The best-sounding MP3 players

Introduction | Signal-to-noise ratio | Distortion | Frequency response

Signal-to-noise ratio

Not surprisingly, the Creative Zen Vision:M came out on top of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) heap. Basically, the higher the SNR, the less background hiss you'll perceive. The Creative Zen Vision:M has a rated SNR as high as 98dB, one of the most impressive figures we've seen or heard. Samsung's YP-Z5 and Cowon's iAudio X5 performed admirably, though humans will hardly notice the difference between the top nine players. We thought the more intriguing results were the relatively low SNRs of the Cowon iAudio U3 and the iRiver U10, both considered good-sounding players. Notice that the Apple iPod family has a relatively high SNR -- interesting because Apple doesn't publish iPod SNRs and because many users dog the iPod for its poor audio quality.

Note: Products in this test are for comparative purposes only and are not all necessarily available in the Australian market.