mp3 players: too many to choose!

cerebalpaulsy

i've been doing some reading about mp3 players. i can say i'm terribly confused by the choices available. not so much confused by the functions and the formats, more confused by the fact there's so freaking many of them!

ipod is like exxon mobil, not a fan for that sole reason. microsoft products, same same. i am liking creative products but i really don't know. samsung? my departure from sony began with their ps3 debacle, price gouging and ego turn-offs. who cares what i think about the manufacturererserers anyway?

you guys are tech-heads and i know you got some good opinions and information. please impart your wisdom on this confused mp3 initiate. i'm only gonna use it to move my cd library around with me, not watch movies and lookee pictures. at least that's what i'm thinking right now.

thankee kindly!

LewieP

What type of MP3 player are you after? Large HHD player, or small flash based player?

Budget?

Einhander

How large is your CD library?

I'be got a Sony "Network Walkman" and a Creative Zen, and they are both small as hell and run for a decent length of time on one AAA battery. Of course, they're only 512MB a piece, but newer models of each should be larger.

Are you talking 1-2GB or is your collection huge?

cerebalpaulsy

i'm not on a budget. my album collection consists of aboot 150 titles. the music services out there are intriguing and i'm looking into their differences and values. i'm thinking of a "beat-around" device that's as handy as a pocket-knife or a bic-lighter, with the same reliability.

i like the idea of hdd data storage, but i can't see my necessity for 20gb+.

LewieP

I think something by iriver sounds just right then. I'm not much of an expert with larger players though, so I'll pass on the batton.

MarvellousM

cerebalpaulsy wrote: »

i'm not on a budget. my album collection consists of aboot 150 titles. the music services out there are intriguing and i'm looking into their differences and values. i'm thinking of a "beat-around" device that's as handy as a pocket-knife or a bic-lighter, with the same reliability.

i like the idea of hdd data storage, but i can't see my necessity for 20gb+.

Take a look at Sandisk's MP3 players, they're flash-based so they can't hold as much stuff but are more durable than hard drive-based players. You can also expand their memory with microSD. I have a Sansa e250 and I love it, battery life is good too, around 20 hours on a full charge.

cerebalpaulsy

thanks, guys.

i'm also interested in sound quality and battery replacement as being key concerns. it'd be nice to forego my cd carousel's insane load times through the use of the mp3 player, if the player's output is of sufficient quality.

if i could find a mp3 player that was wrapped in bakelite, knurled and with a lanyard loop...that'd be sweet too.

Pheezer

If you want capacity, you can't argue with the 80GB iPod. And it's a very popular design and there are accordingly a whole lot of case options, including impact resistant waterproof casings, steel or aluminum casings, etc.

Lucky Cynic

Your going to have to have a huge collection of episodes of The Office to fill up 80gigs.

I just want to say, for me, The Zune was a great choice since I was also looking for a portable DVD player but instead just have been ripping the DVDs and been viewing them on my little zune screen. Still have tons of room left over for my music and I have about 15 movies on there. Might not be important to you but it is something to note. I also appreciate how easy it is to set up a quick play list right on the device itself.

Dartboy

I have an older 20gb iRiver model, and I absolutely love it. Why? One reason: drag-n-drop file transfer. No installing/having to fuck with irritating "management" software, just plug into usb drive, go to music folder, Ctrl+C, go to iRiver, Ctrl+V, done. I was the one who had to install/troubleshoot/deal with iTunes/iPod/some other brand's management software for family members, and the sheer gulf in convenience between that and my mp3 player is tangible.

Trevor

I've had no complaints with my Toshiba Gigabeat F40. I think a new one just came out that's pretty fancy, too. It's got a lanyard loop thingy, but I think it might be a little too big to hang on your neck without looking like the geeky equivalent to Flavor Flav.

cerebalpaulsy

Dartboy wrote: »

I have an older 20gb iRiver model, and I absolutely love it. Why? One reason: drag-n-drop file transfer. No installing/having to fuck with irritating "management" software, just plug into usb drive, go to music folder, Ctrl+C, go to iRiver, Ctrl+V, done. I was the one who had to install/troubleshoot/deal with iTunes/iPod/some other brand's management software for family members, and the sheer gulf in convenience between that and my mp3 player is tangible.

excellent information to have, thank you!

cerebalpaulsy

Trevor wrote: »

I've had no complaints with my Toshiba Gigabeat F40. I think a new one just came out that's pretty fancy, too. It's got a lanyard loop thingy, but I think it might be a little too big to hang on your neck without looking like the geeky equivalent to Flavor Flav.

911 is a joke, yeah boy!

DHS Odium

Darkest_3|i+3 wrote: »

Your going to have to have a huge collection of episodes of The Office to fill up 80gigs.

I just want to say, for me, The Zune was a great choice since I was also looking for a portable DVD player but instead just have been ripping the DVDs and been viewing them on my little zune screen. Still have tons of room left over for my music and I have about 15 movies on there. Might not be important to you but it is something to note. I also appreciate how easy it is to set up a quick play list right on the device itself.

I'm getting my Zune in the mail tomorrow. Quick question, what program do you use to rip and convert the DVDs? I'm looking to do the same thing you are and want to know what works best, and how much time does it take? Because I know video conversion is a bitch.