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ColonelClaypool View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: Portable MP3 players
    Posted: April 26 2012 at 04:52

I've started looking for a new MP3-player as my 30GB Creative Zen Vision:M has had an extended run and is starting to show its age(and let's face it, 30GB storage is just way too small for a self-respecting prog fan. Why, that's almost enough space for 10-12 songs...).

Ideally, I'd like to get a 160GB player. Important to note however, I really, really don't want an iPod. I've done a bit of research, and it seems like there aren't a whole lot of options out there. From what I've found so far, this is the best option:
 
 
Anyone have any experience with this, or alternatively able to recommend something else?
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 26 2012 at 05:15
My housemate has a Cowon, albeit a much smaller and older model, but he really likes it. Good for sound quality, nice interface, not sure if they've now switched to capacitive touchscreens as that was my only gripe when I messed around with it.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 26 2012 at 07:45
I've got a Zune 80 which I like lot and have had for a few years now but not filled up.  It's my third player and I like it.  Zune's go up to 120 these days.  
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 26 2012 at 08:29
Archos 5 or 48 ... cheaper than the Cowon and available bigger disc -  they physically look to be about the same size and weight (the 4.8" screen and hard drive dictates that as a practical limitation).
 
I've owned an Archos 5 for 3 years now, I use it practically every day and it's still going strong - I cannot make that claim for any other media player that I or anyone else in my family have owned.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 26 2012 at 09:38
There are not many MP3 players anymore........everything is going the way of the mobile/media phone. Apple is still selling iPods, I have never owned one but my daughter does. I have only Zune's.......and I tell you that the newer ZuneHD models have the best DAC around, I believe they used a Burr-Brown or might even be Wolfson.
I have compared the SQ to my daughters iPod and the Zune is far superior.
 
But Zune's are no longer being made so you can only find them on that auction site or the big online store....and they are not cheap anymore.
I have been keeping my eye out for a ZuneHD 64GB, I have a 32GB.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 26 2012 at 09:48
I have a Sansa clip 2 GB- with a 32 GB microSD card. It's not enough, but before that I had a 4 GB Ipod nano, so to say the least I'm happy with the Clip. 

It's really cheap and gets the job done and supports almost all music files (including FLAC, unlike the Ipod). 

Is there a microSD that has more than 32 GB? If there is it can be a pretty sweet deal for you. It ended up costing me the equivalent of about 80 USD with the microSD (and in Israel sh*t's much more expensive)- and just works great.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 26 2012 at 10:06
^ there are 64Gb microSDHC cards - but even so, with microSD cards being so small it's no hardship carrying around several 32Gb cards.
 
The Clip=£33.10 and each 32Gb card is £18.59 ... He'll need 5 cards to equal the Cowon's 160GB,
 
so in UK money that's £33.10+5*£18.59 = £125.05 ... and the Cowon X7 is £239.00
 
Approve A veritable bargain Approve
 
 
...of course the Archos 48 is £154.99 with a 500GB drive (which would cost you £330.54 as a Clip + 16 x 32GB microsSDs) Wink
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 26 2012 at 10:11
^ :O that's a lot of GB in one thingy
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 26 2012 at 10:15

Nah, that's not a lot... this is Prog and that's barely a enough for a beginner's Prog collection. Geek

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 26 2012 at 15:27
Originally posted by Catcher10 Catcher10 wrote:

 
But Zune's are no longer being made s

Wow, first I heard of it, well to whatever genius who decided to nix the Zune and encourage users to switch to a Windows Phone: screw you, I am not going to do that.  Angry


It will be interesting to see what the lifespan of my current unit will be. 
Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 26 2012 at 15:32
I have a Philips mp3 player. 8 gig I think. Plenty for me.



Edited by Snow Dog - April 26 2012 at 15:35
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 26 2012 at 17:47
Originally posted by Slartibartfast Slartibartfast wrote:

Originally posted by Catcher10 Catcher10 wrote:

 
But Zune's are no longer being made s

Wow, first I heard of it, well to whatever genius who decided to nix the Zune and encourage users to switch to a Windows Phone: screw you, I am not going to do that.  Angry


It will be interesting to see what the lifespan of my current unit will be. 
 
Actually Slarti, the players were discontinued last year, MS announced they would not replenish any devices then. And just this week, I think on Tuesday word has leaked that MS will be completely nixing the Zune name and platform and going to a Spotify type service......code name is "Woodstock", you can Bing "Zune Woodstock".
 
Its suppose to be unveiled next month at some electronics show in LA.......I read it will closely integrate with xBox since that is the more succesful product MS has right now.
 
If you have a Zune Pass you again I think will be grandfathered in to the new service.......As long as I can still download, buy and stream music off their Marketplace as I do now it will be fine sounds like.
 
They are now going after Pandora, Spotify business........I suspect all previous devices will still be supported.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 26 2012 at 18:07
I've got an 80GB iPod, and I've had it for about 7 years now, and I use it every day.  And it still works fine.

I know that's not what you're looking for, but upon reading the responses so far, it made me think about how long a lucky streak I've had with this thing.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 26 2012 at 21:44
Originally posted by HolyMoly HolyMoly wrote:

I've got an 80GB iPod, and I've had it for about 7 years now, and I use it every day.  And it still works fine.

I know that's not what you're looking for, but upon reading the responses so far, it made me think about how long a lucky streak I've had with this thing.

Mine went dead with a little more than 4 years.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 26 2012 at 22:09
I once had an iPod. I used it about ten times. Then I sold it. Now I use my iPhone's music options only for work purposes (eventually doing non-bluray or cd speaker demos) and for the very rare ocassion when I need it (when I forgot my cd of the day). As an enemy of mp3s and a person who rarely needs music while walking or jogging, I'm not the best one to recommend one of these things. 

Having said that, with an iPod you get a lot of good things. Sound quality with a lod cable to a decent system is ok. With headphones, if you get good headphones and decent files (not the most compressed) it's ok. But I agree with those who say that iTunes SUCKS. 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 26 2012 at 23:36
ITunes suck the most, but ipod and iphone sounds fantastic no doubt about it, of course a good earphone is always needed. It's right those devices doesn't support FLAC files, but there's an application for a FLAC player, so no problem there. I'm satisfied with my iphone! Approve 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 27 2012 at 04:06
Originally posted by Dean Dean wrote:

^ there are 64Gb microSDHC cards - but even so, with microSD cards being so small it's no hardship carrying around several 32Gb cards.
 
The Clip=£33.10 and each 32Gb card is £18.59 ... He'll need 5 cards to equal the Cowon's 160GB,
 
so in UK money that's £33.10+5*£18.59 = £125.05 ... and the Cowon X7 is £239.00
 
Approve A veritable bargain Approve
 
 
...of course the Archos 48 is £154.99 with a 500GB drive (which would cost you £330.54 as a Clip + 16 x 32GB microsSDs) Wink
 
Unfortunately, I'm in Norway where everything is stupidly expensive... The cheapest option I've found using a small player and SD-cards is a Creative Zen Style M100 4GB at 359NOK (ca. £36) and 5 32GB cards at 329NOK each (£33). Comes to a total of 2000NOK(£200).
 
In comparison, the Cowon is 2279NOK(£228) and the Archos 2199NOK(£220). Given that the price difference is so marginal between the compact player + SD-cards option and the other two, I much prefer either the Cowon or the Archos.
 
One question about the Archos: It has internet connectivity through WiFi only, no 3G so it can be used while on the move?
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 27 2012 at 04:24
The Archos does not have 3G but it has Bluetooth so it can connect via a 3G phone and the WiFi can be used to access the internet via free hot-spots of course. Mine is an older version without Bluetooth, but I use it in hotels and cafés to access the intermess (and PA) for free, I have also used a USB cable to connect it to my Nokia phone to get Internet access on the move, but that requires using a dock to get to the USB host port. 
 
The Cowon has Bluetooth but I didn't see 3G or WiFi in the specs.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 27 2012 at 04:34
Originally posted by The T The T wrote:

I once had an iPod. I used it about ten times. Then I sold it. Now I use my iPhone's music options only for work purposes (eventually doing non-bluray or cd speaker demos) and for the very rare ocassion when I need it (when I forgot my cd of the day). As an enemy of mp3s and a person who rarely needs music while walking or jogging, I'm not the best one to recommend one of these things. 

Having said that, with an iPod you get a lot of good things. Sound quality with a lod cable to a decent system is ok. With headphones, if you get good headphones and decent files (not the most compressed) it's ok. But I agree with those who say that iTunes SUCKS. 
I bought a Nokia MusicXpress for the purpose of having a combined phone, music player, GPS, Internet surfer, spirit level, compass, clock, calculator, notebook, etc... the only problem with that is once you've used it for all those non-phone applications the battery is flat and you can't make phone calls, so you have to carry around a portable battery charger. I've now gone back to just using it as a phone and have seperate media player and a GPS device. I also use a portable headphone amp to try and extend the battery time of the media player (rather than pretend it makes the music sound any better, which it can't).
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 27 2012 at 05:14
I see the Cowon as more of a pure music player and I don't really care if it has internet connectivity or not. The Archos on the other hand is marketed as an internet tablet, and being limited (mostly) to WiFi means I'll usually connect at home where I can just as easily use my laptop instead.
 
At the moment I'm leaning towards the Cowon as that seems a better fit to what I'm looking for. The 500GB on the Archos is ginormous though...
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