Topic: What's currently the best portable music player?

[Jamos]

As my ~3 year old 40gig iPod photo is starting to have disk issues, I'm looking around at what the best options are to replace it. 
I mainly use it for listening to highly-encoded mp3's as well as dumping and listening to .wavs and aiff's.  It would be nice to have something that could play FLAC files, as well as anything else I wanted to throw at it.

Video & photo capability isn't much of a factor for me, since I rarely use those features.  Just looking for something small, lightweight, with a good display, that has high quality audio out.  30gig or higher...been considering picking up a black 30gig refurb from the apple store for $199, but I want some other options. 

Sorry if there are some obvious other choices out there, but I haven't kept up with what's come out in a few years now.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
 

[hyzershot]

hehe, I've been using my iriver as my mp3 player as well as my bit bucket.
I'm going to pick up another one off '_bay' because I love it so much. I actually use the optical out on it for playing flacs through my receiver and it sounds great. Gig size vs. dollar amount and given their versatility it's hard to beat one of these bad boys IMO. Unless you like something small and light cause thats where they loose compared to others out there. Some of the new flash and sd memory mp3 players are all the rage because of how small they are but I have no experience with them other then drooling at the store. So all in all because I live under a rock and I only go with what I know my vote go's to the iriver H120.

[cheshirecat]

If you're happy with your iPod, you can replace the HD in there for about a hundred bucks.  Sure you have to be somewhat handy, but iPods are relatively simple inside (basicaly a couple circuit boards, batter, and HD).  Check out ifixit.com or do a quick search for ipod parts.

[KLowe]

i've got the Ipod wrenches if you need it.

I think I even have a hard drive for you.....   free + postage

PM me.

[JoeKiller]

Short answer seems to be that the IPod is the one to beat.

I held off on getting MP3 players for a long time but got a cheap SANdisk one.  Oh man did it suck.  Finally I have an 80 gig.  The IPod interface... sooo much better.  Sucks that it can't play FLAC/SHN though.

[OFOTD]

I'm going to throw the Zune into the ring.  Forget the anti-M$ bashing and its a really good player.  Way more rugged than any of my Ipods and the headphone jack sounds significantly better than the Ipod.   

Secind gen is due later this fall I believe so you may be able to find a first gen for cheap.

Oh and no FLAC support yet.

[Brian Skalinder]

I really enjoy my iAudio M3.  Love the wired remote.  Newer models:  M5, X5.