Seven Things to Consider When Buying an MP3 Player

MP3 player manufacturers didn't plan their products solely for audio books, but for music. But these days many people have started to use MP3 players for listening to audio books.

The fact that you can carry around your MP3 player, instead of listening to audio books on the PC make the players very popular.

But if you don't know what you are looking for, you might end up buying the wrong MP3 player for listening to your audio books.

Below are some of the factors to consider that will help you get the right MP3 for listening to your audio book:

1. The most important factor to consider when buying an MP3 player for your audio book is the way it handles interruption. Unlike music that you can start afresh when interrupted, it isn't so much fun to have to start an audio book from the beginning after listening to it for up to 2 hours.

So, take your time to search for MP3 players that allow users to continue from the exact spot they stopped.

You can test the MP3 player before paying for it. If it works fine, then go ahead. If it doesn't, search for another that does.

2. Ensure that the MP3 player's volume is loud enough. In as much as you can use an earphone to listen to the MP3 player, it is ideal if the volume is loud enough to be listened to in a noisy surrounding.

3. Ensure that the MP3 has a large memory. Since you would be storing your audio book in the MP3 player, you should purchase the one that has enough memory for audio books of up to 5 hours or more. Good battery life is also a must. You'd like uninterrupted playback of your audio book for maximum enjoyment.

4. The smaller an MP3 player is, the more attractive it looks. But don't sacrifice size for quality or durability.

5. Ensure that the MP3 player is manufactured by a popular brand. It wouldn't be wise to buy just any MP3 player because of low cost. There are many low quality MP3 players that are made from Asian countries. Many of these are not worth buying.

6. Get a shortlist of MP3 players that you like and look for reviews online and in magazines. See how users of the MP3 players like/dislike them. Were they value for money? Any common faults?

7. And lastly, ensure that the MP3 player that you purchase can play encrypted files. Many publishers prefer their audiobook content to be protected, so your MP3 player needs to be able to play files that are using Digital Rights Management (DRM). This is often referred to as WMA DRM.

If you are interested in listening to audio books in your car, simply get a CDMP3 player or get any AUX socket with which you can connect to an MP3 player. This makes listening to audio books ideal for on the move on long journeys.

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