Apple's market-dominating iPods make it difficult for other companies to compete, but Philips is one of the few that's still plugging away. The GoGear Muse is its latest high-end portable audio and video player and comes equipped with on-board noise-cancelling technology. Our review is based on the 16GB model, which costs about £150, but a 32GB version is available for around just £30 more.
Slimmer and sturdier
The Muse supersedes the GoGear Opus as the premium offering in Philips line-up of portable media players. It features a number of enhancements over the Opus, including a larger, 76mm (3-inch) screen, redesigned user interface and the addition of on-board noise-cancelling technology. Perhaps the most noticeable difference when you initially set eyes on the player is its slicker design.
Philips players have been rather bulbous in the past, but the Muse is a much slimmer affair, measuring only 9mm thick. The player also feels much sturdier than previous models, and the glossy front is complemented beautifully by the brushed steel finish on the rear.
Philips has also tweaked the user interface, so it's now a great deal more responsive and also slightly easier to navigate. As with the Opus, however, there are no touch controls or scroll wheel, so moving through large libraries of tracks involves a great deal of clicking on the control pad.
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