MP3 Players

Ugh I need to get one of these so I can freakin concentrate in the gym instead of overhearing the retards that go there =(

I would hold off on the Nano, it appears that the screen scratches very easily and there is talk of a class action lawsuit against Apple.

Also, headphones will make an enormous difference. I found, after searching through a variety of headphones, that the ear-bud headphones deliver the best sound-quality for the price; they can also reduce outside noise by 70%. In addition, these ear-buds deliver an astonishing amount of bass, and are comfortable to wear compared to the traditional headphones/earphones.

Hope this helps,
B

[quote]Nate Gates wrote:
I would hold off on the Nano, it appears that the screen scratches very easily and there is talk of a class action lawsuit against Apple.[/quote]

Mmmmm…I’ve had my nano for about 2 weeks now, taking it to the gym almost every day, and its fine. Your best option is to take the problem into your own hands and get a hard plastic case like this one:

http://www.agent18.com/index.cfm?action=product.show&category=Product&id_category=2ede3f4d-886a-410b-a7b2-1fd6e34765a5&id_product=1203b163-c00a-451b-9de3-751412c8cc9c#

Like I said, it’s hard plastic, so it protects it from all scratches and even minor drops, making it good for athletic use.

i never did get around to buying an ipod mini, so i bought the 4GB ipod nano four weeks ago.

great audio quality. no complaints whatsoever. since i really only use it at the gym, flash memory (no internal moving parts) was important and 1,000 songs is plenty of space.

if you do get one, i would recommend buying it from a brick-and-mortar retailer while also adding the extra two-year replacement coverage. that way, your story can never have a bad ending.

SM:

How many songs are you looking to hold? That determines the type of memory storage involved, as well as (physical) size to a lesser degree.

I’ve had several but the creative nuvo is my current favorite (512mb is current my model). Creative has great battery life, which is an important consideration unless you go with rechargeable. Not overly loud unless you get better headphones than the original though. I generally use the KOSS earbuds with the foam inserts that act like noise suppression earplugs, but I would be careful using these outdoors; they cut out virtually all sound from the outside world.

Many of the complaints I hear from people about ANY solid state memory type players is that they quit working or start “flaking” out. Typically this is caused by memory errors, and the problem can normally be eradicated by performing a hard reset of the device. Methods vary by manufacturer, and many retailers don’t even know about this feature so you have to hunt at the mfg’s website normally. Also, don’t be afraid to update the internal firmware. This is particularly important is you purchase through a discount vendor. Typically these are earlier models with older firmware. Again, not a problem as it is a simple internet download typically, but I would highly recommend it if you have any problems.

I’ve never used a micro hard drive device because I run, and they are too heavy for me personally. The arm bands are the way to go regardless when running though. I tried clips, belts, neckbands, etc. but always went back to the arm bands.

It depends on what you want:
I had a cheap 256mb mp3 player I used for a little bit that also functions as a jump drive and it did the trick and was easy enough to use. Not to mention it doubling as a jump drive…for ONLY $30.

Then along came Yahoo music…the bad thing about the Ipods is that if you want to get Napster or Yahoo or Realnetworks rental service you can’t use them. And considering Yahoo is still only $5 month (It’s going up to $10 soon) it was well worth getting one of the Creative Lab Zen 5gb players for bout 160 or 170 after shipping (here’s another plug for eithe pricegrabber.com or bottomdollar.com).
Granted it’s only 5GB but you can go up to the 20gb model for 200 I think. I personally don’t need that much space and I dind’t know it was only another $30 to shoot up to 20gb when I bought it.
The unit seems pretty durable…and it comes with a belt clip case which should help it survive falls. I don’t think the battery life is truly 14 hours either…but I have not clocked it…probably closer to $10. It’s also a bit slow shifting between songs and turning on.

My 2 cents.

For gym use, I love the RCA Lyra RD2010B. Been using the same AA battery since I got it six months ago. It’s only 256MB storage, but it has a memory card slot. Since I don’t lift for more than 90min at a throw, that’s plenty of storage.

Volume is nice. If I put an in-line volume control on it, it would make my ears bleed.

For non-gym use, I’m digging my Palm Zire 72s. Wouldn’t take it to the gym, though.

[quote]Brendan B wrote:
Also, headphones will make an enormous difference. I found, after searching through a variety of headphones, that the ear-bud headphones deliver the best sound-quality for the price; they can also reduce outside noise by 70%. In addition, these ear-buds deliver an astonishing amount of bass, and are comfortable to wear compared to the traditional headphones/earphones.

Hope this helps,
B
[/quote]

I was just going to ask about headphones. I know there are lots of different brands and types of them, and the cheaper ear-buds never stayed in my ear so I don’t know if it’s because I bought a cheap brand or if my ear hole is smaller than average, or if I’m simply not inserting them correctly.

I used to have those earphones that are supposed to create the ‘most’ bass, but they seem over priced and weren’t worth it.

Do you know of any particular brand that’s known for being better than what comes with cd players or mp3 players?

I just bought a 256mb cheap 60-bucker from Creative at Wal-Mart. 2 days, so far so good, haven’t put any mP3’s on it yet, but the FM tuner is ok for me to exercise with. It’s cool because the whole thing plugs into your computer’s USB, no cords needed.

[quote]SWR-1222D wrote:
I was just going to ask about headphones. I know there are lots of different brands and types of them, and the cheaper ear-buds never stayed in my ear so I don’t know if it’s because I bought a cheap brand or if my ear hole is smaller than average, or if I’m simply not inserting them correctly.

I used to have those earphones that are supposed to create the ‘most’ bass, but they seem over priced and weren’t worth it.

Do you know of any particular brand that’s known for being better than what comes with cd players or mp3 players?[/quote]

SWR,
I am currently using low to moderately priced brand by Sony that I bought at Bestbuy. I also have relatively small ear holes, and I found these ear-buds came out of my ears on a regular basis. In order to make these work correctly, you must have no tension on the line. There are a number of ways you can do this. I resolved this problem by snapping the line to my collar of my shirt.

Good luck,
B

[quote]Heowww wrote:
I just bought a 256mb cheap 60-bucker from Creative at Wal-Mart. 2 days, so far so good, haven’t put any mP3’s on it yet, but the FM tuner is ok for me to exercise with. It’s cool because the whole thing plugs into your computer’s USB, no cords needed.[/quote]

If you want to get them really cheap check out www.pricewatch.com

[quote]supervillain wrote:
Avoid Rio. Yes, they are built for athletes, but they are built poorly. They have a common problem: they simply quit working. The local Circuit City stopped carrying Rio brand because of this problem. I called Rio customer service. It’s a COMMON problem with their gear.[quote]

Actually the parent company of rio, which is D&M holdings pulled the plug on its mp3 line as of september which is why circuit city quit carrying them

WWW.computergeeks.com has a refurbished 128 mb RCA Lyra for $25. Combine this with the 1 gig SD memory card for $50 and it is a sweet deal.

I bought a 20 gig Rubato Entempo from there for $130.
It works great, with my only bitch being how slowly it scrolls.

If you are using it for working out, it is best to go with a flash player. My gym is in my home, so I don’t really have a need for a flash player.

Firts thanks to all who have replied…

well i think 128mb may be too small. Thats really only a couple of albums worth of tracks. I hate selecting songs that im only in the mood for in the next half hour as after that i’d want a change - So maybe 1gig minimum. Ive had some really good examples so thanks to those who have recommended.
Besides that, I think it needs to be robust - nothing too delicate. And not scary loud but loud enough to block out moaning, shouting and general whining of public transport and gym environments. Something we can all identify with!

[quote]supermick wrote:
Firts thanks to all who have replied…

well i think 128mb may be too small. Thats really only a couple of albums worth of tracks. I hate selecting songs that im only in the mood for in the next half hour as after that i’d want a change - So maybe 1gig minimum. Ive had some really good examples so thanks to those who have recommended.
Besides that, I think it needs to be robust - nothing too delicate. And not scary loud but loud enough to block out moaning, shouting and general whining of public transport and gym environments. Something we can all identify with! [/quote]

The one I pointed out has a slot for a memory card. The 1 gig card is $50.

Sony. thats all i need to say, batt life 50 hrs+ excellent sound, and quality, great warranties available from sony, buy it from a sony store and its literally a replacement warranty, you wont regret size style sound and price, great deal. Apple is overpriced and is a huge FAD.

I was real excited when I saw somoeone playing their Ipod in the car.

What other brands of MP3 player can one play in the car?

I am looking for something that isn’t as expensive as the Ipod. Thanks for any replies.

[quote]Nate Gates wrote:
I would hold off on the Nano, it appears that the screen scratches very easily and there is talk of a class action lawsuit against Apple.[/quote]

F-ing lawyers in this country! A class-action suit for what? There are times when I really despise our legal system. Some lawyer buys a Nano, it gets scratched and he decides to make several million $$$ for his firm by rallying up a handful of people who have mistreated their equipment and scratched it. How the hell are these people damaged by this? Btw, the lawyers will pocket a few million from the settlement while each person who joins in will get maybe $1 or probably a free song download.

DB

[quote]DT20 wrote:
I was real excited when I saw somoeone playing their Ipod in the car.

What other brands of MP3 player can one play in the car?

I am looking for something that isn’t as expensive as the Ipod. Thanks for any replies. [/quote]

Any brand that has a line out. You buy the Belkin Tunecast II, which allows you to broadcast your music to an FM station, and then tune your car radio to listen. Unless, of course, you have a line-in on your car stereo. Most people don’t. The Tunecast II is great because you can control which station it broadcasts to by a little digital dial… which really blows the other FM modulators out of the water.