I recently returned from Taiwan where I attended the Taipei Summer Computer I.T. Show.  Among all the aisles of the latest computer gear, there were hundreds of new MP3 players.  I saw many iPod clones, a variety of hard drive based models, and more pocket sized players than I can remember.  Many new models have color screens and video capability, which I found to be mostly useless since they are usually too small to watch video and the player does not have enough memory to storage a large video file.  Some players allow you to read e-books, although the screens are so small that you will need a magnifying glass.  The main point is that many manufacturers are adding features and elements to their products to differentiate them in a crowded market.  Mostly they are more expensive and have features that seem “cool”, but are not useful.  A good MP3 player is all about audio.  What I was looking for was a player with a cool design, easy to use, excellent sound quality, and is not full of features that I have to pay for, but will never use more than once.

Of all the players I tried, only one stood out of the crowd.  The MobiBLU DAH-1500i is the latest MP3 Player from Korea-based MobiBLU.  It is not only the world’s smallest MP3 Player, but also a full-featured player with all the capabilities available from other manufacturer.  It does not do video, offer a full color screen, or play e-books.  It also does not charge you to have those features.  The DAH-1500i focuses on what is important when you want a great portable MP3 Player.

While in Europe and Asia, the DAH-1500 model is available, here in the U.S. we are lucky enough to get the DAH-1500i model, which has Digital Rights Management, USB 2.0, playlists, S.R.S. WOW, and voice / FM recording features which are not available on the DAH-1500.  And due to a distribution agreement between MobiBLU and Walmart.com, U.S. customers may get the DAH-1500i for a better price.  I saw a price of $4800 NT (Taiwan Dollar) or $154 US for the 1GB DAH-1500 in Taiwan.  Both the 512MB and 1GB models of the DAH-1500i can be ordered from http://www.walmart.com

Let’s take a look at the basic features:

OLED Display - Self Emitting Blue (Organic Light Emitting Diode) Display combined with Blue letters.
MP3, WMA, and WMA with Digital Rights Management so you can download and play purchased music
512MB or 1GB built-in memory
FM Radio Receiver and Recorder
Headset / Earphone Antenna
USB 2.0 Flash Drive for storing files
Voice Recorder with Built-in microphone
Five Preset EQ modes plus one User-Set EQ mode (Normal / Rock / Jazz / Pop / Classic)
SRS WOW – Surround Sound for 3D Surround and superior Bass experience.
16amp / 15mW Headphone Output Power
20 Hz – 20 KHz Audio output Frequency with 90dB signal to noise ratio
File Navigation System and Unlimited Folder Capacity
Built-in Clock
Built-In Lithium-Ion Battery which charges when the DAH-1500i is plugged into a USB port
Up to 10 hours of battery life
Resume Function - Previous user settings and track location are automatically restored
Firmware Upgradeable - Firmware is easily upgradeable to new features and functions.
USB 2.0 PC Interface (16-20mbps)
Connectors: Combination headphone / USB data transfer / Battery Recharge Jack
Size: 24mm cube or 0.93” cube
Weight: 18 Grams or 0.63 Ounce
Included Accessories: Necklace style earphones
USB 2.0 Cable for data transfer and battery recharging
User Manual
Rubber protective cover
Software CD

When I say this is the world’s smallest MP3 Player, I mean it.  I have often gotten strange looks from people who see me wearing earphones, but cannot see the cord plugged into anything.  Until they look closely to see the tiny box hanging at the end of the cord.

The top of the DAH-1500i contains the USB / earphone port as well as a loop for attaching the necklace earphone.  More about the necklace and the USB Cable later in the review.

The controls are very basic, but can be a little complicated due to their multi-function personality.  Each button can be pressed quickly or held down for two different functions.  As an example, the Play button can be pressed quickly to play or pause and also held down to power on or off.  Also, the functions of each button can change based on the mode the DAH-1500i is in.  This gives the DAH-1500i a little bit of a learning curve, but once you get used to it, it is easy enough to use.  One side of the DAH-1500i contains a Lock and Menu button, while the opposite side contains the Play/Pause, Volume Up, Volume Down, Chapter Forward, and Chapter Reverse controls.  The buttons do not have a “solid” feel, but I have not had any problems.  The only issue I have is that the buttons are a little difficult to press when the Protective Cover is installed.  See below for information about the Protective Cover.  Of course, since the DAH-1500i is so small, the buttons are also small and may be a problem if you have fat fingers.

The DAH-1500i is compatible with MP3, WMA, and WMA DRM files, so you can listen to your ripped MP3 and WMA files as well as WMA DRM songs purchased from your favorite music service.  A file system can be used for selecting the file or directory you wish to play, however the small screen does make the file system difficult due to the display only showing a few characters at one time for each name.  The name does scroll, but with only 5 characters per name, it does take a while to see a complete file name.  The DAH-1500i shows up as a standard flash drive when connected to your PC, so transferring files is as easy as dragging them to the appropriate folder on the drive.  A Playlist feature is available.

The DAH-1500i also contains FM Radio, FM Recording, and Voice Recording features.  Using the earphone cord as an antenna, the FM Radio does not receive weak signal well, but it does do a good job with local stations.  The FM recording function allows for recording at different bit rates, but is prone to the usual FM hiss from some stations.  The Voice Recording function has an adjustable bit rates setting as well as a Recording Gain setting to adjust for the sound environment.

The sound quality and power output of the DAH-1500i is really good.  With 15mW of output power, the sound level was always loud enough for any situation.  The volume settings run from 0 to 30, but I normally kept it between 15 and 20.  The equalizer function allows you to choose between 5 different presets and one custom 5-band preset.  While the range of adjustments on each band was limited, I found the equalizer adequate for most of my listening material.  An SRS WOW function is also available to give your music a surround effect.