Help me choose a digital audio player.

downhill · Post by **downhill** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 6:47 am

A few needs. First one. No Ipods. I'm not going to go proprietary. No way.

Other than that.....long play life on the battery. Also, it would be nice if I can tune an FM radio to it. This seems to be the catch phrase for me. The ones I'm looking at, I can't tell if they do or not.

Plays mp3s. Don't care about wma but OGG might be an alternative.

I'd love it to also play flac files but in the end thats the least important part.

The Cowon iAUDIO X5handles flac but it doesn't look like I can tune an FM station to it.

downhill · Post by **downhill** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 7:03 am

After a bit of thought, I suppose the FM transmitter part isn't that big an issue. I can just get one of these.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00067 ... oding=UTF8

How aobut other player suggestions?

jayyy · Post by **jayyy** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 7:14 am

go with the ipod nano or ipod video, man. i felt the same way you did, but they're incredible. they make everything else on the market look like trash, theres just no comparison.
i resented the proprietary aspect at first, but you get used to it and start to prefer it, its a great system from top to bottom. i'm even thinking of picking up a mac mini now.

downhill · Post by **downhill** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 7:24 am

Would I have to eat a bowl of barb wire with it? jayyy...I'm having a hard time with the proprietary part.

Have you seen the X5? Also, even though most newer models all have video stuff...I don't think I really care if it does or not. It's something I'll probably never use.

Post by **YeOldeStonecat** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 7:29 am

I'm still cracking up DH..your avatar makes me think of waking up, looking down, and seeing morning wood.

downhill · Post by **downhill** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 7:29 am

The reason I mentioned flac. I've been in the process of converting most of my favorite CD's to flac over mp3 or mpc.

I'd like to stick with one format but hey....I suppose for portability, I could simply do a batch conversion from flac to ogg or mp3 for those flac files I don't have encoded to lossy.

downhill · Post by **downhill** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 7:30 am

YeOldeStonecat wrote:I'm still cracking up DH..your avatar makes me think of waking up, looking down, and seeing morning wood.

It's a spiny cactus! You guys have dirty minds!!!

Joint Chiefs of Staff · Thu Mar 16, 2006 7:38 am

YeOldeStonecat wrote:I'm still cracking up DH..your avatar makes me think of waking up, looking down, and seeing morning wood.

hahahahahahahahaha

downhill · Post by **downhill** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 7:42 am

Joint Chiefs of Staff wrote:hahahahahahahahaha

Hey...are you laughing because he can see that an you can't? Or are you laughing because he's making fun of an old fart with a spiny cactus?

You guys are spamming a perfectly fine question thread!!!! LOL

Meggie · Post by **Meggie** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 7:44 am

YeOldeStonecat wrote:I'm still cracking up DH..your avatar makes me think of waking up, looking down, and seeing morning wood.

wow u are irish, arent u?

jayyy · Post by **jayyy** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 7:59 am

downhill wrote:Would I have to eat a bowl of barb wire with it? jayyy...I'm having a hard time with the proprietary part.

Have you seen the X5? Also, even though most newer models all have video stuff...I don't think I really care if it does or not. It's something I'll probably never use.

Code: Select all

it looks alright, and I know you're on audiophile so flac is definitely a big consideration...but while I couldnt find the price, i suspect the 60 gig ipod probably costs about as much as the 30 gig version of this. that generally seems to be how it works.

i don't use video either, but i mentioned it because the design is so nice.
since for better or worse ipod is the standard now, my advice is try one out a few days, get used to it and itunes. then if a better one comes you'll be sure of it.

ipod doesnt have an 80% market share for nothing..i thought it was a gimmick or a fashion thing, but what i'm learning is proprietary isnt so bad if the makers know what theyre doing..and apple does.

downhill · Post by **downhill** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 8:00 am

Thanks for the response, jayyy. I'll spend a bit of time looking into it.

The 60 gig versions of both are around the same price.

downhill · Post by **downhill** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 8:31 am

John wrote:What is all this proprietary speak... because of itunes?

Pretty much. I know I can do mp3's with one. John, what happens to them mp3's if I decide to remove them and keep them?

Also, I'm still considering flac only.

Post by **YeOldeStonecat** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 8:33 am

downhill wrote:Hey...are you laughing because he can see that an you can't? Or are you laughing because he's making fun of an old fart with a spiny cactus?

You guys are spamming a perfectly fine question thread!!!! LOL

Dunno..with JCOS...he may have wore it off with so much use over there in single guys heaven!

Roody · Post by **Roody** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 9:58 am

downhill wrote:It's a spiny cactus! You guys have dirty minds!!!

First time I glanced at it I thought it was giving me the finger.

Roody · Post by **Roody** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 10:00 am

I would recommend the IPod also DH. I have the 60GB Ipod Photo and its top-notch. I burned all of my CD's (look out Recording Industry here I come

) to it plus my Itunes songs and I still have plenty of room.

Of course make sure you burn a backup copy just to be safe.

Chris · Post by **Chris** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 10:05 am

downhill wrote:
The Cowon iAUDIO X5handles flac but it doesn't look like I can tune an FM station to it.

Says you can listen to and record FM radio.
Nice looking unit and the formats it supports

Blisster · Post by **Blisster** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 10:11 am

the Creative Zen Line is pretty nice, feature packed and about 30% cheaper than an equally featured iPod. They did win 'Best in Show' at CES this year. A coworker just picked up the 30Gb Zen: M, I beliee (the one that plys video) its really REALLY nice.
don't know about flac support hough.

knightmare · Post by **knightmare** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 10:17 am

Portable/Handheld: FLAC support

* COWON's iAUDIO A2, iAUDIO U3, iAUDIO M3, and iAUDIO X5
* iPod via the Rockbox firmware replacement.
* iRiver iHP-120/iHP-140/H320/H340 via the Rockbox firmware replacement.
* Iwod G10
* Rio Karma

Free Lossless Audio Codec site

http://flac.sourceforge.net/links.html

downhill · Post by **downhill** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 10:57 am

knightmare wrote:Portable/Handheld: FLAC support

* COWON's iAUDIO A2, iAUDIO U3, iAUDIO M3, and iAUDIO X5
* iPod via the Rockbox firmware replacement.
* iRiver iHP-120/iHP-140/H320/H340 via the Rockbox firmware replacement.
* Iwod G10
* Rio Karma

Free Lossless Audio Codec site

http://flac.sourceforge.net/links.html

Thanks KN...the link? I've been using flac or ape for sometime now. Playing aound with both formats. Either is great but it looks like flac is going to win the lossless format wars..

zooner · Post by **zooner** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 11:12 am

ipod video sucks, period. the battery life is simply horrible.

have you considered this:

http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/message ... 1=creative

a friend of mine is a former ipod lover and picked up the big brother to this (his accepts CF and will transfer pictures)

He says the battery life is far superior to the ipod. video is crisp.

He had a 6gig ipod and purchased a 60gig ipod video. The battery life was so disgusting that he returned it and purchased this. Loves it.

Bastid · Post by **Bastid** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 11:32 am

i bought one of these from woot for 39.95... i havnt recieved it yet but it looked cool

and it was 40 bux...it had 256megs of storage but also takes SD cards...well...just read the article

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BK ... 3?n=172282

knightmare · Post by **knightmare** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 12:01 pm

downhill wrote:Thanks KN...the link? I've been using flac or ape for sometime now. Playing aound with both formats. Either is great but it looks like flac is going to win the lossless format wars..

the link is the url in my post. They have all devices and manufacturers of all players, portable, etc. that support flac.

Prey521 · Post by **Prey521** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 12:10 pm

Creative or iRiver......

David · Post by **David** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 1:04 pm

My 60GB ipod can play music all day without a problem. The copy protection is a bit of a nuisance.

Do look into replacement headphones.

Post by **YeOldeStonecat** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 6:29 pm

[quote="Meggie"]wow u are irish, arent u? ]

Hah!

Look closely, there's a person standing in the shadow of that monolith!

Randy · Post by **Randy** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 9:52 pm

I havent had much luck with fm transmitters (in a vehicle) too much interference even in remote locations

.

Zilog B · Post by **Zilog B** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 10:01 pm

downhill · Post by **downhill** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 10:23 pm

Humm....no FM transmitter and it doesn't play flac..

thepieman · Post by **thepieman** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 10:42 pm

computer geeks has quite a few different players. Check it out.

Pie

Bastid · Post by **Bastid** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 1:01 am

Bam! iRiver 20 gig media player...$199

http://www.woot.com/

Blisster · Post by **Blisster** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 4:38 am

Bastid wrote:Bam! iRiver 20 gig media player...$199

http://www.woot.com/

Damn you!

I jsut bought one!

The kicker is that I have a Creative Zen Touch 20GB and will likely end up getting a Zren Vision:M for free in the next few weeks!
I'm a sucker for a deal though.