MP3 Players

[Irish Lager]

Alright since i am going to start back to the gym i am going to need a source of music. However i don't know much about MP3 players and was wondering if anyone had a source online where i could look at some reviews? I am for the most part trying to avoid IPods, and hope to find something by a known manufacturer like Sony, etc. I already have a small MP3 player by RIO but it only houlds like 20 songs so i am looking for something bigger. Thanks to everyone in advance for any help they can provide.
J

Eddited to add: I have been looking at this sony as of late.
Sony 1GB Licorice Black Walkman Bean MP3 Player(NWE307BLACK)
*1GB memory
*Holds up to 695 songs
*Up to 50 hours playback
*Built-in FM tuner
*Electroluminescent screen
*Quick charge option

[Rob]

Hmmm, can't help you with reviews but my girlfriend has a Sony NW-E105 with 512 MB. If you're not planning to take your complete CD-collection with you, it's more than enough space. The device will hold approximately 7 or 8 albums, so that's plenty if you just want to hear some music while working out. The device costs about USD 90,-- but I'm sure that there are some better deals out there (her's was way cheaper).

The player itself is quite small, lightweight, lasts ~70 hours with one AAA-battery, has a good sound quality and comes in various colours. The only disadvantage is that you have to use Sony's software to load MP3s on the device (but I guess that's the same with iPods :) )

If I had a use for an MP3-player (I currently use my Palm TE2 for that purpose) I'd also get this one!

Here's a link to the player on Sony's page

Hope that helps,

Robert

[chinook]

[quote="...The player itself is quite small, lightweight, lasts ~70 hours with one AAA-battery, ..
Robert[/QUOTE"]

That is a helluva long battery life...?? butt I prefer a flash player.

I can't get behind any Sony stuff after their rootkit fiasco. They are waaay too intrusive without regard for user interests. There are other choices that do not inject spyware into your computer to protect their interests.

[Irish Lager]

There are other choices that do not inject spyware into your computer to protect their interests.

I'm all ears... Like i said, i don't know much so any info is appreciated. What companies do you recommend? Thanks again,
J

[Tank]

Since you want to avoid iPod (I have to say I love mine) I would look at creative labs. they hav a pretty good line from what I have been reading.

[Rob]

That is a helluva long battery life...?? butt I prefer a flash player.

I can't get behind any Sony stuff after their rootkit fiasco. They are waaay too intrusive without regard for user interests. There are other choices that do not inject spyware into your computer to protect their interests.

Yes, the battery life is simply amazing for an MP3-player of this size. Also with a rechargeable battery it lasts a little eternity :)

About the rootkit issue... The rootkit "problem" was limited to audio CDs as far as I know. Sony's software for their MP3 devices does try to connect to the internet when you've installed it because they have their own "Connect Music Store" and you can also purchase music via this software. I simply disabled any internet access for this program with my firewall. Now the integrated function to access the Sony music store does not work anymore but that has no negative effect to the other functions of the software at all.

You can find numerous reviews online about Sony devices that use this software and most of them state that it is bad, uncomfortable, difficult to understand and whatnot. After taking a look at it my opinion is that it's not all that bad. If you're used to it it's pretty OK. Different to iTunes but not that much more difficult to use as many people say.

Personally I am not too fond of any player that forces you to use a special software to put music on it. Be it an iPod, Sony's players, devices from Sharp or any other company. On the other hand I am very positive of this MP3-player because of its long battery life and the sound quality. The latter is in my opinion something that Sony ALWAYS managed to to right.

@IL: Try to handle one of these Bean players at a shop. IMO they look nice on the pictures but very strange in real life. According to the specs you've added, it should fit your needs on the other hand and as always I am for "form follows function" :D

Because you mentioned a built in FM tuner... Have you already taken a look at the Creative MuVo TX FM?
It only has a battery life of 15 hours (1 AAA) but otherwise it's a very neat device!

Cheers, Rob

[chinook]

I listen mainly to audiobooks and therefore require a player to have bookmarks or be able to resume from where I turn it off. I have a Rio Forge with 512MB internal with an SD slot for added capacity. I am pretty happy with it although it will lock up on occasion (once a month). Removing the battery for 10-20 minutes restores it. It has 20 hour runtime on AAA. Rio is no more so customer support will be hard to find.

I also have a 20GB Archos Jukebox Recorder which is not for carrying in a pocket or jogging butt great for long trips or on vacation. 16+ hours on internal rechargeable AAs.

One that looks good to me is the Cowon iAudio G3. 40 hours on one AA. I much prefer a removable battery so I don't have to find a computer to recharge an internal. No SD slot though; so get a capacity large enough to last you till you get to a computer for a refill. The reviews on the iAudio line are generally positive with their sound quality being a strong point. iAudio

Any one that you get should be able to serve as a UMS, so you can use it to carry any type of file from one computer to another. Some will not allow you to copy a file or any song from one computer to a different computer. Some insist on converting songs to their own proprietary format in order to load onto the player. I don't use any software to load mine. I just transfer files back and forth with Windows Explorer or drag and drop. Some players use ID3 tags to organize the titles on the player while others use file tree system and albums should be put into a folder. There is no substitute for a hands/ears on evaluation.

There are a zillion choices out there and about that many recommendations. You might google for reviews and forums on DAP (digital audio player). or flash or hdd (hard disk drive) mp3 players. Its worth the time to get one you are happy with. Of course like computers... it will be an antique in 6 months or less.

[TheKnifeCollector]

I am an iPod sort of gal. I love my iPod.

[Senate]

I tried an Ipod 3rd gen and was very disappointed by the sound of it so I started looking for an "Ipod killer". caracteristics I was looking for were, by order of importance:

-sound quality
-battery life
-high capacity
-file management
-look

after some research I bought the Sony NW-HD5, 20Gb, Huuuuuuuuuge battery life and great sound.
only 3 complaints:
-once you've entered the mp3 files in the device, you can't copy them back in the computer.
-you have to use a software (Sonic Stage or an alternative) to put the mp3 in the thing. I'd prefered to be able to transfer them like a removable drive and browse the files by folders.
-the mp3 have to be perfectly tagged.

[TheKnifeCollector]

I LOVE my iPod!! I have had an iPod since the first version came out.

[ront]

J, I really don't know a huge amount about mp3 players. I do have a 1G iRiver that I like very much. It is very easy to use and just works great. I get about 40 hrs for 1 AA battery. I think I have almost 300 songs on mine. (I think 294) Very small.

Ron

[Ging]

I have seen but not used the Sony bean and I thourght it looked cool!

My dad has a Rio carbon 4gb mp3 player that he uses all the time and is impressed by. I is very small for a harddrive and would be great for gym use.

hope it helps :confused:

I have a 3rd gen ipod, it rules! I was playing with my friends video ipod and I want one now but i must resist that that :spyder: money.

[delicrazy]

Creative offers some pretty good options, though i have had my Harddrive die. The larger players by Creative are nice because they use a full sized laptop floppy, so its pretty easy to change around the storage size. Purchasing a 20gb limit model, and then swapping in an 80gb harddrive is not very difficult if you can follow some basic instructions, or know someone who is technosavy. THe main thing about creative that i like is you dont need any special software to load on music. They try to convince you to load theirs, but if you want you can load music on directly from windows media player, its under the sync option. This capability is still in a pretty primitive state, but its certainly functional. Add to that a pretty intuitive layout, and low prices, and i think that some of the bigger creative players offer a really good value... The only real downside is appearance. If an ipod is a cute dog, a creative is an 800 pound gorilla. I personally dont really care about looks when it comes to electronics, im more interested in performance. Feel free to PM me if there is anything i can do to offer assistance. Im a tech loving highschool student, so i'm well versed in things like this

[Irish Lager]

thanks to everyone for your responses. Looks like i have some research to do. Ill be sure to look into all the suggestions and hopefully can find somthing that will fit my needs and is in my price range. Ill keep you all posted.
J

[TheKnifeCollector]

If you can get an iPod Shuffle, get it!! It is awesome to wear whilst jogging! It isn't as fancy as others, but it rocks.

[ront]

J, I sent you a PM.

Ron