Sell me on a small PMP

[vbuggy]

What idiot still wants a standalone PMP in this day and age?
Turns out this idiot does. I need a new one. I have specific reqs.

Memory
32Gb. If a 256Gb flash version exists I might have a look provided it's not completely outrageously priced, but 64 and 128 are inconvenient 'inbetween' sizes.
FAST. I really don't like slow loads. I'd ideally like to see 'real-life' ~15Mb/sec transfer speeds.

Device comms protocol
Must be MTP. Mass Storage not required, though no problems if it's present.

Physical interface
I don't see myself hooking this player up to docks, etc so a standard USB socket would be advantageous.

Audio Codec
Need: WMA, AAC, MP3
Want: WMA Lossless
Could care less: FLAC, OGG

Video Codec
Need: MP4, H.264
Could care less: DivX, XVid

DRM
Microsoft DRM full (and reliable) implementation highly desirable

Features required
Music, radio, video playback. Playlisting inluding OTF playlists

Features desired but not required
Audio recording, SDXC expandability (I don't feel SDHC is worth it for reasons given above) if expandability is a feature. Some sort of podcatching facility with independent episode resume would also be very desirable. Auto resume - Highly desirable, independent for both video and audio, and if it can do it in individual albums too a major bonus. If it can act as a passthru headset for a phone in some way - i.e. I can use it in conjunction with a phone - then mega-bonus.

Navigation
Easy to use. Touch or physical control not a problem as long as it's fast, logical and easy.

Size
Compact while still packing a reasonably roomy (e.g. 3"-class QVGA) screen - the smaller the better

Runtime
If it can run a full morning to night in MP3 or AAC I'll be happy. Don't need days, but <10 hours = problem.

Firmware state
No 'pre-alpha-grade' unstable / ill thought out crud, which would seem to rule out any Cowon less than 9 months old at least

Sound quality
Excellent - I don't listen with clown-shoes EQ/FX and call that 'quality' so once again, Cowon is not a go-to choice, and no HifiMan BS.

Thanks


FYI: Headgear used in front end - JH Audio JH13, Beyerdynamic T5P, Sony MDR-7520, Westone 4, etc. NO AMP. EVER.

 

[SyndromeOCZ]

Well there isn't any single device that hits all your requirements. You could check out the Cowon J3 though.

 

[Joseph F]

The closest device to your requirements would be the Zune HD or the Cowon J3 which SyndromeOCZ recommended. Neither of which, I would recommend. Just get a Samsung Galaxy Player and call it a day.
BTW, why are you using a set of Beyerdynamic T5P's without an amp?
The only players that are good for phones like that without an external amp are the HiFiMan players.
Have you ever looked into building an O2 amp? It costs ~$100 to build, and it compares well to amps in the $1000 category. (Such as the Beta22)

 

[vbuggy]

The closest device to your requirements would be the Zune HD or the Cowon J3 which SyndromeOCZ recommended. Neither of which, I would recommend. Just get a Samsung Galaxy Player and call it a day.

I'm looking to supplement - if not replace - a Zune HD with an MTP player. It *must* be MTP, not Mass Storage. If the SGP is MTP, I will certainly look into it - but I wasn't clear on that point when looking at it.

Cowons - I'm not so keen on since their absolute sound quality (i.e. minus the misleading default-setting BBE/etc crud) usually isn't that high. That and the constant, neverending bugs with the release of each new device. Does this have a firmware without gotchas yet? It's only been out for less than a year, right?

BTW, why are you using a set of Beyerdynamic T5P's without an amp?
The only players that are good for phones like that without an external amp are the HiFiMan players.

I flipped the HM801 ages ago to another Head-Fi mug. I might be an idiot to still want a PMP in this day and age, but to buy and religiously use that thing requires a level above of idiotry.

Have you ever looked into building an O2 amp? It costs ~$100 to build, and it compares well to amps in the $1000 category. (Such as the Beta22)

Because most of the amps are effectively placebo - or give such a marginal improvement (mainly by the fact that you're presenting a >600ohm ~ <10kohm load at the headphone / line port of the PMP instead of a low impedance) in portable use with a competent PMP that they are irrelevant.

A halfway decent PMP will power even the T5P's - which admittedly I don't use that often - to absolutely acceptable levels, whatever some subjectiphile says. It's not a certifiably nerd way of going about it and sure, I'll be lacking my headphone audiophile community-cred badge - but I assure you that if I have the burning need to use an amp, I have them - I just never use them.