Quick Hit: Transcend this MP3 Player
Believe it or not, there are still folks out without an iPod or iPhone. There are in fact other music players, from many other companies still competing against Apple’s advantages, trying to get or maintain a toehold in the MP3 player market. Transcend is one of those firms- best known as a memory and flash card manufacturer, they’ve released a line of devices that offer a pretty good value proposition… for a small group of folks.
First, the limitations of the Transcend 330- the 4GB of memory made us gasp a bit, as we’re grown used to (and spoiled by) more than that even on our thumb drives. File support is decent- MP3, WMA, FLAC, and WMA-DRM10- but don’t even think about trying those iTunes copy-protected files, OGG, or MP4s. The headphones are mediocre- we’d suggest tossing them and trying any of the other earbuds we’ve seen. Controls take just a bit to get used to, but are reasonably solid.
The OLED screen is bright, if a little cluttered, and we did like the inclusion of FM radio and a microphone/line-in feature. You’re not locked into the Apple ecosystem, but you are locked out- those docking bays and apps and cases can’t be used, for better or worse, but a sports clip is included (though a bit cheap-seeming). 12 hours of playback time is pretty good, slightly more than the nano or shuffle in theory (our tests showed it got closer to 10 in real-life use, which would make it a wash). And you don’t need to haul around any cables, thanks to the USB connector built-in- a mixed blessing, of course, but one that means you can use it as a simple thumb drive should you wish. Overall, this is a niche product, but offers a singular advantage- price. At around $50 for the black 4GB model or $65 for the white 8GB one, Transcend offers a decent value proposition for those looking for a light, fairly durable, Apple alternative.
