Topic: Portable mp3 player advice needed.

[tim in jersey]

So I'm thinking about taking the plunge and getting an mp3 player. Besides the iPod, what other options are available?

Any players out there handling FLAC yet?

I'm still in the research stage and want to be as informed as possible so I can make a decision I won't regret. Any help pointing me in the right direction is appreciated.

[Nick Graham]

There's the new Microsoft Zune, though all reviews I've seen have been pretty bad.

The Rio Karma series are nice, and will play FLAC, so that's an option. Ive also heard a lot of good things about Samsung's players.

I'd still recommend an iPod to anyone, as there's numerous reasons why they're far and away the biggest selling of them all.

[jef-o]

i like my creative zen xtra.  30 gigs of music storing goodness for a lot less than an ipod.  also, i'm hearing good things about the new creative video/audio units.

[Brian Skalinder]

Thanks to the advice of others here, I love my iAudio M3.  Latest and greatest in the iAudio line is the M5 (audio only) or X5 (audio & video).  Both support FLAC playback, but dunno about gapless.

FWIW, I find I don't need absolute best quality source files in my portable playback, i.e. original FLACs.  There are already plenty of compromises in my portable listening - the headphone amp on nearly every portable playback device (within a reasonable price range, anyway), the earphones I use (Etymotic ER-6), the environments in which I listen (on the plane, train, etc.) - that prevent me from experiencing and enjoying the full fidelity of the original FLAC source.  So I've found a high bit-rate MP3 or OGG file works just as well to my ears.  While not my intent behind going with high bit-rate lossy derivatives, the side effect, of course, is that I can also fit more music on my portable player.

[shane]

I bought a Rio Karma a couple years ago (because it plays FLAC) and have since replaced it with a 60gb iPod.  Even though it does not play FLACs (although it actually can with RockBox or something like that) I love my iPod.  If for nothing else its size vs. the Karma.  The Rio is this fat little chunk that was not comfortable to carry anywhere.  My iPod is slim and sexy and fits conveniently wherever I put it.  If you want better than mp3 sounding stuff the iPod can handle wav files and Apple Lossless.  I take my live FLACs and convert them to wav and load them to listen to in the car and what not and then just delete them and burn the FLACs to dic for archiving.

Shane

[Ed.]

you can install rockbox on any ipod and it will play flac no problem.

at this point in the game, i'd buy an ipod over anything else out there.  it has more accessories than any other mp3 player on the market and tons of 3rd party manufacturers developing stuff for it.  one of the coolest features i discovered recently...you can hook up an ipod to just about any car stereo that has a cd changer and control it through the radio itself.  plus there's tons of support out there for them on the net.  you don't have to use itunes, in fact, i have never used itunes.  and it looks nice, not all plastic-y and cheap looking like a lot of other mp3 players.

[grayp]

I bought a Rio Karma a couple years ago (because it plays FLAC) and have since replaced it with a 60gb iPod.  Even though it does not play FLACs (although it actually can with RockBox or something like that) I love my iPod.  If for nothing else its size vs. the Karma.  The Rio is this fat little chunk that was not comfortable to carry anywhere.  My iPod is slim and sexy and fits conveniently wherever I put it.  If you want better than mp3 sounding stuff the iPod can handle wav files and Apple Lossless.  I take my live FLACs and convert them to wav and load them to listen to in the car and what not and then just delete them and burn the FLACs to dic for archiving.

Shane

same here.   i still have my karma (3rd one after the first 2 died under warranty)   it has survived being chewed up by the dog and it still works.  i got a 60gb ipod about a year ago just based on space alone.     i really like it.   i like being able to have pictures on it too.    one thing I really liked about the rio was it has a docking station that i could just plug into my router and access from any computer on our network.

[pfife]

The Rio Karma series are nice, and will play FLAC, so that's an option. Ive also heard a lot of good things about Samsung's players.

mine died.  it was a refurb though.  ONly lasted about 6-7 months, without being played constantly.  I liked it when I had it though.

[pfife]

FWIW, I find I don't need absolute best quality source files in my portable playback, i.e. original FLACs.  \

my only reason for wanting flac playback was so that I didn't ahve to convert flacs to mp3/wav before putting them on the mp3 player.

[tim in jersey]

my only reason for wanting flac playback was so that I didn't ahve to convert flacs to mp3/wav before putting them on the mp3 player.

QFT

[Chris K]

FWIW, I find I don't need absolute best quality source files in my portable playback, i.e. original FLACs.  There are already plenty of compromises in my portable listening - the headphone amp on nearly every portable playback device (within a reasonable price range, anyway), the earphones I use (Etymotic ER-6), the environments in which I listen (on the plane, train, etc.) - that prevent me from experiencing and enjoying the full fidelity of the original FLAC source.  So I've found a high bit-rate MP3 or OGG file works just as well to my ears.  While not my intent behind going with high bit-rate lossy derivatives, the side effect, of course, is that I can also fit more music on my portable player.

couldnt agree more with this. mp3 players should not be considered high fidelity, imo.

yeah its a drag converting from flac to mp3. get dbpoweramp and the right plug-ins, and it will do it for you in a single step.

i think the jb3 is a decent mp3 player with better than average headphone outs, and more importantly line out but its size isnt so convenient. doesnt it also play 24bit waves?

but if i were you i would get the ipod. aac sounds better than mp3 to me, and because the ipod is just better. you will thank yourself later. sometimes its better to be a sheep than a trendsetter. 

 

[macdaddy]

get a psp

flac, wav, mp3, ogg (16/44.1)

full screen video (WAY better than ipod video)

you can have pics on it

oh, and it plays games

it sucks to run with, but i dont like to exercise with that sh*t in my ears...

macdaddy quicky ducks, and dons his flameproof suit

[db]

that 8g ipod is pretty nice. no h/d. they claim 24 hours of playback on a charge. so subtract 7 hours to be real. still...

[George]

I would recommend an iriver H120 or H140.  Rockbox, opt in/out, line in/out.  Can't beat that.

[bl6216@yahoo.com]

Hey dose any one know if one of the mp3 players out there can be Rockboxs or not to play 24/96bit audio yet.

[airbladder]

Get the I Audio X5.  Costs less than an I pod, plays flac's, has a radio, you can record from the radio, has an internal mic, comes with a usb port so you can put images from your digital camera onto it, they sell a 60gb so there is plenty of space, the battery lasts longer than an I pod, plays movies, holds photo, and comes with a sub pack so you don't pay extra for a line out.  One of my favorite parts is that it acts like an external hard drive.  You can just plug it into any computer and start transferring files no drivers needed.  So you can use this on as many computers at you want and trade files when you go visit friends.  I am not sure why more people aren't buying these devices.  It comes with all kinds of features that are extras on an ipod and it’s the same size.  It is not at sexy as the pod but it was exactly what I was looking for.  If you are looking to spend less they also sell a 20 and 30 gig.   

[sleepypedro]

does anyone know the current largest capacity mp3 player available that also runs on user-replaceable batteries?  AA or AAA rechargeables would be great, but any device with a rechargeable lithium is fine too, as long as it's replaceable.

in case i didn't word that properly:  what i don't want is a unit with an embedded rechargeable lithium.  when the battery goes, the device is as good as disposable.  the creative zen vision W, vision M are such units.  love them otherwise, but i despise planned obsolescence!

[dunebug81]

does anyone know the current largest capacity mp3 player available that also runs on user-replaceable batteries?  AA or AAA rechargeables would be great, but any device with a rechargeable lithium is fine too, as long as it's replaceable.

in case i didn't word that properly:  what i don't want is a unit with an embedded rechargeable lithium.  when the battery goes, the device is as good as disposable.  the creative zen vision W, vision M are such units.  love them otherwise, but i despise planned obsolescence!

I have an 80GB ipod and while the battery isnt "replaceable" in terms of droping the old cell out and putting a new one in, it is pretty easy to change a battery in an ipod.  I've changed out one or two and usually only takes a few min.

Hopefully apple will come out with a 120gb version soon, im running out of space.

[Ed.]

I read yesterday that new Ipods are coming out in the fall, 12 and 16gb nano's and touch screen videos.  I don't know about a 120gb version tho.

Peter, no idea on a player with removable batteries, I have seen things that dock on ipods tho that offer up 80+ hours of music.  *shrug*  I'm sorry to say that I've kind of turned into a ipod fanboy.

[dunebug81]

the touch screen will be cool, like the iphones.  my next ipod will have to be at least 50% largerfor me to drop another$350 on it.  last year i paid $400 for a 60gb and then about 4 months later i paid $350 for my 80gb (and gave the 60 to my brother in iraq).  maybe the 120gb version will only be $300

[Jammin72]

The iPods are quite flexible... you do have some encoding things to worry about but I've begun tagging my flacs and creating a V0 fileset on my Archive DVD's before things get removed from a drive.  If SQ is an issue you can always use apple lossless. The thing I'm enjoying is a true line output via a modified Dock cable to the Headphone Amp of your choice... really a step up in quality.


I can always use my CX-300's straight out of the device for using at the Gym.

[pfife]

last year i paid $400 for a 60gb and then about 4 months later i paid $350 for my 80gb (and gave the 60 to my brother in iraq). 

do you want +t's or -t's?  Sweet move dude, for real.

[dunebug81]

last year i paid $400 for a 60gb and then about 4 months later i paid $350 for my 80gb (and gave the 60 to my brother in iraq). 

do you want +t's or -t's?  Sweet move dude, for real.

meh, it doesnt matter.  youll have to ask my trolls, apparently they know best.

my poor brother gets stuck with guard duty a few times a week and im sure the ipod helps pass the time.  plus its a cool way for us to send him videos and keep him up to date on family events and such.