I need a new MP3 player. Anyone have any recommendations?

[rmkesler]

I have a couple of cheap MP3 players I picked up from Wally World and I've spend more on batteries for them than I paid for them in the first place. Looking to get something rechargeable like an iPod, Zune, or... whatever.

What do you guys recommend?

[lunarpollen]

I used to love my 30 MB Creative Zen Vision:M (but it got fried by a faulty USB port on my computer. I then got a Zune 120 GB and it was cool until it died for no reason a few months later, but I called the support line and after determining it could not be reset, they sent me a UPS envelope to put the dead one in, and then sent a brand new Zune for free. During the interim, I purchased a little Sony Walkman mp3 player (16GB) so that I could at least have some music in my car (my CD player has been dead for years) and I am really happy with it, although I wish at the time I could have afforded a larger-capacity model. BUt the Sony is great because it's fast, and moving songs to and from it is a matter of dragging and dropping, no wonky application interface needed like with the Creative Zen or the Zune.

How much $$ are you looking to spend? And how much capacity are you looking for?

[rmkesler]

Originally Posted by lunarpollen

I used to love my 30 MB Creative Zen Vision:M (but it got fried by a faulty USB port on my computer. I then got a Zune 120 GB and it was cool until it died for no reason a few months later, but I called the support line and after determining it could not be reset, they sent me a UPS envelope to put the dead one in, and then sent a brand new Zune for free. During the interim, I purchased a little Sony Walkman mp3 player (16GB) so that I could at least have some music in my car (my CD player has been dead for years) and I am really happy with it, although I wish at the time I could have afforded a larger-capacity model. BUt the Sony is great because it's fast, and moving songs to and from it is a matter of dragging and dropping, no wonky application interface needed like with the Creative Zen or the Zune.

How much $$ are you looking to spend? And how much capacity are you looking for?

Probably around $100. I don't need a lot of space for the tunes I need to work on. I'm thinking an 8GB should be fine.

Also, some of the guys are writing originals so it would be nice to be able to drag and drop without needing additional software or a proprietary docking station.

I'll check out the Sony. I haven't thought of Walkman in years. I used to have Walkman cassette player back in the day.

[LuvMusic]

I've been using a Cowan D2 for a couple of years now and I love it. Best fidelity I've ever experienced in a MP3 player. Also, name your preferred format and it will play it, except for ACC....thanks Steve Jobs!

As for battery life, it can't be beat. I get 40+ hours per charge (yes 40+) with audio only. Also supports SD cards so additional storage is not a problem.

What is a problem is you can't buy them in a store, have to order via the web. If you interested, more info here: http://www.jetaudio.com/products/cowon/d2plus/

[Philbiker]

Rechargeable batteries?

I have an mp3 player that cost me something like $18 about 2 years ago. It takes SSD cards. I just click in whatever bunch of songs I want to play. Can't understand why anyone would spend a lot on an MP3 player. I use rechargeable batteries and a solar battery charger.

[JulienJeff]

I recommend an Ipod. The best IMO

[rmkesler]

Originally Posted by LuvMusic

I've been using a Cowan D2 for a couple of years now and I love it. Best fidelity I've ever experienced in a MP3 player. Also, name your preferred format and it will play it, except for ACC....thanks Steve Jobs!

As for battery life, it can't be beat. I get 40+ hours per charge (yes 40+) with audio only. Also supports SD cards so additional storage is not a problem.

What is a problem is you can't buy them in a store, have to order via the web. If you interested, more info here: http://www.jetaudio.com/products/cowon/d2plus/

That looks neat. There's some on the bay for less than $130. I didn't think about it before but the listing says it has a power adapter and can be recharge via USB. Are most of these players this way?

[rmkesler]

Originally Posted by Philbiker

Rechargeable batteries?

I have an mp3 player that cost me something like $18 about 2 years ago. It takes SSD cards. I just click in whatever bunch of songs I want to play. Can't understand why anyone would spend a lot on an MP3 player. I use rechargeable batteries and a solar battery charger.

Hey, I have kids and I am all about rechargeable batteries. The battery charger runs nonstop around our house.

These Jensens I have use AAA I've never seen rechargeable AAAs. Maybe I haven't look hard enough but I didn't think they made them.

I also don't care much for the interface on them. That and they play the files differently. One plays them by file name and the other by the MP3 ID Tag. Something with a better interface and some way of organizing the files would be great.

[legend_bob]

I love my Cowon S9. Sound quality is awesome. Also plays any video format you can throw at it without converting. With a special cable (of course) you can play video through a tv, which was one feature I really wanted. It uses RAM, not a hard drive, which is another plus for me. I got the 32gig version but you could save money with less memory.

Wish it (and all players) used removable memory cards.

But if sound quality is important, I think this is the way to go. It can play FLAC, too.

[My name is Mudd]

As far as I'm concerned, it's an iPod first and pretty much anything else second. I'm by no means an Apple geek, but i LOVE my 80gb Classic!

[Burlington]

I love my Zune HD. My guitar player has a normal Zune and also loves it.

[iamlowsound]

Just buy an ipod and get it over with.

lowsound

[lunarpollen]

In the $100 range there are a couple of Sony Walkman models, an 8 MB and a 16 MB

http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/...5&N=4294954534

There is an application for moving files to and from it, but it doesn't always work right, but you don't even need to use it. I just drag and drop files to and from the music folder on the thing like it's just a typical folder on a hard drive. And it charges from the USB port of the computer.

Since I got my replacement Zune, I keep my little Sony in my glove compartment as a spare music player just in case my Zune runs out of power while I'm driving someplace. I just make sure to bring it inside every month or so and plug it in to my computer to top off the battery charge.

[rmkesler]

Originally Posted by iamlowsound

Just buy an ipod and get it over with.

lowsound

LOL! Okay I'm looking at iPods but good grief which one? There's a touch, a nano, a classic, etc. These guys are as bad as Marshall. (I mean seriously. How many different versions of a 100 watt tube amp can you make?)

[iamlowsound]

Originally Posted by rmkesler

LOL! Okay I'm looking at iPods but good grief which one? There's a touch, a nano, a classic, etc. These guys are as bad as Marshall. (I mean seriously. How many different versions of a 100 watt tube amp can you make?)

Just want to play music and only need 8 gigs? Nano. Want it to do a bunch of other stuff? Buy a touch. Need a bunch of storage space? Buy a classic.

lowsound

[kai_ski]

I would look for the cheapest iPod Touch. It has a lot of player features that the other click-wheel ipod's dont have. Ever since I got the iPhone, I hardly ever use my iPod. It pretty much just lives in the car and holds 100 gb of music -- great for road trips!

If you want cheap, the Nano would be the way to go -- the shuffle's are worthless unless you're using them for working out.

[LuvMusic]

Originally Posted by legend_bob

I love my Cowon S9. Sound quality is awesome. Also plays any video format you can throw at it without converting. With a special cable (of course) you can play video through a tv, which was one feature I really wanted. It uses RAM, not a hard drive, which is another plus for me. I got the 32gig version but you could save money with less memory.

Wish it (and all players) used removable memory cards.

But if sound quality is important, I think this is the way to go. It can play FLAC, too.

The S9 and D2 are very similar in terms of their ability to play most popular formats. I think the S2 is a little better at video and has a bigger screen.

+1 on FLAC and any other lossless format. I went with the D2 just for the SD card capability.

Originally Posted by JulienJeff

I recommend an Ipod. The best IMO

Sure, if you can live with just MP3 or ACC, like to recharge frequently (less than ideal battery life) and want to be stuck with iTunes for managing your music (along with all the frequent updates.....uuuggghhh!).

My kids have been sucked into the Steve Jobs paradigm, I prefer to avoid it.

Originally Posted by rmkesler

That looks neat. There's some on the bay for less than $130. I didn't think about it before but the listing says it has a power adapter and can be recharge via USB. Are most of these players this way?

Yeah, I believe most...but not all...are this way. I travel a fair amount so being able to recharge with my USB port is a great feature. The Ipod is, don't know about the Zune.

[lunarpollen]

With an iPod you won't be able to just drag and drop music files like with an ordinary mp3 player. You pretty much are forced to use iTunes. And iTunes forces you to conform to their way of songfile management and organization. Some people are OK with this, some people are not, like those of us who have already organized our songfile collections the way we like them via folders and subfolders etc. A lot of people also don't want to be forced to install the massive iTunes bloatware onto their computer just so they can use a portable mp3 player. That's why players by other manufacturers like Cowan and Samsung etc. are becoming more widespread, people like the freedom to just be able to drag and drop their files without having to go through intermediary applications. Other mp3 Players like Zune and Creative are kind of in between; they have their own proprietary PC software for interfacing with the mp3 player, but the software is less intrusive and domineering than iTunes; it can be configured to give you maximum control and allow the software minimal control over managing your soundfiles.

[rmkesler]

Originally Posted by iamlowsound

Just want to play music and only need 8 gigs? Nano. Want it to do a bunch of other stuff? Buy a touch. Need a bunch of storage space? Buy a classic.

lowsound

Got it. Thanks!

[rmkesler]

Originally Posted by lunarpollen

With an iPod you won't be able to just drag and drop music files like with an ordinary mp3 player. You pretty much are forced to use iTunes. And iTunes forces you to conform to their way of songfile management and organization. Some people are OK with this, some people are not, like those of us who have already organized our songfile collections the way we like them via folders and subfolders etc. A lot of people also don't want to be forced to install the massive iTunes bloatware onto their computer just so they can use a portable mp3 player. That's why players by other manufacturers like Cowan and Samsung etc. are becoming more widespread, people like the freedom to just be able to drag and drop their files without having to go through intermediary applications. Other mp3 Players like Zune and Creative are kind of in between; they have their own proprietary PC software for interfacing with the mp3 player, but the software is less intrusive and domineering than iTunes; it can be configured to give you maximum control and allow the software minimal control over managing your soundfiles.

If it were just me and my computer that wouldn't be too bad but if I'm jamming with the guys and we record something I'd like to be able to get copy of it and I don't want to make them download iTunes. Is there no way around this with an iPod?