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Thread: MP3 Players

  1. #1
    Recognized Member VeloZer0's Avatar
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    Default MP3 Players

    Come to think of it, this is probably the first time I've ever been in the general chat forum.

    Anyways, I've been looking for a new MP3 player, but the main problem is I am extremely picky about the features I want, and no review seems to comment on the stuff I care about. So I'm throwing it out to the collective wisdom of the EoFF community.

    1) Not an iPod. I've had several different iPods over the years (all given to me) and I have disliked them all strongly. The iPod UI was the major source of my gripes, and I know it is kind of considered the state of the industry, so most models have a very similar imitation UI.

    2) I don't care about anything other than playing music, and I don't need more than ~4-8 GB

    3) I manage my music by what directory I store it in, and what file name I give it. Since I have a lot of random tracks I found online (video game music, remixes, ect..) having them sorted by the internal track information is next to useless. I want to be able to customize how stuff is sorted.

    4) Given that I may not be able to get what I want, does there exist a shuffle type device that can store multiple playlists on it, thus eliminating the need for a GUI.

  2. #2
    Quack Shlup's Avatar
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    I think, since this relates to music, it should probably go in The Lounge. Gen Chat isn't too much of a stretch, but music/TV/movie/book-related stuff goes in The Lounge.

    Welcome to the upper forums though.

    I recommend the Creative Zen. My husband and I both have one, and I like it much more than iPods. Check it out and see if they have a model with the features you're looking for--I think you'll like it.

  3. #3

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    I had a lot of the same sentiments as you when I went into the market for my MP3 player recently.

    I went with the Sansa Fuze.

    <center><img src="http://www.letsgodigital.org/images/artikelen/48/sandisk-sansa-fuze.jpg"/></center>

    I am very happy with it. It is a drag and drop device, so you can throw your music on it just like you're throwing it onto a flash drive--no need for ass iTunes style software. Battery life is great. It is small and stylish. Expandable with up to 16GB of Micro SDHC memory.

    Unfortunately item 3 on your list is still a problem on this device, and every other device that I know of. It is truly a shame, I also think that meta data is a terrible way to categorize music.

    I did a lot of research hunting down this device, and I think it is the closest you're going to get to your listed ideals. The best part is that <a href="http://www.woot.com/">Woot</a> constantly sells these things for dirt cheap (I got mine for like $30), just check every day.

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    Recognized Member Jessweeee♪'s Avatar
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    I totally agree about the iPod UI. I love my iPod, but it seems like every other time I try to hit the center button, I accidentally move the cursor up or down one >:I

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    Oh yeah, you can always change the internal track information too. There are programs that do that.

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    Got obliterated Recognized Member Shoeberto's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Necronopticous View Post
    I had a lot of the same sentiments as you when I went into the market for my MP3 player recently.

    I went with the Sansa Fuze.

    <center><img src="http://www.letsgodigital.org/images/artikelen/48/sandisk-sansa-fuze.jpg"/></center>

    I am very happy with it. It is a drag and drop device, so you can throw your music on it just like you're throwing it onto a flash drive--no need for ass iTunes style software. Battery life is great. It is small and stylish. Expandable with up to 16GB of Micro SDHC memory.

    Unfortunately item 3 on your list is still a problem on this device, and every other device that I know of. It is truly a shame, I also think that meta data is a terrible way to categorize music.

    I did a lot of research hunting down this device, and I think it is the closest you're going to get to your listed ideals. The best part is that <a href="http://www.woot.com/">Woot</a> constantly sells these things for dirt cheap (I got mine for like $30), just check every day.
    I went with this one this past summer, as well, after a lot of research. I love it. The expandable memory is wonderful, great battery life, intuitive interface, just the works. It is designed sort of like an iPod, but it has an actual analog scroll wheel that works extremely well. It supports playlists, as well. And yeah, it's pretty cheap. It's a great device.


  7. #7
    it's not fun, don't do it Moon Rabbits's Avatar
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    I would have recommended an iPod if my 120gb Classic didn't go completely haywire and stop working after three months.






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    Very VIP person Tech Admin Rantz's Avatar
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    Like Necro mentioned, your criteria #3 is probably not going to be easy to satisfy. All the players I know are incredibly limited in their categorisation options. Apart from that point, I'd have to reiterate the Sansa recommendation. Look through Sansa's different players (there aren't many, but they differ in a few notable ways), and decide if any of them seem right for you.

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    Ghost 'n' Stuff NorthernChaosGod's Avatar
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    Concerning your third criterion, you can always just edit your own ID3 tags using a number of programs. I use MP3 Tag Tools.

    As for your other criteria, they have iPod shuffles. :P
    But I really don't know anything about the smaller players, I would never even consider anything that didn't have at least 60GB of disk space.

    What's so bad about the iPod UI? I think it's easily the best way to manage music on an MP3 player.

  10. #10

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    I have a Zune, and while some people I know don't like it, I think it's superior to the iPod.

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    Quote Originally Posted by NorthernChaosGod View Post
    But I really don't know anything about the smaller players, I would never even consider anything that didn't have at least 60GB of disk space.
    Physical size matters, and HDDs in highly portable devices is a bad idea.
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    Ok, normally I'd make a few suggestions and tell you to try them out and see which is for you, but I'm just going to go ahead and tell you to get a Cowon S9, cos it matches your needs pretty much perfectly.

    1. Not an iPod.

    2. This player hands down has the best sound quality of any player I've used. Any review you read will point this out. And it comes in a 4, 8, 16 or 32GB model.

    3. You can browse your collection by folder. You can browse by MP3 tags, but like you, a lot of my music is remixes/DJ sets etc. where tags aren't helpful so in the two years I've had one I've only used folders.

    <a href="http://www.cnet.com.au/cowon-s9-339294580.htm">Review</a>
    <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/29/cowon-s9-review/">Another review</a>

  13. #13
    Recognized Member VeloZer0's Avatar
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    I was originally looking at the Cowon S9, but unfortunately it only has touch screen controls. Which really disappointed me since it seemed to be everything I wanted, but I have never used a touch screen device I have liked.

    I have a Zune, and while some people I know don't like it, I think it's superior to the iPod.
    I was thinking about getting a Zune just to express my dislike of Apple products

    Concerning your third criterion, you can always just edit your own ID3 tags using a number of programs. I use MP3 Tag Tools.
    I did that for my old iPod, but I don't like losing my artist name in place of whatever name I chose to use in my filing system.

    Physical size matters, and HDDs in highly portable devices is a bad idea.
    It's primary function will be for gym/running, so size does matter quite a bit.

    Thanks for all the advice. As you can see, choosing consumer technology is extremely difficult for someone as picky as me.

  14. #14
    Ghost 'n' Stuff NorthernChaosGod's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mirage View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by NorthernChaosGod View Post
    But I really don't know anything about the smaller players, I would never even consider anything that didn't have at least 60GB of disk space.
    Physical size matters, and HDDs in highly portable devices is a bad idea.
    Even the biggest iPods aren't that big, do you people never exercise or what?

  15. #15
    Recognized Member VeloZer0's Avatar
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    They are a pain if you are running. I can't stand strapping or clipping anything to myself, so it has to be lightweight enough to fit in my pocket when I run.

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