Guide to Portable MP3 Players

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I Want My MP3

By Zak Kroschel

MP3 music rocks. If you're like me, you probably have a hard-drive-choking amount of it on your PC. That's great, but there's only so much memory there, and transferring music files to show your friends is a time-consuming business.

Problem solved
To overcome these obstacles, a lot of MP3 fans have started burning their collections onto CD. All you need (in addition to your computer and MP3 software) is a CD burner and some blank CD-R or CD-RW discs. Fortunately, blank-disc prices have plummeted recently (heck, we sell a pack of 400 for about $90 — that's less than a quarter each) and unless you want to store every track on the Internet, you're not going to need all that many. Each CD holds upwards of 650MB — that's well over 10 hours of near-CD-quality (128 Kbps) digital music on one disc! That's a pretty healthy chunk of time!

Take 'em wherever you want
Now, you can carry your files from one computer to another... maybe even play them on your home stereo system if your DVD player (like the JVC XV-S65GD, for example) has an MP3 decoder; but, do you really want to be stuck at home whenever you want to listen to your digital music collection? Probably not. Even a year or two ago, playing your MP3 discs away from home would have been a pipe dream, but not anymore! There are several portable CD players with built-in MP3 decoders (including the RioVolt SP250, MTV 6449, D-Link DMP-CD100 and Pine Technology SM-200C+) that are more than capable of doing what you need.

But wait, there's more!
Salivating over the hardware yet? Probably, but luckily for you, there's a lot more to make you drool! Playing MP3 tunes burned on a CD-R has advantages other than just free music that's easy to find and download. As I mentioned before, each CD-R holds over 10 hours of music. That's great for those of us who spend a large part of our day on the run. Think about it: If you take your entire CD collection and rip it, at 10 hours per, it's not going to take that many CD-Rs to hold it all (especially if you trim the tracks you didn't like anyway). Suddenly, that CD wallet holds a whole lot more music than before. To put it in perspective, 10 CD-Rs have enough storage space to play nonstop MP3 music for over four and a half days without repetition. In addition, due to the compressed nature of MP3 files, some players are capable of truly amazing amounts of skip protection (the RioVolt, for example, features 8-minute skip protection). In comparison, 40 to 45 seconds is considered extremely good for standard CD playback. These next-generation portables are extremely versatile, too. You'll still be able to play your regular CDs on them, and use a car adapter kit to plug them into a cassette player. They also play music CD-R/RW discs, so if you've been burning normal (uncompressed) audio compilations with a CD recorder, you're still good to go.

It pays to accessorize
If you want to get the most out of your new toy, there are a few things you should check out. The first of these — batteries — is a no-brainer. Most players come with one set, but we all know that fun toys eat batteries for breakfast, so invest in a couple sets of AA rechargeables (and while you're at it, pick up a recharger, too). The first time your primary set runs dry during a long plane flight (or worse yet a National-Lampoon-style, cross-country family vacation), you'll thank me.

Another nice accessory is an easy-to-carry, low-capacity (10- or 12-disc) CD wallet. While the bulk of your CDs provide a nice living-room conversation piece in a tower rack, just a couple of MP3 CDs can keep you going for days. After all, even if you have a large-capacity carrying case, the last thing you want to try and drag through a few layovers and connecting flights is 10 or 15 pounds of your precious CDs.

One more thing to consider is an upgraded set of headphones. Every portable player comes with a set, but you would be amazed how much better a higher-quality pair can sound. Personally, I like the over-the-ear style. They stay securely fastened to your ears through pretty much anything, and they won't mess up your hair (OK, so I'm a little vain). Seriously, though, listening to your tunes shouldn't give you that bed-head-like groove that regular headphones squash into your 'do.

What are you waiting for?
So go ahead, get yourself one of these little portable CD beauties, and start enjoying your MP3 tracks wherever you go. You'll be glad you did.

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