Best MP3 players these days?
DiscoZombie
Join Date: 2003-08-05 Member: 18951Members
Join Date: 2003-08-05 Member: 18951Members
in Off-Topic
<div class="IPBDescription">sick of hearing about iPods -_-</div>so my iPod got stolen a year or two ago and I finally want to replace it. What worthwhile music players are out there these days? Is the iPod still the best choice? I'm sick of the hype and the fact that everyone has one and I was never crazy about the spinny wheel thing to begin with. The Zune looks pretty cool, but reviews say it's a bit buggy still. I know there have been threads about mp3 players in the past but I didn't want to revive them since so much has changed. What do you guys think of what's out there?
what's important to me:<ul><li>30+ gb storage</li><li>simple interface, especially one that plugs into windows explorer. drag mp3 or folders w/ mp3's, drop on player, done.</li><li>multiple file formats. I don't want to get a player and find out it won't play half the music files I own.</li><li>size doesn't really matter as long as it fits in my pocket</li></ul>
what's important to me:<ul><li>30+ gb storage</li><li>simple interface, especially one that plugs into windows explorer. drag mp3 or folders w/ mp3's, drop on player, done.</li><li>multiple file formats. I don't want to get a player and find out it won't play half the music files I own.</li><li>size doesn't really matter as long as it fits in my pocket</li></ul>
Comments
If it weren't for the fact that there is only a 20GB model, I'd say go searching online for a Rio Karma. They're a little hard to find as they are no longer being made, but they are quite worth it. If I hadn't dropped mine I would still be using one, Pretty nice interface, good battery life, it's tiny tiny tiny, plays .ogg right out of the box, and you can find 'em for less than 150 still if you look in the right places.
The only other mp3 player I've had a positive relationship with (once again until I dropped it) is the old Creative Zen Xtra 30GB model (I believe they also made a 40GB one as well). Replaceable battery, a bit better battery than the Karma (and way better than the comperably priced iPod models), and hands down the best interface on an mp3 player ever. It's not really flashy, but it is a complete joy to use, I found it extremely intuitive. I have heard good things about the newer Creative Zen Touch as well, although I personally dislike the touchpad and the inerface got scaled back a bit. I don't really know much about Creative's newest mp3/video players in the "Zen Vision" series, in fact I don't know much about any of the newer mp3 players. Since I have no desire to watch video on-the-go usually I haven't paid much attention to mp3 players recently.
I hear microsoft have one in the works to pwn ipods
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That's already out, it's called the Zune
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zen_Vision#Zen_Vision:M" target="_blank">Can't go wrong.</a>
<img src="http://www.yugatech.com/blog/wp-content/creative_zen_vision_m.jpg" border="0" alt="IPB Image" />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zen_Vision#Zen_Vision:M" target="_blank">Can't go wrong.</a>
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QFT
1. It's doesn't wireless sync with your computer. Ever.
2. You can only exchange 3 songs, and after 3 days. They automagically delete themselves. Sucks
3. The thing wraps songs in their own DRM. Which sucks.
4. limited file formats you can watch on it.
5. You can't use Windows Media Player to upload songs. Like a Ipod. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/mad-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":angry:" border="0" alt="mad-fix.gif" />
6. The thing treats you like a pirate. If you want to save your own mixed/remixed songs. Your s@#t out of luck. Which is a big reason why I'm not going to buy it since my friend has his own mix station.
7. I can't listen to released Dethklok on it. So it can burn in Nifilheim.
So yeah. Creative Zen Vision:M is my choice of MP3 player. Not only does it have more features then a Ipod, Zune. It offers way more file formats for any video you want to watch. I recently killed my other MP3 player and decided this Christmas to pick one up. I'm going with Creative Labs.
If Microsoft wanted to steal the show. They wouldn't of treated it's customers like a bunch of software pirates. Here's hoping they hack the Zune so it can have the full capability it can have. It's not like they can boot you off Xbox Live for it.
Plus if you go to college the voice recorder is quite handy. So you can save what your hearing.
It might be abit thicker then the Zune/Ipod. But well worth it.
It even plays DIVX, so you can watch Boondock Marines all day.
But I do like Microsoft's idea for a subscription based MP3 download site. That's pretty neat. Id much rather spend 15 bucks a month vs per song. That way I can download all the music I want and the artists still make money. For there gold covered race cars and stuff. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />
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What?
I bought one of the nice flashy "purple" things and the actual mp3 player is great. Its the bloody software with it that is useless. Converts mp3s to different formats and dosen't leave any information associated with those new files. So you can't use the thing to transfer to other computers at all and you don't know which is which either.
They came up with some supposedly better software Sonicstage but can't seem to get that to work properly either.
Good sides<ul><li>Lots of storage (30G)</li><li>Relatively small</li><li>Can use to watch videos. The screen is small yes but works when you are middle of nowhere</li><li>The UI and Wheel are very nice to use</li><li>Works with iTunes very well</li></ul>Bad sides<ul><li>Only supports mp3 and Apple formats</li><li>It has a hard drive which is a mechanical device and is ought to break some time (compared to flash which lasts virtually indefinitely)</li><li>Weights because of its hard drive</li></ul>Additionally I have scratched the glass window and I have had it in my pocket when there was -30 celsius outside which has consumed the battery a nice chunk.
I have used the iPod with iTunes and it works quite well. You can buy music from iTMS or rip it from a cd, to both lossy and lossless Apple formats. However iTunes is a majour resouce consumer so I cannot use it while playing ns and its not very customizable.
I like Winamp for many reasons and currently it has some very practical features fullfilling all my needs. Firstly I rip my cd using EAC+Maroka+Lame+Flac-encoder with like 2 clicks and I get mp3's and flac's out of my cd. Then I tell my Winamp to scan watch folders and I get the music in my library automatically. Lastly, I can just plug in my iPod and tell WA to sync the music and my iPod is synced with my WA library (mp3s only). I don't owe very big music arsenal but its big enough not to make do manual file transfering.
All this said, I haven't tried any other players but I will probably buy a Flash iPod (Nano) when this breaks up because I need iPod mainly when I jog. Flash is a lot more enduring and weights a lot less so its a perfect choice for a jog-pod.
What?
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The Zune has a $15/month subscription option that lets you download millions of songs that you can listen to as long as you keep paying that $15/month. Not really a bad deal at all, just the price of like 1 CD a month for all the music you can download... except that it all goes 'poof' as soon as you stop paying the subscription.
I bit the bullet and bought a Zune. it's very sexy looking, cool color and nice big crisp display. I wish it had a couple more buttons personally, to make navigation a bit easier, and it could use, like, some winamp style visualization effects so you're not staring at a blank background when you don't have album art... but all in all, I'm happy with it so far.
The M actually does look quite nice.
The Zune has a $15/month subscription option that lets you download millions of songs that you can listen to as long as you keep paying that $15/month. Not really a bad deal at all, just the price of like 1 CD a month for all the music you can download... except that it all goes 'poof' as soon as you stop paying the subscription.
I bit the bullet and bought a Zune. it's very sexy looking, cool color and nice big crisp display. I wish it had a couple more buttons personally, to make navigation a bit easier, and it could use, like, some winamp style visualization effects so you're not staring at a blank background when you don't have album art... but all in all, I'm happy with it so far.
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Your kidding me. The music dies when the subscription gives up? That's horseish. I mean technically I could be downloading all the music I already own, but getting stuck paying that 15 bucks a month. That's pretty iffy.
Zen Vision is going to be my Christmas present. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
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I used to have a Zen Micro and it was an utter piece of garbage. <i>Massive</i> flaw with the headphone jack that didn't get recalled, and was pretty much guaranteed to make your player into a $250 pile of doo-doo. Is Creative still putting out deceptively bad hardware and not owning up to it?
The M actually does look quite nice.
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You and me both brother, I have a Jutebox Zen Ultra 30 gig. And that peice of crap already has a hard disk failure. Apparently this thing was super sensitive to even short falls. Which is pretty normal for any media player of the sort.
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_Zen" target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_Zen</a>
But I did hear of a fix for the Zen Micro. It's on Creative Labs Wikipedia page at.
Now they are discontinued. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":(" border="0" alt="sad-fix.gif" />
Your kidding me. The music dies when the subscription gives up? That's horseish. I mean technically I could be downloading all the music I already own, but getting stuck paying that 15 bucks a month. That's pretty iffy.
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well, only the songs you downloaded via the subscription go away if you unsubscribe. you also have the choice of buying credits to actually buy songs which you own forever, instead, just like the itunes store and wherever else. and of course you also can just upload mp3's you already have to the thing, rip cd's to it, etc.
well, only the songs you downloaded via the subscription go away if you unsubscribe. you also have the choice of buying credits to actually buy songs which you own forever, instead, just like the itunes store and wherever else. and of course you also can just upload mp3's you already have to the thing, rip cd's to it, etc.
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The iffy thing about Itunes is the fact it eats up all un DRMed MP3s.
Plus, brown player w/ green double-shot = sechs. It's definitely unique and eye-catching in a good way.
I say go with the Zune. It has the best potential and the software does have it's own annoyances (it's version 1.0 not like 7.0 which iTunes is) but IMHO, it's the best MP3 player out there.
Plus, brown player w/ green double-shot = sechs. It's definitely unique and eye-catching in a good way.
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It has the best potential to be hacked and made into a awesome MP3 player. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />
i already knew about this firmware cuz my friend used it, but it's called ephpod. <a href="http://www.ephpod.com/" target="_blank">http://www.ephpod.com/</a>
basically turns your nano into a creative player, enabling drag and drop and removing the need for itunes. does fine for me.
It has the best potential to be hacked and made into a awesome MP3 player. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />
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Words of truth here. While I have a vision:m myself, the Zune's "hackability" if you will, was the only thing that made me consider it.