John-BBY
Hello likegoodsound,
There are several things to take into consideration when selecting an mp3 player and speakers. Generally speaking, the pricing for mp3 players will depend on the features offered and the technology that they run on (i.e. hard drive versus solid state or flash drive for storage, screen size, etc.).
What Wattersracing15 says about the audio quality being dependent on the song and the headphones or speakers is true. Mp3s are music files that are a "lossy" format. What that means is that data is stripped from the original music file for a more compact portable version. You'll hear terms like "bit rate" to describe the audio quality of the compressed mp3 files. The higher the bit rate (128 mbps [megabits per second] or 256, for example), the higher quality the sound you get. Downloadable music is usually in the 128 or 256 mbps range, with 256 being higher quality.
This brings us to external speakers. There are a number of options available, from pocket-sized varieties to shelf systems made by high end audio equipment manufacturers like Bose and JVC. Here is where you get what you pay for: the lower priced units are much more likely to sound like an old radio than the more expensive products. Unfortuntately, that's a fact of life in the home audio world. The best way to be sure that you're getting the quality of sound you want would be to visit your local Best Buy® store for a demonstration. The audio specialists should be able to steer you to equipment that will satisfy your requirements.
I hope this helps. If you have additional questions, please let us know!
 | John|Social Media Specialist | Best Buy® Corporate Give Kudos if you like this post or Accept as Solution if it answers your query! | | |
