Non-iPods compatible with iTunes Plus downloads
Round-up reviews let you compare four related products and find out which one is best for you
Round-up by: Nate Lanxon
Last updated: 22 Jan 2009
When it dropped the DRM from music in the iTunes Store, Apple opened up the world of iTunes downloads to dozens of MP3 players -- and even games consoles such as the Wii and PlayStation 3. Here are some of our top picks of players that support the iTunes Plus AAC format, which aren't iPods.
We've picked out the Sony S-series Walkman, but in fact all recent Sony Walkmans play AAC, and thus support iTunes Plus downloads. Not only that, but the Walkman line offers terrific sound quality (with decent headphones), and complements the high quality of audio the iTunes Plus downloads deliver. Check the A-series and E-series for other compatible Walkman models.
Creative's Zen and Zen X-Fi both support the AAC audio format, and like the Walkmans, support simple dragging and dropping of files from your iTunes music folder to the music folder within the player's memory. But unlike the Walkman range, the Zens can have their 32GB of internal memory expanded with SD cards.
Representing the massive-capacity players is the new Archos 5. Now you'll need to pay Archos for the AAC codec, as they don't include it as an out-of-the-box feature (trust us when we say it lost marks for this). But once you install the plugin you've got space for 320GB of iTunes Plus downloads, and an amazing video player to boot.
Finally, a music phone. Nokia's 5800 XpressMusic is Nokia's latest and greatest music handset, and just so happens to be compatible with iTunes Plus music, making it even more like its nemesis the iPhone. Other XpressMusic handsets are compatible as well -- just look for AAC support.
Compare Products
 Sony NWZ-S639F Walkman |
 Creative Zen |
 Archos 5 Internet Media Tablet |
 Nokia 5800 XpressMusic |
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| Review date | 20 Nov 08 | 15 Oct 07 | 24 Oct 08 | 16 Jan 09 |
| Editors' rating |
8.0
|
7.8
|
8.6
|
6.3
|
| Price range | £112.99 |
£129 | £216.82 |
£350 |
| Review summary | Its older, larger, more expensive A-series brethren offers wireless audio and a whopping screen, but for ease-of-use, sound quality and sheer enjoyment to use, the S639F is a terrific choice. BBC iPlayer support is an awesome bonus for UK users Read full review Full specification |
The Creative Zen looks great, sounds great and produces great video. It's a full-featured player with plenty of options for customisation. Although the SD card slot is a huge bonus, its contents are not included in the player's main menu, limiting its usefulness Read full review Full specification |
If you can afford it and want the best combination of Web access and outstanding video performance, this is one of the only players in the world you need to consider, despite its flaws Read full review Full specification |
Given the current selection of touchscreen phones, we expected a lot from the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic. Sadly, it didn't deliver the experience we'd hoped for. The 5800's screen isn't the worst we've ever used but it lacks the responsiveness of the iPhone's and, at times, requires a stylus. That said, the music experience isn't bad, so hopefully Nokia's next touchscreen phone will do it justice Read full review Full specification |
| User rating |  8.0 |
 7.0 |
 9.0 |
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