Top 3 MP3 Players with Built-in Speakers

I would like to begin this feature with a disclaimer: this is not a definitive guide, and there are plenty of other portable players with speakers. The three devices featured here fall under the DAP category, or simply MP3 players. I’ve kept out all the PVPs for now. Since I wanted to be up-to-date, I’ve also ignored older players.

Now that that’s out of the way, do remember one more thing: inbuilt speakers are for casual listening. So don’t expect to rock your party. It can still be fun, when you get down to appreciate it. And that’s what it’s all about, right?

Zebronics Omega MP3DJ

This looks a bit like a walkie-talkie to me. The design may not be snazzy, but that’s not why we included it in the list. This 2GB player has a built-in speaker at the front, and comes with a dedicated key to activate it. A nifty voice recorder comes in handy. If you are sitting through a touch physics lecture, and are distracted by the new chick in class, just let the MP3DJ do the capturing. You can review it later, even without earphones. It’s pretty loud.

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The Omega MP3DJ costs just Rs 1400, which is a killer price! For a detailed review click here.
Creative Zen Stone Plus

There must have been some reason for Creative to relaunch the Zen stone with built-in speakers. Some may call it “an edge over the competition”! Anyway, I like the result. It allows drag-and-drop, and supports AAC, MP3, WMA and Audible 2, 3 and 4 file formats. As for the speaker, here’s what my fellow reviewer Shayne has to say: “While it may not be loud, it can easily take on most cellphones.”

The player costs Rs 3300 for 2GB, which is a great price. For a detailed review, click here.

Samsung YP-S5

This one has a touch-sensitive keypad under the display with 5-way navigation, a key for selecting various menu options, and return keys as well. It comes with a set of slide-out stereo speakers. The mechanism is thankfully smooth, so it’s easy to slide them out and back in. Formats supported include MPEG4, JPEG, MP3, AAC, and WMA. It also supports the A2DP profile, and the battery life is superb.

At Rs 8900 the YP-S5 isn’t as affordable as the other two, but as it comes with 2GB and Bluetooth with A2DP capability, it’s well worth it. Check out a full review here.