Price we paid: iPod Shuffle, $80; mobiBLU Cube2, $120

Date of ConsumerReports.org update: November 2006

The smallest digital music players are tiny enough to be clipped to a pocket or worn around the neck like a pendant, yet they have more features and capacity than their predecessors. Some of the tiniest models now hold more than 200 songs, and a few players display photos and even video clips on a postage-stamp-sized screen. Of course, their size often compromises their ease of use and versatility.

What they are. We tested two of the smallest players on the market: the redesigned iPod Shuffle ($80, 1 gigabyte capacity) and the mobiBLU Cube2 ($100, 1 gigabyte version; $120, 2 gigabyte version), also in its second incarnation. The Shuffle is no bigger than a piece of Bazooka Bubble Gum; the mobiBLU is about the size of a piece of billiard chalk. Both weigh about half an ounce. Both players are worthy, but they have different weaknesses. Here are the details:


iPOD SHUFFLE

What you get. Measuring only 1.1 inches by 1.6 inches wide by 0.4 inches deep, this second-generation Shuffle is radically smaller than the first model. In fact, it's the smallest player we've ever tested.

Like its predecessor, it takes a minimalist approach. There's no screen, and therefore no way to select songs or to view photos and videos. You simply listen to songs as a single playlist or in the order they were loaded onto the player. Or you mix up the order with the random (shuffle) setting. There's only one color, silver, and one capacity--a gigabyte, the minimum for most flash players these days. In addition to adding music from iTunes, you can also use the Shuffle as an external drive to store data. The Shuffle supports MP3, AAC, WAV, and audible audio formats. Other features include a shuffle/continuous play switch, power switch, and two multicolor LED indicator lights for battery and player status.

What we liked. The control pad is simple--a relatively large single play/pause button bounded by a ring of track-change and volume up/down buttons--and extremely easy to use. A password-protected volume limiter lets concerned parents safeguard their children's hearing. While the tiny Shuffle can easily get lost in a purse or pocket, a clip on the back lets you firmly attach the player to a belt or other article of clothing for convenient access.

What we didn't like. Unlike the earlier Shuffle, which plugged directly into your computer's USB port, the new version needs a special cradle to receive its music and power. One end of the cradle plugs into the Shuffle's headphone jack, the other into your computer's USB port. (A wall charger is a $30 option.) On a full charge, playback time is more than12 hours. That's respectable, but much less than some larger flash-memory players in our tests.

Some may find the Shuffle too simple. You can load only one playlist at a time, after all. The lack of a screen presents other challenges. Two multicolor LEDs indicate whether the battery is low, the player is ready, songs are loaded, etc. Even with the included quick-reference sheet, deciphering the lights' meaning can be hard work. And like all other iPods, the Shuffle lacks FM radio and voice recorder, which are common on many other brands.


mobiBLU CUBE2

What you get. The 1-inch Cube2 is, by far, the more ambitious of the two players. It tries to do everything--even show you photos and video clips on its half-inch color screen.

Of course, since it's not an iPod, you can't use iTunes' content library, as you can with the Shuffle. But the Cube2 can download music from most other music sites. It plays MP3, WMA, and OGG files. To import music files stored on your computer, you use Windows Media Player, or drag and drop from Windows Explorer. Like the Shuffle, the Cube2 doubles as a data storage device.

What we liked. Compared with the Shuffle, the mobiBLU can display photos and videos and the 2 GB version offers twice the capacity of the Shuffle. Its screen allows you to search and play tracks by categories--play lists, artists, album, songs, and so on. When listening to music, the player displays the music file's name.

The player also has an FM radio, FM recording and scheduling, and voice recording for dictating memos. Seven user-adjustable EQ settings and a digital-signal processor allow you to tailor sound to your liking. To maximize storage, you can lower the compression rate of the on-board FM and voice recorder from 128 kilobits per second (kps) to 32 kps.

The included headphone is designed as a lanyard, so you can wear the player as a pendant.

What we didn't like. Though the display has a good viewing angle, it clips the edges of some images and it's not bright enough to be used in direct sunlight. Also, the practicality of looking at images no bigger than a thumbnail, particularly group shots, is questionable, but it is fun.

Because the screen is so small, it doesn't display many characters at a time. And navigation can be a challenge. The Cube2's menus are stacked in a way that sometimes requires you to push many buttons just to make one adjustment. But hopping between songs and playlists is fairly easy.

Also, battery life is even less than the Shuffle's. The manufacturer says it is a modest 10 hours of playing time at half the maximum volume, but actual playing time could be less at higher volume.

Like the Shuffle, the Cube2 recharges and synchs data via a proprietary cable that charges and that plugs into its headphone jack. A wall charger costs about $15.

And while you can easily drag-and-drop music into the player from your desktop, it's harder to load photos and video. You first need to convert them into proprietary files the Cube2 can play, using the included software. Another quibble: The FM radio can tune into many stations easily, but you might experience static at times.

The bottom line. The two players don't cost a lot and are indeed cool, but their compactness has required significant compromises in function and performance. Before buying either, consider much more capacious players that perform better, are only modestly bigger, and are sometimes just as cool.

For example, the new 2GB Nano, $150, is as stylish as the Shuffle and provides far more flexibility for enjoying music, since it has a screen and double the capacity. But it's about three inches long, compared with the Shuffle's one-inch length.

If you're not already invested in Apple's iTunes music-management software and store, consider one of the many alternatives to the Cube2 from Creative, iRiver, and others. You can easily spend less for a player with the same capacity, up to five times the playback time, and screens of a more practical size for photos and video.

Pick the Shuffle or Cube2, only if small size is absolutely everything in a player--you want one you can carry in a purse, say, or wear around your neck when exercising. Otherwise, think bigger and better.