With Christmas fast approaching, we point out ten common mistakes people make when buying portable audio devices.- Avoid paying for more features than your recipient needs. Many high-end players come with perks such as recording (line-in, voice, or FM) and FM radios, but each feature adds to the unit's price. If they just want to listen to digital music, keep the player simple.
- If your special someone plans to carry the player in a bag, don't buy one without an in-line remote (one attached to the wire between the device and the headphones). The best in-line remotes even have an LCD and clip to the strap on your bag, so the main device can remain stowed away.
- Don't underestimate the MP3 CD player. If you're buying for someone who has a CD burner and doesn't plan to use the portable audio device for active pursuits, MP3 CD players offer an economical solution. These devices usually have in-line remotes, cost well under $200, and offer a user experience that's comparable to that of a more expensive hard drive-based option. Best of all, you can buy a 650MB blank CD for less than 50 cents.
- Never buy a flash player without an expansion slot unless you're sure that it has enough memory. There's nothing worse than paying good money for a player, then having your recipient decide he or she needs to carry more songs. In that case, the recipient will have to buy a new unit with a larger amount of memory instead of expanding the unit you already gave.
- Don't buy a device with an unattractive design. Study the product photographs or brochures carefully before making your decision. Since the MP3 player you buy will be carried in public, you might as well get something that looks good.
- Why pay for more memory than is necessary? Unless your favourite music fans need to put all their tunes on a single device, consider a high-capacity flash player (512MB) or a mini hard drive player (1.5GB); if you swap new songs in every week or so, these players feel much larger than they actually are.
- If you're buying for a fitness fan, make sure it ships with an armband--not a neck strap or a belt clip. We find that armbands work best for active users; neck straps let the player bounce against your chest, and belt clips can put wires in your way.
- Don't buy a unit that doesn't play loudly enough. If you know your giftees like their tunes blaring, 5 mW per channel is generally not enough. If you've already purchased a player that lacks the decibels they crave, invest in headphones that have high sensitivity. We really like Beyerdynamic's DT 231 headphones, which requires much less power to output high volumes.
- If your music junkies plan on digitizing vinyl or cassettes, don't buy a player without line-in recording. It's much easier and faster to convert LPs and tapes to MP3s using a portable player than a computer.
- If you're buying for a frequent flier, avoid a player with poor battery life. Apple's iPod is a great player in many respects, but it lasts only about six hours per charge--not enough to get a body across the country, including all the standing in lines and transportation to and from the airport.
| Looking for a portable audio player? |
| eFX i-MPIA 4000 MP3 Player |
| Cowon iAudio CW300 |
| Apple iPod (40GB) |
| Listen to the Music: 12 MP3 Players Tested |
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