Going to buy an MP3, any tips?

President Sharky · Post by **President Sharky** » 2006-08-05 03:51am

With the money I've saved from my summer job, I'm finally going to make the big leap from CD player to MP3 player. I've allocated a maximum of $300 Can for the purpose of buying an MP3 player, but since I'm not really familiar with these devices, I don't know what brand or type I should buy. I'm ideally looking for something with at least 8GB capacity, since I have a vast CD collection that I'm planning on simply uploading onto the player.

My brother owns a Philips GoGear 8GB player, but while fancy looking, he's had numerous problems with it in the past, such as battery failiure, the player not playing songs synched onto it through WMP10, and the computer not being able to recognize the device. So unless the Philips MP3s are something special I would like to avoid them.

Is anyone knowledgable enough with these things to give me a few pointers?

Dartzap · Post by **Dartzap** » 2006-08-05 04:15am

The Creative Zen range are generally well liked

Glocksman · Post by **Glocksman** » 2006-08-05 04:50am

Unless you *really* need a high capacity unit, I'd stay away from all of the hard drive based units (for some reason the idea of jogging or biking with an operating hard disk on my arm doesn't sound good) and get a flash based unit like an Apple iPod nano (nice, but among the more expensive units for the capacity and it does not have a user replaceable battery) or something cheaper like one of these Sandisk Sansas.
The 1 Gig e140 is US$70 and 2GB SD cards are about $35 each.
Buy it and about 3 2GB cards and you'd be set.

Soontir C'boath · Post by **Soontir C'boath** » 2006-08-05 07:34am

Glocksman wrote:Unless you *really* need a high capacity unit, I'd stay away from all of the hard drive based units (for some reason the idea of jogging or biking with an operating hard disk on my arm doesn't sound good) and get a flash based unit like an Apple iPod nano (nice, but among the more expensive units for the capacity and it does not have a user replaceable battery) or something cheaper like one of these Sandisk Sansas.
The 1 Gig e140 is US$70 and 2GB SD cards are about $35 each.
Buy it and about 3 2GB cards and you'd be set.

Well, I wouldn't say that. I've kept my Zen Micro inside the creative shell case in my pocket while running around and jogging and nothing bad ever came to it. I've also dropped it several times without damaging it except for one incident.

The only way to really seriously affect them is if they drop hard and fast enough to knock the parts inside (obvious I know). My Micro stopped working because I was listening to it in bed and when I got up to go to the bathroom, an earphone was still caught on me(by the shirt I'd presume) and it dragged the player out of the bed and across the floor. That took the cake and I had to send it in for repair.

With that said, the 8GB Microphoto from Creative for around US180-200 depending on what stores you go to is a good choice. There is a firmware on the Creative site that allows you to just plug it and drag files from WMP if you want relative ease although I prefer to do it with their explorer. Technical support is good albeit by e-mail. You have to be patient with them though as they really try to avoid giving you an RMA by trying to give you as many solutions as they can; unless it is a hardware problem like a broken phonejack which is then pretty easy. They even have a forum where Creative staff actually mods them so you can get help too when needed.

I hope more suggestions come in, I'd like to see what other players are good.

DesertFly · Post by **DesertFly** » 2006-08-05 09:48am

This topic couldn't come at a better time. I'm also looking into getting an MP3 player for the first time. Since I'll be using it at my job where I sit and assemble things, I'm looking more for capacity and reliability. Somewhere in the under $200 range would be great.

Lisa · Post by **Lisa** » 2006-08-05 12:40pm

I have a multitude of players and can say this, if you are going to be active, get a flashmemory based one. I'll give mini reviews on the ones I have. Some of them were gifts to me and the rest I've inherited from my late partner.

iPod Gen1 (4Gig)- works well, volume goes up higher and clearer then any of the others. I use mine in the Jeep plugged into my stereo (which oddly enough also plays mp3 cds but has an issue with variable bit rate). The interface is top notch. Newer iPods even have dock connectors for the car with better interface controls which means power is not an issue. I have a replacement battery in mine so I get decent battey life.

Pros - reliable, nicely thought out product, good storage amount in the hard drive units. Display is easy to read, hard drive is upgradable.
Cons - Battery and storage upgrades are a pain in the ass. If you're active it may have problems reading, proprietary software.

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Creative Zen Micro Photo (8Gig) - This seems to be a clone of the iPod, though i think right now apple and creative are deciding who copied who.
The interface is similar to the iPod's how ever the controls require a special touch. If you do a search on the net you'll find the biggest complaint is the controls.
I find the hd in the Zen to be a little touchy to vibration. The unit it's self is similar in size to an iPod Nano though a lot heavier due to the hd and metal case. The battery can easily be replaced though replacement batteries are NOT cheap (2/3 the cost of the player when I looked).
The sound is quite good and I find I get 10 hours from battery as long as I'm not turning the display on to see what song is playing.
The sound is quite nice and clear (I use it with my iPod head phones) though the volume doesn't go up quite as high as the iPods (I don't listen to it with earphones at full volume, that's for plugging into the truck's stereo).
If I walk fast with this in my hip pocket it will skip and shut down to rebuild the play list, it's not so bad in my purse. I have had an issue with charging the thing, it only seems to want to charge off my computer, the ac adaptor and the power point adaptor for in the car don't work.
This happens be my primary MP3 player.

Pros - small package, good sound, metal case, easy to change battery
Cons - limited battery when using display, no dock for connecting to stereos, skips easy, proprietary software.

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Sandisk Cruizer MP3 Companion.
This unit has been discontiued but I mention it anyways.
Awesome display, takes 1 aaa battery, size of a pager and sounds quite good. The MP3 player has no memory in it, rather uses sandisk usb sticks. I received mine with a 256mb stick which at the time was good.
Now with this unit you're locked into sandisk's sticks and other manufacturers (if they fit) will be rejected.
I purchased a 1 Gig sandisk stick to go into it and the thing wouldn't accept it. Sandisk said this was a known problem and offered to trade me for another flash based unit. No software was required to load it up with music, just drag and drop on the keydrive

Pros - Small and neat looking, good battery, easy to change, cheap, nice keys, no required software, won't skip.
Cons - Limited memory options

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Sandisk Sansa 512meg
I replaced my Cruiser with the Sansa, it's not as nice a package, more like a flatter iPod. How ever the unit is expandable by the way of SD cards. This also means you can have a bunch of cards to quickly change your music. It also doubles as a card reader and usb drive and like the Cruiser it requires no software, just drag and drop. FM radio is also included. Sound is ok but not as good as the Apple and Creative offerings. Maxed out volume was muffled and did not sound great on the stereo

Pros - Battery is cheap 2 aaa, reasonable battery life, expandable, won't skip.
Cons - limited storage.

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RCA Lyra 256 sport

Basicly very similar to the sandisk sansa except the buttons and display are not as nice.

Pros - Good battery (1 AAA) , easy to change, no required software, won't skip, expandable.
Cons - limited storage.

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X-Drive

Not sure who makes it, katey bought it from geeks.com. Controls and display are nice but unit comes with no hard drive. Unit takes the same 1.8" hds that ipods take. Sounds nice, haven't tried it in the truck yet.
The unit will also act as a host for other usb units and also has CF and SD card slots.

Pros - Expandable, can copy directly from other units.
Cons - no hd included, has same issues as other hd units.

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Samsung A920 "The Jive"

Ok this is really my phone, but it's also an MP3 Player and camera.

The unit will download music off the web or you can use "Transflash" cards (micro SD) to hold music, pictures etc. The unit sounds "ok" though that could be improved a whole bunch by really nice headphones. Memory is limited and those damn transflash cards are easy to lose. The camera is ok if you have good lighting. I didn't get the phone because it had an mp3 player in it, I got it because it is a decent phone. It also has EVDO capabilitys so if you are in a major center you have FAST internet. One reason you might consider it is because you can replace two devices with one. I have my MP3 Player, Phone and Zaurus in my purse, that takes up alot of room. Technically the phone will do alot of the things the Zaurus will do in date management but the Zaurus is easier to use. If you're buying the phone to be primarily your MP3 player I say don't bother, it is medicore compared to many of the dedicated players out there. Batteries are cheap how ever, I purchased 2 extra batteries off of ebay for about 15$ including shipping (1 cent for the batteries). You can also use it as a modem for your computer how ever the data charges SUCK

Pros - Does many things, surfs the net, listen to streaming, takes video, pictures and plays music.
Cons - not as nice results/easy to use as dedicated devices.

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I think I have a couple other mp3 devices but I can't remember.

Also if you have an iPod shuffle TD has a promotion on where they will upgrade you to a nano for switching to their bank. there are conditions but it's something to consider. If you don't have a shuffle they give you a shuffle (512)

Loner · Post by **Loner** » 2006-08-05 12:59pm

I'd listen to Glocksman. I bought one of these a month ago, and it works perfectly, and it plays video. It's also cheaper than a Nano.

Lisa · Post by **Lisa** » 2006-08-05 01:26pm

Loner wrote:I'd listen to Glocksman. I bought one of these a month ago, and it works perfectly, and it plays video. It's also cheaper than a Nano.

The sansa* doesn't sound as good as the ipod, how ever staples.ca often has them onsale for crazy prices.

It comes down to how much of an audiophile you are and how much you are willing to spend on music.

edit: had wrong player listed.

JLTucker · Post by **JLTucker** » 2006-08-05 02:00pm

I just looked at some of the Sandisk mp3 players. In my opinion, it is a rip off. 6GB for $230? You can pay $50 more and get a 30gb iPod with video.

Glocksman · Post by **Glocksman** » 2006-08-05 04:40pm

JLTucker wrote:I just looked at some of the Sandisk mp3 players. In my opinion, it is a rip off. 6GB for $230? You can pay $50 more and get a 30gb iPod with video.

It's the cost difference between gigs of flash memory and using a hard drive as storage.
To compare apples to apples so to speak, $230 gives you 6 gigs of flash memory storage from Sandisk while the same money gets you a 4 gig flash memory iPod nano.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2006-08-05 05:56pm

I would recommend any of the Samsung Yepp players. My YP-U1 is great at around £65 or so for a 2 gig player using flash memory. That's half the price of the equivalent iPod and with a better battery life and is also smaller.

StarshipTitanic · Post by **StarshipTitanic** » 2006-08-05 06:50pm

I recommend buying one that uses regular batteries, and then buying rechargable batteries. You'll never have to buy an expensive propriatary battery and have it installed one the original starts to die and you'll always have power if you're smart and keep your spare batteries charged. If you're stuck deciding between two models, go with the one that uses regular batteries.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2006-08-05 08:00pm

That means going for something quite chunky. The reason the player I have and the Nano can be so small is down to lithium-polymer batteries being mouldable and lightweight. After 500 charges, they lose 20-30% of their capacity, but that can be a long time off if the cell is really long lasting endurance-wise.

President Sharky · Post by **President Sharky** » 2006-08-06 12:56am

Well I have a considerably large library on my computer and my CD collection, so I think anything under 1GB wouldn't really serve me too well, unless it's really easy to change around the music on the player.

Lisa · Post by **Lisa** » 2006-08-06 01:33am

President Sharky wrote:Well I have a considerably large library on my computer and my CD collection, so I think anything under 1GB wouldn't really serve me too well, unless it's really easy to change around the music on the player.

With the expandable Sansa's it is quite easy, you can have multiple memory cards ready to go at the drop of the hat. also with the Sansa it's drag and drop, the thing mounts on your computer like an external usb stick... No special software and it works for both mac and pc.

If you have a mac forget the creative, no mac software.

Noble Ire · Post by **Noble Ire** » 2006-08-06 02:35am

I just bought a 1GB Sansa, and its working out quite well for me, at least so far. Of course, my music collection isn't as impressive as some people's, so the device might not be for everyone (as Lisa points out). Still, the incredibly small size and battery requirement is quite nice.

Datana · Post by **Datana** » 2006-08-06 01:58pm

I'm thinking of replacing my (extremely) out-of-date Rio 800 pretty soon. My main issues with it are:

Expansion cards require a proprietary backpack (which Rio doesn't manufacture anymore)
Charging is a bitch, plus every battery you use must undergo a four-hour calibration or battery life will be measured in minutes instead of hours
The unit chokes and dies on non-ANSI ID3 tags (Unicode, TIS-620, and S-JIS all kill it and force you [to] reformat media to get the thing working again)
Time display is FUBARed on variable bitrate MP3s (the unit assumes that the bitrate of the first frame is the bitrate of the entire song rather than reading the Xing/LAME VBR tag like it's supposed to)
Proprietary interface; it uses a custom cable, plus the only software that works with it was written for Windows 98 and is fairly flaky under XP (randomly freezing and/or not detecting the unit)

The Rio does, however, have very good sound, a solid interface, and a highly readable display, the last two of which I've not seen anything apart from the iPod really exceed. Then again, I've only had experience with units from Rio, iRiver, Creative, and Apple.

The SanDisk Sansa 200 series seems to be a popular choice here -- does someone who already has one know if it doesn't have the issues of the Rio while still having a good interface? The first problem seems to be resolved by the use of normal miniSD flash cards and the fifth is resolved by the unit acting as a mass storage device, but I wonder about the other three. I'm especially interested in how it handles non-English ID3 tags; to date, only iRiver's offerings even mention language support in their documentation.

EDIT: Corrected typo. Also, subsequent searches on the Sansa e200 series reveal that it completely lacks foreign encoding support and will display either garbage or empty boxes when posed with it. I'm currently leaning towards the Samsung YP-Z5, as even the iPod has issues with language encoding.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2006-08-06 06:40pm

The Samsung unit I have does any language you want, from the usual Roman to Cyrillic based to Mandarin or Kanji.

Ypoknons · Post by **Ypoknons** » 2006-08-06 09:50pm

Don't be afraid to go with an ipod. They do what they advertise great, the missing features aren't a huge deal, and you can get workarounds for pratically any OS. That said, no flash device available over there has 8GB, so I think you're better off with a 30GB player, easily obtainable for $300.

30GB ipod is mad thin but has terrible battery life when it comes down to video; Nomad Zen:m is thicker and only works in Windows but supports DivX and other video formats. The Toshiba Gigabeat S is said to be great but I am not familiar with that player. Other players exsist, but are hardly comeptitive with the three above.

There are rumors of a 8GB nano launching soon.

Neko_Oni · Post by **Neko_Oni** » 2006-08-06 11:37pm

I've got a quick question, I got an iPod Shuffle recently (the memory stick with delusions of grandeur) and the little bastard won't seem to charge from my computer's USB ports. I've got an Asus A8N-SLI, and the hardware manager says that the iPod is drawing current, any ideas?

Post by **Beowulf** » 2006-08-06 11:43pm

Neko_Oni wrote:I've got a quick question, I got an iPod Shuffle recently (the memory stick with delusions of grandeur) and the little bastard won't seem to charge from my computer's USB ports. I've got an Asus A8N-SLI, and the hardware manager says that the iPod is drawing current, any ideas?

Try sticking it in a powered hub? Other than that, return the damn thing.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2006-08-07 07:13am

Ypoknons wrote:Don't be afraid to go with an ipod. They do what they advertise great, the missing features aren't a huge deal, and you can get workarounds for pratically any OS. That said, no flash device available over there has 8GB, so I think you're better off with a 30GB player, easily obtainable for $300.

30GB ipod is mad thin but has terrible battery life when it comes down to video; Nomad Zen:m is thicker and only works in Windows but supports DivX and other video formats. The Toshiba Gigabeat S is said to be great but I am not familiar with that player. Other players exsist, but are hardly comeptitive with the three above.

There are rumors of a 8GB nano launching soon.

To be honest, my brother's HD5 kicks the shit out of any iPod of similar price I've seen. Bar the crappy software, it's cheaper, has FAR longer battery life and is smaller than any HDD iPod. I wouldn't buy an iPod simply down to them being, as with all Apple products, rip-off fashion gimmicks.

I'd seriously recommend looking at many players before deciding, because I'm not the only one to suddenly feel Apple is simply lacking now.