Donald Bell,
Senior Editor
October 15, 2008
Has the daily ritual of recharging all your portable devices become so loathsome that adding one more gadget to the list might just make you snap? Or maybe your extreme, jet-setting lifestyle requires a portable music player that can run for over 40 hours without a recharge? Well, you've come to the right place. We've assembled this list of our favorite long-haul MP3 players, all of which are capable of a week's worth of casual usage without a recharge.
Leading the pack is the Sony S-Series Walkman, which received our Editors' Choice award and pulled off 38 hours of music playback and 8.7 hours of video during CNET Labs testing. If you can live without the integrated noise-canceling of the Sony S-Series, the E-Series Walkman also offers great battery life.
For an MP3 player with tons of features and music format support, check out the beautiful and versatile Cowon D2 and its 50 hours of continuous music playback.
The MobiBlu B153 (also known as the C153) may not be much to look at, but it offers the utterly unbeatable battery time of 153 hours of music playback. The B153 is tough to track down in stores, however, so you'll probably need to order it direct.
Last, but certainly not least, are two MP3 players that need no introduction. The iPod Touch, despite its remarkable thinness, boasts an impressive 36 hours of audio playback and 6 hours for video. For those of you willing to sacrifice a little sexiness in favor of storage capacity, the 120GB iPod Classic also offers 36 hours of audio and 6 hours for video.
| Product name | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $159.00 to $179.99 | Check Prices | $99.99 to $133.97 | Check Prices | $274.99 to $319.95 | $219.95 to $249.99 |
| CNET editors' rating |
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| Average user rating | ||||||
| Review date | September 17, 2008 | February 27, 2007 | October 01, 2008 | May 26, 2006 | September 11, 2008 | October 01, 2008 |
| The Bottom Line | Thanks to excellent sound quality, integrated noise-canceling functionality, and several smart music sorting options, the Sony S-Series Walkman is a superb choice for music aficionados. | If you can get on board with the Cowon D2's PDA-like touch screen interface, the reward is great-sounding audio, a smorgasbord of features, and a fantastic battery life. | The Sony E-Series Walkman is a great value. It's an excellent option for anyone looking for an easy-to-use MP3 player with a pocketable design, a long battery life, handy features, and solid sound quality. | MobiBlu's B153 isn't the most stylish MP3 player on the block, but if you're looking for an ultra-long-lasting device with plenty of features, it may be just the ticket. | The second-generation iPod Touch includes features that are light-years ahead of the competition, its design has improved, and its price has finally come down to earth. | The iPod Classic refines the formula that put the iPod on the map. Few can match its combination of storage capacity, battery life, and intuitive user interface. |
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| Features | ||||||
| Battery technology |
Lithium ion |
Lithium polymer |
Lithium ion |
Lithium ion |
Lithium ion |
Lithium ion |
| Display type | Info unavailable | Info unavailable | Info unavailable | Info unavailable |
LCD 3.5 in |
LCD 2.5 in |
| Digital player (recorder) |
WMA WAV Protected WMA (DRM) MP3 AAC |
WMA FLAC WAV Ogg Vorbis MPEG 1 Audio MPEG 2.5 Audio MPEG 2 Audio MP3 |
WMA PCM MP3 AAC |
WMA Protected WMA (DRM) MP3 |
Info unavailable | Info unavailable |
| Software type | Info unavailable |
Cowon jetAudio VX Cowon jetShell |
Microsoft Windows Media Player 11 Napster |
Drivers & Utilities |
Info unavailable | Info unavailable |
| Device type | Info unavailable | Info unavailable | Info unavailable | Info unavailable |
Portable media center |
Portable media center |
| Dimensions (WxDxH) |
1.7 in x 0.3 in x 3.5 in |
3.1 in x 0.7 in x 2.2 in |
1.7 in x 0.4 in x 3.3 in |
2.6 in x 0.8 in x 1.8 in |
Info unavailable | Info unavailable |
| Color |
Black |
Red |
Black |
Black |
Black |
Black |
| Mfr estimated battery life | ||||||
