The Players

Sansa Clip (4 GB)

Sansa Clip

Superb Sound, easy to use on the go, Audible compatible. Can create on the go playlists and has a great battery life of over 30 hours. There is no video of course with a one-inch screen. It does have a tendency to freeze up every now and then. Just slide up the power button and hold for 20 seconds to reset. I know I am not reviewing size, but this thing can fit even into that teeny weeny pocket that your jeans have for change. Perfect for those of us who want to exercise at the gym, are active and prone to dropping things. The Clip is very forgiving; just get one of those silicone cases from Best Buy. I deliberately dropped it a dozen times on concrete, in the case, without any problems. There is not too much more to say about this, apart from the fact that with the less expensive Koss phones, you get amazing sound quality. For a better sound and video (richer and deeper), but still tiny, about 3 ½ x 1 ½, you can get the Zune 8GB…

Zune 8GB/120 GB

Zune 120

Zune 8

Again the 8GB version is great to use at the gym or for an active lifestyle. It has similar video to the Sony NWZ on a tiny(2 inch) screen. As I mentioned the screen is not OLED, but is 18-bit color (262,144 colors). The iPod Touch only has 65,536 colors (16-bit) though the Nano 3G does come close. The downside of the iPod, is the requirement of using iTunes to transfer content which you must purchase. It is not simple to rip from your own DVD collection. The Zune handles videos decently –encode under Windows Media Player 9, 320 x 240 resolution with a bitrate of under 900 kbps and 23-28 FPS. The Zune is Audible ready like the Sansa , but because of the bigger buttons it is easier to navigate through books. The only difference between the two Zunes really, is the video. This is due to the larger size of the 120 version (over 3 inches). Though since neither are OLEDs the video actually looks better on the smaller screen, since the colors look more intense. Having said that, the eye strain on the 8GB after 2 hours, means that serious video enthusiasts would have to use the larger version. This is one of the simplest players to use as well. It is certainly a shame there is no OLED display or else it would be darned near perfect… do we hear ZUNE HD (with AMOLED) in September?

Sony NWZ

Great sound and decent video, with native support for many formats including WMV 9 ( conversion with 320 x 240 resolution, 800 kbps bit rate and 27 FPS , but can handle up to 30 without getting choppy playback depending on DVD). Sony never makes a bad or mediocre product. The screen is small at 2 inches with no AMOLED/OLED, so video is not that great despite 262,000 colors. However, if you want a great sounding player for a small price ($90.00) that can handle video and transfer it reasonably fast, then Sony is the one for you. Easy to use and navigate, but you will not be reading any Audible books on this device! Shame really since it would make a perfect Audible only player.

Cowon D2+ (16 GB)

Cowon D2

Overhyped and inferior to virtually every other player reviewed. Audio is horrible. Even the tiny Clip (at a fifth of the price) has better sound quality. Audiophiles say that it has fantastic sound, once you play with the never-ending customizable EQ (Equalizer) formats. Neither my testers nor I found an entirely comfortable level. The video is barely average, the laughable so-called touch screen responds sluggishly, even with the provided wand. It does support Audible, but that is not enough to make up for the shortfalls. For the price ($150.00 or more), it is an unwise investment when there are so many other worthy successors. It is difficult to imagine that the Cowon S9 is made by the same company.