[update]
I'm putting this update at the top.  I can no longer recommend this product.  I discovered that the earphone jack is a weak point on this device.  After repeated (though not excessive) plugging and un-plugging of the earphones and car adapter cable...the contacts broke, rendering the unit useless.  I took it apart and attempted to resolder with no luck.
[end update]

At some point I apparently got old. I just had my 35th birthday and realized I have zero interest in the current batch of tech and gadgets, outside of my interest in video games. I was only vaguely aware of the iPods when they came out and have little interest in how they morphed into the current Apple line-up...unless it boosts the stock price then I'm all for it.

So it stands to reason that an MP3 player held little interest for me. However, I've found that over the last few years fewer and fewer radio stations play music that I want to listen to. So, I've taken to the online airwaves and finally was able to indulge my persistent love of techno, trance, etc. The problem there is that I cannot listen to the music unless I'm in my office and streaming while I'm working.

Back to my birthday, I got a Best Buy giftcard for $40 from my wife's brother and his wife. Notoriously cheap guy that I am, I scoured the circular for something that I could buy for $40. Enter the Insignia KIX. Suddenly, the prospect of downloading my favorite trance track podcasts and enjoying them in my car seemed like a good idea.

So here's my review of the KIX. (Please note, I'm not an audiophile nerd despite my engineering degree.)

APPEARANCE
KIX is 3" x 1.5" and oval shaped. They only had the "white" at the store, it came with a pink, light green, and light blue set of covers. I'm using blue (my 3 y.o. daughter, however, likes the pink). The target demographic is likely women and kids with this design. I'm not looking to impress anyone or make a statement so it's appearance is irrelevant to me. The tiny LCD screen is set in the middle with a control pad on the right.

USAGE
It's basically a USB stick with an audio jack and screen. It does not have the easy to use wheel the iPod has (my wife has one, this is how I know). Instead, the circular control is a push pad and it's a bit stiff and awkward to use. Menu response lags a bit after pushing the buttons. Volume control is along the rim of the unit as is the Lock button, which prevents interuption of playback if a button is hit by mistake. A standard earphone jack provides the I/O for your headphones.

The unit comes with earbuds that are of OK quality. They feel a bit big in my ears and I may look for smaller ones though I doubt I'll use them, this is mostly for my car.

Also include is a CD with BestBuy's music software and a USB cord. I couldn't get the software to run, it's being interfered with and I can't figure out the problem. HOwever, I've found that I can easily drag and drop the music files right onto the KIX icon on my PC and they get copied over just fine. Presumably there would be greater control over playlists and buying music online with the software but, for me no biggie.

[Update]
I figured out the problem with the BestBuy software. I was getting an error message and followed the imbedded HELP hyperlink to their support site. One of the suggestions was to update Window Media Player. I did this and, sure enough, that solved the problem. The BestBuy software loaded and ran. To their credit, the troubleshoot site was pretty well done. That said...I don't like it. The interface is clean and simple but it's not running very well on my computer. It lags horribly anytime you click on a button. Not sure why it's running so poorly but, again, I don't really intend to use it. It appears that it's fairly inuitive but the very slow execution of commands prevents me from clicking around to see how stuff works.

The drag and drop method of moving mp3 files to the KIX seems to work just fine.
[end update]

The claim is 30 hours of battery life. I have not attempted to verify this but I do know that the little battery meter never seems to move off of fully charged. After what seemed like a week or two it finally moved from 3 bars to two bars on the meter. I plugged it in for a download and after maybe 10 minutes, it was back at fully charged. Seems like the very simple interface has a very low power draw, very long battery life for sure. Charging is done right off the computer's USB port. A USB cord is included though it's quite short. You can also plug the unit right into your computer's USB port.

No cord is included to plug into your car stereo, you'll need a male-male connnector from Radio Shack for that.

[UPDATE}
I bought a male/male stereo cable from Radio Shack for $7 the day after I bought the KIX unit. It feels a little snug going into the unit so I'm being extra cautious about plugging and unplugging lest I mess up the plug-in slot. That said, it works just fine in my car's AUX connection. Turing the unit volume to the halfway point and then adjusting via my car's volume control seems to work best. I have an 04 Sentra with stock, average stereo and speakers. I think the sound quality is more than adequate for my requirements.
[end update]

SOUND
I find it to be quite acceptable. It does have a weak bass response. This was apparent on one of my tracks immediately. However, there are a number of audio presets (rock, pop, classical, etc) that allow you to customize the audio. Better yet, there's a "custom" equalizer that allows you to set independently 4 different frequency ranges. There's also a Sound Enhancement option (unclear what this does) and Surround Option (also unclear on what this does for me). After adjusting the equalizer, I was able to greatly improve the sound quality. If you don't need perfect sound, it fits the bill.

[UPDATE]
I played with the custom equalizer settings a bit more and have now gotten them to where I like them. Rather than increasing the desired ranges, I found it better to slightly decrease the undesired ranges. That cut down on distortion.

Also, I borrowed my wife's unused pair of iPod in-ear earphones (not buds, the actual in-ear type). I do realize that most people generally consider iPod earbuds to be subpar. But they sound much better than the ones that came with the unit. Like any in-ear bud, the little silicone bit has to fit snugly to produce bass...otherwise it sounds tinny and cheap. Getting them in properly created a much richer sound quality. The greatly improved bass has me thinking I may slightly alter the equalizer settings to bring out a touch more treble.
[end update]

QUALITY
Feels very light and flimsy. We'll see how it holds up. I'm guessing that if you're not going to routinely drop it or exercise with it, etc...it will be just fine. Mine is going to ride in my car and sit in my office.

VALUE
I paid $40 plus tax at Best Buy. Correction, I paid sales tax as the gift card paid for it. For $40, I think it's a great buy.

If you want to further increase the value, scan eBay for one. They're plentiful though most are used. However, you can easily find a new one on eBay for about $10 or $15 at the most with a couple of dollars shipping, that should lower your investment to about $20. If you want to go cheaper, bid on a used one that is advertised as working perfectly by a reputable seller. You can probably snag one for $12 including shipping. You don't get much cheaper than that.

CONS
Buttons small to use. Music stops as soon as you go into the menu.

Who Should Buy It?
- entry level users to see if MP3 is of interest to them.
- individuals that don't place highest priority on premium sound and just want a basic MP3 player for low cost.
- parents looking to get their kids a basic unit
- non-arthritic individuals. Seriously, the controls are tiny and tricky to use
- those not looking to constantly change tracks, great for just listening to the playlist go through on its own.

BOTTOM LINE
I like it. Maybe I'll upgrade to something better one day. But I'm not a huge fan of spending money and this little unit allows me to do what I wanted to...namely, spend very little to listen to my Trance MP3 podcasts in my car. More than acceptable sound quality for the price.

Recommended: No

Amount Paid (US$): 39.99
Recommended for: Beginners - Easy Enough for Tech Newbies