Tune in: Six MP3 players with great FM radios
FM to the Internet: I ain't dead yet. The average person listens to 17 hours of terrestrial radio every week, and that's according to a Pandora executive.
Sure, you've loaded a fabulous collection of digital audio tracks onto your MP3 player, but what do you do when your tunes begin to sound just a bit too familiar? That's where an FM tuner comes in. In many places, FM radio still offers plenty of worthwhile content for your listening pleasure, and it can provide a refreshing break from your regular rotation. Plus, it's a great extra to have at the gym, allowing you to tune into the TVs and take your mind off that vigorous workout.
So, if you're not among the uberdiligent who always remember to sync up their players for fresh content, be sure to pick one with an FM tuner onboard. Unfortunately, although many players come with this nifty feature, not all of them deliver quite as advertised. In fact, we've come across a few that cut in and out even with strong signals.
But don't fret. There are several players available with decent FM tuners; in fact, I easily found six with great-sounding radios. Not only that, but each of the players here offers an autoscan function and at least 10 preset slots, so you won't have to fumble around finding your favorite stations. Moreover, several of them, such as the iPod Nano and Zune HD, offer RDS and song tagging.
For more than five years, Jasmine France has covered a variety of tech products for CNET--from scanners to keyboards to GPS devices--but she's happiest where she is now: sitting atop a pile of MP3 players, "testing" every music service known to man, and jamming a variety of earbuds in every shape and color into her absurdly small ears. E-mail Jasmine.
Donald Bell is an electronic musician, a veteran record store employee, and a fearless hardware hacker. He's also CNET's Senior Editor for MP3 and digital audio.
Jasmine France is CNET's resident digital audio doyenne, writing and editing product reviews, crave blogs, and feature stories on all things MP3. And if you need advice on headphones, she's your girl.
I definitely agree that the Zune does have a great FM tuner though -- probably the best I've heard in any MP3 player I've owned.
I've had a samsung mp3 player that rivals most of the features that the new touch has.. with the exception of the camera.. And I bought this 2 years ago.. Great timing Apple..
I've always thought the earlier Zune tuners were among the best out there. I won't be able to try the Zune HD for at least a week or more when my unit finally arrives (I just HAD to have a green one), but my wife's customized iPod Nano arrives tomorrow, so I get to see what Apple's take on FM is all about.
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by Rod Roddy
October 4, 2009 10:39 AM PDT
- It's funny, the Nano just got an FM Tuner, and it instantly made it to the "great" list :-| ...Good job CNET.
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