
One has to consider many factors if he thinks of buying an MP3 player. He may get puzzled looking at the several varieties in the market. You can refer to the below MP3 player buyer’s guide to get the best one for yourself.
Nowadays, buying an MP3 player has become a kind of a challenge that a person has to face. He may plan in an efficient manner and do a good amount of related research, but looking at the varieties in the market, his research may become useless. There are different types of MP3 players that are manufactured by several companies. These players differ in various factors; such as size, shape, features, usability, memory capacity, sound quality, cost, etc. This is the reason why a buyer gets confused. But if he thinks step-by-step according to his needs and budget, he can go about getting the right one.
Use
First of all, you need to know what you are going to use the MP3 player for. If you are buying it just to listen to music while jogging, you can choose a small and simple one. You can’t simply get a bulky one and hang it around your neck while jogging or exercising. But if you are going to use it to store your entire music collection, then you’ll have to look out for an advanced one. You also need to determine if you would want to watch videos on it.
Budget
This is also one of the most important factors that you need to consider before buying an MP3 player. There are many players available in stores which range from $30 to $300 or a bit more. The price mostly depends on the brand, features, and storage capacity. So if you have a lesser budget, you will have to buy one with fewer features or storage capacity. However, there are some MP3 players which are inexpensive as well as come with good features.
Size, Weight, and Shape
This factor is considered by people who are very particular about the shape, weight, and size of the MP3 player. It mostly depends on your choice whether you need a slim and small one which can be hidden in the pocket, or a bigger one to show off to people.
Brand
There are music freaks who are brand conscious, and will use products only from selective reputed brands. If you are among them, you may consider MP3 players manufactured by Sony Corporation, Apple, Inc., Microsoft Corporation, Philips, Creative, and other reputed companies. If you have budget constraints, you can choose from many Chinese manufacturers who produce good MP3 players and offer them at a cheap rate.
Ease of Use
You also need to check how easy the MP3 player is to use. You may select a complicated one if you yourself are planning to use it. But if you are giving it as a gift to your mom, dad, or an elderly person; you need to select one which is very easy to operate and user-friendly.
Storage Capacity
You should give a thought to the MP3 player’s memory capacity as well. Determine how many songs or videos you would store, and how much data you have in your computer. This way you will be able to choose the correct one accordingly. Nowadays, the storage capacity ranges from 1 gigabytes to a stunning 160 gigs (Apple iPod classic).
Battery Life
You need to determine if you would be using the player on long trips. If you would, consider one which has a longer battery life. The battery life of some players may be up to 30 hours. However, it may decrease over time if the player is used on a regular basis.
Sound Quality
If you are a musician, you would certainly choose an MP3 player which provides the best audio quality. A person who doesn’t have much knowledge about music and sound quality wouldn’t be able to make out the difference between MP3 players manufactured by various companies. In sound quality, those which are manufactured by Sony are believed to be the best.
Screen Size
If you also want to store and view videos on the MP3 player, you need to first sort out those which have video viewing capability, and then select one with a big screen which you would like to watch videos on. If you want a total video experience, you may opt for the iPod touch which has a 3.5-inch wide-screen or the Microsoft Zune which has a 3.2-inch screen.
Other Facilities
There are some buyers, who before buying, consider miscellaneous features such as an FM radio plus recorder, voice recorder, alarm facilities, stopwatch, video games, etc. However, if you are purchasing an expensive MP3 player, most of these features would come along.
There are some MP3 players that have a specific feature which would be the only reason for you to buy it. The ‘iPod touch’ is a good example, as it has the ‘Multi-touch’ technology which attracts most music enthusiasts. I’m sure by now, after reading this article, you must have nearly made your decision about buying a particular MP3 player after referring to the above MP3 player buying guidelines.