There are now literally dozens of MP3 players on the market. However, the arrival of MPZoos MP3 Disc Player brings a slight change in direction. The MP3 Disc Player can play normal CD audio like any other portable CD player, but unlike almost all the others it can play audio CD-R and MP3 encoded CDs too. Better than an MP3 player? Lets investigate.

The unit looks basic and together with its light feel and plastic shell the MPZoo leaves you wondering if theres anything inside. It has a small LCD display and eight buttons on the face for the usual playback options. Taking two AA batteries, the unit will play audio for about three hours on good rechargeable batteries. There are line out, headphone, and DC power sockets; a hold switch; and a microphone socket.

Strangely, MPZoo decided not to include any software whatsoever with the MP3 Disc Player. It recommend a ripper in its online manual, but nothing more. The headphones included are the bud type and do their job satisfactorily - they are neither outstanding nor shabby. An AC adaptor is also included, but no batteries. Thats it. This is a no-frills first-generation MP3 CD player.
Sound quality when listening to normal off-the-shelf audio albums is quite good. With a better set of headphones there was plenty of distinction between treble, midrange and bass plus the 50 seconds anti-shock memory helped keep stuttering down to a minimum. However, move to CD-Rs and MP3 discs and quality deteriorates, though only slightly. When using the five dynamic bass boost system (DBBS) settings, a slight hissing between tracks becomes accentuated. The ability to record 130 songs (each averages 5Mb on a 650Mb CD) adds immense value and playing time to MPZoos device. The MP3 Disc Player will not play 700Mb CDs, CD-RWs or VBR (variable bit rate) encoded MP3 tracks. Sample rate is also fixed at 44.1kHz only.

There is an abundance of playback options, such as a programmable play list, random song order, continuous next song, and a quick search which allows you to skip through tracks at high speed, useful when you need to sift through lots of songs. These playback options are a nice addition but are hard to decipher thanks to the tiny LCD that can barely be read in anything but the best light. There is no backlight which doesnt help. The open button is made of plastic and doesnt work very well. I found it tended to stick too often and on other occasions it had to be forced to open.

In use, only a 196kbps bit-rate (the maximum possible) encoding gave a quality close to CD audio and not to the level as when the same file was listened to through the Nomad Jukebox, although it is much cheaper than the Nomad. It still recreates above-average audio, and your grandparents might not be able to tell the difference, but if its ultimate quality youre after, search elsewhere. For the price you get good value for money, as there arent many MP3 players out there with a 650Mb capacity that sell for $300. This is first-generation stuff and while not brilliant, its worth considering if your CD burner is gathering dust. If you dont have access to a CD burner buying one would be unwarranted as youd miss out on the MP3 CD Players big drawcard.