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Cheap MP3 Players - An MP3 Player Buying Guide |
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MP3 players have revolutionised the way we listen to music on the move. These cheap, relatively small devices can hold an amazing collection of music, making them a great travelling companion. In this guide we explain the basics behind the different specifications, allowing you to make an informed purchase when choosing your MP3 player.
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What is an MP3 player?
An MP3 player is a digital storage device which is designed to store and reproduce music files which have been created using MP3 compression. Put simply, an MP3 music file is audio stored in a special type of file, created using a special technique which lessens the amount of storage space needed to store the file.
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The MP3 player has all of the controls that you would expect on a CD player, such as PLAY, PAUSE, STOP, PREVIOUS TRACK and NEXT TRACK. Although the different manufacturers may use a slightly different system, all MP3 players feature these standard controls.
An MP3 player will usually have a standard headphone socket (3.5mm stereo jack), the same as you would find on a portable radio or similar device, meaning you can use standard headphones on any MP3 player. You may find some players have other additional sockets, such as "line in" which is used for recording from an external source.
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Most devices feature an LCD display of varying sizes, this allows you to see which track is playing, and also to navigate through the stored music files to find the track you want to listen to. The amount of information displayed will depend on the size of the display.
The amount of music you can store will depend on the storage capacity of the MP3 player, the capacity is usually stated in MB (Megabytes) or GB (Gigabytes). The way in which the storage capacity translates into the amount of songs that you can actually store is described further down the page.
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© Copyright 2001-2009 helpwithpcs.com
Choosing the right MP3 player for you
Cheap MP3 players can be found in most electrical and computer stores. When choosing your ideal MP3 player there are a few features you may want to consider, including the storage size, presence of a voice recording facility, the size of the LCD display, additional inputs and/or outputs. We will look at each of these points below.
MP3 Player Storage Capacity
The storage capacity that you will need depends on what you are going to be using your MP3 player for. If you are using it to just commute to and from work then you wouldn't require as much storage as you would to store your entire music collection. To give you an idea of the size of the storage you may require we have compiled a guide roughly translating storage capacity into individual music tracks (MP3s).
Estimated MP3 player capacity |
| 128MB |
40 MP3s |
| 256MB |
80 MP3s |
| 512MB |
170 MP3s |
| 1GB |
250 MP3s |
| 4GB |
1000 MP3s |
| 10GB |
2500 MP3s |
| 20GB |
5000 MP3s |
| 40GB |
10000 MP3s |
| 60GB |
15000 MP3s |
| 80GB |
20000 MP3s |
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Voice Recording Facility
Some models have an integrated (built-in) microphone which enables you to record voice, in a similar way to a dictaphone. The amount of time you can record will be directly proportional to the storage capacity of the MP3 player.
LCD Display Size
The size of the LCD display can vary greatly between models, although cheap models can feature large, very good displays. The screen size you choose will be down to personal preference, although backlight screens tend to be more visible both in daylight and in the dark.
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Additional inputs and/or outputs
Some MP3 players, even the more economical models feature additional sockets, allowing you to either plug another device into the MP3 player to record audio, or an extra output (aside from the headphone socket) which you can connect to an external audio amplifier or recording device.
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