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Top 5 Audio Players

Newcomers from Rio, Archos, and Creative give the reigning champion Apple IPod 20GB some serious competition.

Alexandra Krasne

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iPod - 3rd Gen. 20 GB MP3 Player (Apple-M9244LLA) PCW Rating: PCW Rating: PCW Rating:

Last Rated: October 31, 2003

1. Apple iPod - 3rd Gen. 20 GB MP3 Player (Apple-M9244LLA)

20GB , USB 2.0 and FireWire interfaces, 5.6 ounces, 4.0 by 2.4 by 0.6 inches, ITunes software, Price when ranked: $399

Bottom Line: This sleek--albeit relatively pricey--member of the IPod family sports streamlined, easy-to-use controls. In our informal tests, it transferred music quickly; and you have the choice of using either FireWire or USB 2.0 as its interface.

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Rio Karma 20GB MP3 Player (Rio-90260461) PCW Rating: PCW Rating: PCW Rating:

Last Rated: February 24, 2004

2. Rio Rio Karma 20GB MP3 Player (Rio-90260461)

20GB , USB 2.0 interface, 5.5 ounces, 2.7 by 3.0 by 1.1 inches, Rio Music Manager and Rio Taxi software, Price when ranked: $350

Bottom Line: The Karma won't win any beauty contests, but it has a large display plus a docking station with dual RCA line-outs and an ethernet port. You can create and save your own custom playlists or use the player's Rio DJ software to generate them automatically.

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Gmini 220 PCW Rating: PCW Rating: PCW Rating:

Last Rated: February 24, 2004

3. Archos Gmini 220

20GB, USB 2.0 interface, 6 ounces, 2.7 by 3.1 by 0.9 inches, Musicmatch Plus software, Price when ranked: $350

Bottom Line: One of the many niceties on this full-featured model is its 2.5-inch gray-scale screen, which displays JPEG images on Type I and II CompactFlash cards. The player transfers music very quickly over its USB 2.0 interface.

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Nomad Jukebox Zen Xtra 60GB MP3 Player (Creative Labs-70PD055000001) PCW Rating: PCW Rating: PCW Rating:

Last Rated: February 24, 2004

4. Creative Nomad Jukebox Zen Xtra 60GB MP3 Player (Creative Labs-70PD055000001)

60GB , USB 2.0 interface, 7.9 ounces, 3.4 by 4.4 by 0.9 inches, Creative MediaSource software, Price when ranked: $400

Bottom Line: Player with huge 60GB hard drive offers three times the capacity of other MP3 players in the same price range. It also provides lots of audio adjustment features and an unmatched playlist interface. The unit uses a replaceable lithium ion battery.

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iHP-120 MP3 Player (iRiver America-IHP120) PCW Rating: PCW Rating: PCW Rating:

Last Rated:

5. iRiver iHP-120 MP3 Player (iRiver America-IHP120)

20GB , USB 2.0 interface, 5.6 ounces, 4.1 by 2.4 by 0.8 inches, Price when ranked: $350

Bottom Line: This player includes no music-ripping software, nor does it require drivers--just drag and drop music files from your PC. The player's handy remote has an LCD screen, and you can connect the IHP-120 to a stereo via included optical inputs and outputs.

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