Portable MP3 players
Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Other music related lounges
Forum Name: Tech Talk
Forum Description: Discuss musical instruments, equipment, hi-fi, speakers, vinyl, gadgets,etc.
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=86492
Printed Date: November 28 2024 at 22:32
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Portable MP3 players
Posted By: ColonelClaypool
Subject: Portable MP3 players
Date Posted: April 26 2012 at 04:52
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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:
http://www.cowonglobal.com/product_wide/COWONX7/product_page_1.php" rel="nofollow - http://www.cowonglobal.com/product_wide/COWONX7/product_page_1.php
Anyone have any experience with this, or alternatively able to recommend something else? ------------- With magic, you can turn a frog into a prince. With science, you can turn a frog into a Ph.D. and you still have the frog you started with. |
Replies:
Posted By: Kilgannon
Date Posted: April 26 2012 at 05:15
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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. ------------- 
http://www.last.fm/user/r3m3dylan3" rel="nofollow - last.fm Profile |
Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: April 26 2012 at 07:45
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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.
------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened... 
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Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: April 26 2012 at 08:29
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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. ------------- What? |
Posted By: Catcher10
Date Posted: April 26 2012 at 09:38
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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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Posted By: frippism
Date Posted: April 26 2012 at 09:48
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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. ------------- There be dragons |
Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: April 26 2012 at 10:06
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^ 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
 A veritable bargain ...of course the http://www.amazon.co.uk/Archos-48-Internet-Tablet-Bluetooth/dp/B004LLQ47M/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1335452617&sr=1-1" rel="nofollow - Archos 48 is £154.99 with a 500GB drive (which would cost you £330.54 as a Clip + 16 x 32GB microsSDs)  ------------- What? |
Posted By: frippism
Date Posted: April 26 2012 at 10:11
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^ :O that's a lot of GB in one thingy ------------- There be dragons |
Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: April 26 2012 at 10:15
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Nah, that's not a lot... this is Prog and that's barely a enough for a beginner's Prog collection. ------------- What? |
Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: April 26 2012 at 15:27
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.  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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Catcher10 wrote:Posted By: Snow Dog
Date Posted: April 26 2012 at 15:32
I have a Philips mp3 player. 8 gig I think. Plenty for me.
------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Snow_Dog" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: Catcher10
Date Posted: April 26 2012 at 17:47
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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Posted By: HolyMoly
Date Posted: April 26 2012 at 18:07
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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. ------------- My other avatar is a Porsche It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle if it is lightly greased. -Kehlog Albran |
Posted By: CCVP
Date Posted: April 26 2012 at 21:44
Mine went dead with a little more than 4 years. -------------   
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Posted By: The T
Date Posted: April 26 2012 at 22:09
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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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Posted By: Sagichim
Date 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! 
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Posted By: ColonelClaypool
Date Posted: April 27 2012 at 04:06
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? ------------- With magic, you can turn a frog into a prince. With science, you can turn a frog into a Ph.D. and you still have the frog you started with. |
Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: April 27 2012 at 04:24
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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. ------------- What? |
Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: April 27 2012 at 04:34
------------- What? |
Posted By: ColonelClaypool
Date Posted: April 27 2012 at 05:14
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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... ------------- With magic, you can turn a frog into a prince. With science, you can turn a frog into a Ph.D. and you still have the frog you started with. |
Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: April 27 2012 at 05:22
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^ go with your instincts - the one that feels right for you will inevitably be the one that is right for you.
Us men are like that, we've generally made up our minds right at the beginning and are looking for justification rather than something better or cheaper - invariably I spend hours searching, evaluating and deliberating over buying stuff then go back to the first shop I went into and buy the item I first looked at several hours earlier.  ------------- What? |
Posted By: ColonelClaypool
Date Posted: April 27 2012 at 05:44
Except when shopping for clothes, then we generally pick the first, best thing that fits and get the fudge out of the shop  ------------- With magic, you can turn a frog into a prince. With science, you can turn a frog into a Ph.D. and you still have the frog you started with. |
Posted By: Kilgannon
Date Posted: April 27 2012 at 06:34
I've had my iPod for a few years now and also no problems, I bought en ex-display model 120gb for under £100 on Amazon. Opened it up and saw it was actually the 160gb model  -------------
http://www.last.fm/user/r3m3dylan3" rel="nofollow - last.fm Profile |
Posted By: Catcher10
Date Posted: April 27 2012 at 18:18
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This is the overview of the new music service from Microsoft......code name http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/blogs/gear-up/microsoft-prepares-woodstock-streaming-service-20120427" rel="nofollow - Woodstock for now. -------------
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Posted By: Slaughternalia
Date Posted: April 27 2012 at 18:37
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I love my 160 GB ipod like a son. You may be a bit more of a unique snowflake without one but it's simply the best high capacity mp3 player ------------- I'm so mad that you enjoy a certain combination of noises that I don't |
Posted By: Fox On The Rocks
Date Posted: April 28 2012 at 00:09
I had a 160 GB iPod Classic until it fell off my school desk while listening to Jethro Tull.   Now, I have a 64 GB iPod Touch. It's great for apps and Internet, but I really miss that amount of capacity you get with the Classic.
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Posted By: frippism
Date Posted: April 28 2012 at 09:09
that's how my 30 GB Ipod video died in the 9th grade :(. What a tragic day it was. ------------- There be dragons |
Posted By: Fox On The Rocks
Date Posted: April 28 2012 at 22:50
 I feel you Frippism. This was last year in my English class and after it fell on the floor the songs started to skip randomly and the iPod functions were all messed up. I took it home and plugged it into my computer only to find out that there was an obvious error and I couldn't sync. My only option was to restore, but once I did I couldn't get past the error message. That was unfortunate though, because I only had that iPod for 6 months before then.-------------
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Posted By: frippism
Date Posted: April 29 2012 at 09:15
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^ouch. For me the Ipod fell on a magnet (there was this magnet on the binder- in order to close or some sh*t), and that tiny little b*****d of a magnet completely erased all my music and made it that I couldn't sync my Ipod. D: ------------- There be dragons |
Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: April 29 2012 at 09:28
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^ my 40Gb iPod suffered no accidental catastrophe - it simple failed to work after a few months. Returning it to Apple (in Amsterdam) resulted in a replacement (Apple does not repair your iPod, it gives you a refurbished replacement) that also failed after a few months - this cycle of failure and replacement continued until the warranty expired (Apple does not extend the warranty on replaced iPods - you play this exchange lottery game for a year and ultimately lose even though none of these replacements are the iPod you purchased a year earlier).
In the end I replaced the unreliable 40Gb microdisc with an 8Gb Compact Flash drive, yet this did not solve the crashing/freezing problem. I keep it now simply as an iconic ornament.
Modern iPods may be infinitely better than my very expensive 4th Gen, but Apple can only fool me once - I'll not buy another. ------------- What? |