iLounge

The iPod remains the leading digital audio player among teenagers by a significant margin in current and expected ownership of the devices, according to a new survey of 11 high schools released Wednesday.

Piper Jaffray’s bi-annual “Taking Stock With Teens” survey found that 56% who said they own a portable music player own an iPod, compared to 40% in the Fall 2004 survey. The next closest competitor was Sony, which was chosen by 14% of device owners. The survey found that Apple also has a significant lead in expected future purchases. Of the 59% of students expecting to buy a device within the next year, 70% expect to buy an iPod. Only 15% said they expect to buy a Sony device.

For teens, the pricing “sweet spot” for digital audio players remains $100-$199, which the investment firm notes includes three iPod models — both iPod shuffles and the 4GB iPod mini.

Like the iPod, Apple’s iTunes Music Store is also rated highly by teenagers. The results of Piper Jaffray’s survey found that iTunes has “significantly higher penetration into the high school demographic than all other services,” with nearly 60% usage. The next closest online music store is Napster with 9% usage by teens surveyed.