The Insignia brand of Mp3 players from Best Buy has become popular among consumers because of the better value they offer in their full-featured audio devices. The new Insignia Pilot, available in 4 GB and 8 GB capacities, are priced at just $130 and $160 respectively. Not bad for a portable audio device which has all the features you’ll ever need and more.
The Pilot Mp3 is equipped with both audio and video playback, photo viewer, FM radio, voice recorder, and has a built-in SD card memory expansion slot. The latter feature is convenient for those who don’t want to be limited by the 8 GB memory of the Pilot Mp3. It can play MPEG-4 and WMV videos, display JPEG photos, and support a handful of audio formats, including Mp3, WMA, WMA DRM, WMA Lossless, WMA Pro, OGG, WAV and Audible. It also has Rhapsody DNA integration, which basically allows you to transfer Internet radio channels to the player for easier access.
But the best feature of the Pilot Mp3 is the integrated Bluetooth. Its built-in stereo Bluetooth function allows you to listen to music using your wireless Bluetooth headphones. This is definitely a plus for enjoying music on-the-go as it maximizes movement, without having those dangling headphone cords bothering you. The Bluetooth connection with the Pilot Mp3 can go to about 30 feet. Now you can leave the Mp3 player on your desk and won’t miss a track on your music playlist while you’re on another room getting coffee.
The Pilot Mp3 is a bit lengthy compared with most compact flash players in the market. It has a simple black body with brushed silver trim. The face of the player, when held horizontally, has a 2.4-inch color LCD screen on the left and the control pad on the right. The control buttons somewhat resemble that of the Apple iPod’s clickwheel, except that the scroll ring is only enabled for four-way clicking.
Some of the Pilot Mp3’s playback features are also comparable to the iPod Classic. There is an album art display along with the current playing tracks. You also have the option of switching between screens to view a larger album art or other artist information. The main menu uses icons while music is organized using the step-down structure of displaying the artist, album, genre, etc. on the display screen.
On the other hand, sound quality isn’t that impressive with the Pilot Mp3. Deep bass isn’t quite discernible, even with the use of high-end earphones. Also video quality is on the downside, as there are noticeable pixelation during video playback. Nevertheless, battery life is extended for up to 25 hours of audio playback. It also has an effective photo display. The Insignia Pilot Mp3 player is really an economical device, which gives you more value for less the price.
