With the exception of the Apple iPod, all of these players utilize a solid-state Flash memory technology that requires much less power than their hard-drive siblings. Leading the list is the Sony NW-S705F, which not only endured an amazing 50 hours in our CNET lab tests, but also offers built-in active noise cancellation that's a godsend for commuters and plane travelers. We should also note that this Sony player boasts a unique quick-charge technology that cuts recharging time down to minutes. Next up is the beautiful and versatile Cowon D2, which supports video and photos and can also maintain 50 hours of continuous music playback.
The MobiBlu B153 may not be much to look at, but it offers the utterly unbeatable battery time of 153 hours. The B153 is tough to track down in stores, however, so you'd probably need to order it direct. One of our favorite pint-size players, Cowon's iAudio 7 is a lightweight workhorse with photo and video support, a top-notch audio recorder, and over 40 hours of battery life (rated up to 60 hours with screen brightness set low).
Last, but certainly not least, are two MP3 players that need no introduction. The iPod Nano, despite its remarkable thinness, lasted an impressive 24.5 hours in our lab tests. For those of you willing to sacrifice a little battery life in favor of storage capacity, the luxuriously roomy 80GB iPod outshines its hard-drive-based competition with nearly 20 hours of audio playback.
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| Product name |
Sony NW-S705F Noise Canceling Walkman (2GB, black) |
Cowon D2 (4GB, red) |
MobiBlu B153 (2GB, black) |
Cowon iAudio 7 (8GB, red) |
Apple iPod Nano (2nd generation, 8GB, black) |
Apple iPod (fifth-generation update, 80GB, black) |
| Review date | May 23, 2007 | February 27, 2007 | May 26, 2006 | July 19, 2007 | September 13, 2006 | September 19, 2006 |
| CNET editors' rating |
Very good |
Excellent |
Very good |
Excellent |
Excellent |
Excellent |
| Users' rating |
Excellent |
Spectacular (
from 9
users)
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Excellent (
from 1
users)
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Very good |
Excellent |
Good |
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| Review summary | Despite its small capacity, the Sony NW-S705F delivers a lot of bang for the buck with ahead-of-its-time noise-cancellation and a 50-hour battery life. If you can tolerate Sony's software long enough to load your favorite music, you won't be disappointed. | 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. | MobiBlu's B153 isn't the most stylish MP3 player on the block, but if you're looking for an ultra-long-lasting device with plenty of features, it may be just the ticket. | 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 second-generation Apple iPod Nano is like the successful offspring of an iPod Mini and a first-generation iPod Nano. It's small, stylish, user-friendly, and competitively priced--a great player all around and suitable for a variety of users. | The amazingly low priced updated Apple iPod gets many under-the-hood improvements, but it's still not a true video player. |
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| My Products | ||||||
| Basic Specs | ||||||
| PC interface(s) supported | Hi-Speed USB | Hi-Speed USB | Hi-Speed USB | Hi-Speed USB | USB | Hi-Speed USB |
| Flash memory installed | 2 GB | 4 GB | 2 GB | 8 GB | 8 GB | Info unavailable |
| Flash memory form factor | Integrated | Integrated | Integrated | Info unavailable | Integrated | Info unavailable |
| Dimensions (WxDxH) | 1.1 in x 0.6 in x 3.4 in | 3.1 in x 0.7 in x 2.2 in | 2.6 in x 0.8 in x 1.8 in | 1.4 in x 0.7 in x 3 in | 1.6 in x 0.3 in x 3.5 in | 2.4 in x 0.6 in x 4.1 in |
| Weight | 1.7 oz | 3.2 oz | 2.3 oz | 2.1 oz | 1.4 oz | 5.5 oz |
| Battery technology | Lithium ion | Lithium polymer | Lithium ion | Lithium polymer | Lithium ion | Lithium ion |
| Mfr estimated battery life | 50 hour(s) | 52 hour(s) | 153 | 60 hour(s) | 24 hour(s) | 20 hour(s) |
| Software type | Sony SonicStage CP 4.1 | Cowon jetShell , Cowon jetAudio VX | Drivers & Utilities | Cowon jetAudio , Cowon jetShell , Drivers & Utilities | Info unavailable | Info unavailable |
| Product type | Digital player / radio | Digital player / radio | Digital player / radio | Digital player / radio | Digital player | Digital player |
| Color | Black | Red | Black | Red | Black | Black |
| Sound output mode | Stereo | Stereo | Stereo | Stereo | Stereo | Stereo |
| Width | 1.1 in | 3.1 in | 2.6 in | 1.4 in | 1.6 in | 2.4 in |
| Depth | 0.6 in | 0.7 in | 0.8 in | 0.7 in | 0.3 in | 0.6 in |
| Height | 3.4 in | 2.2 in | 1.8 in | 3 in | 3.5 in | 4.1 in |
| Sound effects | Clear Bass , Clear Stereo | BBE , Mach3Bass , MP Enhance | SRS WOW | BBE , Mach3Bass , MP Enhance | Info unavailable | Info unavailable |
| Equalizer factory presets | Pop , Jazz , Heavy , Custom , Unique | Pop , Jazz , Rock , Vocal , Normal , Classic | Pop , Jazz , Live , Rock , Normal , Classic | Pop , Jazz , Rock , Vocal , Normal , Classic | Info unavailable | Info unavailable |
| Digital player (recorder) | AAC , MP3 , WMA , ATRAC3 , ATRAC3plus | MP3 , WAV , WMA , FLAC , Ogg Vorbis , MPEG 1 Audio , MPEG 2 Audio , MPEG 2.5 Audio | MP3 , WMA , Protected WMA (DRM) | ASF , MP3 , WAV , WMA , FLAC , Ogg Vorbis , MPEG 1 Audio , MPEG 2 Audio , MPEG 2.5 Audio | AAC , MP3 , WAV , AIFF , Audible , Apple Lossless | AAC , MP3 , WAV , AIFF , Audible , Apple Lossless |
| Digital player signal-to-noise ratio | Info unavailable | 95 dB | Info unavailable | 95 dB | Info unavailable | Info unavailable |
| Resolution | Info unavailable | 360 x 240 | 128 x 64 | 160 x 128 | 176 x 132 | 320 x 240 |
| Amplifier response bandwidth | Info unavailable | 20 - 20000 Hz | Info unavailable | 20 - 20000 Hz | Info unavailable | Info unavailable |
| Radio | Info unavailable | Info unavailable | FM: 76 - 108 MHz | Info unavailable | Info unavailable | Info unavailable |
| Amplifier total output power | Info unavailable | Info unavailable | Info unavailable | 52 mW | Info unavailable | Info unavailable |
| Manufacturer warranty | Info unavailable | Info unavailable | Info unavailable | Info unavailable | 1 year warranty | 1 year warranty |
| Digital storage media capacity | Info unavailable | Info unavailable | Info unavailable | Info unavailable | Info unavailable | 80 GB |
| Product name | Sony NW-S705F Noise Canceling Walkman (2GB, black) | Cowon D2 (4GB, red) | MobiBlu B153 (2GB, black) |
Cowon iAudio 7 (8GB, red)
|
Apple iPod Nano (2nd generation, 8GB, black)
|
Apple iPod (fifth-generation update, 80GB, black)
|
| Full specifications | Full Specifications | Full Specifications | Full Specifications | Full Specifications | Full Specifications | Full Specifications |
| Price range |
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$145 from 1 store |
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$135 from 1 store |
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$599 from 1 store |