6. BenQ Joybee 110: Low-budget Toy

This audio player from BenQ is a pleasant surprise for small budgets. Priced at only $99, only the lack of a few options (an FM tuner, a direct USB connector, and the possibility of recharging without a computer) keep it from replacing the Creative Muvo V200 as the ideal Flash MP3 player. But in any case, its design is a lot more careful than that of the Muvo. Its shape vaguely reminds you of an ice-cream cone, slightly rounded off, and its tasty colors (white and orange, blue, or purple) make it look like a low-budget toy. But that doesn't keep it from doing its job extremely well. The sound quality lacks a little power in the bass, but is still good. And for once, the earphones supplied by the manufacturer don't distort the reproduction. They're all white and harmonize very well with the player, and the very simple volume adjustment knob is quite practical. Unfortunately the phones are uncomfortable without ear pads.

As for ergonomics, you don't need to be a Chinese engineer to operate this player. The only disadvantage is in the fact that some buttons have a double function. That's a familiar solution as far as the on/off button is concerned, but it's more of a problem with the lock/repeat button. If you don't press it in the right spot, you'll hear an MP3 that sounds like a "broken record" - repeating a short passage over and over - when what you really wanted to do was to put the buttons on hold before hitting the road. And if you have a problem, don't look for a solution in the printed documentation. It's very oversimplified and badly translated, and the languages are mixed up.