Testing and Listening (continued):
The biggest thing to be concerned with regarding a MP3 player is how it sounds. Much of this is subjective to each individual. I don't necessary need extremely high quality audio reproduction, but it does need to be clear.
The no-name ear buds they provide are cheap, but surprisingly sound decent. They don't compare to the Sony ear buds I usually use, but these are by far the best "free" ear buds I've used.
The sound, regardless of whether you use the "free" ear buds, or a better set, is clear at mid volume level. Most of my music requires a mid volume setting to hear it. On my Archos, if I turned it up it would be clear (although really loud). On the T-Sonic 610, I found a setting of 40 - 50 was equal to the 6 - 8 on my Archos. If I turned the volume all the way up, there was bass distortion at 57/58, but at 56 the sound was crystal clear. With many players I can stand to listen at maximum volume, however the T-Sonic 610 was difficult to listen to at maximum volume. It was actually painful to listen to at max level.
The bass settings will have to be determined by the user. I adjusted the bass setting from very low to full. The bass is deep and crisp, and there is no distortion at mid volume level.
The battery life is another plus. I have found that even though they advertise a 14-hour playtime, it lasted through two 9 hour days of continual use at work.
Since the player is so small and lightweight, you can take it anywhere. For transport, you can choose the neck lariat, a wrist lariat, or the hard case and armband.
 
Conclusion:
With the availability of so many different brands and sizes of MP3 players, the Transcend T-Sonic 610 stands out with its crisp, clear sound, and deep bass tones during MP3 playback, with the FM Tuner, and the built in recorder. If you take into account that no additional software is necessary to use it, and the overall ease of use, you have a great MP3 player! You can also use this MP3 player to transport files if you need to, as it functions as a USB flash drive.
Many players lower the cost by either eliminating an LCD, or by using a backlit or small LCD screen. The Transcend T-Sonic 610 uses an OLED screen, which provides a bright, crisp screen, at low power. The controls are easy to use, the LCD is easy to see because of the OLED technology, and it has a long battery life. It would be nice if you had the option to change the battery, but with a battery life of 14 hours, that is not a big deal (until if/when it dies).
With every great item, there always seems to be at least one downside to it. For the Transcend T-Sonic 610, the only downside I could find was that it doesn't support any form of DRM such as Windows Media 10, or many of the pay MP3 sites (Napster, ITunes, etc.) that are offering a package deal where you can pay a set price and get all the music you want on your player. I can't take any points away for that since the player isn't designed for it.
The Transcend T-Sonic is available in multiple configurations. The 512MB with FM tuner (reviewed here) can be purchased for $118.00 directly from Transcend, or a 512MB model without the FM tuner available for $113.00. If 512MB isn't enough space for you, you can purchase a 1GB model for $156.00 and $148.00 without the FM tuner directly from Transcend. Another option would be to check some of other online retailers with tools like PriceGrabber, where the 512MB sells for as low as $84.99 and the 1GB for $109.99 (see table below). Comparing this to the more popular Apple IPod 512MB Shuffle's price of $89.00 and the 1GB Shuffle for $115.00, you can't beat what you get for such a low price.
Overall I have to give this a 4.5 out of 5... "Readily Recommended".
Final Rating (4.5 out of 5 stars):  
Pros:
• Bright OLED screen
• Extremely lightweight
• Low cost
• Easy to use and load music
• Many play options - FM, MP3, WMA, WAV
• Records voice and FM
• Long battery life
Cons:
• No DRM/Windows Media 10 support
• No changeable battery
• No playlist
Special thanks to Transcend USA for providing the T-Sonic 610 MP3 player to BigBruin.Com for review!
Please drop by the Bigbruin.com Forum and feel free to discuss this review.
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