MP3 Player recommendation? Zune sucks.

[Red Planet]

Can someone recommend me a player?

I have had several Zunes and I'm fed up with the way the software wants control of my universe.

I just want something I can use for rehearsal that I can load songs on from my PC or take them from a disk.

My current two Zune unit/software has decided to disappear a bunch of my original recordings and will not allow me to get them back to the devices. They were on there at one time but Zune decided for me it knows best.

I need no assistance with my Zune I have been fighting this animal for a couple years now.

I think at this point I want to start over and maybe take a hammer to my current units.

I want something that is more utilitarian and less pretty software that gets the dang job done.

[Bting]

Sansa Click.

Very meat and potatos.

USB mass storage support, load it liek a thumbdrive.
Cheap and small.

If you lose it, find $40 and get another one.

Any High capacity device is goign to have issue's like you describe for the Zune. Apple I'm looking at you

But for what you want, a 2, 4, or 8gb capacity Click, is perfect.

[Red Planet]

Originally Posted by Bting

Sansa Click.

Very meat and potatos.

USB mass storage support, load it liek a thumbdrive.
Cheap and small.

If you lose it, find $40 and get another one.

Any High capacity device is goign to have issue's like you describe for the Zune. Apple I'm looking at you

But for what you want, a 2, 4, or 8gb capacity Click, is perfect.

You are the man. Yes I just need something simple with not a lot of storage. Cheap is good too. I hate these things. I literaly hate them.

[zachoff]

I have a 32G Zen and it makes me miss my Zune terribly.

[renniw]

I had 3 MP3 players int the last 3 years :

Creative ZEN

Creative ZEN Mozaic

IPod

All 3 gave me great listening time, only small gripe with the Ipod is I-tune.

But there are workround to Itune, just didn't care enough to try them...

[SBassman]

Any MP3 player by
- Creative
or
- Sony

Then add Amazon MP3, and it will be the end of the nonsense.

[30hrz]

Creative makes the best sounding MP3 players in my opinion. That's probably because they are primarily in the computer sound card business. I'm some Sony ones aren't bad either.

I miss the days of Hi-Fidelity.

[Sizlack]

I use a Creative X-fi, and it works pretty good, didn't bother to load the software as it works like a flash drive. a bit pricey, but creative makes some cheaper models. I had a Creative Zen Stone previously, but it was very small and apparently easy to lose.

[zachoff]

The thing that really bums me out about my Zen is that it doesn't read m4a and if the album or artist isn't recognized by its software, it won't show up in the album or artist list. The first thing is a minor inconvenience but the latter is a super major bummer. I have a lot of local/small EPs and none of them show up to be played. Sucks so bad.

[Red Planet]

The software will be telling us what to do at some point.

[hover]

Any hand-held with high capacity that can handle the better lossless formats, as .MP3 just plain sucks, even at high bit rates.

If it can handle .flac and the like....

I usually rip a super high quality file from cd's for my external, yet admittedly, I carry thumbdrives or my iPod for car listening.

[DWBass]

Originally Posted by Sizlack

I use a Creative X-fi, and it works pretty good, didn't bother to load the software as it works like a flash drive. a bit pricey, but creative makes some cheaper models. I had a Creative Zen Stone previously, but it was very small and apparently easy to lose.

I have a 16gb Creative X-Fi. Nice unit. Long lasting battery. Ran it 8 hours straight on a trip from VA to NY. I have mp3's and several full length movies and still have less than 4 gb used. Great sound. The Sandisk Sansas are nice too. Simple and affordable. I find them on the low scale when it comes to sound though. As a reference mp3 player they are great. Bought a 16gb Sony for the wife. She loves it. Great sound too.