not sure about this being the right forum for this topic but couldn't find any better place to post it

people need your recommendations about mp3-players... money is not an issue in this case but couldn't find any proper player yet. started thinking about the ipod but got turned down by the itunes file organizing system (which i downloaded for trial), found it quite annoying (i?m used to organize my files in different folders on the harddisk). second i thought about the iriver h340, but couldn't find too much information about how the files are organized/uploaded to the player. another thing that turns me down with both players is the size, lovely it would be to have a player with the size of the ipod mini but with more capacity than just 6gb (which is too little imo to concentrate your music collection)

any comments about not so known players, perhaps the new sony mp3-players? any info on this issue will be appreciated

cheers clausen

Re: which mp3 player?

apple, inc. makes this handy little device called an ipod.

theyre kinda popular....

Re: which mp3 player?

hi clausen :)

well, my opinion regarding mp3 players is confusing :P on one side, i like ipod mini, and 4gb seems quite fine for me.. don't really know how many sets would i copy to it, but don't think i need more than that.

on the other side, a friend bought an iriver, and the good thing with this item is he also uses it to record live sets thanks to it hass a line in plug (that's good if you have access to consoles :P)

if i had the money right now, i'd be more than happy with an ipod. about itunes, don't really know yet, but i've heard there are other alternatives to that.

Re: which mp3 player?

Ive had many iPods over the years and i think they are great. I have tried the iRiver and didnt like it as much. And as for iTunes, i takes a little getting used to but your files will be very organized once you get the hang of it. I would go with an iPod.

Re: which mp3 player?

Sounds like you going to have to do some more looking around to find something that meets your requirements. I can however answer your question on the iRiver file mechanism. You can either use their software to transfer files or you can get the UMS firmware from their site which formats your players HD to FAT and then just transfer files like you would on you computer normally, ie., drag and drop.

Re: which mp3 player?

Ipod seems to be the choice. :)

Re: which mp3 player?

i started with a couple different Rios... big mistake - crap sound, overpriced, terrible customer service. gotta say, a pod will do the trick.

Re: which mp3 player?

I have a Rio Cali of 256MB and it works for me. It has an easy soft to upload music and it also has FM radio wich is something that not every MP3 players have.

Re: which mp3 player?

I have a 20gb iPod and love it.

the most I ever put on it was 18gb, then I was like WTF...I had too much stuff on it and I was spending a lot of time surfing the artist list vs. actually listening to something.

Now I keep around 8gb just to keep it manageable...

The mini is a great choice...but if your going to use it everyday commuting (subway/rail) then I would go for more space.

Re: which mp3 player?

I'm very picky about the interface. I tend to skip around between playlists and tracks so I like something that works without a lot of controls or some complex menu system.

My first was a Rio SP90 CD/MP3 player. It was good becuase the interface was easy to use. My second was the Rio SP105 CD/MP3 player which was better in some way, but the interface seemed more sluggish than its predecessor. Last Christmas, I got a 4th generation, 20gb iPod. The interface is the best I've used so far. I can almost use it blindfolded. :)

Re: which mp3 player?

ive got a 60gb Creative Nomad Xen xtra and it is absolutely fantastic. I really like the Creative interface, and the software is piss easy to use. Rips all my CD's perfectly, and the playlist organisation is sweet. Customer service was also good, i managed to break my headphone jack, sent it off to get fixed and came back almost brand new, new case and all.

I wanted mine for the size more than anything (its almost full now though >_<). I should also mention that the sound quality is fantastic as well.

id look at other mp3 players than the ipod, as imo buying an ipod compared to some of the other brands (creative, iRiver) is sort of like buying a set of designer glasses vs normal glasses. they do the exact same thing, but the designer one just looks better, people go "ooo" when they see the brand, and they costs heaps more. but hey, from what ive seen the ipods are excellent

Re: which mp3 player?

Are the new sony ones out yet?

I remember reading about them about half a year to a year ago... All the specs put the ipod to shame - size, battery life, capacity, weight.

Looked good, I think the only problem was it played Sony's proprietry format, and not mp3s, which wouldnt deter me completely away from it. And last time I checked it looked like Sony was slowly changing their whole range to mp3 capable anyway.

Re: which mp3 player?

[quote=Clausen77] but got turned down by the itunes file organizing system (which i downloaded for trial), found it quite annoying (i?m used to organize my files in different folders on the harddisk). [/quote] do you mean how iTines copies mp3s to its own library? you can change that in the preferences

Re: which mp3 player?

[quote=Clausen77]started thinking about the ipod but got turned down by the itunes file organizing system (which i downloaded for trial), found it quite annoying (i?m used to organize my files in different folders on the harddisk)[/quote]

I agree with you on that. You can customize it like tiddles said, but I also organize my files in my own system of folders, files, and playlists. I usually make playlists on the fly with WinAmp, but it takes more time to do that on the iPod so I only import certain playlists into iTunes for my iPod. It involves some double management duty, but I don't find it very time-consuming.

That being said, I've been using iTunes over WinAmp more and more lately so I may try to get customize it according to my current folder/file/playlist structure and see how I like using it.

Re: which mp3 player?

i use pocket pc (XDA1) with winamp for pocket pc and SD card for 500 mb and don't care about bying something extra. All my music is at home or in the car.

Re: which mp3 player?

i got the iPod and fully endorse it. the ease of use is incredible and the interface is a beaut.

Re: which mp3 player?

ipod itunes imusic ieverything

they are the best in this context. :lol:

Re: which mp3 player?

I have a iriver h10 and wrote and extensive review in a previous post, feel free to do a search

Re: which mp3 player?

I have the 4gb Ipod mini and I haven't had any complaints so far. I've had it for about 8 months now. The only thing is getting used to Itunes.

Re: which mp3 player?

[quote=SyntaxTerror]Are the new sony ones out yet?

I remember reading about them about half a year to a year ago... All the specs put the ipod to shame - size, battery life, capacity, weight.

Looked good, I think the only problem was it played Sony's proprietry format, and not mp3s, which wouldnt deter me completely away from it. And last time I checked it looked like Sony was slowly changing their whole range to mp3 capable anyway.[/quote]

I bought a Sony nw-e407 1gb player, and it was pretty good - but i took it back as the software you had to load it with, Sonicstage v3, is the biggest pile of turd ever. If you have an anywhere decent mp3 collection, and being a member here you probably have, it's just sooo slow. Granted I've got 70-odd Gb of music, but it just took ages to do anything.

Think I'm going to get an i-bead 400 1gb player, gets some good reviews.

Re: which mp3 player?

i have the iriver H20, its pretty big but the real time encoding direct from a mixer into mp3 does it for me big time.

Re: which mp3 player?

Dell 20 gig jukebox.

love it.

Re: which mp3 player?

Do any MP3 players have the fast forwarding capabilities of the iPod? That's my favorite feature of the iPod: the ability to get to the middle of an 60-minute set in 3 seconds.

I have a mini and like it, but am annoyed with the complicated volume controls and the lack of a power button. Otherwise, a great device.

Re: which mp3 player?

[quote=darkmark]Do any MP3 players have the fast forwarding capabilities of the iPod? That's my favorite feature of the iPod: the ability to get to the middle of an 60-minute set in 3 seconds.

[/quote]

That's what i love about the Dell. I can FFW into the middle of long sets in seconds. What i didn't like about the ipod is the wheel. Dell has a scroller and interface that is quicker and easier to use than the ipod imo. One other thing cool about Dell...we were having some issues with the file sorting after dropping it, lol, anyway, long story short, dell replaced it for free with a new one. Their customer service is awesome.

Re: which mp3 player?

yeah, no super ffw with the iriver H20 unfortunately.

Re: which mp3 player?

[quote=unrecogniseduser]yeah, no super ffw with the iriver H20 unfortunately.[/quote]

I have an iriver H120. I bought it over an ipod because it can record. I record my dj sets for fun and phone interviews for work. The latest firmware has "study" mode, where you can jump forward up to 10 minutes at a time.

The interface is a little cumbersome. Basically, no scroll wheel. But the newer ones apparently have a touch-sensitive bar. I think the equivalent 20GB is the H10. Not sure.

If you want to record, get an iriver. If you want to listen get an ipod. I have read but not tested myself, that irivers sound better than ipods.

That said, the new Sonys look very cool in the ads.

Re: which mp3 player?

i saw that study mode thing without realising what it was. I withdraw my complaint about no super ffw on the iriver H20

Re: which mp3 player?

hmmmm, no super ffw on the H10, that is a feature I'd really like to have.... :|

Re: which mp3 player?

IRiver's can store any file type also. They can be used as a backup device for your important files. It also has no annoying DRM technology, so you can up/download files from it as you please. They are also cheaper in the large 20-40GB arena. Oh, and did I mention that both the H320 and H340 have photo capability built in by default with a better screen than any IPod?

One instance of why I like my IRiver better - I brought over my empty IRiver H140 to a friends, downloaded 20 gigs of MP3's from their PC to my IRiver directly, and pow, I have tons of music. You can't do that with an IPod.

Now bash me for piracy issues - blah blah blah... :roll:

Re: which mp3 player?

[url]http://www.misticriver.net[/url]

Re: which mp3 player?

Can the iPod hold any type of files to use as an external drive?

I've heard both yes and no.

Re: which mp3 player?

no by default - but i think it's hackable and can be used that way.

Re: which mp3 player?

[quote=MJDub]Can the iPod hold any type of files to use as an external drive?

I've heard both yes and no.[/quote]

Yes. I have a 4th gen 20gb and when I connect it via USB, it appears as a regular external drive.

Re: which mp3 player?

[quote=lopark]Yes. I have a 4th gen 20gb and when I connect it via USB, it appears as a regular external drive.[/quote]

Good because I'm getting the same one Friday. :Bingo:

Re: which mp3 player?

[quote=MJDub]Can the iPod hold any type of files to use as an external drive?[/quote]

I have a mini and use it as a drive. Use it as my main drive now for all of my projects. Another great feature that most people don't use.

The mini has 2 synch modes: auto and manual. In manual mode, it will work as a drive by default. In auto mode, you have to enable it to work as a drive in preferences. In itunes go to preferences (CTRL+,) and then the iPod tab. Disk use checkbox is on the 'general' subtab.

Im thinking of getting the ipod mini 6GB. Bigger ipods are too big for me and I also hate how the get all scratched. It really repends on how much music you want to get with you and also how much money you want to spend. I wouldnt go to far away from apple... the zen micro is also a nice choice if you?re looking for something small.

Re: which mp3 player?

[quote=bluntguy]IRiver's can store any file type also. They can be used as a backup device for your important files. It also has no annoying DRM technology, so you can up/download files from it as you please. They are also cheaper in the large 20-40GB arena. Oh, and did I mention that both the H320 and H340 have photo capability built in by default with a better screen than any IPod?[/quote] Photo? pffft, with the H320 & H340 you can watch movies not just look at pictures :D

Re: which mp3 player?

[quote=dadam02][quote=bluntguy]IRiver's can store any file type also. They can be used as a backup device for your important files. It also has no annoying DRM technology, so you can up/download files from it as you please. They are also cheaper in the large 20-40GB arena. Oh, and did I mention that both the H320 and H340 have photo capability built in by default with a better screen than any IPod?[/quote] Photo? pffft, with the H320 & H340 you can watch movies not just look at pictures :D[/quote]

:shock:

I'm getting me one of thouse!!!

Re: which mp3 player?

I use Irfanview, small, light, and very versatile. And very important, totally free.

Re: which mp3 player?

ipod rulez