Philips Goes Square With Latest MP3 Players June 17, 2008

Read more Digital Audio , Entertainment , Gadgets , Gizmodo UK , Home Entertainment , MP3 , Music , iPod

The mainstream MP3 market is a cut-throat place for any company so all you can really do is mess around with the shape, boost storage or cut prices in order to stand out. Philips thinks going square will help its chances.

This is the new Go Gear range of 2GB and 4GB portable audio players, two with integrated FM tuners and two non-FM players. They all have a 128 x64 OLED display with a 'mirror finish' - like those 1980s shades - but when you touch it, all the track information appears.

The players are dinky enough at 41 x 41 x 15mm and feature Philips FullSound technology, which it maintains will raise its audio performance above rival players in the same segment. According to Philips, FullSound tweaks the dynamics, bass, treble and stereo imaging of highly compressed MP3 to shift the sound quality closer to where it was before compression. It claims:

"A digital audio algorithm and Digital Signal Processor (DSP) analyse the sound track ten million times per second to recompute the audio signal. The result is a more vibrant, clear and dynamic playback, all achieved without any increase in distortion."

The players support WMA and MP3 files, battery life is rated at 20 hours and Philips says they come with a decent set of cans. The SA2845 - 4GB+FM and SA2825 - 2GB+FM cost £45 and £35, while the non-FM SA2840 - 4GB and SA2820 - 2GB cost £40 and £30.-Martin Lynch

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