MP3 players forum: Best MP3 under $100

Get the Creative Labs Muvo N200, the 256MB model. You won't be let down. Just check it out for yourself. (MSRP is $99.)

Based on your price range and the features you desired, you may want to consider a CD/MP3 player. The most expensive one I've seen recently is about $90, and some players feature AM and FM-Stereo radio. As far as storage goes, with 128bit MP3s you can store over 11 hours of music on one 700mb CD-R. Not the largest amount of storage among available players, but more than most solid-state players.

Although downloading is not available with this type of player, you can burn downloaded files to CDs and swap out discs to load more music. Also, the sound quality is generally very good, although you probably will want to add better headphones than the stock ones.

Also, they tend to offer very good battery life. I have a Sony D-CJ01 player (the first CD/MP3 player that Sony made, released in 2001) and it will run over 24 hours on a set of AA alkaline batteries. Newer players offer even better battery life; one player I saw had an estimated battery life of over 50 hours on a set of batteries.

Although skipping is an issue, many players have have technology to prevent/reduce skipping. Although my player skips during jogging/running, it is fine during less vigorous workouts. Also, unlike hard-drive players, vigorous shaking will not damage the player.

Although their size is a drawback, the greater space does allow for a well-designed layout of the controls. The above mentioned player is one of the few that I've seen that passes the in-the-pocket test. This means that I can stick the player in my pocket and, by using only touch, use the basic functions of the player. The added size also allows a larger and easier to read display.

One extra benefit of this type of player is that it is the only MP3 player that allows you to immediately play a CD, instead of having to wait until you can rip the files.

Sorry to go on a bit. I hope that helps.

I've got several flash-based MP3 players, but the player I use most is a Rio CD/MP3 clamshell portable I bought several years ago for under $20 at Best Buy. Mine spends most of its time in my car, where a lighter-socket adapter and a "car kit" run it through the car's casette deck and speakers. This lets me play CDs without having to rip them, as well as MP3s saved on disks. Even better, I can assemble disks by theme -- classical, folk, etc. -- and swap out many hours of music in about three seconds. Try THAT with a flash- or hard disk-based player! <G>

My main use for this player, though, is audio books for my commute, and because speech doesn't require the high data rates of music, I've got MP3 disks holding entire *collections* of books, others with all of the lectures for entire college-level courses.

By the way, many portable CD/MP3 players use buffers not only to prevent skipping, as was mentioned, but to extend battery life by running the disk motor and laser in "bursts" just to fill the buffer, then shutting them off while playback continues uninterrupted from memory. While this isn't a factor when used with external power as in my car (except for extending the life of the laser and motor, I suppose) it does mean these players offer very good playing times in portable use, rivaling that of much more expensive memory-only players.

I as well have a CD/MP3 player, along w/ a flash based player, and the only problem that I have w/ the cd player is I often get just a few new songs at a time that I would like to burn, and I dont fell like re-burning an enitre compilation because I downloaded 3 more songs.

For some, this is no problem, but for me, I stick with the flash mp3 player. Also, its WAY smaller.

My understanding is that a problem with not closing a disc is that some players may have trouble playing them. I think that a better way to deal with adding a few songs at a time to an existing CD is to use a CD-RW and do the following:

- Make a directory on your hard drive for storing the songs. Organize the songs as desired.

- Burn the directory's contents to a CD-RW.

- Add songs to the directory and then erase the CD-RW and reburn the directory to the CD-RW as needed.

- When you have enough songs to fill a CD-R, burn them to a CD-R and reuse the CD-RW and the folder for new songs.

By doing the above, it should only take you a few minutes to add new songs to the disc. It also has the advantage that if something happens to the disc your songs are still safe on your hard drive. It also allows you to arrange the songs as desired and to ensure that your don't exceed the capacity of a CD-RW.

I hope that helps.

can you buy those anywhere but the internet still? I have seen the discs themselves, but not the players. How much do they cost? And would a minidisc play mp3's?

a cd mp3 player would do well, but my N200 is much much smaller and I can switch them out just as fast as a cd mp3 player can on my computer and not be stuck with certain music line-ups since I can switch everything around, not just discs.

I bought a Muvo 200 today...I can record music via the line-out facility but the quality was surprisingly poor with slurred words. I have transferred via the USB cable three albums worth of music. My pc says it's on the external device (Muvo) but I cannot find it anywhere!!! Arghhh!! If I can't figure it out soon I'm getting an old-fashioned CD player instead!!

This one only works in the car and only uses your USB thumb drive.
MP3 FM Modulator with USB port.
Buy a cheep thumb drive somwhere, usually free with rebate or $20 for a good one. Then download your favorite music to your thumb drive, attach it to your keychain and it will always be with you. Then buy the VR3 Virtual Reality Sound Labs MP3 Modulator, plug in your cheep USB thumb drive, plug the Modulator into your 12v port in your car and enjoy.
Total investment $29.99 plus my free thumb drive.
Cyberguys.com sells a similiar unit for about $79.00
I bought mine at Walmart for $29.99

I ended up with an extra VR3, if anyone needs one, contact me at brianburnham AT gmail DOT com. It's sealed/new

I bought one of these as well, and it works great! One thing to keep in mind - if you get static on any channel, try another - this unit support a lot of channels - one or more should be static free for you.

A cool trick I discovered with this unit - I have some SD/MMC cards for my phone/PDA and Digital Camera, and I had bought a small USB Reader for only SD/MMC (free after rebate natch!). I plugged this into the VR3 unit, then put in an SD/MMC card that I had copied music onto, and it worked just fine. So, if you have some old flash ram around (CF, SmartMedia, SD/MMC, Memory Stick, etc), you CAN use them with this unit - you just need an adapter.

I suspect that if you try a multi-card adapter, it won't work (I don't have one to test it with).

Kevin

I've tried numerous MP3 players, and this one is the best, rivaling or surpassing the iPod. Even the quality of the FM transmitted sound is supurb! Too bad it isn't available in larger memory size.

Both of the players will easily come under $100 with 256MB, and you might get lucky with the NX at 512MB. Both are quality players.

i own a n200 512mb and i am very happy with it. if you wnt to splurge the extra $30 get a 512MB version, its worth it

The 512 MB Sansa is below $100 and for less than $50, you can get a 1 GB Sandisk SD card from Newegg. I guess that's more than $100, but you can buy the Sansa now and get the SD card later. I still think the 1 GB Sansa is a better deal (and is what I have).

Also, you can use the SD card for many digital cameras, PDAs, etc., so justify the purchase that way.