Author Topic: Help on MP3 player purchase. (Read 5200 times)

fohfoh · « **Reply #20 on:** November 24, 2009, 02:58:19 PM »

I've never really given creative a chance. Mainly because Best Buy stocks it. Best Buy stocks 90% trash. (ie: iPods, Zunes, mp3 from 8 years ago since I see the things for like 30 bucks in Asia, but it's 50-80 bucks at BB)

But if Proin says good, maybe I should take a look into them.

Klocknov · « **Reply #21 on:** November 24, 2009, 03:22:30 PM »

Creative and Cowon are my two top choices for MP3 players, only wish I wouldn't of jumped on the zune due to the dirt cheap price at the moment. Past those two it would be Samsung then Sony.

Xiong Chiamiov · « **Reply #22 on:** November 24, 2009, 05:45:21 PM »

Quote from: fohfoh on November 24, 2009, 02:58:19 PM

I've never really given creative a chance. Mainly because Best Buy stocks it. Best Buy stocks 90% trash. (ie: iPods, Zunes, mp3 from 8 years ago since I see the things for like 30 bucks in Asia, but it's 50-80 bucks at BB)

But if Proin says good, maybe I should take a look into them.

Everyone I know who has owned a Creative player has loved it. This isn't to say that they're better than, say, Cowon, but merely that they are a contender.

fohfoh · « **Reply #23 on:** November 24, 2009, 07:51:57 PM »

Quote from: Xiong Chiamiov on November 24, 2009, 05:45:21 PM

Quote from: fohfoh on November 24, 2009, 02:58:19 PM
I've never really given creative a chance. Mainly because Best Buy stocks it. Best Buy stocks 90% trash. (ie: iPods, Zunes, mp3 from 8 years ago since I see the things for like 30 bucks in Asia, but it's 50-80 bucks at BB)

But if Proin says good, maybe I should take a look into them.
Everyone I know who has owned a Creative player has loved it. This isn't to say that they're better than, say, Cowon, but merely that they are a contender.

Well, the things are actually music players too, so it's not like the crap on the market which are media players with music jammed in on the side.

Xiong Chiamiov · « **Reply #24 on:** November 24, 2009, 08:21:28 PM »

Quote from: fohfoh on November 24, 2009, 07:51:57 PM

Quote from: Xiong Chiamiov on November 24, 2009, 05:45:21 PM
Quote from: fohfoh on November 24, 2009, 02:58:19 PM
I've never really given creative a chance. Mainly because Best Buy stocks it. Best Buy stocks 90% trash. (ie: iPods, Zunes, mp3 from 8 years ago since I see the things for like 30 bucks in Asia, but it's 50-80 bucks at BB)

But if Proin says good, maybe I should take a look into them.
Everyone I know who has owned a Creative player has loved it. This isn't to say that they're better than, say, Cowon, but merely that they are a contender.

Well, the things are actually music players too, so it's not like the crap on the market which are media players with music jammed in on the side.

Or iPods. :/

fohfoh · « **Reply #25 on:** November 25, 2009, 12:07:22 AM »

Quote from: Xiong Chiamiov on November 24, 2009, 08:21:28 PM

Quote from: fohfoh on November 24, 2009, 07:51:57 PM
Quote from: Xiong Chiamiov on November 24, 2009, 05:45:21 PM
Quote from: fohfoh on November 24, 2009, 02:58:19 PM
I've never really given creative a chance. Mainly because Best Buy stocks it. Best Buy stocks 90% trash. (ie: iPods, Zunes, mp3 from 8 years ago since I see the things for like 30 bucks in Asia, but it's 50-80 bucks at BB)

But if Proin says good, maybe I should take a look into them.
Everyone I know who has owned a Creative player has loved it. This isn't to say that they're better than, say, Cowon, but merely that they are a contender.

Well, the things are actually music players too, so it's not like the crap on the market which are media players with music jammed in on the side.
Or iPods. :/

iPods and Zunes respectively.

But yeah, I take it that Sony and Creative are the only decent "music players" that Best Buy sells.

mgz · « **Reply #26 on:** November 25, 2009, 01:12:28 AM »

dont they sell sansa products as far as i know sansa is quite well known to be decent MP3 players especially in the bang for buck category

fohfoh · « **Reply #27 on:** November 25, 2009, 04:12:39 AM »

Quote from: mgz on November 25, 2009, 01:12:28 AM

dont they sell sansa products as far as i know sansa is quite well known to be decent MP3 players especially in the bang for buck category

I don't think I've ever seen a Sansa player at BB. But I know they're viewed as a decent mp3.

psyren · « **Reply #28 on:** November 25, 2009, 04:43:32 AM »

I've had 2 Creatives and a Cowon up until now. They are all excellent.

kostya · « **Reply #29 on:** November 25, 2009, 05:08:59 AM »

With Creative, do not buy a high capacity mp3 player since they put hard drives in them that die in a couple months of usage.

Proin Drakenzol · « **Reply #30 on:** November 25, 2009, 05:38:54 AM »

Quote from: kostya on November 25, 2009, 05:08:59 AM

With Creative, do not buy a high capacity mp3 player since they put hard drives in them that die in a couple months of usage.

or everything they sell is solid state these days.

one of the two.

hint: they don't use hard drives anymore.

Kuroshima · « **Reply #31 on:** November 25, 2009, 06:21:54 AM »

Wait... What's wrong with an iPod... With lod it has respectable sound.

Edit:
if you care more about the audio get an amp3 (or similar model) hisoundaudio.com

otherwise I would go with an itouch... Generally the same result can be achieved with an itouch if amped proerly. Itouch has the apps. There's lots you can do with it. More people have it so it is easier to troubleshoot. iTunes is the main issue I have with it... But I don't sync often...

As always, I would get a nice pair of headphones.... Reviewing a player with the earbuds/cans they came with is pointless. Your not gonna be stuck with those things forever.

I recommend
grado-sr60/80/I
yuin
sennheisers in general...
Akg k271/272 if properly amped

I have not tried k271.... Just a little out of my price range and current setup... I would have to upgrade a few things.

fohfoh · « **Reply #32 on:** November 25, 2009, 08:12:14 AM »

Quote from: Kuroshima on November 25, 2009, 06:21:54 AM

Wait... What's wrong with an iPod... With lod it has respectable sound.

Edit:
if you care more about the audio get an amp3 (or similar model) hisoundaudio.com

otherwise I would go with an itouch... Generally the same result can be achieved with an itouch if amped proerly. Itouch has the apps. There's lots you can do with it. More people have it so it is easier to troubleshoot. iTunes is the main issue I have with it... But I don't sync often...

As always, I would get a nice pair of headphones.... Reviewing a player with the earbuds/cans they came with is pointless. Your not gonna be stuck with those things forever.

I recommend
grado-sr60/80/I
yuin
sennheisers in general...
Akg k271/272 if properly amped

I have not tried k271.... Just a little out of my price range and current setup... I would have to upgrade a few things.

Do I laugh?

True, pop music, you can barely tell at 320kbps vs .flac. However, instrumentals quickly become obvious. It also depends on your music output. Crappy headphones makes it difficult to find differences.

Quality in - garbage out = garbage out.

psyren · « **Reply #33 on:** November 25, 2009, 08:26:21 AM »

Most magazines that have reviewed iPods all say that it has mediocre sound quality.
Creative, as a sound company by nature, would tend to know what they're doing.
Apple, a tupperware company...

Klocknov · « **Reply #34 on:** November 25, 2009, 11:27:58 AM »

Hey apple also makes good trash cans and fish tanks, oh wait those were all converted from their old iMacs, boy I don't miss those awkward looking eggs.

Kuroshima · « **Reply #35 on:** November 25, 2009, 06:53:18 PM »

.... In this case the headphone is more important than the source...
You need better reasons.

iPod can play flac. Rockbox on iPod video. IPhone/itouch have a way of playing flac.

If you plan to listen to your music with the stock earbuds.... There's no point going past v0, it's transparent enough. You won't be able to tell the difference in a listening test...

As I said before lod from iPod to a pico is quite nice...
edit:
Tell me why you guys hate iPod so much.. I do kinda understand how they are everywhere (so are the fanboys) but that doesn't mean it's bad. It's a good product, though their marketing is kinda annoying. Yeah I make my forum posts from my iPhone so I gues I'm kinda biased.

Klocknov · « **Reply #36 on:** November 25, 2009, 07:03:21 PM »

I find that I just don't much care for the UI, also don't much care to put the time into changing that element. If they had a better UI I wouldn't mind the iPods at all. The iTouch, well that is a different story, being as the interface isn't that bad on them I just still I guess hold a grudge against them from the iPod, though they did start with shit sizes for way to much in cost. Also if I am going out and buying an MP3 Player I would prefer to have a good set of headphones to come with it so my back-up set isn't a huge drop in quality from my main pairs.

Xiong Chiamiov · « **Reply #37 on:** November 25, 2009, 08:24:37 PM »

Quote from: kostya on November 25, 2009, 05:08:59 AM

With Creative, do not buy a high capacity mp3 player since they put hard drives in them that die in a couple months of usage.

Huh, my Zen Vision:M (which has a 30 gig hdd) is still going strong after 3 years of usage.

Quote from: Kuroshima on November 25, 2009, 06:53:18 PM

Tell me why you guys hate iPod so much..

When I'm looking for advice on audio from people who know their shit, I always end up at Anything But iPod.

iPods have not been known in the past to have great sound quality, nor to have features that I really like (FM radio and removable battery, for instance). They may have fixed these by now, but it still stands that they are not innovative in the areas that I care about (hint: not UI).

Americans, in general, don't use unusual audio and video codecs and formats, and so players targetted at them have no need of supporting them.

Kuroshima · « **Reply #38 on:** November 25, 2009, 09:42:58 PM »

My iPod video has been going strong since it first came out. However the li ion batttery is (with everything) doesn't hold a charge as long as it used to. It doesn't matter because I use it at my home rig in my room.

The batteries are replaceable.
With rockbox interface flac and custom eq is possible.
Drag and drop add music is possible with rockbox.

Ogg is also possible with rockbox.

I'd say the capacitated click wheel is pretty inovative

@klovknov
with any pdap, don't expect great sound with them from good headphones (ones meant for home use) you should just go with koss oporta pros, px100s, or some low impedance earbuds...

Edit: I frequently mod my iPod and the fact that it hasn't died yet amazes me...I'm considering upgrading to 240gB hdd on my video.... I guess it would be kinda pointless because I dontevej have that much music....
Guess it would be for the bragging rights :p

zherok · « **Reply #39 on:** November 25, 2009, 09:59:37 PM »

I got my S9 yesterday and so far I'm pretty happy with it. Tossed a couple XVID videos onto it and they all work so far, no conversion necessary, subtitles working fine. Converting a video over now to see if it makes a performance/size difference though. I'm no audiophile but even on a cheap pair of headphones it's a noticeable improvement over my previous mp3 player as well as my laptop.