The best Mp3 player?

GarGuile

I'm looking to buy a portable mp3 player and I'm wondering if anyone out there has any ideas!
The only conditions are that it has to have at least 128MB and that it has to have an FM tuner. Also the smaller the better.

At the moment it's between the RipFlash Trio and the I-Bead, with the I-bead slightly ahead.
All advice on players and review sites greatly appreciated.

Stephen

I have an iRiver iFP-180T, which I like a lot. Its got 128mb of memory and an FM tuner, as well as a microphone for voice recording. You can record stuff off the FM tuner as well. There are 256mb and 512mb variants of it available as well, and best of all - its only slightly bigger than a cigarette lighter, and works for about 20 hours on a single AA battery (Duracell anyway, i've noticed much shorter battery life with cheapo batteries). It comes with decent Sennheiser MX300 earbuds.

http://www.iriver.com

I bought mine from www.mp3players.co.uk, but I think Komplett may be stocking them now as well.

GarGuile

Cheers Stephen,
Looks like a good one, Got a mate going to U.S. for a couple of weeks and think I'll get him to buy it over there. (Much cheaper $130)

Stephen

"Best Buy" is the only retail chain in the US that stocks it. Some kinda exclusivity deal.

Raskolnikov

If you're willing to shell out an extra $100-$150 you can 100 times the storage capacity with the Creative Zen. I've had my 20 gig Zen for the last 2-3 months and I must say it's one of the best purchases I've ever made. They are a bit bigger than the 128Mb jobbies but at least you won't have to go mucking about with MMS cards and extras. You could go for the nicer looking iPod but it's an extra $100 (I think).

GarGuile

Thanks Raskolnikov, the Zen looks great but it's a bit out of my price range.
Stephen , Is the software that comes with the I-river okay or would I be needing something extra?

Venom

I hope to be picking up Zen next month but Iv heard that the rechargeable battery in them only last 2 years and is not easy to replace. Can any one shed any light on this?

Silent Bob

This wee beastie looks like it will be the gizmo to have once it's made available in Europe.

An FM radio, Ogg Vorbis support, Win32/Linux support, an FM transmitter (so you can play through the radio in your car), choice of either 128MBs flash with the battery backpack or 20GB HD with the HD backpack, recording from line-in/microphone/radio and a slightly nifty sounding song identification feature...

GarGuile

What exactly is Ogg Vorbis ???

oneweb

Originally posted by GarGuile
What exactly is Ogg Vorbis ???

It's an apparently more efficient & better quality file format. Details here
HTH.

I use an MOS MP010, mp3 player w/ FM tuner, 64MB internal, up to 128MB in expansion slot, voice recording.
Check out Ministry of Sound audio

pfitz

you should consider a net minidic instead

po0k

I've been wanting to get the iRiver iFP-195T for a while, but everywhere seems to have it at prices over €400 which is a bit much.
I know it's really tiny, but I'd have no problem paying that if it had an expansion slot for some extra memory, would add to the feature set.

I've seen bits and pieces about the iriver iFP300 series and I'm very intrigued to say the least

Stephen

They released new firmware upgrades for the iFP series today, and it looks good. Adds functionality to the equalizer and enhances the iRiver manager software. Their site says they plan to release a firmware upgrade in the near future that will allow the device to function as a standard USB removable drive, so that you can just transfer files through windows explorer rather than having to use their software. Which is nice.

daveg

I'd be very careful when buying radio products from the US. I bought a car stereo a few years back when I was over there. It wouldn't work properly as their radio's don't tune is .5 increments. So even though they operate roughly on the same freq band you will have probs tuning the radio in.

Nietzschean

Originally posted by Venom
I hope to be picking up Zen next month but Iv heard that the rechargeable battery in them only last 2 years and is not easy to replace. Can any one shed any light on this?

Yeah i've a zen and from what i've heard, seen in my device replacing the battery looks to be a major operation, been quite a few discussions on that topic on www.nomadworld.com . The lithium battery is a normal one but most lithium batterys only last about 2 years at good proformance, so i'm hoping by the time mine goes to **** there will be some lovely documentation on that website about the insides of the zen.wired remote for the zen is also ultra nice, fm radio with recording options, aswell as microfone record, automatic tuning etc.....

Stephen

Originally posted by daveg
I'd be very careful when buying radio products from the US. I bought a car stereo a few years back when I was over there. It wouldn't work properly as their radio's don't tune is .5 increments. So even though they operate roughly on the same freq band you will have probs tuning the radio in.

Fortunately there's a european version of the iFP players - though I would assume they don't sell that in US outlets. I got mine from http://www.mp3players.co.uk last year.

GarGuile

I never thought there would be any trouble with the tuning, better cancel that order from the U.S.
Cheers for the warning, DaveG.

MiCr0

www.mp3cola.com

much cheaper for the iriver players that anywhere else in eu/ie/uk

po0k

All prices are listed in U.S. dollars. If you use a non U.S. credit card, your bank will automatically convert to your home currency based on today's exchange rates. Some banks also charge a currency conversion fee for this service, and your final price may be affected by such fees.


???

lanky

Check out the Creative Jukebox
I have a generation 1 Jukebox,
I actually have 2 (I burnt one out by mistake linking it up to a transformer, to connect to a car, spastic yes I know)

I would buy a Jukebox 2/3 as the battereis last longer, on my juke box the batteries only last 3 hours......

The Creative Juke boxes dont have Radios, but they have inputs to use as recorders and the sound is better from them....
check out nomadworld.com for the comparisons.....

I updated my first jukebox witha 20 gig drive, the first ones came with a 6 gig drive.

If you buy some hap with a 128mb card you will only be able to store like what 2 albums...? and do you want to keep loading them on your drive.......


If you have the money get a creative Zen or Jukebox 3

swiss

I know you stipulated that you wanted an FM tuner, but if you could live without it I would recommend that you get yourself one of these

http://www.pc-memory-upgrade.co.uk/memory/mp3-player-usb.asp

A friend of mine got this mp3 player and is very pleased with it. It's very small (rougly the same size as the picture on the site) and comes with different memory sizes, up to 256k. I plan on getting myself one over the summer.

Ro-76

I would recommend a hard disc Mp3 player. I have had both types, and while the flash based versions are very small, it is quite restrictive. Basically, you need to decide what you want to listen to that day, and transfer it to the player. If you're using USB 1.1, that can be a little slow. I found myself listening to the same stuff all the time, just because it was too much hassle to out new tunes on it every day.

With the HD versions, you carry your entire music collection with you. I currently use an Ipod, and have dispensed with my CDs. I have it connected to my stereo at home, and my car stereo. The trade-off is weight and size, although the Ipod is about the size of a 20 pack of cigarettes.

On the FM issue, take a look at this. It adds an FM tuner to an Ipod, with the Ipod remote controlling the radio.

Not meaning this to be a sales pitch, but I do have a 10GB Ipod for sale if anyone is interested. I bought both a 10 and 20, and am keeping the 20 for myself.

Ro

.

Silent Bob

Originally posted by Ro-76
I would recommend a hard disc Mp3 player. I have had both types, and while the flash based versions are very small, it is quite restrictive. Basically, you need to decide what you want to listen to that day, and transfer it to the player. If you're using USB 1.1, that can be a little slow. I found myself listening to the same stuff all the time, just because it was too much hassle to out new tunes on it every day.

The great thing with the Neuros is that you can do both. Put the HD backpack on when you need it and if you want to go for a jog or something put the battery backpack on and use the 128MB of flash memory instead

50Cent

iRiver iMP-350 (SlimX™)

Get it when your in the states. Its the best in the world. Im serious. its well better than your net mini disc or 128mb mp3 player...im completely serious. i had a net mini disc until i sold it to my mate. I got this over in the us for 130. Thats ****en cheap. you can get it too. Go for it. its totally slick.

GarGuile

That iRiver iMP-350 definitely looks like a tasty little bit of technology. A bit bigger than what I originally was going for but It's sort of growing on me. The inline remote is a nice feature, what's it like on juice?(2-3 Hrs??)

Spunog UIE

Originally posted by Silent Bob
The great thing with the Neuros is that you can do both. Put the HD backpack on when you need it and if you want to go for a jog or something put the battery backpack on and use the 128MB of flash memory instead

very cool indeed, me wants one.

daveg

Originally posted by swiss
I know you stipulated that you wanted an FM tuner, but if you could live without it I would recommend that you get yourself one of these

http://www.pc-memory-upgrade.co.uk/memory/mp3-player-usb.asp

A friend of mine got this mp3 player and is very pleased with it. It's very small (rougly the same size as the picture on the site) and comes with different memory sizes, up to 256k. I plan on getting myself one over the summer.

What a shít cool device. Swiss what is the sound quality like on MP3 playback ? Does it take a single AA battery for Mp3 playback ? What is the battery life like ? Is it worth buying ?

lanky

That device is ok, (magic star)
its not great .. it will hold about 4 albums, and you will keep having to take them off and on........

you may as weel get a cd player that plays mp3, each cd has 700mb's remember, (assuming you have a cd burner)

and also if you buy for your car a cd player that plays mp3 its quite good, (that transmitting from your mp3 player to your radio never really works well using those fm signallers I've ried 2 already, they are rubbish) you really need a direct stereo line.

the only advantage of the mini mp3 player is its size, and its mobile email client which is a great idea......

If you buy it soly for its mp3 abilities you will trow it out, as you will be pissed with 4 albums . as for the neuros very nice bit of kit but sticking on extra harddrives etc.. = breakable parts,
go with a creative lots of support, they release upgradeable software/firmware.
and if you think the software is not good check out 3rd party Creative nomad software from
www.redchairsoftware.com
called notmad

so there you go,

"I can only open the dorr you have to walk through it"

daveg

Originally posted by lanky
That device is ok, (magic star)
its not great .. it will hold about 4 albums, and you will keep having to take them off and on........

you may as weel get a cd player that plays mp3, each cd has 700mb's remember, (assuming you have a cd burner)

and also if you buy for your car a cd player that plays mp3 its quite good, (that transmitting from your mp3 player to your radio never really works well using those fm signallers I've ried 2 already, they are rubbish) you really need a direct stereo line.

the only advantage of the mini mp3 player is its size, and its mobile email client which is a great idea......

If you buy it soly for its mp3 abilities you will trow it out, as you will be pissed with 4 albums . as for the neuros very nice bit of kit but sticking on extra harddrives etc.. = breakable parts,
go with a creative lots of support, they release upgradeable software/firmware.
and if you think the software is not good check out 3rd party Creative nomad software from
www.redchairsoftware.com
called notmad

so there you go,

"I can only open the dorr you have to walk through it"

I already have a creative jukebox, and an MP3 CD player in the car. I was looking at this gadget because I was going to buy a pendrive for transfering files/MP3 playability.

lanky

daveg

to buy a pendrive for transfering files/MP3


yes it is much bigger than a pendrive though.....

50Cent

That iRiver iMP-350 definitely looks like a tasty little bit of technology. A bit bigger than what I originally was going for but It's sort of growing on me. The inline remote is a nice feature, what's it like on juice?(2-3 Hrs??)

pfft are you kidding me? More like ten or more hours. Its the slickest mp3 player in the world. The whole layout is unbelieveable. There is no difference btwn this and imp-400 except style and shape. I prefer the imp-350 shape hence me buying it. You wont go wrong. Go to amazon.com and look at the user reviews...its class all round