JNC SSF-200

Perhaps the best characteristic of an MP3 player (when compared to Discmans and Walkmans) is its lack of moving parts. When there is less to fiddle with, there’s less to break -- just avoid solar flares, microwaves and rare earth magnets, and it’ll continue to be unbroken.

Perhaps the best characteristic of an MP3 player (when compared to Discmans and Walkmans) is its lack of moving parts. When there is less to fiddle with, there’s less to break -- just avoid solar flares, microwaves and rare earth magnets, and it’ll continue to be unbroken.

JNC’s SSF-200 is a great example of a ‘no fiddly bits’ music player. The sleek, glittery and solid design is very welcome, as is the absence of buttons. In their place are two dials, which not only add to the compactness of the device, but also to the simplicity of maneuvering its menus.

While the dials are easy to use, the abbreviations in the menus can be a little confusing – but they’re nothing a quick flick through the manual won’t decipher. What the instruction booklet won’t explain is the stethoscope-shaped earphones that come in the package. Comfortable and great quality, yes, but don’t blame your friends if they mistake you for Frankenstein’s monster. Or Ernie the muppet.

The SSF-200 is a little heavier than the iRiver player above – but only by 10 grams. Like the iFP-195TC, the JNC model takes a single AA battery, has an FM radio and a voice recorder. It lacks the huge 512MB of flash memory of the iRiver, but the 128MB it does pack isn’t inadequate. While 256MB is the optimal amount, 128MB will hold around 32 128Kb/s four-minute tunes – a bit more than you’d fit on a 700MB CD.

Sound quality and frequency response of the player are sensational; and the significantly more expensive iRiver is only a smidgen better when it comes to bass. The player handles high volumes well, and it can interpret the whole gamut of bit and sample rates.

As for software, the JNC handles well; after a quick driver and software installation, uploading music is a simple drop and drag affair. Capability is also there to just drag CDA shortcuts straight from an audio CD; the software will automatically convert the tracks to MP3s.

Overall, the SSF-200 is an awesome performer. It’s only fault being its price – at $379 you could afford a player of slightly lesser quality, with twice the memory, and still have $100 or so left over. But as we said, it’s minor, and shouldn’t stop you from considering the SSF-200.