Portable CD MP3 Player

The good: The Insignia Sport is very easy to use and provides good overall sound quality for the price. The rechargeable battery is easy to remove.

The bad: The buttons on the front of the Insignia Sport are too close to each other. The player lacks features like voice/FM recording and on-the-fly playlists, and photos look pretty bad.

The bottom line: The Insignia Sport is an inexpensive MP3 player that’s suitable for casual listening, but fitness buffs looking for a gym companion should be aware that the buttons can be a bit annoying to use while exercising.

CNET has posted a review for SanDisk Sansa m240 (1GB, silver). The player receives a rating of ‘Very Good’, 7.3 out of 10. They write:

The good: Available in up to 4GB capacity; solid value; includes FM tuner and voice recorder; compatible with WMA DRM 10 (Janus) and Audible files; decent controllers; on-the-go playlists.

The bad: Bulky (but lightweight); no line-in recording; poorly backlit display; only one quality option for voice recording.

The bottom line: With its many features as well as its compatibility with audiobooks and subscription-based music, the SanDisk Sansa m200 series is an overall great value.

CNET has posted a review for the Apple iPod 5G (39GB, video) on its website. The player managed to grab an excellent rating. 8.0 out of 10.

The good: Incredibly thin and intuitive design; beautiful LCD; supports photo and video playback; seamless integration with iTunes, which boasts the world’s biggest music catalog and a new video store; smooth video; lots of extra features, such as a world clock, a stopwatch, and PIM applications; a galaxy of accessories designed for the iPod; great overall value.

The bad: No extras included, such as a dock, A/V cables, or a power adapter; poor battery life for video; slight delay when playing video; no guarantee that your non-iTunes Music Store video will play on an iPod, even after using converted third-party software.

The bottom line: Get the affordable, sleek, and sexy 5G Apple iPod for its audio virtues. Although video looks great, poor video battery life and a relatively small screen hamper its appeal to video heads.

The SanDisk Sansa c100 series includes a 1GB (c140) and 2GB (c150) version of this flash based MP3 player. The player includes your basic set of features, including a 1.21 inch screen for viewing photos and navigation through WMA and MP3 audio files. The player will also support WMA DRMed tracks, including subscription services such as Yahoo! Unlimited and Napster To Go. The Sansa c100 also packs in an FM tuner and voice recording.

CNET has reviewed the SanDisk Sansa c150 (2GB) and they write

Upside:   Although aimed at the budget crowd, the SanDisk Sansa c100 offers an updated color screen, along with WMA subscription compatibility. The device is a cinch to navigate, thanks in part to the dedicated menu and volume buttons, a tactile five-way control, and an easy-to-read, icon-based menu system. The c100 plays MP3, WMA, and Audible content; has a built-in FM radio/recorder (with autoscan and 20 presets); a voice recorder; and the ability to display small photos and album art.

Downside:   The SanDisk Sansa c100 utilizes a proprietary USB cable for transfers. While we do like replaceable battery options (the c100 uses a single AAA), we also enjoy the fact that the battery lasts more than 20 hours; the c100 has a rated life of 15 hours. As expected, photos don’t look great, and they must be converted for getting them on to the device, though having a photo option is better than not.

Outlook:   The SanDisk Sansa c100 series is a nice addition to the SanDisk line. It has all the features that most people need from a flash player, along with decent sound quality, an intuitive control system, and very competitive prices, which will no doubt be lower online.

CNET Asia has a posted a reviewed about the Samsung YH-J70 (20GB). They write:

While Apple went out for minimal features in order to keep its iPods looking zen (no offence, Creative), Samsung, like most Korean companies, prefers to play it by the numbers (of features). Though it’s a force to be reckoned with in the MP3 player market with its status as the largest flash memory manufacturer, as well as a stated resolve to unseat the iPod from top dog position, Samsung still has some way to go before it can emulate the universal appeal of the iPod.

T3 has also reviewed Samsung YH-J70 and find the p layer dissapointing as they write ‘Alas, although this has features coming out of its chunky little ears (MP3 encoding, FM tuner, slideshow function, cuddly toy…), it’s got a menu system so archaic, the original blueprints for it may be on King Tut’s tomb wall. Getting tracks onto it is painful too, because of Samsung’s primitive software, whilst all videos have to be converted to a proprietary format or be denied entry. Oh, and then they look smudgy anyway.’

CNEThas reviewed the Oakley Thump 2 (256MB, black/grey) MP3 Player Sunglasses and gave it a ‘Very good’ rating, 73.7 out of 10. They write

The good: Music player built into sunglasses for cordless listening; plays MP3, AAC, WMA, WMA DRM, and WAV tracks; up to 1GB of storage; multihinged earbuds allow for a perfect fit with most users; USB 2.0 connection.

The bad: Doesn’t come with wall charger or hard case; poor battery life; advanced playback controls are hard to remember; high price; music can be easily heard by those around you.

The bottom line: The Oakley Thump 2 is a great choice for athletes who want portable tunes minus the headphone cord.

Belkin, a developer of computer and other digital equipment accessories, Monday announced a new portable battery pack for users of Apple’s fifth generation iPod (5G) with video playback capability. The TunePower for iPod video is set to appear by the end of this month for $79.99.

The TunePower for iPod video, explained Belkin , is a rechargeable battery pack which gives 5G iPod owners up to six hours of additional video playtime, reportedly even when the iPod’s internal battery is drained. The TunePower comes with two sleeves designed to fit either the 30GB or 60GB iPod and features a protective case design to prevent damage to the connector.

Other features of the TunePower for iPod video include an AC adapter for simultaneous charging and playing and a small and compact design with a low-level power indicator so you can monitor when batteries are low.

CNET editors has reviewed Cowon iAudio F1 (1GB, Black) and give it 6.0 out of 10

The good: The flash-based Cowon iAudio F1 includes an FM tuner/recorder, voice and line-in recording, OGG support, excellent sound quality, and a compact, unique race car design.

The bad: The Cowon iAudio F1 is a little pricey, and it lacks DRM support. None of the other announced colors and capacities will be available, so you’re stuck with the black 1GB model. The device also has subpar battery life, the USB/power cable is proprietary, and line-in recording maxes out at 128Kbps.

The bottom line: The good-sounding Cowon iAudio F1 is the perfect fit for race car fans and male preteens, but lack of DRM support and lower-than-expected battery life make it only a typical choice among grown-ups.

CNET editors has reviewed Creative Zen Micro Photo (8GB) and gave it an ‘Excellent’ rating, 8.3 out of 10. Creative Zen Micro Photo also received CNET Editor’s Choice.

The good: The Creative Zen Micro Photo features a bright, colorful OLED that’s viewable from any angle, and it’s available in a choice of 10 body colors. This MP3 player also includes useful extra features such as a user-replaceable battery, a voice recorder, a photo viewer, an FM tuner, and an onboard calendar and task manager that syncs with Microsoft Outlook. The Zen Micro Photo is also out-of-the-box compatible with Janus (Windows Media DRM 10) and offers excellent sound quality.

The bad: Unfortunately, the Creative Zen Micro Photo doesn’t let you listen to music and browse photos simultaneously, and album art is not supported at this time. The touch pad on this device can take some getting used to.

The bottom line: The Creative Zen Micro Photo is an excellent full-featured MP3 player and, for its size, a decent photo viewer; it just doesn’t combine the two effectively.