Editors' Top MP3 Players
updated June 5, 2006

MP3 players have quickly gone from the early-adopter fringes to the mainstream, and the most common ones use flash memory to store music, data, and sometimes photo and video files. While you rarely get more than 1GB (or about 17 hours) worth of MP3s onto one of these players, they have distinct advantages over their hard drive counterparts: they're smaller and more affordable, and they don't skip a beat. We're beginning to see more flash players hit 2GB and more, the most notable being the 4GB Apple iPod Nano and the 6GB SanDisk e270. -- James Kim, senior editor

Editors' Top MP3 players:

Budget MP3 players |

Flash memory MP3 players

| Hard drive MP3 players | Micro hard drive MP3 players | Ultracompact MP3 players | Portable video players (PVP)

Flash memory MP3 players

MP3 Players	Editors' rating	Price	Summary
iRiver Clix (2GB) Released: 05/15/2006	8.7 Excellent	$119	The iRiver Clix is a superbly designed MP3 player that's easy to use and packed with pretty much every feature in the book. If you're looking for a stylish Janus-compatible device and you don't need a boatload of storage, this is your player. Specs: Digital player / radio , 2 GB, ASF , MP3 , WMA , Ogg Vorbis , MPEG 1 Audio , MPEG 2 Audio , MPEG 2.5 Audio , 1 x Lithium polymer Rechargeable Player batteryInternal

Apple iPod Nano (4GB, black) Released: 09/07/2005	8.3 Excellent	Email me when product is available	Thanks to its limited capacity, the gorgeous iPod Nano isn't for everybody, but it sets the standard for MP3 players to come. Specs: Flash player , 4 GB, AAC , MP3 , WAV , AIFF , Audible , Apple Lossless , Lithium ion Rechargeable Player batteryIntegrated

iRiver U10 (1GB) Released: 10/18/2005	8.3 Excellent	$100	The pricey iRiver U10 is a superbly designed MP3 player that is both easy to use and packed with pretty much every feature in the book. But Apple won't be quaking in its boots until iRiver ups its capacity to 2GB and 4GB. Specs: 2.7 in x 0.6 in x 1.9 in , 2.5 oz

Cowon iAudio U2 (1GB)	7.7 Very good	Email me when product is available	The stylish, flash-memory Cowon iAudio U2 crams great sound quality, an FM radio, and line-in recording into a tiny package. Specs: Flash player , 1 GB, ASF , MP3 , WAV , WMA , MPEG 1 Audio , MPEG 2 Audio , MPEG 2.5 Audio , 1 GB, Lithium polymer Rechargeable Player batteryIntegrated

Samsung YEPP YP-T7X (512MB) Released: 03/01/2005	8.0 Excellent	Email me when product is available	We'd like to see a few improvements to the Samsung YEPP YP-T7, but it should be a top choice for those who want an MP3 player with tons of features. Specs: 1.5 in x 0.6 in x 2.4 in , 1.4 oz

Samsung YEPP YP-Z5 (4GB, silver) Released: 01/04/2006	8.0 Excellent	Email me when product is available	If you're looking for a tiny, well-built, color-screen MP3 player with excellent sound, the Samsung YP-Z5 is a great choice. Just make sure that you're comfortable with the touch-pad controller before you buy. Specs: 1.7 in x 0.5 in x 3.5 in , 2 oz

SanDisk Sansa e270 (6GB) Released: 01/06/2006	8.0 Excellent	$149-$203 from 2 stores	The SanDisk Sansa e200 series offers a boatload of features for a reasonable price, in a package that is much nicer than that of past SanDisk models. For those looking for a high-capacity, compact, skip-free MP3/WMA player, start with the e200 series. Specs: 1.7 in x 3.5 in x 0.5 in , 2.6 oz

Samsung YP-U2 (512MB, blue/black) Released: 04/14/2006	7.7 Very good	$39	Despite some minor issues, the simple but feature-friendly YP-U2 from Samsung will be a hot seller, thanks to a sweet price and great overall sound quality. It's a good choice for budget-minded users looking for their first MP3 player. Specs: Digital player / radio , 512 MB, ASF , MP3 , WAV , WMA , Ogg Vorbis , Protected WMA (DRM) , Lithium polymer Rechargeable Player battery