 Need a soundtrack for your workout? The right MP3 portable makes a great exercise buddy.  The MuVo's unusual design allows its "memory" portion to connect directly to your PC's USB port.  MiniDiscs are rewriteable, durable, and can store between 74 minutes and five hours of audio. |
If you're a fan of PC audio, the benefits of owning a portable MP3 player are obvious: you can take your favorite songs out of your computer and listen to them just about anywhere. But being an MP3 enthusiast doesn't mean you necessarily have buckets of cash at your disposal.
Don't be discouraged! There are good portables available for under $100. This article highlights two affordable models that take very distinct approaches to MP3 playback: the Sony MZ-NE410 Net MD? Walkman?, and the Creative NOMAD MuVo 128MB.
The NOMAD MuVo by Creative
The MuVo operates much like other MP3 players: it stores MP3 or WMA files on embedded flash memory. (Check out the Advisor's Learning Center for more information on flash memory and MP3 players.) But the unique — and handy — thing about the Muvo is that it's designed for simplicity. The player comes apart in two pieces, and you simply plug the white "memory" portion into your compatible computer's USB port to drag and drop tracks into the player's memory. Simple!
The MuVo's 128MB embedded flash memory will store about 2 hours of near-CD-quality (128kbps) music, or 4 hours at the lower bitrate of 64 kbps. That should be more than enough music to get you through a jog, walk, or workout. Since there's no provision for expanding the player's memory, however, you'll have to delete tracks to make room for new ones when you're ready to listen to something different.
The MZ-NE410 by Sony
If you're at all familiar with MiniDisc, you may be wondering why I'm including an MD player in an article that claims to be about MP3 portables. It's true that MD was originally developed for audio recording, positioned as a step up from analog cassette in terms of sound quality. As a result, MiniDisc enjoys popularity among people like musicians who want to digitally record live music, and music fans who want a versatile, rugged format for making mixes. (Read more about MiniDisc in the Learning Center.)
But nowadays, MD can do a lot more. Sony has revamped their MD Walkman line to allow for PC compatibility: they added a USB interface (with an included cable) that lets the player transfer music from a PC at up to 32 times playback speed. Of course, since MiniDisc uses its own compression for recording, it treats files a little differently from the way a "conventional" MP3 player does. Instead of playing back MP3s and WMAs directly, the MD Walkman transcodes files into MiniDisc's ATRAC? or ATRAC3? compression (depending on the audio quality level you select). But this process doesn't seem to have a very noticeable effect on sound quality. To my ears, files in SP, and even LP2 mode, sound very close to the originals, and LP4 (highest compression, lowest sound quality) sounds very respectable.
A single 74-minute MiniDisc (included with the player) will hold between 74 and 296 minutes of audio, depending on the amount of compression you choose. Plus, you can always add more storage capacity by buying more MDs (which only cost around $2 apiece). 80-minute MDs are also available, with a maximum storage capacity of 320 minutes. And, of course, MDs are rewriteable, like flash memory.
 Although the MuVo is more compact, both players are very portable. |
Because each of these players has its own strengths, let's look at some of their most important features.
Memory capacity. From my overview of these players, you may have gathered that the MZ-NE410 provides more memory flexibility and value. The MuVo?'s 128MB of embedded memory may provide more storage at near-CD sound quality (2 hours vs. MiniDisc's 1 hour, 14 minutes), but the ability to add extra capacity for just $2 a disc is a huge advantage for anyone who wants to carry lots of tunes around, or switch playlists frequently.
Portability. The MuVo (weighing only 1.4 oz. with battery) is smaller and more portable than the MD Walkman, which is fairly compact in its own right (weighing 3.8 oz. without battery).
Ease of use. The MuVo is the hands-down winner in this category — I've never seen an MP3 player that's simpler to use. If your computer's running Windows? Me, 2000, or XP, or Mac? OS 9 or later, you can use this player without installing any software at all!
Flexibility. The 'NE410 offers more flexibility. It comes with software that lets you save tracks to MD a couple different ways: you can either transfer them from your hard drive (as you would with any MP3 player), or directly from CD (without saving to your hard drive at all).
Playback control. The MD Walkman? is more versatile in this area, too. It boasts random, repeat, and resume play, has an LCD that aids in searching for (and within) tracks, and offers 2 EQ presets. Plus, the 'NE410 lets you organize songs into folders, or "groups," before you transfer them to MD — a helpful feature for navigating through lots of tracks. The MuVo, on the other hand, offers repeat play only, and no LCD. It's also incapable of playing song files that you've placed in a folder, so grouping tracks isn't possible. You must navigate through songs one at a time.
Playlist adjustment. Neither player allows you to adjust playlists on the fly; both require you to use your PC to change the song order. This type of adjustment, though, is slightly easier with the MD Walkman, because it lets you change the song order without deleting each song, then copying it to the player's memory again.
 The MuVo includes a convenient neck strap. |
Recording speed. Even though the MD Walkman's USB interface is incredibly fast compared to real-time recording to MiniDisc, copying files to the MuVo is even faster. It took me about a minute to save a four-minute song to MD in LP4 mode, whereas copying a four-minute song (encoded at 64kbps) to the MuVo took just a few seconds.
Extras. Both portables include headphones, with the MuVo's sporting an in-ear design that seems less likely to slip — great for wearing during workouts. (I actually thought these sounded better than the MD Walkman's on-ear 'phones! But keep in mind that you can always improve either player's sound by buying separate headphones.) The MuVo also includes a neck strap, making the player easy to wear.
Battery life. The MD Walkman delivers up to 56 hours of playback time from a single "AA" battery (which isn't included), whereas the MuVo runs for only 12 hours on its included "AAA" (which will, of course, need to be replaced once it runs out). But keep in mind that the MD Walkman, unlike the MuVo, must use battery power to record audio from your PC. As a result, you probably won't get 56 hours of playback from one "AA" battery, once recording time is factored in.
Computer compatibility. Macintosh? users shouldn't consider the MD Walkman — it's only compatible with Windows? 98SE, 2000 Professional, Me, and XP. The MuVo, however, works with Mac? OS 9 or later, as well as Windows 98, 98SE, Me, 2000, and XP.
Getting the best deal
As you've probably gathered, the features you value most are going to determine which player will give you the most for your money. Do you want playback control and the ability to add more memory capacity? You'd probably be happier with the MZ-NE410. If, on the other hand, you're looking for a really small player, or you want one that's super-simple to operate, you should seriously consider the MuVo.
Taking the time to decide which portable meets your needs will help you give one of these budget-friendly players a happy home.The factors I list above are important to consider when you buy any MP3 portable, from these entry-level devices to high-end hard drive players capable of storing your entire music catalog. So even if you decide to consider other players, keep these criteria in mind while you shop.