MP3 players group test

MP3 players have grown up. Almost any music player on sale today, except the very smallest and cheapest, can play back videos and display digital photos. They’re also home to much more storage than you might be used to: traditional MP3 players with miniature hard drives can store 80 or 120GB of media files, and the lighter, tougher Flash memory players can be found in capacities up to 32GB.

We’ve tested five 8GB Flash memory players. This is a real ‘sweet spot’ for portable media, giving you enough room for thousands of MP3 tunes and still have space for dozens of videos clips, TV shows and music videos. Think twice before using one of these players for movie watching though – the 2 to 3.5 inch screens they have are pretty small for extended viewing and video use really affects their battery life.

Another top tip is buy decent headphones, ideally noise-cancelling, to replace the tinny ones they usually ship with – your ears (and fellow commuters) will thank you.

Apple iPod nano 8GB

Apple keeps working on its favourite fruit, so the new nano comes with a smart Genius playlist function. This automatically compiles themed playlists from your music collection in iTunes, so you won’t get a jarring drum and bass track while you’re trying to chill out after a big night. It also has a built-in motion sensor that lets you simply shake the nano to shuffle your music, and easy connection with Nike’s iPod+ running system for gym bunnies. A slim (6.6mm) sliver of cool.

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Go to the Apple iPod nano 8GB product page >>

Apple iPod Touch 8GB

The Touch is far more than just a poor man’s iPhone, although you will get just as many envious glances, at least until someone asks you to look something up. If you watch a lot of video clips on the move, the Touch has enough battery life and visual glitz to wow anyone, with a built-in speaker even letting two people watch at a pinch. As for gaming, it’s not quite a rival to the Nintendo DS just yet, but the motion sensor, touch screen and affordable games means that casual gamers finally have a genuine choice.

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Go to the Apple iPod Touch 8GB product page >>

Creative Zen 8GB

On paper, the Zen is cheaper than the Apple nano, with a bigger screen, FM radio and microphone. In reality, though, it doesn’t offer the style or usability of Apple’s new baby player, despite perfectly acceptable sound and video quality. Well worth a try if you haven’t already loaded all your music into iTunes, but not worth the hassle of swapping systems if you have.

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Go to the Creative Zen 8GB product page >>

SanDisk Sansa View 8GB

The cheapest player on test has a lot going for it, especially on the audio side. The FM radio’s recording function lets you save shows to listen to later, while MP3 files sound clear and natural. It’s less impressive on the video front, with detail slightly smeared compared to the pricier players on test. We also disliked the plodding menu system that made it difficult to browse larger music collections. But it’s small, light and cheap – good value if you’re on a budget.

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Go to the SanDisk Sansa View 8GB product page >>

Sony Walkman NWZ-A828

Battery life is the best on test: reaching 36 hours for music and a mighty 10 hours for video, although both figures plummet when using the Bluetooth headphones. Luckily, there’s a dedicated button for toggling it on or off in seconds. For PC owners not initiated into the cult of Apple, dragging and dropping your music files to the A828 using Windows Media is simplicity itself. Video is a little trickier but worth the wait – files look as amazing as they sound. A stunning, if pricey, player that should satisfy anyone who loves music.

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Go to the Sony Walkman NWZ-A828 product page >>

PriceRunner recommended
Apple iPod nano 8GB

Click to read the full review>>
Go to the Apple iPod nano 8GB product page >>

Get chatting about the latest MP3 players over at the PriceRunner forum.

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