When Nike and Philips came together to design the Nike MP3 Run PSA260 player they created more than just another portable digital music product, they rolled an active fitness trainer into the package as well!
This is much more than a standard MP3 player - it is a feature-rich powerhouse that will enhance any sports experience. From an audio perspective the player comes with a 256MB memory which will give you 8 hours of WMA and 4 hours of MP3 tracks. The rechargeable Li-ion battery that’s included gives you up to 12 hours of playback which should cover most trips to the gym!
The player also comes with an FM radio with 10 presets and a 4 band equalizer makes sure that you can customize your listening. There’s even a stopwatch so you can time yourself and a strobe light function to help you out in low light situations. This is an easy player to master, despite its advanced features. And, because there are no moving parts here your player won’t start skipping or jogging (even if you do!).
The real boost with these players, however, is to be found in the wireless Bluetooth sensor that comes with the package. You attach the sensor to your foot and it tracks your times, distance and pace for you. You can log this data on to your computer where it will be stored in progress charts and you can also get an audible feedback of your stats from the player itself any time you want. This really is like taking a personal trainer along with you!
The player uses USB technology for rapid transfers via your computer. You’ll also get a copy of the Music Match software suite in the box which will make it easy to manage your audio files and transfers from your PC.
Standard accessories include:
- Sport Headphones
- Speed and Distance Sensor
- Sport Armband
- USB Cable
- CD ROM Software
- Adapter
You can also purchase accessories for the players including flight headphones. With some careful shopping around on the Internet it’s possible to pick up this model for around $150.
Pros
- Size - Nike and Philips have designed an unobtrusive and compact player that you can wear in various ways to suit you best. It won’t get in your way.
- Technology - The player has no moving parts here so you won’t have any skip problems.
- General Features - In addition to the MP3 abilities of these players you also get a radio and stopwatch built in.
- Sports Features - The sensor system is a great add-on for any sports lover.
Cons:
- Software - Some users find the supplied software hard to use, inflexible and buggy.
- Sound Quality - Some users feel that the sound quality, whilst good overall, doesn’t allow enough for noisy environments.
- Storage - If you want to carry a lot of music round with you then you might be better off with a higher capacity player
- Sports Features - If you’re not going to use these features regularly then there is probably little point paying for them.
Usage Tips and Tricks
The Speed and Distance Sensor won’t nag you if you stop exercising but it will turn itself off if it doesn’t see any activity for 30 minutes or there is no link to your player for 10 minutes! If this happens press the power button for a couple of seconds to wake it up again.