Insignia Sport MP3 Player (2GB)

Best Buy's Insignia line of electronics includes everything from TVs to laptops to MP3 players, and the low prices reflect this "economy class" of products. Although the Insignia Sport NS-DA1G MP3 player isn't exactly a premium model, there's a lot to like about this particular player--especially at just $79 (1GB) or $99 (2GB). But while the audio quality is good overall and the craftsmanship is solid, competing players such as the SanDisk Sansa C200 series offer more for the money.

If the Insignia Sport is supposed to be for exercise nuts, the buttons are remarkably poorly designed, despite being extremely intuitive. The playback controls on the front are nearly flush with each other, making it far too easy to press the wrong one. I like the dedicated volume controls and hold switch on the sides, though, and you can conveniently adjust the orientation of the screen and controls for righties and lefties.

The nonslip coating on the back of the Insignia Sport gives the player a nice feel in your hand, and the device is small and relatively sleek at just 1.3x3.1x0.5 inches. The rechargeable battery pack is easily removable via the sliding back cover, and although the player's light weight (1.2 ounces) makes it feel cheap, it held up fine after several short drops. The 1.2-inch OLED screen displays text well, thanks in part to decent font choices, but it's pretty bad for looking at JPEG photos: colors are dark and the resolution is very low. At least it's fairly scratch-resistant. The package includes a clear vinyl soft case with a belt loop, as well as a USB cable, earbuds, and a software CD.