Holiday Preview: MP3 Player Buying Guide

Apple might still dominate the MP3 orchard with its new iPod Touch and Nano models, but thanks to increasing competition from forward-thinking digital music player manufacturers, several new rivals don’t fall far from the tree. Better still, many up the ante with fun features like built-in FM radio tuners, voice recording options, expandable memory and wireless file transfer capabilities. Read on to find out which make both great stocking stuffers and easily justified gifts for that special someone (i.e. yourself).

Freestyle Audio Soundwave, $89.99

No joking around here – this is the first amphibious MP3 player. That’s right: You can listen to music underwater at depths up to 10 feet. There’s 2GB of memory to enjoy, as well as a color OLED screen, and the package includes waterproof, floating headphones and armband accessories. So much for the silence of the deep…(Check Price)

Sandisk Sansa Fuze, $129.99 (8GB)

The Fuze comes in lots of colors, pumps out music for 24 hours and pretty much plays and/or displays everything a Nano does while remaining similar in size. But in addition to a slight price discount, you also get an FM radio with 40 presets, a voice recorder and a microSD card slot – features you won’t find in said competitor. (Check Price)

Sandisk Sansa Clip, $59.99

Like its cousin, the Fuze, which parallels the iPod Nano, this 2GB rocker does everything the iPod Shuffle does. In addition, it’s also got a 1-inch screen, an FM radio with 40 presets, a voice recorder and a free, 30-day preview of the subscription Rhapsody music service, all for $10 less than the Shuffle. (Check Price)

iRiver Spinn, $289.99 (8GB)

Froget about buttons or click wheels.The Spinn’s got a 3-inch QVGA touchscreen with haptic feedback set into a lightweight silver magnesium case. But the display isn’t just LCD – it’s AMOLED (active matrix organic light emitting diode), which means no pixel lag, crisper-looking video and less power drain for longer battery life. (Check Price)

Creative Zen X-Fi, $279.99 (32GB w/WiFi)

The Zen is designed to reconstitute the highs and lows lost in compressed music. But the device does more than play tunes: You can also wirelessly stream and download music, video or photos from your PC to it over your wireless home network. Or, for that matter, text your “boyz” with the built-in instant messaging. Lol…(Check Price), Read the Digital Trends Creative Zen X-Fi review.

Creative Zen Mosaic, $59 (2GB)

The iPod Shuffle has no screen. The Sansa Clip has a 1-inch screen. As for the Mosaic, it beats ‘em both with a nifty 1.8-inch display. The digital music player is also distinctive thanks to its checkerboard control panel plus a built-in speaker, FM radio, voice recorder, clock, stopwatch and an alarm that uses your favorite song to wake you up. (Here’s hoping for your significant other’s sake it’s not “Smells Like Teen Spirit…”) (http://us.creative.com)

Microsoft Zune, $249.99 (120GB)

Stop snickering. While finding another owner might be like looking for a needle in a haystack, this slick player does let you share music by beaming songs to another Zune device. There’s also automatic wireless syncing and an integrated FM radio, plus you can shop for DRM-free music in the Zune Marketplace music store, a feature that’s sure to be a hit with outspoken rock critics…(Check Price)

iRiver Lplayer, $159.99 (8GB)

Who needs buttons or a touchscreen? Just press on the outer edges of the Lplayer to control music (sorry, no AAC support), photo, video and text playback, as well as access an FM radio and voice recording. The gizmo’s smaller than you think too – it’s MiniDV cassette-sized (2.36 x 1.69 x 0.5 inches) and weighs just 1.45 oz, yet still touts a 2-inch screen. (Check Price)

Samsung YP-S2 Pebble, $39.99

It’s not a pendant, but this tiny (0.65 x 1.62 x 1.66 inch) 1GB MP3 pebble-shaped player does hang around your neck rather attractively with earbuds attached to a lanyard. Supported audio formats further include WMA and OGG, while an LED on the bottom edge flashes different colors based on the playback mode to boot, also a nice, fashionable touch. (Check Price)

Sony Walkman NWZ-S738F

A perfect fit for frequent fliers, this 8GB unit includes noise-cancelling headphones with a long extension cable that jacks in directly to a plane’s A/V system using the included accessory. Note that you can also leave the charger home – it plays music for 45 hours and video for 10 hours, sure to be a boon on any cross-country jaunt. (www.sonystyle.com)