MP3 player question(s)

[telecomguy9]

I think this is the right forum to put this in. If not, please feel free to move it, forum moderator(s).I am a complete newbie when it comes to MP3 players. I want to get one, however, and need some help figuring out which one to get and how they work.I know I want one with at least 512 MB of space. Other than that I don't know what is good and what is not good. I suppose the smaller the size of the player the better?I've seen that most play not only MP3 formats but some play WMA and/or some other file formats. Some MP3 players (the one's I've noticed, anyway) say that they'll play more WMA files than MP3 files. Are WMA files smaller than MP3 files?Also, there are flash MP3 players and than the new one's that use actual hard drives. Sound right? Is one better than the other?I am working with a limited amount of money. I can't spend more than $150 on this thing. Any thoughts on what you'd get as well answers to my questions? I appreciate your help with this.

[hkspike]

There's so much choice, I can appreciate it's hard to know where to start. There are numerous sites with good reviews.In general WMA makes for a smaller file than MP3 at a reasonable sample rate. Then there's Apple's format, Ogg Vorbis and a stack of others. Except for the dedicated geek, I'd suggest that WMA, Apple and MP3 just about cover it. iTunes uses protected MP4 but can be burned to disc and re-used.Flash drives are smaller but more expensive. Not sure what the biggest is but I have a 1Gb iRiver device; takes about 200 songs. iPods and similar go to around 20Gb. Hard drive devices may be more fragile. I run, so I like a small light device that straps on my arm. My daughter has a mini iPod.I think it depends on your intended use. For $150, I'd stay clear of flash drives and Apple. There are loads of clones. Maybe look at Creative's stuff.Have fun, Andy

[telecomguy9]

Andy, thanks for the info. It is very helpful.

[Peachy]

I think it depends on your intended use. For $150, I'd stay clear of flash drives and Apple. There are loads of clones. Maybe look at Creative's stuff.Have fun, Andy

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Well for $99 you can get the iPod Shuffle. I just held one in my hand yesterday. (A student brought to school and was raving about the sound quality.)

[telecomguy9]

Hmmm... I got a little excited about the Shuffle, but it has no LED display and I want one of those...

[ross549]

IMO, I would make sure that your player (and ripped music) is MP3, as all but a few players do not support the format.Other thasn that, make a wishlist of your "must have" features, and do some shopping! I would also recommend a player that does not require drivers in windows, as those are usually mass-storage compatible USB devices, and those provide the most reliable operating system compatibility. Does that help at all?

[SonicDragon]

If you are willing to spend around $50 more, you can get an iPod Mini:http://www.apple.com/ipodmini/The iPod line is really great, but it might be more than what your looking for.

[telecomguy9]

You all have been a great help. I have a new question. I'm used to playing MP3's on my PC with Winamp. How does it work with an MP3 player? In Winamp I can create playlists and load those, shuffle the music if I want, etc. How does it work with an MP3 player - same or different?

[ross549]

It depends on the specific player.... the cheaper the play, typically the less features it has. Many manufacturers put the player's Instruction Manual online, so you can see if it has the feature you want regardless of what the advertising lemmings have to say about it

[rbdietz]

advertising lemmings

[Arena2045]

I guess it all depends on a lot of factors:How are you going to use it (exercising, or just normal activities)Is the physical size an issue for you (is smaller better or don't you mind)How long are you going to use it (your expected battery life)Do you want removable batteries (AA/AAA/Rechargeable) or fixed internal rechargeableHow much space do you want (ie how many songs do you expect or want to carry)?Do you expect to purchase downloadable music from the majors: iTunes, Napster, etc? If so, then you need to make sure you get a compatible player for that service. iTunes Music Store = iPod line, Napster and the like have requirements as well.Most players that have some sort of navigation have made them very confusing or difficult to navigate. I will give credit to some of the majors they are trying, but my opinion is the iPod has the best interface. Don't forget if you get one of those small flash players, the screen might be so small it could be useless.The iPod Shuffle is really cool, even though it doesn't have a screen.There are so many flashed based ones out there that you can just pick and choose... If you are used to MP3s stick with them so that you could switch from one player to another if you so choose.I have an iPod, and I wouldn't want anything else, so I use Apple's standards-based AAC format... but the iPod also supports MP3...About your WinApp, you might need to get accustomed to a new app, so that you can sync the player with the music, but that depends on the player, some you can just drag and drop and the player sees the songs.

[SonicDragon]

'm used to playing MP3's on my PC with Winamp. How does it work with an MP3 player? In Winamp I can create playlists and load those, shuffle the music if I want, etc. How does it work with an MP3 player - same or different?

Unfortunately, they might not work with Winamp. Most players come with their own specific software. That is one of the major upsides to spending a little more on the iPod mini -- it uses apple's iTunes, which is great software.

[hkspike]

I'd have to agree that iTunes is great software but, on a limited budget, I'd still keep away from iPods. Both Windows Media Player 10 and MusicMatch now support numerous MP3 players. I'm not familiar with WinAmp but guess it will too eventually even if it doesn't today (but since you have it, I guess you can figure that one easily!). Haven't seen any comment here yet on Sony but I believe that Sony is the only system that would cause problems with MP3: iTunes does not use MP3 directly but will happily convert your MP3s for use on iPod.Tell us what you get!Andy

[Arena2045]

Haven't seen any comment here yet on Sony but I believe that Sony is the only system that would cause problems with MP3: iTunes does not use MP3 directly but will happily convert your MP3s for use on iPod.

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hkspike:Correction: iTunes will not convert MP3s to AAC unless you ask it to. iTunes/iPods can play: MP3, AAC, Protected AAC, MP3 VBR, Audible formats 2, 3, 4, Apple Lossless, WAV, AIFF

[Arena2045]

I'm with Sonic, if you increased your budget to $200 you can get an iPod mini... a sweet little device! :drools:

[hkspike]

I like your accounting: increase your budget by more than 30% and Hey Presto, look what you get! Now if I could just use that logic with my new car, house, etc. Of course, the wife uses that all the time!!Arena: what's the difference? iTunes will both play and convert MP3. If you bought an iPod and wanted your current MP3s on it, of course you'd ask it to!! My point was that iTunes/iPod and current MP3 files are compatible. I'm not convinced that an iPod can play your list: it converts those formats to its own.Now if they could just sort out the battery issue with the iPod, maybe it would be great but a design that means that you lose your personalised, laser-engraved device when it is returned for a new battery means somebody fluffed the design. But it does look good and that spin-wheel is great!Andy

[Arena2045]

Andy,

I like your accounting: increase your budget by more than 30% and Hey Presto, look what you get!

$50 extra is not that much to get an awesome player. Lets look at it this way, if you buy concert tickets, you could pay $150 for the last row, or $200 for one of the front rows... you still get to see the same concert (ie you get the same music), but for just $50 more, you get to see it up close and personal (thus having a much greater experience, an iPod).... I would gladly choose the $200 option. Or I could buy a $50 gray-hound bus ticket and be seated near the restroom, where for just $50 more I could be sitting up front away from the fumes. Get my drift? I'm not going to get into an argument about this. I wanted to set the record straight, so people who read this thread know the facts, not some one sided attack on iTunes or the iPod.

I'm not convinced that an iPod can play your list: it converts those formats to its own.

The iPod does not convert any file. It will play the above mentioned files. I know a lot of people who have amassed a large list of MP3's AIFFs and AACs, they all transfer to the iPod, nothing gets converted.If you are saying that because its not a click and drag operation to remove music from an iPod, then you are sadly mistaken. There are 3rd party apps that will remove the music you placed on your iPod, and if you do that, you get the same file you put on.About the battery... The iPod mini has an 18 hr battery life. Yes the older iPod models had lower but Apple is improving them. Not to mention there are replacement warranties/services where you can get an inexpensive replacement at the end of the batteries life-span (and YES ALL batteries have a natural life span) You can't judge a music player just by its battery life, there are list of factors that one needs to consider.You know... I just figured out why so many other players have GREAT battery life span... their owners aren't listening to them on a regular basis. No wonder people complained about the older lesser Apple batteries, go figure that one of the best music players would actually be used non stop, or close to it.telecomguy9 asked for opinions, we gave them, and I had to set the record straight against your unfounded claims. I'm sure the other mods will see this thread going down hill and will most likely close it if this continues.... so why don't we drop the subject and just help telecomguy9 out.

[AbeL]

You've gotten good advise, I'd like to add one player into the mix. Its one you probably won't otherwise uncover. I stumbled over it last summer and I went from, "I don't need no strinkin' MP3 player" to "I *gotta* have one of those!" (I now own two!) Its the Neuros, www.neurosaudio.com.Several things "sold me" on it:- the hardware is modular, buy one or more harddrives for it and switch them at will. Or use it without a HD as a flash only player.- the firmware (and now hardware, also) is open source.- there is third party software available for Windows, Linux and Macs; in addition to the Windows sw from the mfgr.- there is extensive forums help (with the forum community being as friendly and helpful as SNL) And the President of the co occasionally chimes in.- It not only plays MP3, its an FM receiver AND TRANSMITTER.- It records in either WAV or MP3 formatsDownside?It's bigger than Ipod, but it still fits into a shirt pocket.People call it the "Brick". Those that don't own one in a derogatory way; owners as a term of endearment.When the rechargeable battery needs replacement, it has to go to the factory, but the cost is about $20.Standard disclaimer - my only association with them is as satisfied customer.

[Arena2045]

You've gotten good advise, I'd like to add one player into the mix. Its one you probably won't otherwise uncover. I stumbled over it last summer and I went from, "I don't need no strinkin' MP3 player" to "I *gotta* have one of those!" (I now own two!) Its the Neuros, www.neurosaudio.com.Several things "sold me" on it:- the hardware is modular, buy one or more harddrives for it and switch them at will. Or use it without a HD as a flash only player.- the firmware (and now hardware, also) is open source.- there is third party software available for Windows, Linux and Macs; in addition to the Windows sw from the mfgr.- there is extensive forums help (with the forum community being as friendly and helpful as SNL) And the President of the co occasionally chimes in.- It not only plays MP3, its an FM receiver AND TRANSMITTER.- It records in either WAV or MP3 formatsDownside?It's bigger than Ipod, but it still fits into a shirt pocket.People call it the "Brick". Those that don't own one in a derogatory way; owners as a term of endearment.When the rechargeable battery needs replacement, it has to go to the factory, but the cost is about $20.Standard disclaimer - my only association with them is as satisfied customer.

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Aside from the size, that unit's features looks awesome! I like how it has a built in FM transmitter, and is modular! I mean, they have HD packs going up to 80GB! Very nice.I see it's not officially supported on a Mac, but if you say there is 3rd party software I believe you. Sometimes the 3rd party apps offer features the main ones do not.Personally I have a 3rd Gen (touch buttons) iPod, and am waiting for maybe the next major upgrade to the iPod line. I love the size of the iPod mini, but like being able to cary around all of my music. So I'm going to wait a bit to upgrade my iPod... and who knows I might just get a smaller one and do selective syncing. I am going to get a shuffle sooner or later so when I'm working outside I can have something super small that wont get in my away, and I wont be too upset if it gets damaged.

[AbeL]

For sure the size is the major complaint it gets. I guess some people just have to have SOMETHING to complain about. My view is, if it fits where you want to put it then its not too big despite its being bigger than brand X.Third party support is there for MAC and Linux, additionally there is 3rd party firmware that makes the unit do things the user community was clamoring for and the factory didn't have resources to devote to, even though the official fw was upgraded several times to include user input.I'm somewhat bummed out because the factory has provided some info about what the next generation will look like. Modularity will be gone - offsetting that will be smaller size. I guess I'll just keep my Neuros II.Oh yeah, I gotta give them one more compliment - for support. If you need it you actually get to talk to some support person in the "factory" in Chicago. If he gets out of his depth, he'll put you on hold while he consults with a developer! Multiple times if necessary. DAMHIKT.

Aside from the size, that unit's features looks awesome!  I like how it has a built in FM transmitter, and is modular!  I mean, they have HD packs going up to 80GB!  Very nice.I see it's not officially supported on a Mac, but if you say there is 3rd party software I believe you.  Sometimes the 3rd party apps offer features the main ones do not.Personally I have a 3rd Gen (touch buttons) iPod, and am waiting for maybe the next major upgrade to the iPod line.  I love the size of the iPod mini, but like being able to cary around all of my music.  So I'm going to wait a bit to upgrade my iPod... and who knows I might just get a smaller one and do selective syncing.  I am going to get a shuffle sooner or later so when I'm working outside I can have something super small that wont get in my away, and I wont be too upset if it gets damaged.

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[telecomguy9]

Well, I've decided to go with a Rio Nitrus. It looks pretty good, it's hard disk size is not too big and not too small, and the reviews were positive. I will check out the Neuros, however, and see what I think before moving forward with the Rio Nitrus. Thanks to everyone for all your help.