The included headphones did not do the unit any favours in this regard. It did, in parts, sound a little flat, but for a small device it performed admirably. We found the SA1335's audio quality to be quite good. The SA1335 has an internal, rechargeable battery that charges via the USB connection, making it both simpler and cheaper to run than the SA1100.
It also rectifies one of our big complaints with the previous version its reliance on an AAA battery for power. This USB port is quite handy, as the device doubles as a USB flash key, allowing you to drag and drop both music and data files from any PC, with no accessories required. Of course it does also come with a USB cable should that be your preferred transfer method. Using a switch on the base slides the plug out, allowing you to connect the SA1335 directly into your PC, without the need for any cables.
The other nifty thing about the design is the retractable USB port that slides out from the back of the unit. The only problem is that the front panel tends to collect a lot of finger prints, which detracts from the style a little. The rest of the body is finished in gloss black and silver and is a slim rectangular shape, which looks quite good and slips easily into your pocket. It does however have the downside of being virtually invisible in direct sunlight. When powered up, the data simply appears as if projected onto the face of the device, creating quite a funky, futuristic appearance. The display rests behind a semi-transparent panel on the front of the unit and is invisible unless it is turned on. With the SA1335 Philips has opted to mimic the hidden OLED screen that Sony recently implemented on their new line up of music players. The previous unit, while not unattractive, had a triangular shape and looked quite basic. One of the biggest improvements is the design. It still doesn't do anything particularly special, but as a simple flash memory based MP3 player the SA1335 works quite well, although the interface did give us some issues. Their latest effort, the 1GB GoGear SA1335, goes some way to improving on its predecessor, providing the same excellent sound quality and combining it with ease of use, an attractive design and a hidden USB port on the unit itself.
#Philips gogear mp3 player full sound portable#
Philips' last entry into the portable multimedia space, the GoGear SA1100, was a fairly competent device, but it didn't particularly impress us.