MobiBlu US2

Unlike the iPod Nano, the US2 has a built-in FM tuner and uses the headphone cord as an antenna. Reception can be spotty in some areas, but the radio works well enough when you need a break from your own music collection. You can record shows from the radio and set a timer to schedule recordings.

The US2 plays MP3, WMA, and Ogg Vorbis music files. It supports Microsoft's PlaysForSure digital rights management system, which lets you download tracks from a choice of online music stores, including Napster, Rhapsody, and Yahoo. The device can display JPEG images, but you must convert other formats, such as GIF, BMP, and PNG, to the MSJ format using the included MJPEG Converter software. You also use this program to convert AVI, WMV, ASF, and MPG video files to its MSV format. It's a shame the app can't display video files directly, but it does reduce the resolution to fit videos on the small screen, which makes the files smaller as well. The player also comes with software for loading lyrics that display as you listen to songs. The US2 cannot display album cover art.

The user manual describes how to copy media to the player using Windows Explorer, where it appears as a removable disk drive. We found it easier to sync using Windows Media Player or a program like Napster.

The sound quality from the US2 is excellent for such a low-priced player, though you'd do well to replace the included earbuds with a better pair of your own. We registered more noise than average in our distortion test, but the US2 earned high marks in our other tests.

The MobiBlu US2 looks good and performs well. If you can master the controls and want an FM tuner, the unit is worth considering as a more affordable alternative to the iPod Nano.

Paul Jasper