Headphones mp3 player portable

MP3 devices let you listen on the go

Amid all the allegations of music piracy against Napster.com, many have forgotten why the MP3 music format has become so popular: convenience. With enough computer memory space, it's possible to store hundreds of songs in one device without any of the clutter of compact disks.

No gadget illustrates this better than Creative's Nomad Jukebox ($500). Roughly the size of a portable CD player, the Jukebox has a 6-gigabyte hard drive capable of storing nearly 100 hours of digital audio. Most portable MP3 players can hold only two or three hours of music, and that's with the use of a flash memory card.

The Jukebox bests the competition in other ways, too. Its large screen makes it a breeze to navigate the device's menus and organize playlists. The screen is backlit, so it's just as easy to use at night. The Jukebox also features sound effects that let users feel as though they're listening to music in a jazz club or an auditorium. You can even slow down or speed up tunes without changing the pitch.

The Jukebox has a few shortcomings. Its headphones, though in the current behind-the-back fashion, don't offer great sound quality and are not adjustable. And the life of its rechargeable batteries was only about three hours. Also, while the device has output lines for external speakers, they are not the RCA type that are compatible with most home stereo components. You'll have to find the right converter cable to plug the Jukebox into your system, which you'll inevitably want to do.

Another option for easily carrying around large volumes of music is the Philips eXpanium ($200). In addition to playing standard compact disks, the device can play MP3 files stored on CDs. (You can get about 10 hours of MP3 music on one compact disk.) One serious drawback: You'll need a recordable CD-ROM drive.

Another convenience of MP3 is that, because most of the devices that play these files have few moving parts, songs don't skip or warble. Casio's Wrist Audio Player ($250) capitalizes on this to deliver a gadget perfect for runners. It holds only a half-hour of music, but the sound quality is crisp. The earphones plug directly into the timepiece. Though the device is by no means small or elegant, it's a comfortable way to move and groove.