Even though we expected flash-based players to dominate we were surprised at seeing just one hard drive based offering. Apacer’s AU824 was the sole entry-level PMP in the comparison and for the price, we had to admit this is a decent option – it even plays videos. It won our Best Buy award after slugging it out with some heavy hitters like the Cowon iAudio 7 and as an interesting comparison offers the best value for money from amongst all the players. In the second category i.e. players more than 3,000 and up to Rs. 5000 the Cowon iAudio 7 is a sure-shot winner. It’s very suitable for someone looking at good sound on a shoestring budget.
When one talks of video PMPs the iPod Touch cannot trail far behind – a superb device, highly converged and a great performer but it’s costly – our joint Best Performer, along with the equally nice Samsung YP-P3, which isn’t as good for audiophiles who will prefer Apple’s superior sonic characteristics. The iPod Classic also wins our Best Performer award for being the best sounding PMP in-test. If your ears deserve the best, you must acquire one; just throw out the earbuds...
| You Want | You need | Price |
| A very basic player, sans the thrills, very cheap but with FM | Apacer AU824 | Rs 2,400 |
| The largest storage capacity | Apple iPod Classic | Rs 15,400 |
| An audiophile-grade device with support for lossless files | Apple iPod Classic | Rs 15,400 |
| The best touch-based device with superb sound quality and a great screen | Apple iPod Touch | Rs. 25,000 |
| A really compact PMP that you can jog and work out with | Apple iPod Nano 8 GB | Rs. 9,700 |
| A good sounding PMP on a budget, no movie support necessary | Cowon iAudio 7 | Rs. 4,999 |
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