Features:  

Upon opening this program, it strikes you that this program doesn’t look like any other converter reviewed. It looks more like some fancy appearance skin from Windows Media player than a nuts and bolts utility that will reshape your music library. But upon closer investigation there are two tabs above the main list of files, “MP3 to WAV” and “WAV to MP3”. Then it becomes clear that this is meant to switch your files between the two formats. Providing a fresh look, this program distracts from the fact that it doesn’t do much other than flip the audio files between WAV and MP3.

Because there isn’t a whole lot going on with this program, it's not that difficult to use, which might be appealing for those who don’t need all the other features the other programs provide. Simply load the files you would like to switch into the program and hit the convert button. Beware, that the free trial version doesn’t have a labeled convert button. It is there, just to the right of the playback options, just not labeled as such; it's an invisible button. We couldn't decide if this was meant to push you towards purchasing the software or was simply a mistake.

The interface has two tabs, as stated above. The files you load into the program, whether dragging and dropping or finding through the file locator, place themselves on the appropriate list. It won’t confuse you with a myriad of choices or options.

Input:  

Only two formats are supported. MP3 and WAV files are the sole formats this encoder will work with. This might be limiting to many, but considering most music audio files are in one or the other format, this will appeal to the casual computer music consumer.

Ease of Use:  

Since there isn’t a wealth of options to confuse you, this program is quite straightforward. Not a lot of fancy additions make this program transparent to navigate and function. But the inclusion of an invisible convert button was a large stumbling block at first. This may be due to the fact that the program was tested through an emulation process for a Mac, but probably unlikely.

Help & Support:  

The website provides a glimmer of hope those who might need help. There is a FAQ for your typical problems. The case of the invisible convert button was solved through this method. A support email is also available.

The website shows that an update was made this year, back in March. With the purchase of this software, you have access to download updates, as they are made available. Looking at the website, updates happen about once a year or so, fixing small bugs and adding more options. This gives a little relief knowing that people are still working on improving this software, if you do decide to cough up the asking price.

For the price, MP3 WAV Converter 3.98 doesn’t provide a lot of features that come with other software titles. If you want the minimum of features packaged with a dated look, then this title is for you. It is highly suggested that you check out the other options available, especially if you are going to pay for them. If you do need more be sure to check out Switch Audio Converter, Advanced WMA Workshop, or Factory Audio Converter to see what you can get for your money’s worth.