MP3 Player - Your Recommendations

markst33

Hi there,

I am thinking of buying myself an MP3 player but as there is so much choice out there I am looking for suggestions, recommendations and warnings. I was going to stay away from iPods as I feel I can get the same quality sound and storage for cheaper (unless someone tells me different)

My criteria are

1. Sound Quality (I like all types of music but Rock/Metal would be my favourite)
2. Minimum 4gigs unless it has expandable memory like SD cards.
3. Must be chargeable from power sockets as well as USB
4. About €100-120.

Thanks in advance,

Mark.

pleasant Co.

Sansa Clip+ or Fuze
Sony's Range
Archos' smaller dap's

All above are available in brick and mortar shops, but you'll more than likely find them cheaper online.

Ste-

Mactard wrote: »

Sansa Clip+ or Fuze

Would be my vote.
Rockboxable and expandable with MicroSD cards.
And under your price range for the 8gb models.

yep sansa clip + is very good if you don't need a screen for photos / videos. only downside is average battery life of 12 to 14 hours.

TPD

I'm using a Clip+, great player. Rockbox is a must, and improves the battery life over the standard. The player is small enough that carrying an external battery pack isn't much of a hassle, and will boost the battery greatly, if you don't want to charge every few days.

markst33

Thanks folks, I ordered the sansa 8gig from Pixmania. €53 delivered.

By the way what is Rockbox ?

pleasant Co.

markst33 wrote: »

By the way what is Rockbox ?

It's a homebrew firmware that replaces the standard sandisk firmware

markst33

What makes it better ?

pleasant Co.

markst33 wrote: »

What makes it better ?

As TPD mentioned it improves battery life, as well as that it adds hundreds of other features (the vast majority of which an average user won't need), vastly superior playlisting options, the ability to save/load custom settings configurations [awesome option if you use different headphones].

Check out the rockbox website to learn more as I'm just gonna tell you about why I use it

TPD

markst33 wrote: »

What makes it better ?

Main differences I make use of are the longer battery life, gapless playback, proper EQ settings, better filetype support and it removes the 4 or 8 thousand song limit of the Sansa firmware. I think the sansa original firmware still has this limit, haven't checked in a long time.

markst33

I got the sansa clip and I am trying to install Rockbox on it. However when I run the RockBox Utility and try to auto detect the player I get a message saying "Unless you changed this installation will fail"

I then click ok and try to browse to the drive letter as stated in the Rockbox installation instructions but Vista is not giving me a drive letter (Mountpoint)

How do I get around this ?

pleasant Co.

markst33 wrote: »

...

Your Clip needs to be in MSC mode, I'm gathering yours is set to autodetect?

Head into your regular clip menus (on the clip itself), dive into settings and find the option for "usb mode", there you'll see auto detect, mtp, and msc..choose MSC.

Then try the RB Utility again.

markst33

I have done that now thanks and I have installed the firmware as stated here :

An original firmware (OF) from http://forums.sandisk.com/t5/Clip-Clip/Sansa-Clip-Firmware-Update-01-02-15/td-p/150227

However I am a bit stumped on these parts :

The bootloader: http://download.rockbox.org/bootloader/sandisk-sansa/clipplus/bootloader-clipplus.sansa
The version of mkamsboot for your operating system from http://download.rockbox.org/bootloader/sandisk-sansa/mkamsboot/

I am worried about damaging my brand new mp3 player as I only got it today

pleasant Co.

If you're using the RB utility you do not need anything from any of the links you've posted, it's entirely automated and essentially you only have to click OK.

markst33

Hi Mactard,

thanks for your help and patience. When I try to run the Utility I get the message

"Bootloader installation requires you to provide a firmware file of the original firmware (bin) file. You need to download this file yourself due to legal reasons..........."

So how do I get this and where do I put it when I get it ?

Cheers,

Mark.

pleasant Co.

markst33 wrote: »

Hi Mactard,

thanks for your help and patience. When I try to run the Utility I get the message

"Bootloader installation requires you to provide a firmware file of the original firmware (bin) file. You need to download this file yourself due to legal reasons..........."

So how do I get this and where do I put it when I get it ?

Cheers,

Mark.

Oh right? sorry I don't remember doing that.

Here's the latest sansa original firmware: linky, download that and inside you'll find the .bin file you need.

markst33

When I download the zip file as per the instructions and extract the clppa.bin file and then navigate to it I am getting the messages :

Downloading Bootloader file
Download finished (cache used)
[ERR] OF File provided is Clip+v1 version 01.02.15, not for Clipv1
Could not load
C:/Users/stewart/Downloads/clppa.bin


Any ideas ?

pleasant Co.

markst33 wrote: »

When I download the zip file as per the instructions and extract the clppa.bin file and then navigate to it I am getting the messages :

Downloading Bootloader file
Download finished (cache used)
[ERR] OF File provided is Clip+v1 version 01.02.15, not for Clipv1
Could not load
C:/Users/stewart/Downloads/clppa.bin


Any ideas ?

Hmmmm, do you have a clip or a clip+?

markst33

Its the Sansa Clip+ 8gig

pleasant Co.

I'm at a bit of a loss now, it seems like the RB Utility is detecting your Clip+ as the 1st generation Clip.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

An alternative method of installing rockbox is to download these two files:

bootloader
Latest RB Firmware

All you have to do is unzip both files and place their contents onto your clip+, once that's done eject the clip+ and it should install.

markst33

I have downloaded and copied all the files over to the clip at the root directory as in Sansa Clip (F:)

I have ejected the clip but nothing much has happened. It does not appear as if Rockbox has been installed and when I go to look on F: I cannot see any of the music I copied over last night as it does not appear in any of the folders anywhere but it is there n the clip as I can play music on it but I just can't see it anywhere when I try to access it via the PC.

I am starting to get worried now.

Any ideas ?

pleasant Co.

I'm as lost as you at this stage, the only thing I can think of now is that your clip+ isn't running FW 01.02.15?

markst33

V01.02.15P is the version in the settings now

pleasant Co.

Well, it should be working, so what's missing?

Firmware 01.02.15 - check
Corresponding RB bootloader - check
RB Firmware - check
MSC mode - check

markst33

Mactard wrote: »

I'm at a bit of a loss now, it seems like the RB Utility is detecting your Clip+ as the 1st generation Clip.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

An alternative method of installing rockbox is to download these two files:

bootloader
Latest RB Firmware

All you have to do is unzip both files and place their contents onto your clip+, once that's done eject the clip+ and it should install.

When I unzipped these files they both seemed to contain the same thing because I got message saying xxx already exists, do you wwant to over write it when I was unzipping the second one. Is this correct. I ended up with a folder called .rockbox which had a load of other folders and files in it.

pleasant Co.

Mactard wrote: »

bootloader

This archive should contain 2 files: "bootloader-clipplus.sansa" and "clppa.bin"
(Neither of which should be on the clip prior to transfer)

Mactard wrote: »

Latest RB Firmware

This archive should contain the .rockbox folder.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Lets start over, reinstall the original Clip+ firmware (01.02.15) just to get things clean. After the clean install make sure the clip is in MSC (as the firmware might set back to the default: auto)

Once this is done copy over "bootloader-clipplus.sansa", "clppa.bin" and the ".rockbox" folder, eject, reboot and Rockbox should install.

markst33

I started from scratch and I have it done now........thanks for your help and patience....I hope to God its worth it:D

One other thing, where do I find the USB settings now so as to switch back to Auto Detect as this is the way it was when I copied all my music over

pleasant Co.

There's no setting like that in Rockbox, it works over MSC only. You can boot back into the regular clip+ firmware by holding the "home" button when turning your clip+ on - to change it back to MTP if you really want to.

markst33

Thats cool. You have been really helpful.....thanks a lot....hope I did not make you miss anything interesting on TV :rolleyes:

CaSCaDe711

Great info here people. Have an 8gb Clip+ too (also bought from Pixmania). Cool little player, but the battery lets me down far too often. Will follow the previous posts and change the FW. Thanks, am sure I'll enjoy the changes

CaSCaDe711

Sorted Is like a whole new gadget. Thanks again

just in relation to the battery life on the clip +, mp3 playing is ok but use of the radio reduces the battery life bigtime - regardless if this is on rockbox or the original firmware. If I can get 14hrs on mp3 playback it's about 7 to 8 for radio use.

CaSCaDe711

What earphones / headphones do you use..?

CaSCaDe711

CaSCaDe711 wrote: »

What earphones / headphones do you use..?

Normally Fischer Audio Eterna rev.1.
Sometimes use speakers (own battery in speakers) for the radio.
It's more down to the radio vs the speakers / iem's though - I'm pretty sure of that.

Cork

Can you record off the radio with the Sansa Clip?

Where is the best place to buy?

markst33

I don't know about recording off the radio. I bought it in pixmania.ie for €57 delivered

pleasant Co.

The clip+ can record FM radio

Ste-

Cork wrote: »

Can you record off the radio with the Sansa Clip?

Where is the best place to buy?

If you rockbox it you could.

FunkyDa2

Yay! for the volume improvement, following the installation of Rockbox. Now I can hear the music above the sound of passing traffic, while out for a walk

pleasant Co.

FunkyDa2 wrote: »

Yay! for the volume improvement, following the installation of Rockbox. Now I can hear the music above the sound of passing traffic, while out for a walk

Did you install it on an ipod?

FunkyDa2

Nah! - a Sansa Clip+

pleasant Co.

FunkyDa2 wrote: »

Nah! - a Sansa Clip+

Ah, was thinking that the clip+'s stock output should have been grand, but then remembered that if you select your region as europe a volume cap is enabled.

Cork

Sansa seem to be introducing a Sansa Clip Zip 8mb mp3.

The current version is on amazon for abour £33.

Should I wait for the new version?

Would the Silicone Skin Case Cover to reccommended?

pleasant Co.

I feel no urge to "upgrade" from my clip+ to clip zip (what a stupid name!). Even if you could eventually install rockbox on the zip I'd only see it as a viable replacement when my clip+ eventually dies, and then only if it's as cheap/cheaper than the clip+

Ste-

Cork wrote: »

Sansa seem to be introducing a Sansa Clip Zip 8mb mp3.

The current version is on amazon for abour £33.

Should I wait for the new version?

Would the Silicone Skin Case Cover to reccommended?

Won't get too many Mp3's on 8MB!

Joking aside, Tempted to get a clip zip when rockbox runs on it. The colour screen is tempting on something so small.

crystallove

I think sony is a good choice
some good chinese band such as: Onda,newman

Ste-

Ste- wrote: »

Won't get too many Mp3's on 8MB!

Joking aside, Tempted to get a clip zip when rockbox runs on it. The colour screen is tempting on something so small.

what use would having such a tiny colour screen be

Ste-

glasso wrote: »

what use would having such a tiny colour screen be

It's better than my current clip screen ;o)
Will wait and see how rockbox develops for it.

Already having 3 sansa players I'm not sure I could get another one. Well not without sneaking it home without the OH seeing it. Another advantage to it's small size.

Ste-

Ste- wrote: »

It's better than my current clip screen ;o)
.

only possible use is for album art really. or maybe playing rockbox doom if you want to go blind.

Ste-

glasso wrote: »

only possible use is for album art really. or maybe playing rockbox doom if you want to go blind.

Speaking of going blind....

you could watch small mpeg clips on rockbox too.

Should be a while yet to get rockbox no devs as yet have one.
One was ordered but has yet to get it afaik.

Ste-

Ste- wrote: »

Speaking of going blind....

you could watch small mpeg clips on rockbox too.

Should be a while yet to get rockbox no devs as yet have one.
One was ordered but has yet to get it afaik.

doubt that the zip will be able to run mpgs.... processor too puny