MP3 players with Bluetooth
There is little doubt that the hottest trend in MP3 players is wireless, but how it is implemented varies from device to device. Some players, such as the Zune HD and the Sony X-Series Walkman, have integrated Wi-Fi that allows for Web browsing and music-streaming capabilities (among other things). Other manufacturers go about things a bit differently, giving users the option to add wireless headphones to their devices via Bluetooth.
Unlike Wi-Fi, Bluetooth is neither good for transmitting information over a distance nor is the best way to transfer large amounts of data. However, Bluetooth requires less power and it's cheaper to operate, so it makes perfect sense for portable devices. Thanks to the proliferation of cell phones as music devices, there are plenty of decent stereo Bluetooth headphones on the market today, so if you despise wires, it's time to start considering an MP3 player with built-in Bluetooth. MP3 players with Bluetooth are getting rarer these days, but we managed to scrounge up a few that are worth your hard-earned dollars.
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.
Spinn resolution = Wrong. It is 480 x 272, not 340 x 220.
Cowon S9 evaluation = Flawed.
"The Cowon S9 is a sexy-looking gadget with exceptional audio and video quality" = True.
"but its construction quality and user interface pale in comparison to the competition." = Uninformed.
Like most reviewers, CNET dismisses the S9 for being light weight. Having one and using it every day for several months I can assure you there is nothing "pale" about it's construction quality. The paint hasn't rubbed off like it has on my Samsung P2. The screen is Corning's Gorilla Glass and nearly scratch proof. Please google it. As for a pale UI, the S9's interface is Flash based and completely customizable. There are dozens of downloadable variations. Make it look and work like an ipod Touch or Samsung P3 if you want. Use CLAW's UI to tweak nearly every system setting, add features not originally provided, and so on. The latest firmware update added gapless playback for both lossless and lossy codecs, as well as several new BBE audio options. CNET needs to take another more in-depth look at the Cowon S9.
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by Mikasmi
September 16, 2009 12:39 PM PDT
- These are great headsets to try (www.budsgoblue.com). I use them with my Zune and think that they are a great combo between the 2 of them.
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