Bluetooth audio setup on the GoGear SA5245BT is a snap, requiring a one-time setup with the device you're attempting to pair it with. The GoGear SA5245BT's Bluetooth connection can also be used to send music files from the player to your computer or other compatible devices.
The remaining features of the GoGear SA5245BT are about what you'd expect from any comparable iPod alternative. The GoGear SA5245BT's music playback feature includes EQ settings, shuffle mode, and ID3 tag sorting (including an album art view). The photo viewer built into the GoGear SA5245BT supports JPEG images, which can be grouped together in albums using Windows Media Player. The included FM radio offers decent reception and includes multiple station presets. Voice recordings made with the GoGear SA5245BT get encoded to low-fidelity, monophonic WAV files which are useful for voice memos, but not much else.
Performance
The sound quality of the GoGear SA5245BT is better than most players we've seen from Philips. The boost in audio quality is the result of both the higher-quality in-canal earbuds included with the GoGear SA5245BT, and a new Philips sound enhancement technology dubbed FullSound. Philips' FullSound audio enhancement is switched on by default and does a great job of maximizing the performance of the included headphones. Sound snobs who wouldn't dream of using bundled headphones or a blanket EQ setting like FullSound will prefer the more robust sound enhancement features found on Sony or Cowon MP3 players. That said, out of the box, the GoGear SA5245BT and its bundled earbuds deliver better sound performance than Apple's iPod.
Video playback performance on the GoGear SA5245BT is above average given its price and screen size. With a maximum frame rate of 30 frames per second, the GoGear SA5245BT delivers smooth, relatively crisp video, provided the source material is high quality. The biggest drawback of the GoGear SA5245BT's video player is its lousy native format support, which requires you to convert videos on your PC prior to transfer.
We should also note that the initial GoGear SA5245BT review unit sent to us from Philips had a difficult time playing videos while transmitting audio over Bluetooth. A firmware update resolved the issue entirely.
Philips rates the GoGear SA5245BT's battery life at an impressive 30 hours for audio playback and a respectable 6 hours for video.
What You'll Pay
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