MP3 Player Recommendations

Post by **Kizyr** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 4:38 am

So... I'm looking for an MP3 player now. The MP3-CD player that I'm using right now is starting to run into its limitations.

I'm a bit particular on the kind of MP3 player that I want. For starters, I don't want an iPod. I don't want to go into a lot of reasons, but a lot of it's due to the fact that I'm not gonna install iTunes and I won't pay for MP3s.

So, here's what I'm looking for... A simple plug-and-load MP3 player, no frills. Memory around 5GB to 10GB. Playing WMA and WAV files is nice, but not really necessary. I've been looking at some of the Creative Zen MP3 players, but I'm trying to find alternatives.

Any ideas? KF

Post by **GhaleonOne** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 4:50 am

I don't want to go into a lot of reasons, but a lot of it's due to the fact that I'm not gonna install iTunes and I won't pay for MP3s.

I can't help you on your recommendations, because all I have is an iPod, but in regards to it, you don't have to pay for MP3s to put them on an iPod. You can burn your CDs, or if you already have MP3s on your computer, it's a simple step to add them to your iPod.

But then, I just got my iPod about 2 months ago. I was made fun of at work for an entire year for listening to CDs instead of an iPod. Apparently CDs are like cassette tapes now. Out of style or some weird thing. Even with an iPod though, I still buy CDs and just convert them. Maybe it's my collection mentality, but having a physical copy of the music is more appealing than a digital song.

Werefrog · Post by **Werefrog** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 5:05 am

GhaleonOne wrote: I can't help you on your recommendations, because all I have is an iPod, but in regards to it, you don't have to pay for MP3s to put them on an iPod.

Well... you do have to install iTunes to put MP3s on it, right? I think Kizyr is mostly against putting a useless (for his purposes) program on his computer.

And for your question Kizyr, I can't really give any advice on this matter since I don't own an MP3. However, I can say that from my research that I will buy a Creative Zen when the time comes.

DeathBeforeDenial · Post by **DeathBeforeDenial** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 5:53 am

I have a Creative Zen Vision M, it's phenomenal however Kiz I think it's a bit more overpowered than you are looking for. (30 gig, video compatible, $250) Creative also has decent 3rd party product support, but nowhere near what the iPod has.

You may want to look into a Creative Zen V Plus, SanDisk Sansa e280, or maybe the iriver H10. The SanDisk and iriver mp3 players can also have Rockbox firmware upgrades which is a huge plus.

exigence · Post by **exigence** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 7:05 am

GhaleonOne wrote:
I don't want to go into a lot of reasons, but a lot of it's due to the fact that I'm not gonna install iTunes and I won't pay for MP3s.
Apparently CDs are like cassette tapes now. Out of style or some weird thing. Even with an iPod though, I still buy CDs and just convert them. Maybe it's my collection mentality, but having a physical copy of the music is more appealing than a digital song.

Oh jeez whats that mean when you still listen to cassetts. i would like to recomend ipod i know i know, but they work great, simple interface, solid design, tons of accesorys, and great coustomer support. i know my friend got a creative and had one hell of a time when it broke, he just got rid of it and has a zune now he really likes it. i never looked into small MP3 players i settled on a 30 gig because i didnt want to break the bank but now im out of space. heres my two cents go bigger its better to have empty space than not enough.

DevNall · Post by **DevNall** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 11:48 am

Werefrog wrote:
GhaleonOne wrote: I can't help you on your recommendations, because all I have is an iPod, but in regards to it, you don't have to pay for MP3s to put them on an iPod.
Well... you do have to install iTunes to put MP3s on it, right? I think Kizyr is mostly against putting a useless (for his purposes) program on his computer.

Actually, you don't have to use iTunes to manage your iPod's file collection - it acts as a USB disk, and the file structure has been documented so there are several iTunes alternatives out there (note: I'm not sure about the iPhone since it's more of a handheld computer.)

And you only have to pay if you want to purchase music online.

phyco126 · Post by **phyco126** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 4:34 pm

DevNall wrote:
Werefrog wrote:
GhaleonOne wrote: I can't help you on your recommendations, because all I have is an iPod, but in regards to it, you don't have to pay for MP3s to put them on an iPod.
Well... you do have to install iTunes to put MP3s on it, right? I think Kizyr is mostly against putting a useless (for his purposes) program on his computer.
Actually, you don't have to use iTunes to manage your iPod's file collection - it acts as a USB disk, and the file structure has been documented so there are several iTunes alternatives out there (note: I'm not sure about the iPhone since it's more of a handheld computer.)

And you only have to pay if you want to purchase music online.

How do you do that? iTunes annoyes me

I also hate how youcan't put your iPod on another computer without deleting all the songs on your iPod. Anyway around that?

exigence · Post by **exigence** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 5:14 pm

i think theres a program called mefia monkey or somthing like that, but it works with ipods also. im not sure if it will let the ipod move to other computers with out deleting old songs.

DevNall · Post by **DevNall** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 5:52 pm

phyco126 wrote:
DevNall wrote:
Werefrog wrote:Well... you do have to install iTunes to put MP3s on it, right? I think Kizyr is mostly against putting a useless (for his purposes) program on his computer.
Actually, you don't have to use iTunes to manage your iPod's file collection - it acts as a USB disk, and the file structure has been documented so there are several iTunes alternatives out there (note: I'm not sure about the iPhone since it's more of a handheld computer.)

And you only have to pay if you want to purchase music online.
How do you do that? iTunes annoyes me

If you google for 'iTunes alternative', there's a number of programs that pop up, such as anapod, PaddoX, and YamiPod. (I think YamiPod is the most popular.) Also, apparently WinAmp can manage your iPod's mp3 library, which I did not know.

phyco126 wrote:I also hate how you can't put your iPod on another computer without deleting all the songs on your iPod. Anyway around that?

I have an iPod myself, and run iTunes on multiple computers, and don't have this problem. Do you have iTunes setup to automatically sync playlists to your iPod? I do not (which I guess is not the norm), rather I just drag and drop songs onto my iPod inside iTunes.

Post by **Kizyr** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 6:17 pm

DeathBeforeDenial wrote:I have a Creative Zen Vision M, it's phenomenal however Kiz I think it's a bit more overpowered than you are looking for. (30 gig, video compatible, $250) Creative also has decent 3rd party product support, but nowhere near what the iPod has.

Actually, now that I think about it, that's not so bad. I definitely don't need video, but a 30GB MP3 player would still be useful. If I were to rip all my albums, it might end up filling a good chunk of that. Mostly, I wanted something that could hold all my video game / remix MP3s that I listen to throughout work and most of the day.

I'll probably look closer at some of the other Creative models, and the iriver. KF

Post by **Ozone** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 7:15 pm

Mediamonkey will actually upload to your iPod as well =/

You just add a bunch of mp3s that you ripped or gained possession of through other means and add them to your library then sync it

Easy as cake.

Personally, I <3 my iPod, my only minor gripes are its inability to play FLAC and OGG extensions. I stick to V0 or V2 for the most part though anyway.

If I had to recommend something else, I agree with DBD: Creative Zen Vision M is the way to go if you don't want an iPod.

phyco126 · Post by **phyco126** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 8:00 pm

DevNall wrote:
phyco126 wrote:I also hate how you can't put your iPod on another computer without deleting all the songs on your iPod. Anyway around that?
I have an iPod myself, and run iTunes on multiple computers, and don't have this problem. Do you have iTunes setup to automatically sync playlists to your iPod? I do not (which I guess is not the norm), rather I just drag and drop songs onto my iPod inside iTunes.

Yeah, probably. Just whenever I plugged my iPod into my sister or my sisters into mine, I get a "Do you wish to delete your libary and sync with this PC?" I can see why, to prevent transfereing of music via iPods to someone elses PC, but when you have multiple computers, it gets annoying.

DevNall · Post by **DevNall** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 8:20 pm

phyco, you might want check "Manually manage music and videos" in the summary tab (for the iPod, in iTunes) and see if you like that better.

Post by **Kizyr** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 8:57 pm

DeathBeforeDenial wrote:I have a Creative Zen Vision M, it's phenomenal however Kiz I think it's a bit more overpowered than you are looking for. (30 gig, video compatible, $250) Creative also has decent 3rd party product support, but nowhere near what the iPod has.

You may want to look into a Creative Zen V Plus, SanDisk Sansa e280, or maybe the iriver H10. The SanDisk and iriver mp3 players can also have Rockbox firmware upgrades which is a huge plus.

After looking through those options, I'm wavering between a 30GB Creative Zen Vision M, and an 8GB Creative Zen V Plus. My main consideration is if it's really worth it to pay an extra $80 for an extra 22GB of space...

Have you had any problems with your model? I think the only complaint I've come across is with regards to the headphone jack, but that seems to be pretty minor and uncommon (so, not enough to be a disincentive). Does the Zen Vision M have a simple plug-and-load kind of interface as well? KF

Post by **Sonic#** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 10:02 pm

I can't speak for the models you're considering, Kiz, but I've used an older Creative Zen Micro for a year and a half now. It's survived a few falls and other things, and gives me no trouble. (I don't have a gargantuan library.) The support for it is also adequate for my purposes.

From what I've seen of the ones you're looking at, they're pretty good choices as well.

DeathBeforeDenial · Post by **DeathBeforeDenial** » Mon Jul 23, 2007 11:37 pm

Kizyr wrote:After looking through those options, I'm wavering between a 30GB Creative Zen Vision M, and an 8GB Creative Zen V Plus. My main consideration is if it's really worth it to pay an extra $80 for an extra 22GB of space...

Well, look at the future. My girlfirend bought a Nano and regrets it so bad because she ran out of space, 30 gigs fills up quick depending on your mp3 compression quality, and if you stick any videos on there. Also keep in mind you can partition the hard drive to have it act as a Mass Storage Device, you can't use it that way without the partition.

Kizyr wrote:Have you had any problems with your model? I think the only complaint I've come across is with regards to the headphone jack, but that seems to be pretty minor and uncommon (so, not enough to be a disincentive). Does the Zen Vision M have a simple plug-and-load kind of interface as well? KF

Haven't had any problems with it, but then again I stay pretty mellow. I never go running with it, I keep it in its case etc. and it already has probably given me a couple hundred hours of use.

I'm not sure what problem the headphone jack causes, perhaps the people who say that have cases that may not work well with it, all is well as far as I know. As for the plug and load/drag and drop,yes it does. If you chose to, you can also synch media up with media players.

No matter what media player you get, make sure you grab one of these (http://www.bestskinsever.com/servlet/StoreFront) as soon as you can. Make your mp3 player as scratch resistant as it can ever hope to be.

Right now the biggest downfall is the lack of Rockbox support, and in turn lack of support for FLAC, AAC, OGG etc., but I am hoping that in time a few committed individuals will find a way to crack the ZVM.

exigence · Post by **exigence** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 4:43 am

Ozone wrote:Mediamonkey will actually upload to your iPod as well =/

You just add a bunch of mp3s that you ripped or gained possession of through other means and add them to your library then sync it Easy as cake.

Personally, I <3 my iPod, my only minor gripes are its inability to play FLAC and OGG extensions. I stick to V0 or V2 for the most part though anyway.

If I had to recommend something else, I agree with DBD: Creative Zen Vision M is the way to go if you don't want an iPod.

yeah mediamonkey i knew it was called somthing like that its a really great program especily since its free. Are there any MP3 players that support FLAC and OGG there a real hassle to convert, i have every dream theater cd but its all in FLAC, so i can only listen to them on the computer.

Post by **Ozone** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 4:57 pm

exigence wrote:
Ozone wrote:Mediamonkey will actually upload to your iPod as well =/

You just add a bunch of mp3s that you ripped or gained possession of through other means and add them to your library then sync it Easy as cake.

Personally, I <3 my iPod, my only minor gripes are its inability to play FLAC and OGG extensions. I stick to V0 or V2 for the most part though anyway.

If I had to recommend something else, I agree with DBD: Creative Zen Vision M is the way to go if you don't want an iPod.
yeah mediamonkey i knew it was called somthing like that its a really great program especily since its free. Are there any MP3 players that support FLAC and OGG there a real hassle to convert, i have every dream theater cd but its all in FLAC, so i can only listen to them on the computer.

The Rio Karma does, but it only has 20 gigs of storage... which is nil in terms of FLAC. I think the Cowon iAudios do as well as some TrekStor models (which top off at 8 gigs). You're better off just decoding it to V0 or V2.

Post by **Kizyr** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 1:11 am

Ok, so I finally got an MP3 player. I settled on the Creative Zen Vision:M (thanks DBD for the recommendation). It's 30GB, has video playback, black model, and I found it for about $225 (from Amazon).

I'm really enjoying it right now. There are some snags. For instance, I had to install some software to let it get counted as an extra hard drive. But, I nerfed those settings so that's all it does--so it's still basically no-frills.

Also, I organize my MP3s by folder and filename--not ID3 tags--and the Zen only plays back something if it has the artist, song title, and album title filled out. Fortunately, I use MP3tag and so it just took a couple minutes to fill out all the fields I needed for the 3000 or so files I already had. Though, I use the 'genre' field now in place of the folders on my computer (so they're labeled, like, Japanese, Latino, Middle Eastern, Soundtracks (VG), etc., instead of normal genres).

I'm still getting used to how it functions. Like, there's no quick fast-forward and rewind function. But other than that it's relatively easy to use, and the quality's great. So, I'm really happy with my purchase.

I'm about halfway through burning the good tracks from all my CDs, too, so I'll be adding all those soon enough. After that, I'll probably have used around 15GB total (so it looks like the 30GB model was a good choice). KF

Werefrog · Post by **Werefrog** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 3:34 pm

I bought a 4 GB Pro V about a month ago for the drive home from Texas to Indiana. I really like it. I use a subscription service, and this is one of the few players that supports the subscription DRM. I've already filled it, but I don't mind since I'll cycle music in and out month by month.

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