Teac MP-450 mp3 Player: Comparing it to iPod and iRiver

When looking at digital media players, they are still one step behind their Apple and iRiver rivals. The players designed by Teac always leave the sensation that they can do more, that they will at one point or another take over the market, but still when looking at the features they provide, they are only of medium quality, slightly ergonomic, and barely popular.

Overall, the Teac MP-450 has the same playback sound as its predecessors. It is OK, on average. It has good dynamics and clarity, but it is not excellent like the one that is heard from the iRiver and Apple devices.

The screen is wonderful, considering the user interface, but offers a bad experience when trying to run AVI files, which is another lack in performance presented by the device.

If the ergonomic of the visual elements on the screen is satisfying, we can not say the same things about the buttons. These are placed on two opposite sides of the device, and need to be pushed hard in order to work, which makes operating the MP-450 very difficult with a single hand ( pushing a button on a side, could easily lead to pushing a button on the other side). Also, the design of the product looks rugged, having a 1980s style, which looks like it has been left behind by the modern type designs that are popular these days.

Looking at the technical aspects, the MP-450 has most of the features that you would normally find in a digital player. The player supports MP3 and WMA sound formats, but also can display JPEG images and TXT files. It can also be useful when trying to watch AVI movies, or play Flash games.

Two mentionable features are the microphone, which can be used to record sound in different situations, and the FM radio, which is very helpful when you want something different than the music you have stored in the flash memory.

It is also equipped with a 2-inch TFT LCD screen, the flash memory is of 4GB, it connects to your computer using an USB 2.0 port, and it can be used up to 15 hours before the battery is empty.

If the price of the Teac MP-450 is significantly lower than the one of similar devices from Apple or iriver, these deserve your attention for the good audio quality, and the extended features they offer.

Source: http://www.pixmania.co.uk/uk/uk/570554/art/teac/mp-450-4-gb-mp3-player-bl.html