The N95, as advertised by Nokia, is one device which tries to do (too) many things. While many such all-in-one gadgets fail miserably in doing anything useful, the N95 comes out with flying colors in most of the areas. Like the camera, for example.
Another area where the N95 tries to excel is the music department. The music player on the N95 is similar to the one on the incredible N91. The N91 is rated by many people as the best mp3 player in the market, rated even above the iPod and the Network Walkman's from Sony.
So how does the N95 stack up against these devices? The perception of music quality is very very subjective. It varies from person to person. As a owner of a 5th gen iPod and a 6 GB Sony network Walkman NW-A1000, I can assure you, the N95 sounds better than both of these devices, especially when you have tuned the equalizer to your preferences. The music player interface is pretty decent, though it may take time to navigate if you have stored your music collection on a 4 GB memory card. It obviously lacks the scroll wheel of the iPod or the intuitive alphabetic navigation of the network Walkman which enable you to locate your favorite song faster.
One negative is the low hiss you hear when there is no music playing. In my few days of usage, I don't find it very annoying. This hiss also goes away when the phone is idling - only to return when you press any key. The hiss is totally absent when the music plays. Some people may not even notice this at all. Another annoyance is the poor quality headphones supplied with the handset. I threw away mine and plugged in my favorite Senheiser ear buds.
And believe me, the multimedia keys which are revealed when you push the slider down, are indeed useful. While some dismiss this as a gimmick - since you can use the D-pad too to control the same - the real usefulness of it comes when you are doing other tasks, for example browsing. The D-Pad works only when the music player is the active application.
If your music collection is not very large, the N95 indeed can serve as an excellent replacement for your mp3 player. Don't forget to carry that extra battery though!
