It’s fair to say that the market for budget MP3 players is a bit out of control, with all sorts of brands and models hitting the scene. Philips recently offered a recognizable name into the mix with its GoGear Vibe and it’s a bit of a mixed performer.
Physically, the Vibe is as nondescript as a music player can get. I’m not particularly averse to devices looking particularly pedestrian and it’s hard to fault Philips here: they do fit in a good amount of hardware into such a cheap machine.
For instance, it features a full color screen on the front panel, a detail you rarely find in PMPs in this price range. The 1.5-inch display doesn’t have the greatest quality but it capably shows photos, videos and album art. Other things you’ll see in the outer panel include a few button controls, a mini-USB slot, a 3.5mm audio jack and a pinhole mic.
It supports a good range of files (including MP3, WMA, Audible, and subscription audio), although drops the ball on AAC – sorry, iTunes fans. You can alter sound a bit with some basic equalizer settings, but the default audio quality is already considerably above average compared to similarly-priced media players. Just make sure to use your own pair of earphones, because it comes with a decidedly nominal set.
Video playback isn’t really all that enticing, requiring you to convert into the ultra-low-res SMV format before being able to play on the device. Still, with a 1.5-inch screen, I doubt anyone’s planning to watch video here. An FM tuner is also onboard, with up to 20 station presets.
Priced at $59 for the 8GB version, the Philips GoGear Vibe is a heck of a bargain and is easily the most well-rounded device you can find in this price range.
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