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The last MobiBlu MP3 players to grace the CNET Reviews desk–the US2 and the Cube2–scored very well with the editors, thanks to innovative designs and useful features. More than a year later, we got our hands on MobiBlu’s latest device for the States, the B2. Currently available with 2GB of flash memory for $99, the B2 suffers from an unimpressive design and some crippled features. However, the player still offers some worthwhile extras and reasonable sound quality.At 2.8 inches wide by 2 inches tall by 0.4 inch thick, the MobiBlu B2 is unquestionably compact and that makes its 2.3-inch color OLED display large by comparison. Since the screen dominates the face of the device, all of the controls and ports reside around the edges.

Anyone with a PC running Windows versions from 98 on should have no problems hooking up the MobiBlu B2. For testing, we connected the player to our XP test system with no issues. Files transferred relatively quickly through Rhapsody, but the ability to drag and drop via Windows Explorer is faster. Surprisingly–despite a relatively low signal-to-noise ratio of 83dB–the B2 sounded pretty decent. Music was not as rich and sparkly as we like, but high-end detail was clear and the low-end was present

Mobiblu B2 (2GB)  Reviews From sympatico

Pros: price, screen size, fm radio

Cons: buttons a bit awkward at first

great value from mobiblu, voice recorder, FM radio, Mp3 and 4, video converter, games
external speaker. A great little player

Mobiblu B2 (2GB)  Reviews From cnet

The good: The MobiBlu B2 offers an external speaker for sharing tunes as well as other desirable features, such as an FM radio, photo and video playback, and voice-recording capability. It has a relatively large screen and a compact design.

The bad: The MobiBlu B2’s construction feels cheap.The player isn’t compatible with DRM-protected files. The controls aren’t very easy to use, and the folder tree navigation style may not appeal to all users. Photos look grimy, and you can’t view them while simultaneously listening to music.

The bottom line: The MobiBlu B2 is a compact MP3 player with several appealing extras and decent sound quality, but the Creative Zen V Plus matches, or beats it in almost every regard–and costs less.

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