If you've been reading my column for a while then you know that I'm a big fan of accessorizing. I'm totally metro when it comes to adding a little accent or a little splash of color to spruce things up. As excited as I was to get a Sony PSP, I was even more excited to accessorize my sexy consumer-electronics beast. It's taken about a month, but I've finally found my three favorite PSP accessories. Here's the rundown.
Logitech PlayGear Pocket
Protecting a $250 purchase is a good idea, but most accessory companies would have you guard your PSP with an ugly case and / or in an inadequate way. Finding the perfect blend of style and durability is tough task. Thankfully Logitech was up for the challenge. Its PlayGear Pocket is made out of sturdy polycarbonate and sports a really slick design.
In addition to being durable and elegant, the case is practical as well. You have access to almost all the controls and ports while the system is in the case -- you will have to remove your PSP if you want to change UMDs. Travelers will appreciate the fact that you can use the case to prop up the PSP, which is perfect for when you want to watch a UMD movie on a flight. I've checked out a lot PSP cases and this is easily my favorite one. Best of all, it's fairly inexpensive at $20.
Raymond's perfectly accessorized Sony PSP.
Etymotic Research ER-4P MicroPro Earphones
I've tried quite a few active noise-canceling headphones, including cans from Sony, Panasonic, and Bose. While each does a decent job at blocking out environmental noise (i.e. airplane engines), none of them can touch these babies from Etymotic. It makes a certain amount of sense when you think about it. I mean, what's better at blocking out sound than earplugs? The ER-4Ps are essentially earplugs coupled with high-end earphones. The sound is exquisite and the passive noise-canceling effect ensures that outside noise will not bother you while you're playing your PSP.
As far as sound quality goes, the ER-4Ps are phenomenal. They offer a detailed and perfectly balanced sound. The only headphones I've liked better are my trusty Grado SR-80s. Of course, those are full-sized cans and do not offer any noise cancellation.
These are pretty much the perfect solution for on-the-go audio. They are portable, offer outstanding sound quality, and excellent noise cancellation. As a bonus side effect, they block out my coworkers, which is nice for when Will is espousing the greatness of FIFA or when Miguel is giving detailed accounts of his latest WoW conquests. The ER-4Ps list for $330, but I've seen a few online stores sell them for under $200. If that's too rich for your blood then you might want to give Etymotic's ER-6 Isolators a look. The sound quality isn't quite as fine as the ER-4Ps, but it's pretty close and they list for $139 (street price $90).
SanDisk 1GB Memory Stick Pro Duo
If you're planning to use your PSP to watch MPEG-4 videos then you need a large Memory Stick. I suggest a minimum of 512MB, but if you can find 1GB Stick then snatch it up as fast as you can. SanDisk's 1GB Memory Stick Pro Duo is a little hard to find these days, but the company expects to get more in stores shortly. The retail price is $159.99, but I've seen a few online stores sell it for less than $120.
SanDisk's Memory Stick Pro Duos cost less than Sony's and are every bit as good. In fact, the company co-developed the media with Sony so it definitely knows how to manufacture these babies. Plus they come in some nifty colors. The 1GB Sticks are available in fluorescent yellow, which comes in handy if you misplace it -- optical yellow is the easiest color for the human eye to pick up (think tennis balls).
SanDisk has more Memory Stick madness planned for the future. It will be introducing 2GB units in a few months, as well as Sticks preloaded with content. For now, its 1GB stick is tops in my book.
