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Reviews from around the WebPowered by alaTest
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alaTest.com
Editors' rating: 84
Summary: alaTest has collected and analyzed 17 reviews of Transcend T.sonic 850 from international magazines and websites. Experts rate this product 59/100 and users 80/100. Comparing these reviews to 477300 other MP3 Players reviews gives this product an overall alaScore™ 84/100 = Very Good.
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laptopmag.com
Editors' rating: 40
Summary: Most sub-$100 MP3 players involve some compromises, and the T.sonic 850 is no exception; even its most useful feature was initially plagued with problems. Value-concious shoppers are better off spending a bit more on the SanDisk Sansa Fuze, which ...
CNET editors' buying advice
We have not reviewed this product but here is CNET's buying advice on MP3 players. This content was chosen based on the features included with this model of mp3 player.
Watching video
Nowadays, the line between MP3 players and portable video players (PVPs) is blurrier than ever, as the majority of devices hitting the market include video playback as a feature. Although the screen on a typical MP3 player is too small for extended video viewing, it can be a nice bonus for certain users. Undeniably, MP3 players with relatively large screens make the best substitute PVPs--make sure you look for those that are at least 2-inches diagonal. No denying it's nice to have that extra distraction in certain situations, such as doctors' waiting rooms and airport terminals.
See more Portable video products
Audio formats
The first format or codec to gain widespread acceptance was MP3, but there are now a variety of players on the market that support AAC, WMA, OGG, and other formats. This table will help you sort out the alphabet soup and determine which codecs you need in an MP3 player.
| AA | Audible, the format used by Audible.com, is designed for spoken audio content such as audiobooks and talk radio programs, including NPR. Many portable music players support AA. |
| AAC | Advanced Audio Coding, developed by Dolby Laboratories and best known as the format used in iPods. Apple and Real use their own DRM (digital rights management) technology to secure AAC downloads for iTunes and Real Rhapsody. The iPod is the solitary player that accepts copy-protected AAC files and only those from iTunes Music Store. |
| ATRAC3 | ATRAC3 and ATRAC3plus are lossy compression formats used by Sony and its squadron of Network Walkman MP3 and MiniDisc players. It is an efficient format that sounds better than MP3 at the same bit rates. This format is akin to WMA and AAC but is generally known as a dark horse, as it is used by only Sony-branded players. Music downloaded or streamed from Sony's Connect music store are ATRAC3 files. |
| FLAC | Free Lossless Audio Codec, an open-source format that uses a clever algorithm to preserve every 1 and 0 found in the uncompressed file. Though not widely implemented, lossless formats such as FLAC are popular with audiophiles who disdain "lossy" formats (MP3, WMA, and so on) that further compress files. |
| MP3 | Motion Pictures Experts Group Layer 3 is such a mouthful, it's no wonder the abbreviation has taken over. In fact, MP3 is the Kleenex of digital music--so common, it's become shorthand for all portable players whether they use this format, though nearly all do. The eMusic online music store and most file-sharing networks use MP3 |
| MP3Pro | The latest from Thomson/RCA (the company that licenses MP3 to manufacturers and developers), MP3Pro sounds better than MP3 at the same bit rate. However, it hasn't been widely adopted by manufacturers other than RCA |
| OGG | Ogg Vorbis is the underdog of this group. It sounds great, and because it is open source, there are no licensing fees when it's used to encode or play music--a fact that probably makes developers of other codecs a bit nervous. Although it's not as widespread as AAC, MP3, or WMA in players or online music services, OGG could gain traction as consumers grow more sophisticated in their digital audio usage and developers look for ways to cut down on licensing costs. |
| WAV/AIFF | This is uncompressed audio, like what you'd find on a standard audio CD. For the most part, WAVs are found on Windows machines, while AIFFs live on Macs. |
| WMA | Windows Media Audio, Microsoft's format, sounds better than MP3 at the same bit rate. Some WMA files include copy protection, but others do not (if you left the "Copy protect music" box checked under the Options menu in Windows Media Player you've been ripping copy-protected WMAs). Most players support WMA, and online music stores such as Napster, Yahoo Music, and Wal-Mart use secure WMA. |
Photo viewing and video playback
Most MP3 players now come equipped with a color screen that can display JPEG and BMP digital images. This is a nice feature for those who like to carry their precious digital memories with them. In addition to offering photo viewing capabilities, color displays are brighter and easier to read than their monochrome counterparts. Also look out for players with crystal-clear OLED screens, which offer better viewing angles and lower power consumption (though they are harder to read in bright sunlight). Increasingly, MP3 players are even offering video playback. Although the screen on a typical MP3 player is too small for extended video viewing (for that, try a PVP instead), it can be a nice bonus for certain users, such as commuters.
MP3 Radio
Many players offer FM radio reception, although they're more common on flash devices, which lack the spinning hard drives and the CD-playing features that can interfere with the signal. AM radio is extremely rare. Other radio-related features include FM recording (usually to MP3), transmission (for playing back audio wirelessly through home and car stereos with FM tuners), and presets.
See more MP3 Radio products
Voice recording
Some MP3 players have a small internal microphone for recording the spoken word. These are acceptable for documenting a lecture, a meeting, or a conversation but unsuitable for high-quality music recording. The sampling rate is typically low, and the recordings are mono. The upside is that you can usually record several hours of memos, then upload the files to your PC for attaching to e-mail or archiving.
See more Voice recorder products
Where to buy
Transcend T.sonic 850 - digital player / radio:
$55.99 - $61.68
| store | price | in stock? | rating |
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$61.68 | Yes |
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Amazon.com Marketplace
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$55.99 | Yes |
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