Archos 3 Vision - The Definitive Review

The Archos 3 Vision is a unique MP3/MP4 player loaded with quality features in Archos' overall impressive lineup. With this MP3/MP4 player, Archos was aiming for a mid-price range competitor to the iPod which boasts functionality that the iPod doesn't have. Here's my review of the Archos 3 Vision.

To describe the Archos 3 Vision in a few words: Performance, Style, Quality. This MP3/MP4 player is particularly impressive because of its elegant, sophisticated, yet simplistic appeal. So, where to start? How about the music playback?

The music is crystal clear and has an excellent range of low and high tones. This is definitely the meat of the device (considering most people will get the most use out of its music playback features), so it's important that Archos do this part right. Well, I'll tell you what; they did it perfectly. The sound equalizer is better than most MP3/MP4 players on the market so you can customize the sound the way you like it. The music sounds great, and navigating through the software menu system is easy and intuitive. You can select random playback which shuffles your library and keeps you guessing as to what song will come next. The touch screen is nice and responsive and the overall visual appeal of the device is quite attractive.

But the Archos 3 Vision has way more features than just music playback (which, by the way, handles music in multiple file formats: MP3, WMA, OGG, FLAC, and WAV). It's called the Archos 3 because of its gorgeous 3? touch screen which displays vivid colors and sharp images and video. Don't adjust your monitor; you read that right. The Archos 3 Vision plays video. So why is this such a big deal? Well, it basically turns your MP3/MP4 player into a portable DVD player as well. What makes this feature really cool is that there's no file conversion necessary; just drag-and-drop your video files onto the device from your PC using the included Archos Media Management software and bam, you're all set.

With 14 hours of battery life on continuous music playback and 4 hours on continuous video playback, you'll have plenty of time to watch a couple movies or fall asleep to peaceful melodies which are still playing even when you awaken.

It's got plenty of storage space too, with 8GB of memory. That's enough for 3000-4000 songs, or a few videos, or tens of thousands of images (or a combination of all three).

One of the coolest features is the ability to record voice memos. I always find this feature handy, because I rarely am near a notepad when a brilliant idea strikes. But what's even cooler is the fact that the Archos 3 Vision can actually record an FM radio signal, which brings me to the next cool feature; it has an FM tuner.

Have you ever felt like you were tired of the music in your library and were ready for listening to something else? I sure have. That's why I really like this feature. Sometimes, listening to the radio is exactly what I need. Very few MP3/MP4 players on the market have an FM tuner, but this is an awesome feature.

But now, the cherry on top. Not only does the Archos 3 Vision have an FM tuner, it also has an FM broadcaster. This is a seriously cool feature. You can queue up any music from your library and actually broadcast a short-range radio signal with the Archos 3 Vision. You can select what frequency in which to broadcast and then tune your radio to that frequency, and presto, welcome to the world of being a DJ! This feature comes in really handy in the car for wireless playback through your car speakers. If you're going on a road trip, you can broadcast the audio from a movie through your car speakers and listen to the movie; it's like a book on tape with much more action!

If you're still undecided, let me help you: Go ahead and buy the Archos 3 Vision. You won't be disappointed. I hope this review has helped you!