Getting An MP3 Player Radio

mp3 player radio

By Anne Ahira

One of the biggest debates my husband and I sometimes have over electronics is whether or not an MP3 player radio is a necessity or not. He is adamant that no one really wants an FM tuner added to the player. I know that’s not the case.

Even though most of us like to listen to our own music collections, radio stations can be a great way for us to find new songs and artists we enjoy. Since we’ve decided to agree to disagree on this point, I’ve put together some of the best choices in MP3 player radio models.

Creative Zen Mosaic

The Creative Zen product is one of the best players on the market. The 2 GB version comes in pink, black, or silver and comes only around $56 at Amazon. While that may not seem like a very large hard drive for a music player, you can fit up to 500 MP3 files. The player also supports most of the video formats although they will need to be converted so the player can read them. The software needed for this is included.

The FM tuner is one of the nice features included, as well. Thirty-two preset stations can be added to your player so you can enjoy your favorite music. If you’re listening to the radio or to the MP3s on your MP3 player radio, then you’ll have up to 32 hours of battery life without having to recharge your battery. Incidentally, you can watch video footage on the player’s 1.8 inch screen.

Sandisk Sansa Clip

If you’re looking for something a little smaller, you might want to check out the Sandisk Sansa Clip. This is a small MP3 player radio that includes the FM tuner, as well as a voice recorder and a small display that shows you the name of the song. Unlike many of the smaller players, the capacity is about 4 GB which makes it comparable to many of the larger, less portable players.

The player includes flash memory which makes it more durable. Because flash memory doesn’t have any moving part, it can’t be broken as easily if dropped. The battery is not necessarily the longest lasting, however. You can only get 15 hours of total playback. The FM tuner comes with 20 presets so listing to your MP3 player radio is more convenient than ever. You can get the Sansa Clip at JR for under $50.

Microsoft Zune

One of the more powerful MP3 player radio models is the Microsoft Zune. While it comes in a large array of sizes, there are plenty of other great features that make the Zune a top choice. The red version of the 8 GB Zune can be purchased at Amazon for less than $130.

For that, you’ll get the FM tuner, room for up to 2,000 songs, and up to 24 hours of battery life. The Zune is also one of the few MP3 player radio devices that can connect wirelessly to computers.

Check out my other guide on : Pioneer car audio and Portable players

Here's MP3 Player Radio Selections:

8 GB MP4/MP3 Player with FM Radio, Camera, Voice R...	Customer Review: This product is decent. I bought it 3 month ago and have been using it almost everyday for radio and music. I don't use it much for video. Radio and music functions definitely live up to my expectation. Easy to load and easy to operate. I wish the to... Read More	(199)
Coby MP305-2G MP3 Player with 2 GB Flash Memory FM...	Customer Review: I got this MP3 player to listen to audio books from [...], so I was disappointed to find out that it is not compatible with [...] formats. There is a tedious work-around for that, so fine. Other than that, I like this little thing. It's small yet stu... Read More	(99)
SanDisk Sansa Fuze 8 GB Video MP3 Player (Black)...	Customer Review: I am an audio book fan, and this little MP3 player is just wonderful. It holds a lot of audio books! Very easy to use. Sound quality is good. I would definetly recommend this product to friends.... Read More	(247)
Coby MP305-4G MP3 Player with 4 GB Flash Memory FM...	Customer Review: This is my 2nd time around for this little sleek mp3 player. The 1st unit was also this model (MP305-4G) which the on/off switch went onto sporatic after 15 months of constant use. I reviewed other mp3 units by Coby and other manufacturers and deci... Read More	(120)
SanDisk Sansa c250 - Digital player / radio - flas...	Customer Review: This is our third SanDisk Sansa c250. Like the other two, it has proven an excellent introductory music/media player for our children. It took Dad to get the software loaded and working in order to rip/download, but now the children can manage the ... Read More	(13)