Apple iPod Shuffle review

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Verdict:

The iPod shuffle looks and sounds good, and comes at a reasonable price. The necessity of using iTunes may put some off, but otherwise this is a great choice. It doesn't have the battery life of Alba's player, but it is a lot prettier.

Review Date: 19 Sep 2007

Price when reviewed: £46

Buy it now for: £31
(see more store prices)

Supplier: http://www.microdirect.co.uk

Reviewed By: Kat Orphanides

Our Rating 4 stars out of 5

User Rating

The iPod Shuffle is the smallest and least expensive of Apple's range of MP3 players. However, it has better audio quality than its larger siblings, with clear sound and plenty of bass and treble.

Simplicity is a large part of the Shuffle's appeal. It has two play modes: random and sequential. Both repeat until you switch the player off. You can skip tracks and change the volume, but there are no other controls.

You have to download iTunes before you can transfer music to the Shuffle. It has a modest 1GB capacity, but this is the smallest player of the group. A sturdy clip on its tough metal shell grips firmly on to clothing.

Unlike many basic MP3 players with a shuffle function, the Shuffle allows you to return to a previously played track, rather than forgetting what it has played. It played for more than 16 hours in our battery life test. This is longer than any of the other small rechargeable players, but still some way off the 25 hours that Alba's player achieved.

A lot of attention to detail has gone into the design. For example, the compact docking station plugs directly into the headphone socket, and the player automatically pauses itself when the headphones are unplugged. It's just a pity that the standard iPod headphones don't do justice to the quality of the Shuffle's sound.

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