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MP3 Player and Headphones Buying Guide
Prasad Naik, May 22, 2009 1615 hrs ISTWe tell you what to consider before you set out to buy an MP3 player and headphones
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A portable music player is probably the best thing that happened to music lovers around the world. They could now have their favorite music with them wherever they went with the help of a device that could easily fit into their pocket. Sony was the first to introduce it with their Walkman range of cassette players, which became an instant hit, and then Apple took over with their iPod range of MP3 players.
Today portable audio players or MP3 players, as they are popularly called, are one of the most popular electronic items sold in the market. Over a period of time they have grown in numbers and have also got much better. They are now smaller, support more formats and even have additional features such as video playback and web browsing. With so much variety to choose from it is important that you pick the right MP3 player and this guide will help you do just that. In addition to that we have also included a guide to get the right set of headphones for your player. So let's get on with it then.
MP3 Players
1. Budget
Budget is the most important thing to consider before you set out to buy your MP3 player. Consider this as the superset while everything else is the subset. There is no point in thinking of other features if you don't have a budget in mind. If you are not going to be changing your player often then it would be a good idea to pay more and get something better, something that will be future proof and will last for a long time. Also, while deciding on the budget don't forget to factor in the cost of the headphones you'll need to buy.
Most players come with really poor quality headphones and it is always advisable to get a better pair from a renowned brand as soon as you get the player, preferably along with the player. If you are the kind who likes to accessorize your player then you might need to take into account its price in your budget as well.
2. Sound quality
It does not matter how many features it has, or how slim it is, or even if it comes with a free Ferrari if the sound quality is bad. OK, so maybe it is fine if it comes with a free Ferrari, but otherwise you should stay away from it. Just like you would not buy a toaster which does not heat properly similarly you should not buy a player that does not sound proper. You should always try and get the best sounding player in your budget.
Now it is difficult to know the sound quality of the player before you buy it. No store will allow you to try out the player before buying it and even if they do then you would mostly end up judging it with the terrible bundled earphones. This is where Techtree comes in, as we try and test every MP3 player in the market and give you the details, so when you go out to get a player you can tell the good ones from the bad without listening.
Most players come with a range of sound enhancement features such as equalizers, bass boosters and what not. Truth is if the sound quality of the player is good by default and if you have a good pair of headphones then you should never need to use these features. They only come into play when either of the above is not up to the mark and you then need to make up for it. Here at Techtree we always test players with all the enhancements switched off so that we can paint an accurate picture in front of you as to how the players really sound. But if you must need to use these enhancements then it is always best to go for a player that has a manual equalizer. Unlike presets, a manual equalizer allows you to fine tune the frequencies to your tastes and not to what the manufacturer thinks is right for you. Things like 3D surround, stereo widening and reverberations just mess around with the sound without really improving them, so it is best to ignore them.
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Peter
,Mumbai, on Oct 02, 2009 12:28 PM
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dipi
,NEW DELHI, on Jun 08, 2009 05:07 PM
Vidhya Iyer
,Mumbai, on May 24, 2009 08:19 PM
Varun
,Bangalore, on May 25, 2009 03:24 PM
Vikash
,Pune, on May 24, 2009 07:34 PM
Vikash
,Pune, on May 24, 2009 07:28 PM
subho
,kolkta, on May 22, 2009 09:29 PM
Jitender
,Chennai, on May 23, 2009 10:26 AM
Sushil
,Hyderabad, on May 22, 2009 05:16 PM
Prasad Naik
,Mumbai, on May 22, 2009 05:38 PM
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