Philips GoGear 8GB SA5285/02 review

Philips' 8GB GoGear looks and feels classy thanks to its black plastic, metal and chrome case.

Unfortunately, while the other players here are easy to use in either hand, the GoGear's controls are to the right of the screen, making it awkward to use if you're left-handed. Otherwise, the controls and menus are logically organised and straightforward.

The 2.8in 320x240-pixel screen may not be as large or have as high a resolution as those of the iPod Touch, the Archos 5 and Epson's P-6000, but it's still one of the best-looking screens here. Viewing angles are broad, while colours are bright and accurate, so photos and videos look great. Fans of epic movies will benefit from a larger display, though.

The GoGear didn't last quite as long as some of the other players in our video battery- life test, but it still fared well at six hours and 10 minutes. Impressively, the GoGear's battery lasted 42 hours and 31 minutes when playing music - the longest time of any player here.

Apart from Creative's Zen X-Fi, the GoGear is the only player here to come with a set of passive noise-cancelling earplugs. Although they didn't provide as much sound insulation as other earplugs we've used, they did a good job of blocking out the hum of air conditioners and computers in our office. They sound very bright and harsh, though, which makes them uncomfortable to listen to for long periods. The GoGear can produce better-sounding music with third-party earphones.

There's no line-in port for connecting an external microphone, but the GoGear has a built-in mic for recording live audio. The integrated FM radio had the best reception here, with little static.

Philips' GoGear may be a little heavier than the other 8GB players here, but it's a quality MP3 player with long battery life and a good-quality screen. It's our Best Buy.

Author: Barry de la Rosa