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Buying Guide: Cheap MP3 Players 101
Contents
- Cheap MP3 Players 101
- Samsung YP-U3
- Sansa Express
- Creative ZEN Stone
- Toshiba gigabeat U Series
- Apple iPod Shuffle (2nd generation)
Headed back to campus and looking to save some bucks on an MP3 player? It's possible to do so without sacrificing quality and the ever-so-important cool factor, but you have to educate yourself. There's no shortage of cheap players out there, and sadly, a lot of them are real stinkers. Fear not, my cash-strapped friend. Here are five up-to-date, reliable, and, yes, stylin' options, all for $100 or less.
These days, there's a lot of competition in the low-priced flash memory-based portable player department. This is good news for you. In the past five months alone, I've seen two Editor's Choices in this field: the excellent Sansa Express and the sleek new Samsung YP-U3. The Express now comes in both 1 and 2 GB capacities and is slightly cheaper than the 2 GB YP-U3. Both players, however, feature fun and simple user interfaces and graphics, built-in USB connectors, FM radio, and voice recording. I happen to favor the YP-U3 slightly because I like its overall design a little more, but they're both worth serious consideration.
The ubiquitous iPod Shuffle can't go without a mention here, especially if you're tied to iTunes. However, if you keep your music in another program, like Windows Media Player, you should definitely check out the Creative ZEN Stone. Sure, it's basically a Shuffle knock-off. Even so, it does have a bit more navigation options and for half the price! (Don't confuse this with the ZEN Stone Plus—a similar player with a screen that doesn't quite deliver the same value for your hard-earned dollars).
Finally, Toshiba recently entered the flash-based realm with the Gigabeat U Series. While it's not an award-winning player (I don't love the screen graphics), it's got a sexy physical design, is easy to navigate, and features line-in recording for stealing, er, sharing songs from your friends' collections.
Now, the question is: should you take the money you save and upgrade the lousy earbuds that always ship with these devices or pay for your textbooks? I'd need a Major in Philosophy and a Minor in Ethics to answer that one. Class dismissed.
In This Roundup:
Class President: Samsung YP-U3
Our latest Editor's Choice, the YP-U3 is stylish and easy-to-use, featuring a pop-out USB connector and touch-sensitive buttons.
Valedictorian: Sansa Express
Also featuring a built-in USB connector, the Express has two things the U3 doesn't: FM recording and a cheaper price.
Mr. Popularity: iPod Shuffle
The most popular guy on campus looks good, but he has very little self-control.
Cheapest Date: Creative ZEN Stone
This player provides a little more playback control than the Shuffle, and costs a lot less.
Best Dressed: Toshiba Gigabeat U Series
The U Series has line-in recording along with its standard features, all in a snazzy shell that'll turn heads.
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