The one-minute portable music format picker.
Jul 08 '00 (Updated Jul 18 '00)
Say you're thinking about buying an MP3 player but you're not entirely sure what MP3 is all about? Then let's back up and take it from the top--the perspective of your listening needs. Scan question set 1 and skip to the point most relevant to your situation; if question set 1 doesn't apply, skip to question set 2 (special considerations are addressed in question set 3).
Question set 1:
You're an audiophile without an audiophile budget but you still want to hear the finest musical textures a given recording can offer as accurately as they can be rendered, -or-
You are a working musician who has to transcribe parts, requiring you hear each instrumental part and each word in a song very distinctly -or-
You are a music critic.
In these cases, you need the truest fidelity you can get, which means a player that utilizes the Philips PDM DAC. The cheapest I've found (and my personal choice) is the Philips AZ9111/17 for $59.95 at Circuit City. Pair it with your best set of headphones (the supplied ones don't cut it).
Music is a sensual experience for you; you want to feel it and groove out, -and-
- You hate the sound of headphones (headroom's white paper on why is at http://otter.epinions.com/elec-r-http%3A//www.headphone.com/EditorialHeadphone/WhitePaper.asp ). Go check out one of those JVC CD boom boxes with the subwoofers on the ends, the kind that looks like a big tube.
- You don't mind headphones. I can recommend Sony or Aiwa personal CD players for smooth, rich, juicy sound and a natural-sounding bass boost. These are not the highest fidelity because they blur errors and EQ to sweeten the sound, which is what you want if feeling good is your goal; however you still get all the sparkling highs and up-close-and-personal vocals that the CD format can offer.
You are a trendsetter, always seeking out the latest and greatest. While you're away from your Napsterized computer, why not keep searching instead of reviewing stuff you already heard? Good headset FM radios are dirt cheap.
Question set 2 - You listen to music as background to:
A sitting activity. You're in luck! The lowest cost and highest fidelity are yours in a personal CD player, and you don't need a buffer unless your sitting activity is driving (in which case you can get a nice Aiwa or Sony buffered player in a car kit for about $70). Shop around; I saw both an Audiovox and a Sony (better) at Circuit City for $49.95.
An aerobic activity. For size, weight, shock-resistance, and hipness, MP3 and MD are all the rage these days, but they cost an arm and a leg, audio quality is down because both use "lossy" compression, and you have to put the collection together yourself. If you can settle for sound quality like that and you don't want to record your own mixes, why not try an FM headset radio? CD players come in two flavors, just buffered, and buffered -and- shock-resistant. Make sure you borrow many from friends and try them out while running through your entire personal routine. The amount of required shock resistance and buffering varies greatly from one person to another. Cassette players have their own problems if they don't have an effective anti-roll mechanism.
Question set 3:
You're a committed MP3 listener. What you need to know is that the biggest variable you're dealing with is encoder quality. If you are making your own MP3s, you may want to read my review at http://otter.epinions.com/cmd-review-7D6A-81A799C-393FA344-prod4 -- it has a complete explanation of how MP3 works. Otherwise, just use a Fraunhofer-based encoder, take my word for it.
You're on an extremely tight budget. Buy a budget personal CD player -- see my comparison of three at http://otter.epinions.com/elec-review-10BF-6191B6D-39590D0B-prod1
You have a mania for making your own mixes. Burn your own CD-Rs. It's fast and easy--and you really weren't going to give your favorite aunt your new dance mix on a memory stick, were you?
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kurt_kurosawa
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Member: Kurt Kurosawa
Location: York County, Virginia
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"Inside the needle's eye, a turning night of stars." Rumi, tr. Barks
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