(OT) Can anyone recommened a MP3 player?

[Greyroofoo]

for about $120?

I've started working out in a gym and I really need some music to listen too

I found this one at amazon, but I'm wary about buying it. Ipods are way too expensive
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000T1R4O/qid=1078187904//ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl23/102-2455018-1371346?v=glance&s=electronics&n=507846

can anyone help

[AgPete]

I bought a portable exercise RCA MP3 for about $75 at Wal-Mart. They have a lot of cheap workout models made by respectable companies including Creative Soundworks, RCA, and other brands. The one I bought has an arm strap to keep it safe and out of the way while you work out. I'd love to give you a critique of it but I bought it promising myself I'd lose some pounds but I haven't encouraged myself to work out yet. :o

[finkenst]

for about $120?

I've started working out in a gym and I really need some music to listen too

can anyone help

fwiw, i just bought a $69.99 64 meg mp3 player with fm tuner. you can put smart media card inti it to exapnd to 192 meg.

from target.
amusingly enough, i bought mine for the same reason... working out at the gym, i really need something to listen to.

[Hurst2112]

I bought my wife an RCA Lyra 128 MB player. I would certainly reccomend more than 64 MB if you plan on working out. Expandable memory is a nice option, but if you do get a player, you usually arent in the mood to drop another 60 dollars right away. With 128 MB, you have at least 90-120 minutes of music to work out to.

My wife's player has an FM receiver in it too. That's certainly a plus when you run out of music on a run. It comes with musicmatch, software, and an armband. Cost is about 130 bills.

This is it. (http://www.rca.com/product/viewdetail/0,2588,PI700273-CI700007,00.html?)

My bad, it is now 109 dollars.

I would suggest going to www.cnet.com and checking out the reviews on the mp3 players. You might find some stores with better deals than any of us might know of.

OH! one other thing, spend a little more money and get some rechargeable batteries. You will thank me for this later.

Rock on

[finkenst]

oh yeah...

the 128mb version with fm tuner was 129.99, i believe, with the same smart media expansion slot.

for the record, i wish i'd gotten the 128mb version

[Passacaglia]

I've been doing quite a bit of research on this, so if you have any more questions, feel free to ask. I just bought the RCA Lyra 40 GB, and I'm still figuring things out with it. The ones these guys mentioned are much smaller than the one you linked, so they might be nicer for going to the gym. It looks like the first reviewer on Amazon complained that the Archos was too bulky for any kind of activity, so you might want to consider that. He said it's twice the weight of an ipod, but those are pretty light, so it might not be that big of a deal. Mine is probably about the size of a walkman (an old-school casette playing one, and maybe a little heavier, but it's not encumbering in the least. Anyway, the really good thing about the one you linked to is the space. 20 GB makes decinding between 64 MB and 128 MB seem silly. Anyway, let me know what you decide and how it turns out!

[Easy Mac]

Archos Jukebox 20 gigs for 129 (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000T1R4O/qid%3D832617/ref%3Dnosim/fatwalletcom/v%3Dglance%26s%3Delectronics/106-8472362-20/104-9848741-3297552)

[Ben E Lou]

I have an Archos. It isn't that bulky. It will fit in your pocket while working out/cutting the grass/etc.

[Passacaglia]

Easy Mac, is that link any different from the one Greyroofoo linked to in his original post? They look the same to me.

[Passacaglia]

SkyDog, can you say anything more about your Archos? How do you send files into it? What kind of software comes with it? Does it have any problems switching from wma to mp3 format? That link GreyRooFoo had points to a worse deal, but I'm seeing it available on tomshardware.com for $90. I bought an RCA Lyra 40 GB, for a lot more money, and I'm thinking of returning it for the Archos, but I'm not sure.

[Ben E Lou]

SkyDog, can you say anything more about your Archos? How do you send files into it? What kind of software comes with it? Does it have any problems switching from wma to mp3 format? That link GreyRooFoo had points to a worse deal, but I'm seeing it available on tomshardware.com for $90. I bought an RCA Lyra 40 GB, for a lot more money, and I'm thinking of returning it for the Archos, but I'm not sure.1. There is a USB to USB cable that comes with it. I don't know about other operating systems, but XP detects it automatically, and just treats it like another hard drive. So, you can just drag and drop files back and forth. Since I don't have 20GB of music, I also use it to back up files, and to move large files from home to office and vice versa. It is faster than burning a CD-RW.

2. I don't remember what software came with it. Whatever it was, wasn't all that impressive. As I said, XP auto-detects it as an external drive.

3. I don't think it will play wma files. There are free converters out there though.

[cthomer5000]

I took the plunge and ordered a 60 gig Creative Labs Zen Nomad tonight. I'll be sure to chime in here with a review after a few days of use.

[Hurst2112]

60 GIG?!?!?! Holy shit!

[cthomer5000]

60 GIG?!?!?! Holy shit!
Hey, I need room for the whole Rush catalog. :)

Actually, I think I'll leave Vapor Trails out.


Seriously though, I have an absolutely gigantic music collection (about 1000 albums), and i'd love to be able to bring it all with me wherever I go.

I also have a lengthy commute, so I get at least 2 and 1/2 hour of discman listening in each day as it is. I'd much rather have a massive selection on hand.

Also, with my birthday coming up, I'm using any cash gifts to subsidize the purchase of this thing. (~ $365).

[Hurst2112]

Hey, I need room for the whole Rush catalog. :)

Actually, I think I'll leave Vapor Trails out.




hehe, funny you should say that. I listened to it this weekend for about only the 3 time all the way through.

The reason I flipped out was because I knew you were trying to keep the price around the 300 dollar mark. I didn't expect to see 60 GB for that price. Makes me feel like a chump for paying that much for my 15gb ipod.

1000 albums...im about up there...100 or so to go. Now, with my find of torrent files, my collection will be increasing.

I hope you got a head start on converting your albums to mp3. It takes awhile. What is your plan on storage? do you have a large enough computer hard drive to handle that?

I would like to hear a review.

[cthomer5000]

hehe, funny you should say that. I listened to it this weekend for about only the 3 time all the way through.

The reason I flipped out was because I knew you were trying to keep the price around the 300 dollar mark. I didn't expect to see 60 GB for that price. Makes me feel like a chump for paying that much for my 15gb ipod.

1000 albums...im about up there...100 or so to go. Now, with my find of torrent files, my collection will be increasing.

I hope you got a head start on converting your albums to mp3. It takes awhile. What is your plan on storage? do you have a large enough computer hard drive to handle that?

I would like to hear a review.
I'm planning to rip & convert about 4-5 albums a day basically, until I have everything finished. That may take a while, but I'd rather do that at a leasurely pace than blow a weekend just ripping, ripping, ripping.

I don't have room to hold everything on my computer, so I'll probably deleted almost everything from the comptuer once it's in the player.

[cthomer5000]

dola. And yeah - Vapor Trails is a lousy album. I hope they can miraculously come up with one last album that will be a fitting career closer... but it's starting to look like they may be done.

[Hurst2112]

I was looking at the specs of the machine you got. Very, very cool. I LOVE that it has a replaceable battery. That is soooo damn huge. Also, for any player, I get a kick about how their song size (less than 4 minutes...at 64kbps). Obviously they don't have 2112 or Hemispheres...much less any Transatlantic albums (32 minute epics).

4 or 5 albums a day is a pretty good clip. 1 suggestion: at least 128 kbps and don't use "auto volume" or normalizing.

[cthomer5000]

4 or 5 albums a day is a pretty good clip. 1 suggestion: at least 128 kbps and don't use "auto volume" or normalizing.
Yeah, I'm kind of mentally debating on what bit rate to go with. I would prefer 190kbps, but I'm gonna use up a lot more space that way. I'll probably just go 128.

Oh yeah, and definitely no normalizing b.s.

To me the replaceable battery was an absolute must-have. I simply was not going to order a player without that option.

[cthomer5000]

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<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>http://images.americas.creative.com/images/spacer_1_1_61.gif</TD><TD vAlign=top>http://images.americas.creative.com/images/bullet_1_1_61.gif</TD><TD>http://images.americas.creative.com/images/spacer_1_1_61.gif</TD><TD class=text>Size WxHxD: 3" x 4.4" x 0.86"</TD></TR><TR><TD>http://images.americas.creative.com/images/spacer_1_1_61.gif</TD><TD vAlign=top>http://images.americas.creative.com/images/bullet_1_1_61.gif</TD><TD>http://images.americas.creative.com/images/spacer_1_1_61.gif</TD><TD class=text>Weight: 7.9 oz with battery; 7.2 oz without battery</TD></TR><TR><TD>http://images.americas.creative.com/images/spacer_1_1_61.gif</TD><TD vAlign=top>http://images.americas.creative.com/images/bullet_1_1_61.gif</TD><TD>http://images.americas.creative.com/images/spacer_1_1_61.gif</TD><TD class=text>Casing: Anodized Aluminum</TD></TR><TR><TD>http://images.americas.creative.com/images/spacer_1_1_61.gif</TD><TD vAlign=top>http://images.americas.creative.com/images/bullet_1_1_61.gif</TD><TD>http://images.americas.creative.com/images/spacer_1_1_61.gif</TD><TD class=text>Capacity: <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>http://images.americas.creative.com/images/spacer_1_1_61.gif</TD><TD class=text vAlign=top>-</TD><TD>http://images.americas.creative.com/images/spacer_1_1_61.gif</TD><TD class=text>30GB hard drive* holds 1000 hrs of WMA or 500 hrs of MP3 Songs**</TD></TR><TR><TD>http://images.americas.creative.com/images/spacer_1_1_61.gif</TD><TD class=text vAlign=top>-</TD><TD>http://images.americas.creative.com/images/spacer_1_1_61.gif</TD><TD class=text>40GB hard drive* holds 1333 hrs of WMA or 667 hrs of MP3 Songs**</TD></TR><TR><TD>http://images.americas.creative.com/images/spacer_1_1_61.gif</TD><TD class=text vAlign=top>-</TD><TD>http://images.americas.creative.com/images/spacer_1_1_61.gif</TD><TD class=text>60GB hard drive* holds 2000 hrs of WMA or 1000 hrs of MP3 Songs**</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD>http://images.americas.creative.com/images/spacer_1_1_61.gif</TD><TD vAlign=top>http://images.americas.creative.com/images/bullet_1_1_61.gif</TD><TD>http://images.americas.creative.com/images/spacer_1_1_61.gif</TD><TD class=text>Battery Life: Up to 14hrs of continuous playtime***</TD></TR><TR><TD>http://images.americas.creative.com/images/spacer_1_1_61.gif</TD><TD vAlign=top>http://images.americas.creative.com/images/bullet_1_1_61.gif</TD><TD>http://images.americas.creative.com/images/spacer_1_1_61.gif</TD><TD class=text>Interface: USB2.0/1.1</TD></TR><TR><TD>http://images.americas.creative.com/images/spacer_1_1_61.gif</TD><TD vAlign=top>http://images.americas.creative.com/images/bullet_1_1_61.gif</TD><TD>http://images.americas.creative.com/images/spacer_1_1_61.gif</TD><TD class=text>Playback Formats: MPEG Audio Layer 3 (MP3) and Windows Media™ Audio (WMA) and WAV</TD></TR><TR><TD>http://images.americas.creative.com/images/spacer_1_1_61.gif</TD><TD vAlign=top>http://images.americas.creative.com/images/bullet_1_1_61.gif</TD><TD>http://images.americas.creative.com/images/spacer_1_1_61.gif</TD><TD class=text>Signal to Noise Ratio: up to 98dB</TD></TR><TR><TD>http://images.americas.creative.com/images/spacer_1_1_61.gif</TD><TD vAlign=top>http://images.americas.creative.com/images/bullet_1_1_61.gif</TD><TD>http://images.americas.creative.com/images/spacer_1_1_61.gif</TD><TD class=text>Channel Separation: up to 75dB</TD></TR><TR><TD>http://images.americas.creative.com/images/spacer_1_1_61.gif</TD><TD vAlign=top>http://images.americas.creative.com/images/bullet_1_1_61.gif</TD><TD>http://images.americas.creative.com/images/spacer_1_1_61.gif</TD><TD class=text>Frequency Response: 20Hz - 20kHz</TD></TR><TR><TD>http://images.americas.creative.com/images/spacer_1_1_61.gif</TD><TD vAlign=top>http://images.americas.creative.com/images/bullet_1_1_61.gif</TD><TD>http://images.americas.creative.com/images/spacer_1_1_61.gif</TD><TD class=text>Harmonic Distortion Output: less than 0.1%</TD></TR><TR><TD>http://images.americas.creative.com/images/spacer_1_1_61.gif</TD><TD vAlign=top>http://images.americas.creative.com/images/bullet_1_1_61.gif</TD><TD>http://images.americas.creative.com/images/spacer_1_1_61.gif</TD><TD class=text>Operating System/Firmware: Reprogrammable****</TD></TR><TR><TD>http://images.americas.creative.com/images/spacer_1_1_61.gif</TD><TD vAlign=top>http://images.americas.creative.com/images/bullet_1_1_61.gif</TD><TD>http://images.americas.creative.com/images/spacer_1_1_61.gif</TD><TD class=text>Headphone out: 1 x 1/8" stereo minijack, headphone</TD></TR><TR><TD>http://images.americas.creative.com/images/spacer_1_1_61.gif</TD><TD vAlign=top>http://images.americas.creative.com/images/bullet_1_1_61.gif</TD><TD>http://images.americas.creative.com/images/spacer_1_1_61.gif</TD><TD class=text>Display: 160 x 104 pixel resolution, blue EL backlit LCD</TD></TR><TR><TD>http://images.americas.creative.com/images/spacer_1_1_61.gif</TD><TD vAlign=top>http://images.americas.creative.com/images/bullet_1_1_61.gif</TD><TD>http://images.americas.creative.com/images/spacer_1_1_61.gif</TD><TD class=text>EAX®: Smart Volume Management™, Environmental Effects, 4-band Custom Equalizer, Advanced EQ presets, Headphone Spatialization, Time Scaling: Up to 1.5x faster or 0.5x slower for audio playback</TD></TR><TR><TD>http://images.americas.creative.com/images/spacer_1_1_61.gif</TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD>http://images.americas.creative.com/images/spacer_1_1_61.gif</TD><TD class=legal>
* 1GB = 1,000,000,000 bytes. Available capacity will be less. Reported capacity will vary. </TD></TR><TR><TD>http://images.americas.creative.com/images/spacer_1_1_61.gif</TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD>http://images.americas.creative.com/images/spacer_1_1_61.gif</TD><TD class=legal>
** 64 kbps WMA encoding; 128kbps MP3 encoding </TD></TR><TR><TD>http://images.americas.creative.com/images/spacer_1_1_61.gif</TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD>http://images.americas.creative.com/images/spacer_1_1_61.gif</TD><TD class=legal>
*** Actual battery life will vary with use </TD></TR><TR><TD>http://images.americas.creative.com/images/spacer_1_1_61.gif</TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD>http://images.americas.creative.com/images/spacer_1_1_61.gif</TD><TD class=legal>
**** OS/Firmware support & update will be available via www.nomadworld.com (http://www.nomadworld.com/) </TD></TR><TR><TD>http://images.americas.creative.com/images/spacer_1_1_61.gif</TD><TD vAlign=top></TD><TD>http://images.americas.creative.com/images/spacer_1_1_61.gif</TD><TD class=legal>
All hardware contents are covered by a limited hardware warranty. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Note:
- Actual battery life will vary with use.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

[Hurst2112]

I would keep it in multiples of 32. (ie 64, 128, 256, 512, etc). The reason for this is because it is easier for the computer and software to convert in multiples that are double rather than 2.5 or whatever.

edit, I wouldn't say easier but the audio will be converted better with the way i mentioned.

[Passacaglia]

Let us know how you like the Creative Zen, cthomer. I thought about getting a 20 GB from them, but Circuit City had a really good deal on a 40 GB RCA Lyra. It's taken a while to get used to everything, but I like it a lot. The shuffle still has some problems, but I might be able to fix that with the next firmware, once I figure it out.

[cthomer5000]

I'm ripping away tonight (128kbps), and finding it surprisingly easy. I think i'll be able to easily rip about 6-8 an hour while playing poker (1-2 hours a night). I hope to have 30-40 albums ready to input when I get it in the mail (wednesay or thursday).

Definitely will give some feedback on it after a week or two.

[Hurst2112]

nothing is better than a new, unopened box of expensive electronic equipment. Am i right?

[cthomer5000]

Got it from FedEx today!

Electronics using re-chargeable batteries always need that first mega-charge (will my cell phone it was like 8 hours). The Nomad took 3 hours 25 minutes to be at full charge. I was already happy beacause the manual said it might take up to 4 hours for the first charge. (edit: Normal charges are supposed to be 1-3 hours, for up to 14 hours playback. Pretty much a cell phone battery).

The software installed like a breeze, and I re-booted (standard with driver-related installations). I hooked up the USB cable, plugged in the Nomad and windows detected it. Now in the "my computer" folder I can open up Nomad Explorer. It's as simple as dragging and dropping the files in there.

My initial transfer was about 700 megs of stuff. I did the math when it wrapped up and realized I was getting about 1 meg/second transfer rate - not bad at all. Knowing that this is on my "backup" computer (the newer one is getting re-formatted this weekend), I'm again happy - beacuse my good computer will likely move even faster.

So far I'm very pleased with the file management aspects - now comes actually using the player. I'm just starting to listen to it right now, but I can say I'm not crazy about either the comfort or the sound of the earphones (the small "bud" type). I'd heard this complaint in advance, so it didn't phase me. Also, I would have gladly bought the thing without headphones since I have a much better pair I use on a regular basis. I'll go back to those as my primaries and save the accompanying pair as a backup.

There seems to be a built in random function, so I'm already happy about that - I expect to be using that quite a bit.

More detailed report on my usage coming in a few days. But so far i do believe this will meet my lofty expectations (which were offiically "I think this will be the best purchase I've ever made.")

[cthomer5000]

More detailed report on my usage coming in a few days. But so far i do believe this will meet my lofty expectations (which were offiically "I think this will be the best purchase I've ever made.")
Well, it's been far more than a few days, but now I can safely say this was an excellent purchase.

The battery lasts for about 8-9 solid hours of constant play. The storage space is incredible, and I've really made use of what is currently excess space for backing up important data, or moving something from my computer to my girlfriends.

From what I've gathered, the software is much more cut and dry than the iPod. I can drag and drop music off of the unit on to another PC, which my girlfriends DELL player cannot do. When it (Nomad) is connected to the comupter, it basically functions just like a drive - nice and easy.


It can basically do anything you would want to do with a player, and the sound is great. In short it's met all my expectations, and I can definitely recommend it to others. Unless you absolutely need the super-compactness of the iPod, I think it's pretty hard to turn down the value you get here.

Overall: http://dynamic2.gamespy.com/~fof/forums/images/icons/icon14.gifhttp://dynamic2.gamespy.com/~fof/forums/images/icons/icon14.gifhttp://dynamic2.gamespy.com/~fof/forums/images/icons/icon14.gifhttp://dynamic2.gamespy.com/~fof/forums/images/icons/icon14.gifhttp://dynamic2.gamespy.com/~fof/forums/images/icons/icon14.gifhttp://dynamic2.gamespy.com/~fof/forums/images/icons/icon14.gifhttp://dynamic2.gamespy.com/~fof/forums/images/icons/icon14.gifhttp://dynamic2.gamespy.com/~fof/forums/images/icons/icon14.gifhttp://dynamic2.gamespy.com/~fof/forums/images/icons/icon14.gif

I'd grade it very highly. It gets a Homer Simpson style 9 thumbs up (out of a possible ten). My only issues with it are detailed below.

minor gripes: the "firmware" in the unit itself seems to rename the tracks when you put transfer them onto the unit. This can at times create problems when you are putting on songs of the same name by the same or different artists. It takes a tad of editing of the ID3 tag to alleviate the problem (this can be done in winamp, or during the MP3 creation process if you know what you're doing).

The cover/case that comes with the unit is moronically designed to block the screen - so you can't really use the functions without un-buttoning the case. Realizing how stupid this was, it took me about 30 minutes before I took a razor blade, cut an opening in the case the size of the screen, and stuck a piece of clear plastic in between the layers of material to make my own scratch-proof screen. A Piece of an old CD case, razor blade, and some black electrical tape got the job done just fine. Honestly, it's amazing this got past quality control - but at least the case comes with the unit unlike some other brands out there.

[SirFozzie]

<--- Loves his iPod and wouldn't trade it for anything

[cthomer5000]

<--- Loves his iPod and wouldn't trade it for anything
Well, I imagine it's definitely the best of the breed, but it's just far more expensive than competitors. I think my 60gig was the price of a 20gig iPod. Not worth paying the incredible difference for the brand name, IMHO.

[jbmagic]

whats bettter the IPOD or the Creative Labs Zen Nomad ?

[cthomer5000]

whats bettter the IPOD or the Creative Labs Zen Nomad ?
I'm guessing you mean "better" in an absolute sense (not "better value"). My guess would be the iPod, although not having used one I can't say for sure.

The iPod is definitely smaller in size.
The iPod is probably "cooler" looking.

Aside from that I imagine the major issues would be software and performance. The Nomad software is as easy as possible. It operates just like a drive, and it's incredibly easy to put songs on, or copy them off. I believe that it is much more difficult (if not impossible) to copy the songs off an iPod with the stock software (I have no idea if 3rd party software makes this possible or not).

As per performance, I'm not sure. We could probably find reviews somewhere about the output of each. I'd be far more interested in the true audio results though, not factoring in the stock pair of headphones (whre iPod is almost certainly better).

[cthomer5000]

Cnet's guide to buying an MP3 player:
http://reviews.cnet.com/Music/4520-7964_7-5134106-1.html?tag=dir.bg


They do a pretty nice breakdown by specific needs ("best for fitness freaks", etc.) iPod ranks #1 in the "audiphile" category, so I'd say it likely means iPod is the best all-around unit.

BTW, My goal in my Nomad wrap-up wasn't to convince anyone it was the best overall player. I just wanted to give some assurance to anyone who is considering buying it, or looking for a lower-priced alternative to the iPod.

[Hurst2112]

Cnet's guide to buying an MP3 player:
http://reviews.cnet.com/Music/4520-7964_7-5134106-1.html?tag=dir.bg


They do a pretty nice breakdown by specific needs ("best for fitness freaks", etc.) iPod ranks #1 in the "audiphile" category, so I'd say it likely means iPod is the best all-around unit.

BTW, My goal in my Nomad wrap-up wasn't to convince anyone it was the best overall player. I just wanted to give some assurance to anyone who is considering buying it, or looking for a lower-priced alternative to the iPod.

...which is good to read rather than some of the comments from the cnet user reviews.

[cthomer5000]

...which is good to read rather than some of the comments from the cnet user reviews.They had me a little worried when I first bought it, but I think the problem is that people who've had a negative experience are more likely to chime in about it.

But also look at it this way:

Ipod
15 gig: 80% thumbs up, 20% thumbs down
20 gig: 73% thumbs up, 27% thumbs down
40 gig: 64% thumbs up, 36% thumbs down


Nomad Zen Xtra:
30 gig: 86% thumbs up, 14% thumbs down
40 gig: 86% thumbs up, 14% thumbs down
60 gig: 73% thumbs up, 27% thumbs down

I think that helps put things in perspective.

edit: used all the ratings from the varying sizes