Signeo's SN-A250 flash-based MP3 player

Here we have Signeo's latest flash-based MP3 player: the SN-A250. This compact USB 2.0 player features a tightly integrated OLED display, FM tuner, between 256MB and 1GB of storage, and up to 18 hours of MP3, WMA, and WAV playback off battery. Connect your CD or, because this is Japan, your MD player to the line-in and the SN-A250 also acts as a computer-free MP3 recording device. This 32 × 68.5 × 12.6-millimeters and 31g player goes on sale in Japan this weekend for up to 19,800 Yen (the 1GB model) or a steep, $170 green.

[Via Akihabara News]

[chrisleydon @ Mar 22nd 2006 7:42AM]

First Post: - Didn't Sony use OLED screens in their latest iPod Killer/Bar of soap? What ever happend to that?

[Gary @ Mar 22nd 2006 7:51AM]

I've been watching the SonyStyle site for months, as every new story of the Network Walkman hard-drive player pops up on Engadget. So far, no indication from Sony that they will ever sell the device in the United States.

Shoot, there was a French review of the darned thing way back in November.

[TZK @ Mar 22nd 2006 8:04AM]

This really is nice - but, companies really need to get off the "under 1GB" mp3 player bangwagon. They are pretty much useless, and are unjustified price wise... not to mention ownership wise.

This is a nice sony-esque unit, with the OLED integration... remember?

The proble, is the buttons on the side of it - seems, with the position and size of the screen, they could have easily put controls on the front.

Though, then they probably would have been forced to come up with something new. And who wants to do that?

[Dave @ Mar 22nd 2006 9:03AM]

I know it's a little unrelated to this... but..

Sony and other manufacturers are REALLY going to have to start selling their devices at a significant loss if they want to gain any market share. Creative, I'm DOUBLY looking at you here. I see idiots whine about Apple's "overpriced devices" an awful lot, but iPods are really pretty reasonably priced compared to the competition... often less than other "major" manufacturers.

Directly relating to this unit though... mp3 recording without a computer directly on to this thing? Sounds like MD! I'd be really interested if it weren't for the price... this is a feature I REALLY wish my iPod had.

[Maurice Leacock @ Mar 22nd 2006 9:29AM]

Side buttons suck . . .(iRiver H10 anyone?)

[Max Cage @ Mar 22nd 2006 9:39AM]

Woah! This feature of recording without a PC, I guess is going to let Signeo SN-A250 to stand apart from its class of Portable Music players.

All but for the price, is but a great deal.

[Brian Pennington @ Mar 22nd 2006 12:38PM]

I like this. Other MP3 manufacturers could learn from this industrial design. Sure, it's an evolution of Sony's design, but it looks nicer to me. Kind of reminds me of a futuristic Blade Runner-esque device. That's the way to compete with the iPod, not imitation.

[Spyvie @ Mar 22nd 2006 2:29PM]

Wake up people, line in recording has been available on all IRiver and most Creative flash players for YEARS!