2. Creative MP3+: A Good Start

Released a while ago, without much trumpeting because its basic features seemed a bit backward in relation to PC sound developments, the MP3+, the Creative entry-level USB, is good value for more than one reason, as we shall see.

A little plastic box with a metal top to give it a pretty face, the MP3+ has a lot of connections. These are very sensibly arranged, with mike input and phone output on one side (with 3.5mm jack sockets). The other connections are on the opposite side, with a Cinch line-in and line-out and TOSLINK S/PDIF optical digital inputs and outputs. The USB connector is on the side, with a switch to zap from digital only to analog-digital. This rather strange option reveals something about the basic nature of the MP3+ which works mainly as an interface for adding digital links and a line-in to computers that don't have any. The Cinch-based line-ins and line-outs, unusual on computers, but common in the audio market, are also designed for this purpose. The only sound control on the card is an adjuster on the earphone output. This ranks pretty well for a device at this price.

We should add that the MP3+ is powered directly via the USB bus. There's no need for an external power source, and this is a definite asset, especially when you are using a laptop.