Digital music players have evolved into multimedia monsters offering everything from favorite music to high-quality video. But what about the purists, those who want to return to the simpler days when all we needed from these devices was pure, beautiful sound?

I've been playing with several of the new generation flash memory players that deliver crisp sound and won't blow a hole in your budget.

The Rave-mp AMP 512 ($119) from Go-Video, the iRiver iFP 880 (no price available) from iRiver and the iAudio5 ($199 for the 1 GB model) from Cowon Systems have a lot in common.

• They can all be used to download your favorite tunes via the USB 2.0 port on your computer.
• They all can receive and record FM radio broadcasts.
• They can all be used as flash memory devices to transport data from one computer to another.
• They all give you LCD displays detailing the music you're listening to.
• And they're all small enough to fit in your shirt pocket.

But that's where the similarity ends.

iRiver iFP 880

For example, if you're a real music junkie, you'll want to subscribe to AudioFeast, an Internet-based radio service that gives you tons of music you can download to the iRiver player. The service is only available for the iRiver 700 and 800 series digital players, but is a real cornucopia of music for MP3 addicts.

Other features of the iFP 880 include:

• A download speed of 14.4 megabytes per second.
• 128 megabytes of flash memory.
• A four-line backlit graphic LCD display.
• Mac and Windows compatible.
• Up to 40 hours of playing time from one AA battery.
• Can record music from any audio source.
• Can play MPEG 1/2/2.5 Layer 3, WMA, ASF, OGG, FM radio files in addition to MP3s.

Cowon iAudio5

If you're fashion-conscious, the iAudio5 player is available in five different colors, adding a bit of spice to your MP3 listening pleasure. The unit I played with had 1 gigabyte of flash memory, but you can purchase a 256 megabyte model for $119.

It also features:

• Eight buttons for everything from record to fast forward.
• A 128x64 full graphic LCD readout.
• Supports all of the digital files the iRiver supports plus CBR and VBR.
• Weighs less than an ounce without its AAA battery.
• 20 hours of playing time.
• A download speed of up to 20 megabytes per second.

Go-Video Rave-mp AMP 512

Now we come to the Rave AMP512. Aside from giving you the best bang for the buck --- $119 for 512 megabytes of memory, this small player features:

• A built-in SD/MMC memory expansion slot.
• All MP3 and WMA music formats.
• An FM tuner with 20 presets.
• Up to 18 hours of playing time from one AAA battery.
• A five-line backlit LCD readout.
• Uses Windows Media Player 9 as its default jukebox, which means you don't have to install yet another media player on your PC.

Each one is basically the same, yet each is geared to a specific type of music junkie.

In addition, all of these players come with a boxful of accessories including earbuds, cases, armbands, software and belt clips - - - even batteries.

On the Net: www.cowon.com

www.rave-mp.com

www.govideo.com

www.iriver.com.

---

 

To comment on this article, contact me here.