Surprisingly, many people “don’t” know which MP3 player is the best. It’s not iPod, iPod Touch, nor the iPhone.
I am not talking about which MP3 player can browse the web, have touch interface, or download new paid apps, not all that junk I don’t need while I listen to my music.
I personally own an iPod and an iPod Touch but I rarely use them as my Sony Walkman MP3 player is smaller, lighter, and also provides way longer playing time up to about 16 hours on a 10 minute charge.
Sony has been making these Walkman-branded stuff for ages, I remember my mom used to have the very first Walkman cassette player back in the 80s, and that thing did last 10 years.
Anyways, I did buy an older version of this very Sony Walkman MP3 player 2 years ago, and it still outperforms all my iPods even today.
Trust me, I’ve also tried many different proprietary/prototype MP3 players they sell in South Korea while I was living there and iPods do not live up to the standards period. iPods are great nowdays for browsing the web or playing games but NOT for JUST listening to MP3s only.
Here’s couple traits I look for when I want a “real” MP3 player with only MP3 capabilities:
- Direct File Uploads – All Sony Walkmans has direct file uploads using their MP3 File Manager Application, downloadable at Sony.com. In comparison, iPods have no direct file upload capability, you cannot easily transfer MP3 in AND out of iPods. (Steve Jobs was evil to do this, simply it makes them more money.)
- Embedded USB connection – One of the worst things that can happen to you is going on a trip and forgetting to bring your iPod connector. This is the year 2009, consumers shouldn’t have to carry an extra, annoying cable just to charge or update MP3 player with new songs. Boo! In contrast, Sony Walkmans comes with a USB connector you can stick to your computer for extra charging or new songs.
I just tend to like the fact that all I have to remember is to bring my laptop and my MP3, no wire strangulation.
(Check out the straight USB connection, just like a flash drive for charging and updating new songs)
- Battery Life – My Sony Walkman can get a FULL charge in just about 5-10 minutes. My iPods take at least an hour for a full charge and full charge doesn’t last that long, maybe 2-3 hours at most.
- Size and Lightweight – One of the complaints I have on iPods is that it’s really too big to carry around with me everywhere or even go to the gym with it. In this age of time, I don’t really need to “see” videos on my MP3 player, I just need to listen and keep that thang as small as possible. The Sony Walkman is small as a flash drive and I can carry it in my pocket without feeling like something is bogging me down. And yes, the Walkman can double as a flash drive too.
And yes, there are smaller iPods now but the rectangular shape simply doesn’t work for me, especially since I can’t re-charge or update it without the proprietary cables.
Well, for these specifications I need for daily MP3-listening life, iPods don’t come anywhere close to the Sony as far as price and value go. I don’t need to carry a 30GB harddrive to listen to my favorite music. I just need about 2GB, which will still hold hundreds of songs.
Plus, all Sony Walkmans come with a good set of earphones. In my experience, they are about 10 times better than the default iPod earphones.
Enough of me talking, why don’t you try one and compare it for yourself?
There, I did give you one of my MP3 listening secrets and it doesn’t (have to) involve Apple. (and their mass-media marketing)
Heck, I should really work for Sony, or at least they should pay me money for free advertising. :p
Price: $52.55 on Amazon
2 Responses to Best MP3 Player Review – Not an iPod Sorry!
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WOW!
It seems at least somebody here can perform critical thinking.
I absolutely agree with all the points you mentioned. Very argumentative.
That’s what I’m looking for – small, compact, quality mp3 player. Why would I need to watch a video on a 2 inch display???
Glad I have someone who agrees, best MP3 players are the ones that are compact and plays music, sometimes we don’t need touchscreen/video/media, just a portable MP3 player that can easily fit in your pocket whereever you go.