Special Purpose MP3 Players
John Dow asked:
MP3 players come in many different shapes, sizes, and features. Every major manufacturer usually has multiple models that are designed to highlight some special purpose or particular use. And then of course you have the color coordinated and designer models. What started out as a simple way to take your music with you has turned into an industry.
The amount of models and price ranges are staggering. After the major brands you have as many or more knock off brands that try to emulate the big sellers. These knock offs and me too models look the same but may not have the quality or the reliability of the name brands. But for half the cost, many are willing to take the chance.
One of the most popular uses of an MP3 Player is while people exercise. There are many models and accessories available to attach the units like arm and wristbands, clips, and belt holders. Earphones come in all shapes, sizes, and styles to help hold them on when you are exercising. But some manufacturers take it to the next level with specially designed models.
One of the best I’ve seen for exercising with some special features is the HHS1A-2G sport by Haier. It comes with a built-in pedometer and heart-rate monitor, water resistant design, and workout and calorie tracking software. The Haier player comes with 2 GB of memory, armband, earphones, and USB cable. It retails for around $50.
If you don’t want or need the pedometer or heart rate monitor and still want a small rugged MP3 player for exercising Sansa has a great one too. The SanDisk Sansa Clip+ is very inexpensive and a built-in belt-clip, a MicroSD card slot, a voice recorder, an FM tuner, 2 GB of memory, and weighs less than an ounce. The Sansa Clip+ retails for around $40.
There are also MP3 players that have special features that outperform the basic function. People who like to listen to their favorite radio station rather than recorded music have several models that have FM tuners. The SanDisk Sansa Clip+ mentioned above does and offers good reception. The Creative Zen Mozaic has one of the best FM radio setups with great reception, autofind, and 10 preselects. Plus a voice recorder, built in speaker, and photo and video support. All these features for under $100 retail and 8 GB of memory too.
Another special purpose player that also comes with a very heavy dose of “cool” is the Oakley Split Thump sunglasses that offer wireless music by integrating a player into a compact and wearable design. Very good for all outdoor activities, the Split Thumps work with both Windows and Mac plus have up to 1 GB of memory. These stylish sunglasses come in several colors, polarized lenses, and typical 8 hours of battery life. The only real drawback is the price, around $200.
One of the most unusual and high tech specialty models I’ve ever seen are the SwiMP3 v2. The SwiMP3 V2 uses bone conduction technology rather than plugging in earphones. It consists of two “earpieces,” which are attached by a cord that loops around the back of the neck or on to goggles if you wear them for swimming. You just affix them to your cheekbones where vibrations from the player are resonated from the cheekbone to your inner ear. You will get some strange looks since if you wear goggles and a swim cap these devices make you look just like an alien. Not for the bashful or easily embarrassed. The memory is only 256 Megs but how many laps are you going to swim? These units retail for around $120.
So if you have a special need or want a particular feature or function, check out some of the models mentioned above. There are a vast amount of choices for MP3 players and many are designed for specific activities or functions. So next time you’re in the market for a new MP3 player for exercising or outdoor activities, do a little research and I’ll bet you can find one that is designed for exactly what you want.
Charlene
MP3 players come in many different shapes, sizes, and features. Every major manufacturer usually has multiple models that are designed to highlight some special purpose or particular use. And then of course you have the color coordinated and designer models. What started out as a simple way to take your music with you has turned into an industry.
The amount of models and price ranges are staggering. After the major brands you have as many or more knock off brands that try to emulate the big sellers. These knock offs and me too models look the same but may not have the quality or the reliability of the name brands. But for half the cost, many are willing to take the chance.
One of the most popular uses of an MP3 Player is while people exercise. There are many models and accessories available to attach the units like arm and wristbands, clips, and belt holders. Earphones come in all shapes, sizes, and styles to help hold them on when you are exercising. But some manufacturers take it to the next level with specially designed models.
One of the best I’ve seen for exercising with some special features is the HHS1A-2G sport by Haier. It comes with a built-in pedometer and heart-rate monitor, water resistant design, and workout and calorie tracking software. The Haier player comes with 2 GB of memory, armband, earphones, and USB cable. It retails for around $50.
If you don’t want or need the pedometer or heart rate monitor and still want a small rugged MP3 player for exercising Sansa has a great one too. The SanDisk Sansa Clip+ is very inexpensive and a built-in belt-clip, a MicroSD card slot, a voice recorder, an FM tuner, 2 GB of memory, and weighs less than an ounce. The Sansa Clip+ retails for around $40.
There are also MP3 players that have special features that outperform the basic function. People who like to listen to their favorite radio station rather than recorded music have several models that have FM tuners. The SanDisk Sansa Clip+ mentioned above does and offers good reception. The Creative Zen Mozaic has one of the best FM radio setups with great reception, autofind, and 10 preselects. Plus a voice recorder, built in speaker, and photo and video support. All these features for under $100 retail and 8 GB of memory too.
Another special purpose player that also comes with a very heavy dose of “cool” is the Oakley Split Thump sunglasses that offer wireless music by integrating a player into a compact and wearable design. Very good for all outdoor activities, the Split Thumps work with both Windows and Mac plus have up to 1 GB of memory. These stylish sunglasses come in several colors, polarized lenses, and typical 8 hours of battery life. The only real drawback is the price, around $200.
One of the most unusual and high tech specialty models I’ve ever seen are the SwiMP3 v2. The SwiMP3 V2 uses bone conduction technology rather than plugging in earphones. It consists of two “earpieces,” which are attached by a cord that loops around the back of the neck or on to goggles if you wear them for swimming. You just affix them to your cheekbones where vibrations from the player are resonated from the cheekbone to your inner ear. You will get some strange looks since if you wear goggles and a swim cap these devices make you look just like an alien. Not for the bashful or easily embarrassed. The memory is only 256 Megs but how many laps are you going to swim? These units retail for around $120.
So if you have a special need or want a particular feature or function, check out some of the models mentioned above. There are a vast amount of choices for MP3 players and many are designed for specific activities or functions. So next time you’re in the market for a new MP3 player for exercising or outdoor activities, do a little research and I’ll bet you can find one that is designed for exactly what you want.
Charlene
