The line between flash MP3 players and phones is getting more blurry with each passing day, but the finest standalone MP3 players still have a place of honor in many purses and backpacks because they offer such easy access to personal entertainment collections anytime, anywhere.
These units are small enough to fit into a back pocket but they hold vast amounts of information – up to 64GB – including games, videos, music and more. We focused specifically on flash MP3 players for this lineup, so the products in this group do not have moving parts like their hard drive MP3 player counterparts. That makes them utterly durable, even if you drop them occasionally. Retrieving information from flash MP3 memory is also faster than retrieving it from hard drives. Most flash MP3 players offer intuitive menus and navigation via touchscreens so you can always find exactly the song or movie or photo you are looking for. Some even offer internet access and the ability to make calls.
Apple really dominates this field, sweeping two of our top three spots for favorite MP3 players with the 64GB Apple iPod Touch and 32GB Apple iPod Touch. Other brands that are brave enough to take on Apple have also made some impressive flash MP3 players in recent history. We like the Cowon D3 Plenue especially, which secured the second place spot in our rankings.
In this site, you’ll find articles related to MP3 players, as well as comprehensive reviews and a side-by-side comparison to help you make an informed decision on which one is right for your needs. At TopTenREVIEWS We Do the Research So You Don't Have To.™
Specific features we were looking for in MP3 players include:
Dimensions
We looked for lightweight, compact MP3 players that offer a good sound, long battery life and a relatively large, high-resolution screen for watching your favorite television shows and movies. We considered storage space as well and the ability to play many different video and music file forms.
Features
The best MP3 players offer access to a wide variety of games and applications for you to download and enjoy. The most impressive units offer internet access and the ability to make video phone calls. We also liked the ones that incorporate extras like a camera, video camera, voice recorder, FM radio and the ability to record live radio.
Ease of Use
Our favorite flash MP3 players offer easy ways to keep your music and other multimedia entertainment organized. The best units are easy to operate thanks to features like touchscreens, backlighting and audio equalizing systems.
Help & Support
We like MP3 systems that come with excellent customer support. Companies should back their products with organized websites and lots of ways to find answers to any questions you may have.
Flash MP3 players are designed to last a very long time, so choosing the right one is important. We can help you find the best MP3 player that offers a comprehensive and portable entertainment system, allowing you to organize and enjoy games, music, movies, television shows, photos and more.
| Rank | #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 | #6 | #7 | #8 | #9 | #10 |
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Apple iPod Touch 64 GB | Cowon D3 Plenue | Apple iPod Touch 32 GB | Apple iPod Touch 8 GB | Creative ZEN XFi-2 | Sony A Series Walkman | Sirius Stiletto 2 GB | Sony S Series Walkman | SanDisk Sansa Fuze + | Apple iPod Nano 16 GB |
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| Dimensions | ||||||||||
| Width (inches) | 2.3 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 4 | 2.1 | 4.37 | 2 | 1.9 | 1.61 |
| Height (inches) | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 2.2 | 3.8 | 1.93 | 4 | 3.1 | 1.48 |
| Depth (inches) | .28 | .5 | .28 | .28 | .5 | .4 | .64 | .40 | .4 | .35 |
| Weight (ounces) | 3.56 | 4 | 3.56 | 3.56 | 2.6 | 2.08 | 4.3 | 2.4 | 2.1 | .74 |
| Screen Size (inches) | 3.5 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3 | 2.8 | 2.2 | 2.4 | 2.4 | 1.54 |
| Storage Capacity (GB) | 64 | 32 | 32 | 8 | 64 | 16 | 2 | 14.4 | 16 | 16 |
| Display Type | LCD | AMOLED | LCD | LCD | LCD | LED | LCD | LCD | LCD | LCD |
| Display Resolution | 960x640 | 800x480 | 960x640 | 960x640 | 400X240 | 400x240 | 128x128 | 240x320 | 320x240 | 240x240 |
| Music Play (hours) | 40 | 21 | 40 | 40 | 25 | 25 | 20 | 42 | 24 | 24 |
| Video Play (hours) | 7 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 5 | n/a | 6.5 | 5 | n/a |
| Interface | USB 2.0 | USB 2.0 | USB 2.0 | USB 2.0 | USB | USB | USB | USB 2.0 | USB 2.0 | USB |
| Audio Formats | AAC, MP3, WAV, AIFF | MP3, WMA, OGG, WAV, ASF, FLAC APE, M4A | AAC, MP3, WAV, AIFF | AAC, MP3, WAV, AIFF | WMA, MP3, AAC | MP3, WMA, AAC-LC, L-PCM | MP3, WMA | MP3, WMA (DRM), AAC, Linear PCM | MP3, WMA, Secure WMA, Ogg Vorbis, FLAC, AAC, Audible | AAC, HE-AAC, MP3, MP3 VBR, Audible, Apple Lossless, AIFF, WAV |
| Video Formats | MPEG-4, M4V | AVI, WMV, ASF, MP4, MKV, MPG, DAT, TS, TP, TRP, 3GP | MPEG-4, M4V | MPEG-4, M4V | MJPEG, WMV9, MPEG4-SP, DivX 4/5 | MP4 , WMV | n/a | AVC, MPEG-4, WMV (DRM) | H.264, MPEG4, WMV | n/a |
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| Video Camera | ||||||||||
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| FM Tuner | ||||||||||
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| Audio Equalizer | ||||||||||
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| Warranty | 90 days | 1 year | 90 days | 90 days | 1 year | 90 days | 1 year | 1 year | 1 year | 1 year |
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