Top 5 MP3 players with line-in recording

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Jasmine France, Senior Associate Editor April 1, 2009

In the world of MP3 players, not unlike the world of fashion, one day you're in; the next, you're out. If you're a passing feature fad, that is. While certain functions have gained and retained traction--playlist support, album art display, photo-viewing capability--many have fallen by the wayside. (Remember the micro hard drive?) One such feature is integrated line-in recording, which allows you to record directly to the MP3 player from another audio source, such as your computer or home stereo set-up. Line-in has enjoyed brief surges in popularity since the inception of the MP3 player, but is currently somewhat difficult to come across. We're attempting to make it a bit easier by rounding up some of our favorite devices that offer the extra. Some of the players below, such as the CC Witness, even have a silence-detection feature that will automatically split tracks as you record.

More Resources: Six MP3 players with great FM radios,; Best MP3 players with built-in mics,; MP3 players with killer battery life,; Editors' top MP3 players

Features
Product name	Cowon iAudio 7 (8GB, red)	Toshiba Gigabeat U (2GB, Black)	Creative Zen V Plus (2GB, black)	Cowon D2 (4GB, red)	C. Crane Witness AM/FM MP3 Player
Price	$102.00 to $102.99	Check Prices	$129.99	Check Prices	Check Prices
CNET editors' rating	4.0 stars Overall score: 8.3 (4.0 stars)	3.5 stars Overall score: 7.3 (3.5 stars)	4.0 stars Overall score: 8.3 (4.0 stars)	3.5 stars Overall score: 7.3 (3.5 stars)	3.0 stars Overall score: 6.0 (3.0 stars)
Average user rating	3.0 stars		3.0 stars	4.5 stars	3.5 stars
Review date	July 19, 2007	August 13, 2007	June 20, 2006	February 27, 2007	October 28, 2008
The Bottom Line	The Cowon iAudio 7 beats the industry heavyweight iPod Nano in price, features, battery life, and sound quality. The user interface could use some refinement, but all-in-all this is a very impressive MP3 player.	The Toshiba Gigabeat U is one tough, classy player that nails all the right features at a great price.	The Creative Zen V Plus is a superb choice for anyone looking for a compact and feature-filled flash MP3 player with great sound quality. If you're looking for a more sophisticated design (or have large thumbs), look elsewhere.	If you can get on board with the Cowon D2's PDA-like touch screen interface, the reward is great-sounding audio, a smorgasbord of features, and a fantastic battery life.	The C. Crane Witness AM/FM MP3 player is expensive, has some questionable interface issues, and doesn't have a lot of the bells and whistles of most modern MP3 players, but if you must have an AM tuner and the ability to schedule radio recordings, this is the device for you.
Similar Products	Compare more products	Compare more products	Compare more products	Compare more products	Compare more products
Dimensions (WxDxH)	1.4 in x 0.7 in x 3 in	1.4 in x 0.4 in x 3 in	1.7 in x 0.6 in x 2.7 in	3.1 in x 0.7 in x 2.2 in	2.2 in x 0.6 in x 4.0 in
Software type	Cowon jetAudio Cowon jetShell Drivers & Utilities	Drivers & Utilities Windows Media Player 10	Creative MediaSource Creative Media Explorer Creative ZENcast Organizer	Cowon jetShell Cowon jetAudio VX	Drivers & Utilities
Digital player signal-to-noise ratio	95 dB	Info unavailable	92 dB	95 dB	45 dB
Mfr estimated battery life	60 hour(s)	20 hour(s)	15 hour(s)	52 hour(s)	Info unavailable
PC interface(s) supported	Hi-Speed USB	USB	Hi-Speed USB	Hi-Speed USB	USB
Flash memory installed	8 GB	2 GB	2 GB	4 GB	2 GB
Battery technology	Lithium polymer	Info unavailable	Lithium ion	Lithium polymer	Lithium polymer
Weight	2.1 oz	1.5 oz	1.6 oz	3.2 oz	0.2 lbs
Full specifications	Full specifications	Full specifications	Full specifications	Full specifications	Full specifications
Buying choices	Amazon.com $102.00 In stock: Yes Amazon.com Marketplace $102.99 In stock: Yes Prices from 2 CNET Certified stores	E-mail me when this product is available	Amazon.com Marketplace $129.99 In stock: See Site Price from 1 CNET Certified store	E-mail me when this product is available	This item is available directly from the manufacturer's Web site.