Philips GoGear MP4 player SA2MUS32S/02 Muse 32GB - Silver

I bought this player a few weeks ago and have been impressed, why? If, like me, you don't like being tied to a particular download site then the GoGear makes it easy to manage your music and video, you literally drag and drop. It's one of the quickest devices I've ever had when it comes to syncing too.

I've transferred home recorded videos, BBC iPlayer programmes (on the "For Windows Media Player" and "For Portable Device" setting - both work well) as the MWV versions of Blu-Ray "Triple Play" films. All transfer quickly and, amazingly, without error or mis-hap. One useful feature of the player is the ability (after purchasing an optional mini-HDMI to HDMI cable) to watch video up to 720p resolution on your screen. This works well (just remember to save with the right resolution in the first place), and one neat little feature is that, as soon as you press "Play" on the unit and the image appears on the Television, the screen on the Muse itself becomes a touch-screen remote control. This works well, and if Philips are sharp, some future firmware versions add some additional functionality too. The Muse screen is bright and clear with a good wide viewing angle.

The Music and Photo Viewer side of things have the usual features, including the obligatory "slide of the finger" feature on the touch-screen to leaf through album covers. I've never found this a useful way to find music, but there you go, you can't please everyone. I don't think the default way the library is organised is particularly effective, but there are a range of options for customising browsing and I found a good compromise for my needs - not hugely sophisticated though, which is a pity. However, if you are an Audible subscriber, like me, then you'll be pleased that the device is able to sync and play with your library in the highest quality codecs too. That's been really useful and, yes, it's quick to sync.

Finally, you can listen to FM radio (which has an effective tuner and user interface - really good quality while walking around town in my local area), and the ability to record from the radio any programmes you are listening to (and the facility to make voice memos etc) that you can listen to later or transfer to your PC collection.

Pros:
Stylish, light, robustly well built
Great sound (including pseudo-surround for movies and a sound restorer option (FullSound) for audio files)
Great screen and resolution, and can output video (up to 720p) via an optional mini-HDMI to HDMI cable
Effective touchscreen (only the odd wait for a reaction - nothing annoying)
Loads of capacity and expandable memory with a micro-USB port
Easy and quick to transfer data, music and video
Great compatibility (haven't found anything so far that it won't play)

Cons:
No in-built speaker
In-built Songbird library management software is not a step forward from simply using WMP (although set-up is easy as it's pre-loaded to install on the player when connected to a USB port on your PC)
Odd little "Text" feature that I can't make head-nor-tail of - nothing illuminating in the User Manual either
Does not come with a protective case of any kind - it's well built, but not invincible!

If you shop around you can get some good deals too, so if you're in the market for a great little versitile player then take at look at this Philips.

I lost my Creative Zen and this is the replacement. When it's working is is absolutely fine, but the Songbird Software is nothing short of dreadful. It all works better on drag and drop as a removable drive.

When you charge it or update it, it goes through a remounting exercise which takes a while. ANd if you want to watch a movie, it can take an age to get loaded.

The earbuds are quite decent and match well agains my Klipsch earbuds.

The video quality is fine but .... it's been a trial to find a format that actually works. I now use AnyVideoConverter which is available as a free download on the internet

Bottom line is that it's a nice-loking piece of kit but needs more attention to the user interfaces. Worth £170? Not really. I'm still hoping that my Zen is going to turn up!

I liked the look of the MP4 player from the Amazon website and had bought Philips products in the past with good results. I have a wide music genre so a 32GB player was essential as I like to carry my collection with me. I wasn't disappointed with the overall style and look of the Philips Muse the satin alloy finish gives the player good grip and the outside controls are easy to read and use. It took about an hour and a half to fully charge the Muse ready for music input, from the moment you switch the player on the on screen instructions allow you to set the date and time and the background design. Once connected to the computer you have no problem as the USB instantly recognises the device and sets the player up for you. I did have a problem however with 'Songbird' the Muse's own music/video capture software but I went online to Philips and downloaded the latest software from there. Drag and drop is the best way to load you device and it's quick too, I filled my Muse with 8450 songs in about 2 hours, that included finding the album artwork before downloading the songs. The best thing about the Muse as a player is the sound quality. The system is loaded with a 'Full Sound' system that creates a mini concert in your head. It is exceptional and the best I've heard on what is a mid range player. The fact you download programs from BBC iPlayer is an added bonus which make the Philips Muse a worth while buy.
The screen is easy to use and does exactly what you expect it to do unlike other units which instead of changing the track will alter the volume. Overall the Philips Muse is a nice bit of kit.