Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: muckmaw on October 10, 2003, 07:17:34 PM
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Hey guys...whenever I need a toy, I start by asking here.
So here's the latest quest..
I need an MP3 player for the gym.
It needs to be durable, compact, have an armband, and be able to hold at least 24 songs or more.
Price is a major factor here. I'd really rather not spend more than $150.00.
Any tips?
Thanks in advance.
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I'll be watching this thread, I'm shopping for the same thing. I need one for 10 hour plane rides twice a month.
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I haven't looked at any of the new stuff, but I've played with the RIO and they're nice. My wife has a Yepp and she really likes it.
Do not even consider the RCA crap. The players are cheaply made and the software is a hassle.
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I like the cd players that read mp3. they wouldn't be great for in the gym but would be perfect for plane rides.
you can get a discman type for about $80, 1 cd holds 10 albums or about 175 songs. every cd is like having a 10 cd changer cartridge.
I've converted all of my music to mp3's and only use the regulars for back-up. it didn't cost much to convert everything either. an exra 50 for car stereos, dvd player plays them through the suround sound at no extra cost, since the suround sound unit has a radio tunner, I've done away with the home stereo all together
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I have a Nomad Jukebox 3 20 GB
HD died at 6 months (3 month warranty).
Now the pot on the navigation wheel is going.
Creative's software sucks too.
I put a 40 GB drive in it to replace the dead one.
I imagine there is a ghetto fix for the wheel.
I found some 3rd party software that rocks (Notmad).
But still the PITA factor is too high considering what it costs.
Great sound though, and it's nice having 4000 tracks with me at all times. :)
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I've an Ultrasm by Hyun Won link (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00007ISEO/qid=1065861150/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2_2/026-1688556-1876430) which is about the same size as a credit card so you could strap it anywhere you choose and has some nifty features like direct encoding and voice recording.
The drawbacks are crappy headphones, although I think most audio devices ship with the cheapest, plus what's really annoying is that the graphic equalizer doesn't hold the user setting so you have to reset it after each time it's turned off.
I've dropped it, kicked it, sat on it and generally abused it - it's tougher than it looks.
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Save some $ and get the Apple Ipod....
Outstanding device, but i dont know of any armband for it.
I've that the Creative Muvo is ok. you can find several of them on the link below:
http://www.americas.creative.com/products/category.asp?category=2&maincategory=2
This one has an armband:
http://www.americas.creative.com/products/product.asp?product=1266&category=2&maincategory=2
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save more money and get an ipod.
period.
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Why the iPod? What makes it better than the others?
Found this surfing, looks like I'll be checking out an iPod, but muck may want to stick with flash based players.
'Apple 10 GB iPod (Mac/Win)'
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PROS: I finally broke down and bought one of these, so I can tell you from personal experience that it's well worth the investment. The iPod is very small, especially for a hard drive-based player. It fits easily and comfortably into your pocket, and the included earbuds are probably the best set you'll ever own. The LCD display allows for file browsing and the like; very easy to use. As with all Apple products, it looks absolutely stunning, and the build-quality is second to none. The iPod is available in three sizes (10GB, 20GB and 40GB), each successively more expensive. The 20GB and 40GB models each come with a charging/syncing dock, a handy remote and a minimalist belt clip. Oh, and the unit works fine with either Macs or PCs (I've used it on both), so breathe easy.
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CONS: None. I feel I should take a moment to dispel a myth, however. The fact that the iPod doesn't have a user-replaceable battery has been a subject of hot debate recently, which was why I hesitated to buy one at first. Now that I own one, I find this to be a silly argument. True, the internal lithium-ion rechargeable battery is not USER-replaceable, but that's not to say it can't be replaced. Apple offers a very capable repair service if the battery ever dies. Yes, you have to pay for the service (except, of course, in the unlikely event that the battery dies under warranty), but you'd have to pay for a new battery too, even if it were user-replaceable, so it seems like a win-win situation to me.
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FLASH-BASED MP3 PLAYERS
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If you’re looking for a player that’s small, rugged and portable, you might be in the market for a flash memory-based MP3 player. While they don't have nearly the memory capacity of their hard drive-based cousins, the coolest thing about these little guys (besides how tiny they are) is that they have no moving internal parts. In other words, it's impossible for them to skip -- great for people who jog or go to the gym.
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The downside to these, of course, is memory-related. While some flash-based players offer a SD or MMC media port for memory expansion, most of the smallest—and coolest—players aren’t expandable. But then again, you generally don’t buy a flash-based player for expandability, you buy it for portability.
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As for recommended players…
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'Digitalway MPIO DMK 128 MB MP3 Player (Titanium Silver)'
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PROS: Slick design, awesome price, and compatible with Macs or PCs.
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CONS: Shallow earbuds. Skimpy features.
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'iRiver iFP-190T 256 MB Digital Audio Player'
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PROS: This small, sleekly-designed unit features awesome sound output, a rich menu system, a vivid, backlit LCD screen, and excellent battery life (about 20 hours on a single AA alkaline). Oh, and don’t forget the FM receiver, or even the voice-recording capabilities for voice notes or class lectures. Best of all, the 256MB of flash memory will store about 4 hours of CD-quality MP3s or 8 hours of CD-quality WMAs. It also supports both Macs and PCs (though the Mac version of the software isn’t included with the player; you’ll have to download it from the http://www.iriver.com). Unfortunately, Amazon.com doesn't carry the latest iFP models; the iFP-300 line improves on the features and design.
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CONS: Expensive.
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If you are getting an MP3 player for a loud environment (air travel), these are incredible: http://www.epinions.com/Etymotic_ER6_Isolator_Headphones__Headphones_ER6
They totally pwn the noise cancelling headphones.
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The iPod will not skip while jogging or doing anything.
It is actually flash based. It has an internal 32mb buffer in which songs are stored to be played, not directly from the hard drive.
I have had a bunch of MP3 players, flash and otherwise, and all of them were wasted money which I should have invested on an iPod right from the beginning.
I'm dont like fanboys and being a product zealot, but the iPod is that good. It is impressive. An excellent design with no flaws (except it looks like jewelry and scratches easily)
As for the internal battery, it can be replaced with 3rd party kits, but I dont see why I would want to since I can get around 6 hours of play from mine. Maybe someday it will die or lose play time, but so far its going strong.
Originally posted by FUNKED1
If you are getting an MP3 player for a loud environment (air travel), these are incredible: http://www.epinions.com/Etymotic_ER6_Isolator_Headphones__Headphones_ER6
They totally pwn the noise cancelling headphones.
Do you have these Funky, are they comfortable? I am looking for some good portable headphones, because the Apple ones suck. And I despise earbuds, but these seem like they could be comfortable. Do they sound good?
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I've got one of them 2nd-gen iPods and absolutely love it. I don't have any experience with any other MP3 players, but I did a lot of reading up on them before I bought it and came to the conclusion that it was so worth it to spend the extra money and get the iPod rather than save the cash and get a player that doesn't even come close.
Another huge plus to owning one of these: I bought a car stereo with an aux input on the faceplate (a pretty standard feature, no more expensive than one without it), and then bought a Belkin car adapter set. You plug one end of the Belkin rig into the iPod, one into your cig lighter (uses that for power rather than wasting your iPod's battery), and the other into your stereo.... et voila! Thousands of songs at your fingertips... sorta of like having several hundred cd changers in your car. When you park it, just peel the iPod off, plug in your headphones and toss it in your pocket.
That's just one neat thing about owning one of these.... nevermind the awesomeness of carrying around thousands of songs that can be updated/rotated out in minutes. etc. etc. etc. I'd say it's easily as revolutionary as the Walkman in terms of how it changes the way you listen to music. Er something like that. You'll know what I mean when you get one.
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Animal I have the ER6's.
They sound good but not quite as good as high end closed ear headphones.
Where they really rock is on a plane or in other loud places.
They are basically earplugs with speakers in them.
So they block out noise way better than closed-ear or noise-cancelling headphones, and without the hiss off the noise-cancelling units. One of teh best inventions evar for long plane rides.
Comfort wise, they may take you some time to get used to, especially if you aren't used to wearing earplugs. They go WAY up in your ear. If you buy the "Hearos Studiophonic Gold 20" version, they come with optional foam tips which are a little more comfortable than the default rubber ones. It's really easy to switch the tips.
Anyways, I'm used to wearing ear plugs for car racing and other things, so they don't bug me at all.
There is a more expensive version called the ER4 (or Hearos Studiophonic Platinum 25) which is supposed to sound a little better, but they look a little more clunky and fragile and they are twice the price.
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One thing about Nomad vs. Ipod... Even though I whine about it and had to buy a new HDD and 3rd party software, I've still spent $150 less than what a 40 GB Ipod would have cost.
And I'm not aware of any features or capabilities on the Ipod which are not matched by the Nomad.
Definitely give the other HDD based players a look before you shell out for the Ipod. They are uber expensive. Might be worth it, but crap that's a lot of money for what is a basically an external HDD.
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These are what I use Animal:
http://www.bigbangelectronics.com/product.asp?dept_id=1&pf_id=mdrnc11
Like funked said they do take some getting used to but the sound is fantastic.
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One more thing about ER6: Don't use them for biking or anything where you need to be able to hear. You literally can not hear somebody talking 6 feet away when you have them in.
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Question about the I-Pod: I've been thinking about buying an external HDD so that when I go to friends' places, I can... erm... back up their music files for them. Would the IPod work for this? Is it difficult to transfer the files from a friend's computer over to the IPod (ie do you need to install special drivers/software)? I assume the transfer speed is pretty good as well.
ed: and what about the Nomad? I assume it can do just about the same stuff the IPod can.
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Originally posted by Tarmac
Question about the I-Pod: I've been thinking about buying an external HDD so that when I go to friends' places, I can... erm... back up their music files for them. Would the IPod work for this? Is it difficult to transfer the files from a friend's computer over to the IPod (ie do you need to install special drivers/software)? I assume the transfer speed is pretty good as well.
ed: and what about the Nomad? I assume it can do just about the same stuff the IPod can.
It works perfectly, as long as he has a Firewire connection, or USB 2.0 (there is an USB 2.0 adpater for the iPod)
When you connect the iPod, his computer will see it as another hard disk, so you can copy files freely using windows explorer.
Its very fast too.
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Originally posted by Animal
It works perfectly, as long as he has a Firewire connection, or USB 2.0 (there is an USB 2.0 adpater for the iPod)
When you connect the iPod, his computer will see it as another hard disk, so you can copy files freely using windows explorer.
Its very fast too.
So could you put non-music files on it as well? Obviously you wouldn't be able to play an .avi file (or whatever), but if it just comes up as an external HD in windows, could you use it as a way to move other files too?
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Yes, you can put any kind of file on it.
I use it to backup files when I'm going to format my PC.
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Nomad will do file transfers too. USB or Firewire. You do need to install drivers to get it to work as an HDD though. (grr).
For playback it will handle MP3 and WMA. Maybe more but that's all I've tried.