mp3 players, ipods etc.

[warpigeon]

Just wanted some feedback on what to purchase in the way of an mp3 player.

I don't need to store more than a few hundred songs at a time.
I of course like very good sound quality- headphone factor here?
I have a particular need for something that can really crank out the decibels. I'll be very disappointed if the player I get doesn't have enough oomph.

If the short answer is "just get an ipod" then that's fine but maybe there are other opinions...

 

[kmrivers]

is 240 songs enough? The iPod Shuffle is the best sounding iPod to date. It doesn't have a screen but yeah. There is the iPod Nano. A used Mini would suit you well, I sold my 5G video ipod and got a mini. It suits my needs just fine. Sound could be a bit better, but you get a 2nd generation you should be fine.

The Cube thing, although I know a few people who have gone through a few replacements. MobiBlu is what I am talking about. They have a few different players.

Toshiba has a new GigaBeat coming out. Looks like it will be good.

Creative has the Zen Micro Photo, The Zen Micro. I don't know much about Creative but they look decent. I have played with them at the store but I don't like using them as much a ipods.

Sound has a lot to do with headphones, be prepared to spend about $50 for a decent pair. You won't be dissappointed.

My preference is iPod, I don't mind iTunes. It is good software and works very well. I plugged in the Lame MP3 encoder though. I would go to the store and get a feel for what you like the best. It comes down to this:

1. Price Range
2. Size requirements (form factor and storage)
3. Extras: screen, videos, etc. Do you need them?
4. Which one feels the best to you?
5. Read some reviews and see what issues may arise (you would have to use this for sound quality because i dont think you can test this in the store)

 

[Azndude2190]

Get a Nano if space isnt a problem with you.It's pretty small and easy to carry around and if I'm right it fits up to 5,000 songs.

 

[PhoenixOrion]

Originally posted by: warpigeon
Just wanted some feedback on what to purchase in the way of an mp3 player.

I don't need to store more than a few hundred songs at a time.
I of course like very good sound quality- headphone factor here?
I have a particular need for something that can really crank out the decibels. I'll be very disappointed if the player I get doesn't have enough oomph.

If the short answer is "just get an ipod" then that's fine but maybe there are other opinions...

I'm assuming you want decent battery life.
What about form factor? How small and portable do you want it?

 

[warpigeon]

Originally posted by: kmrivers
is 240 songs enough? The iPod Shuffle is the best sounding iPod to date. It doesn't have a screen but yeah. There is the iPod Nano. A used Mini would suit you well, I sold my 5G video ipod and got a mini. It suits my needs just fine. Sound could be a bit better, but you get a 2nd generation you should be fine.

The Cube thing, although I know a few people who have gone through a few replacements. MobiBlu is what I am talking about. They have a few different players.

Toshiba has a new GigaBeat coming out. Looks like it will be good.

Creative has the Zen Micro Photo, The Zen Micro. I don't know much about Creative but they look decent. I have played with them at the store but I don't like using them as much a ipods.

Sound has a lot to do with headphones, be prepared to spend about $50 for a decent pair. You won't be dissappointed.

My preference is iPod, I don't mind iTunes. It is good software and works very well. I plugged in the Lame MP3 encoder though. I would go to the store and get a feel for what you like the best. It comes down to this:

1. Price Range
2. Size requirements (form factor and storage)
3. Extras: screen, videos, etc. Do you need them?
4. Which one feels the best to you?
5. Read some reviews and see what issues may arise (you would have to use this for sound quality because i dont think you can test this in the store)

I don't really care about how big the thing is as long as the sound quality and volume requiremets are met. Not interested in video or any fancy stuff. Obviously I want it to have a good interface with regards to making playlists, ease of finding songs etc.

Definetly interested in battery life, do they charge up just like a cell phone?

Also, do they tend to come with high quality ear bud headphones? Or will that be an additional cost.

 

[imported_goku]

Originally posted by: warpigeon

Originally posted by: kmrivers
is 240 songs enough? The iPod Shuffle is the best sounding iPod to date. It doesn't have a screen but yeah. There is the iPod Nano. A used Mini would suit you well, I sold my 5G video ipod and got a mini. It suits my needs just fine. Sound could be a bit better, but you get a 2nd generation you should be fine.

The Cube thing, although I know a few people who have gone through a few replacements. MobiBlu is what I am talking about. They have a few different players.

Toshiba has a new GigaBeat coming out. Looks like it will be good.

Creative has the Zen Micro Photo, The Zen Micro. I don't know much about Creative but they look decent. I have played with them at the store but I don't like using them as much a ipods.

Sound has a lot to do with headphones, be prepared to spend about $50 for a decent pair. You won't be dissappointed.

My preference is iPod, I don't mind iTunes. It is good software and works very well. I plugged in the Lame MP3 encoder though. I would go to the store and get a feel for what you like the best. It comes down to this:

1. Price Range
2. Size requirements (form factor and storage)
3. Extras: screen, videos, etc. Do you need them?
4. Which one feels the best to you?
5. Read some reviews and see what issues may arise (you would have to use this for sound quality because i dont think you can test this in the store)

I don't really care about how big the thing is as long as the sound quality and volume requiremets are met. Not interested in video or any fancy stuff. Obviously I want it to have a good interface with regards to making playlists, ease of finding songs etc.

Definetly interested in battery life, do they charge up just like a cell phone?

Also, do they tend to come with high quality ear bud headphones? Or will that be an additional cost.

There are so many problems with that statement I'm at a loss of words...Not sure if I should laugh or cry.
Look, apple makes crappy products, thats just the way it is, they don't make high quality anything, let alone MP3 players.. Also, there is no such thing as high quality 'buds', I used to use buds, when I switched to IEMs it was a wierd transition but I got use to it, when I tried using buds one time, I realized how horrifyingly BAD Ear Bud headphones were. Look for shure head phones, you won't regret it, I personally have the E4cs...

For an MP3 player, look for an iRiver, they make good players.

 

[antyler]

Go with an ipod, if you dont need that much space, look into that Nano. They are quite handy.

 

[DivideBYZero]

Creative.

 

[Pepsei]

ipod, pretty much best bang for the yen.

 

[0roo0roo]

nano nano!

 

[Appledrop]

 

[jonessoda]

Creative has been in the sound business for years, and their experience shows. They have probably THE best portable MP3 players on the market.

As for earbuds, you can spend $300 on a pair of Shure E4cs, or $20 on a pair of Koss The Spark Plugs, and get incredibly similar and incredibly good sound, but both tend to block out nearly all background noise.