MP3 Players

If you're around my age, 42, then you probably remember that Sony was the name of the game when it came to portable media. Unfortunately for them, about 10 years ago, Apple took over, and the rest is iPod history. However, that hasn't stopped Sony from slowly clawing back a lot of lost ground over the last few years.

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Cost: $59.99
Where to Buy: Amazon Read more

What is this? A tiny little toy boombox? Think again. The Rad Blaster is the first ever boombox/mp3 player/recorder and flash drive/thumb drive…all in one device.

Featuring a 1.1 inch true color OLED screen, the Rad Blaster can play MP3, WMA, and WAV audio formats, and even has 7 EQ settings to make the music sound better. 2GB of built-in memory is included to store your music files, as well as a built-in microphone and record switch…you know…just in case you want to sing along.

The Rad Blaster is rechargeable, and you can even wear it as a necklace with the included chain. It is available now from SubUrban Toys for $59.99.

Check it out here:

SanDisk today announced the Sansa Clip+ MP3 player. The new player is compatible with SanDisk slotRadio and slotMusic cards, as well as microSD cards pre-loaded with music. It has a long-lasting rechargeable battery; bright, easy-to-read screen, and a features a compact wearable design. The Sansa Clip+ MP3 player is also the first Windows 7 certified MP3 player (along with the Sansa Fuze, Sansa View, and Sansa Clip portable media players).

Sansa Clip+ MP3 Player Features:

• Large(1"), bright (OLED) screen with a simple user interface that makes it easy to choose playlists or songs sorted by title, artist, album, genre
• FM tuner with 40 presets
• Built-in microphone
• Equalizer mode
• Rechargeable, lithium ion battery with up to 15 hours of life
• Solid state flash memory for skip-free playback of music
• Support for music download and subscription services including Rhapsody, Napster, eMusic and others
• Designed to work seamlessly with a wide range of music formats, such as MP3, WMA, WAV, FLAC, Ogg Vorbis and Audible files (for audio books), in both unprotected and protected files

The Sansa Clip+ MP3 player is now available at sandisk.com and bestbuy.com, and will be at other retailers nationwide on Sept. 13. The music player comes in 2GB for $39.99, 4GB for $49.99, and 8GB, for just $69.99.

Sony's new S Series Walkman Video MP3 player, announced today, features built-in stereo speakers. Now you can share your music out loud without carrying around an additional speaker system.

The S Series Walkman is less than a half-inch thin and has a 2.4-inch QVGA LCD screen (measured diagonally) with playback at up to 30 frames per second. It has a battery life of up to 42 hours of music playback and up to 6.5 hours of video playback through the headphones. Through the speaker, you can expect up to 17 hours of music playback and 5 hours of video playback.

Importing music, video and photos is easy. Simply simple drag-and-drop from your PC's media folder or via iTunes 8.1 using Content Transfer. A handy Voice recording and FM recording feature is also included.Read more

iLuv's new vertical CD/MP3 Audio system brings great sound and style into your home with the new iMM9400. The iMM9400 is a modern looking audio system with iPhone3GS, iPhone 3G, iPhone, iPod, MP3, WMA file playing capability via the universal iPhone/iPod dock adapters or the built in SD card slot and USB port. The iMM9400 will be available in August 2009 at www.i-luv.com for the MSRP of $249.99.

Main Features

• Works with iPhone3GS and iPod -Plays and charges via universal dock for iPod
• Synchronize time from your iPhone and iPod
• 4-MP3/CD Audio playback system
• 2 channel speakers deliver the rich and powerful sound
• Plays MP3, WMA files on SD/MMC cards and USB flash memory stick
• Listen to slotMusic through SD card slot or USB port
• Time function (auto on/off) with snooze capability
• Supports subwoofer output jack
• Includes iPhone/iPod user friendly remote control, dock adapters and wall mounting kit

Sony just announced a new Walkman Video MP3 Player that has Wi-Fi, a 3-inch OLED touch screen and has content provided by Slacker Radio and YouTube.

The X-Series is Sony's first Walkman with Wi-Fi, allowing you to access a web browser, search for and playback YouTube videos and podcasts…without using your PC. The X-series Walkman plays WMV files, and supports other video codecs such as AVC Baseline (H.264) and MPEG-4. It also comes with Content Transfer software so you can "drag and drop" non-DRM music, videos, playlists etc. from online music services to the Walkman player.

The new X-Series is also the first video MP3 player with integrated digital noise canceling technology. The built-in DNC software engine blocks out up to 98 percent of ambient noise. Several modes are available (airplane, bus/train or office) which use different filters in the digital signal processor specifically tuned for those surroundings.

Sony says the device has a battery life of up to 33 hours of music playback and 9 hours of video playback. The X-series Walkman video MP3 player is available now for pre-sale on sonystyle.com in two storage capacities, 16GB and 32GB. The NWZ-X1051 has 16GB and sells for $299. The NWZ-X1061 has 32GB, and is $399. Both models will be available in mid-June.

Nextar, known mostly for their GPS systems and digital photo frames, just announced a new super-thin audio/video player. The MA809 portable media player sports a 2.8-inch screen and comes with a built-in speaker, Micro SD media slot and supports 20 languages. And get this – it’s only .25 inches thin and weighs just 7 ounces!

It will be available in Q2 2009 with an MSRP of $99.99 for 2GB capacity, $119.99 for 4GB capacity, and $149.99 for the 8GB capacity model. Read more