competitively priced!  A great player all around and suitable for a variety of users.

Average user rating from 51 users

Excellent

8.5

out of 10

Amazon:  8Gb: $225

               4Gb: $180

Ebay:      8Gb:~$225

               4Gb: $150

IRiver Clix 8Gb

The next generation iRiver Clix is even sleeker and slimmer than its predecessor, but offers the same unique and intuitive interface and stellar audio quality. This player comes packed with extras such as an FM radio, a voice recorder, an alarm clock, support for subscription content as well as OGG and Audible files, and photo, video, and text viewing. The Clix includes SRS Wow sound effects, it has good battery life, and it's priced competitively.  Unfortunately, there's no cradle or line-in recording options for the new Clix yet, and iRiver doesn't offer an easy way to get video content for the device.  Yet The iRiver Clix still offers the perfect blend of hot design, desirable features, and stellar sound quality. If you're looking for an alternative to the iPod Nano, this device is the one to choose!

Average user rating

Very good

7.9

out of 10

Amazon Price:  4Gb: $195

Ebay:               8Gb: $310

                        4Gb:~$200

Waterproof Mp3

Well, here's something new and kinda different for you guys. A water proof Mp3 is what you need if you are near the swimming pool a lot. Ultra Products' Hydra have now released their new line of Water resistant mp3 players for exactly this reason. This mp3 player can play almost all audio files like Mp3, Wav, Wma, and some others too. It has a pretty decent looking display to see the song currently playing and batter level,etc.

The Hydra mp3 player is available for $70 for the 2GB one, and $40 for 1GB. Not too pricy so a decent alternative to a normal player too if you are looking to be safe.