Recommend an MP3 player?

[Dumpy]

Can someone recommend an MP3 player? I want just an MP3 player--no video, no phone, just music. I mostly just use it when I am running, so I need a player that is easy to hold in my hand while exercising. For the last two years, I've been using a Sansa SanDisk that is shaped like a pack of gum; it is easy to hold while running, but I'm unhappy with it because the display screen is too small to see the entire name of the album and song I am choosing. This is a problem when you have ten albums on it that are called "Greatest Hits" and you can't see who the artist is.

Optimally, I'd like at least 4 gig of space, and to pay no more than about $150.

Thanks in advance,

dumpy

 

[ZAE]

iPod nano? It's $150, decent screen, 4 gigs. It dose play videos though. For $200 you can get 8 gigs.

http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebO...F2F2PHCCCX72KDY

 

[ZAE]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Dumpy @ May 27 2008, 11:47 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Can someone recommend an MP3 player? I want just an MP3 player--no video, no phone, just music. I mostly just use it when I am running, so I need a player that is easy to hold in my hand while exercising. For the last two years, I've been using a Sansa SanDisk that is shaped like a pack of gum; it is easy to hold while running, but I'm unhappy with it because the display screen is too small to see the entire name of the album and song I am choosing. This is a problem when you have ten albums on it that are called "Greatest Hits" and you can't see who the artist is.

Optimally, I'd like at least 4 gig of space, and to pay no more than about $150.

Thanks in advance,

dumpy</div>

Also, what I like to do with albums is make a playlist for each one. say it was Bruce Springsteen's Greatest Hits, I'd name the playlist Bruce Springsteen - Greatest Hits. It makes it the albums much easier to find.

 

[Dumpy]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ZAE @ May 27 2008, 12:06 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Dumpy @ May 27 2008, 11:47 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Can someone recommend an MP3 player? I want just an MP3 player--no video, no phone, just music. I mostly just use it when I am running, so I need a player that is easy to hold in my hand while exercising. For the last two years, I've been using a Sansa SanDisk that is shaped like a pack of gum; it is easy to hold while running, but I'm unhappy with it because the display screen is too small to see the entire name of the album and song I am choosing. This is a problem when you have ten albums on it that are called "Greatest Hits" and you can't see who the artist is.

Optimally, I'd like at least 4 gig of space, and to pay no more than about $150.

Thanks in advance,

dumpy</div>

Also, what I like to do with albums is make a playlist for each one. say it was Bruce Springsteen's Greatest Hits, I'd name the playlist Bruce Springsteen - Greatest Hits. It makes it the albums much easier to find.
</div>

I always had problems renaming things on the Sansa. Also, I don't know if this is common, but it plays tunes in alphabetical order instead of the order they appear on the album. I've got a lot of CDs that have "alternate recordings" of certain tunes, and it is annoying to hear two versions of the same song come on after each other, and then two versions of the next tune, etc.

The Sansa also doesn't work with Vista. OK, nothing works with Vista. But in order to add songs to it, I have to take out an old laptop that has XP on it.

 

[Dumpy]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ZAE @ May 27 2008, 12:03 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>iPod nano? It's $150, decent screen, 4 gigs. It dose play videos though. For $200 you can get 8 gigs.

http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebO...F2F2PHCCCX72KDY</div>

hm, my understanding is that Apple is overpriced in relation to its competitors.

Consumer Reports ran an article comparing MP3 players in February, but it is only available through their on-line site, which you need a separate subscription to (which pisses me off no end).

 

[ghoti]

How do you get music? (Be honest, I'm not the cops.)

What format is your music in?

How much music do you have?

Do you listen to albums or just like to shuffle individual songs?

Do you ever use it when you are not exercising? Where?

 

[ZAE]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Dumpy @ May 27 2008, 12:17 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ZAE @ May 27 2008, 12:03 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>iPod nano? It's $150, decent screen, 4 gigs. It dose play videos though. For $200 you can get 8 gigs.

http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebO...F2F2PHCCCX72KDY</div>

hm, my understanding is that Apple is overpriced in relation to its competitors.

Consumer Reports ran an article comparing MP3 players in February, but it is only available through their on-line site, which you need a separate subscription to (which pisses me off no end).
</div>

I've always had iPods, I love their interface and the way they keep my music organized. I'm on my third now (because I've needed more gigs, I have a big 160 gig now. Not because they break or anything). Use it with iTunes and you'll love it, trust me. The iPod will play your music the way you have it organized in iTunes, however you like.
You can download it here: http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/

 

[ghoti]

Get a Sansa Clip.

1. You don't have to have any affiliation with the iTunes store whatsoever.

2. It's even smaller than your old player but displays all track info.

3. By all accounts, it sounds terrific.

4. Even the 4G is 80 Bucks.

5. It's very simple to put music on it. If you wish, you can just drop music on it like it's any other hard drive. Just "drag and drop" - no software required.

6. You can wear it around your neck or clip it anywhere.

7. All it does is play music.


Sansa also makes the Fuze, which is $100 bucks for the 4G, but it's larger and has video.

Sansa also makes older flash players (the e200 series - I have one) but those take a little work to make them sound good. The new models sound great right out of the box.

 

[ghoti]

ZAE and I represent the two ends of the music player spectrum.

He likes the convenience and standardization of Apple's system and doesn't mind continuously paying for it.

I would rather have the flexibility, efficiency and lower cost of operation that comes with a Sansa or Creative player.

 

[Dumpy]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ghoti @ May 27 2008, 12:20 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>How do you get music? (Be honest, I'm not the cops.)

What format is your music in?

How much music do you have?

Do you listen to albums or just like to shuffle individual songs?

Do you ever use it when you are not exercising? Where?</div>

I don't purchase music on-line. I have about 500 CDs in my house, and I just put the ones on my Sansa that I thought would be fun to run to. I listen to full albums, and don't shuffle, because my mood shifts from day-to-day. It would be hard to go from Van Halen to Al Jarreau to Rachmaninoff to Art Blakey to They Might be Giants. I guess if I could easily "group" similar music together and shuffle among those selections, I might do that. Other than that, sometimes I'll listen to music on an airplane (when I'm flying without the little ones).

 

[cpawfan]

hey ghoti, any new info on headphones?

 

[ZAE]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ghoti @ May 27 2008, 12:48 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>ZAE and I represent the two ends of the music player spectrum.

He likes the convenience and standardization of Apple's system and doesn't mind continuously paying for it.

I would rather have the flexibility, efficiency and lower cost of operation that comes with a Sansa or Creative player.</div>

Yeah, looking at the Sansa, it looks like that fits you're needs more Dumpy.

ghoti: You don't have to have an account with iTunes or pay for anything continuously, unless you choose to buy an album from the iTunes store.

 

[Dumpy]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ghoti @ May 27 2008, 12:48 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>ZAE and I represent the two ends of the music player spectrum.

He likes the convenience and standardization of Apple's system and doesn't mind continuously paying for it.

I would rather have the flexibility, efficiency and lower cost of operation that comes with a Sansa or Creative player.</div>

Sometimes my Sansa malfunctions. Sometimes it will just stop in the middle of a song and either turn off (despite having plenty of remining battery power) or just skip to the next song. I remember this happening while listening to the Who and Chicago (so you can get a further idea of my musical tastes). Does this other Sansa have the same problem? Does it also play songs in alphabetical order?

I prefer cheap, since they are probably more likely to break given the way I use them. I could drop it in a water fountain, for example.

 

[ghoti]

I kind of guessed at your answers so my recommendation still applies.

For travel, invest in an inexpensive pair of IEMs (they isolate you from noise so you can't wear them while you run).

There are hundreds to choose from, but for your purposes a $20 pair will work just fine.

I'd recommend some, but I'd need to know if you'd be down to order them online or if you would rather just pop by a local store.

 

[pegs]

<-Content Ipod owner. I still have a 2 gig Nano, the original, and it still works great. I love it. Extremely convenient and nice.

 

[ghoti]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (cpawfan @ May 27 2008, 01:55 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>hey ghoti, any new info on headphones?</div>

Sure!

What do you want to know?

 

[ghoti]

Apple doesn't make a comparable product to the Clip.

The Shuffle has no display and you can't even choose the order of the songs.

The other option for what I think Dumpy would like is a Creative Zen Stone Plus, but I had one and it broke. Not going to tell anyone to buy that!

 

[Dumpy]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ghoti @ May 27 2008, 01:16 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Apple doesn't make a comparable product to the Clip.

The Shuffle has no display and you can't even choose the order of the songs.

The other option for what I think Dumpy would like is a Creative Zen Stone Plus, but I had one and it broke. Not going to tell anyone to buy that!</div>

thanks everyone for the advice. I need to recommend one for someone to buy as a birthday present for someone who will be slightly older than me and I love very much.

 

[Dumpy]

The sansa I currently have is the m260.

 

[Master Shake]

Ipod Nano FTW.

 

[Dumpy]

the clip is adorable.

 

[ghoti]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Dumpy @ Jun 2 2008, 05:02 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>the clip is adorable.</div>
Did you get one?

 

[Dumpy]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ghoti @ Jun 2 2008, 04:32 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Dumpy @ Jun 2 2008, 05:02 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>the clip is adorable.</div>
Did you get one?
</div>

yes--now i have to figure out how to add music to it.

 

[ghoti]

Just drag and drop. That's the easiest way.

You can use the included software, but IMO that just makes life harder.

 

[Dumpy]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ghoti @ Jun 2 2008, 05:13 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Just drag and drop. That's the easiest way.

You can use the included software, but IMO that just makes life harder.</div>

I've never transferred music from a CD to my computer before. I think I've got it.

And there is no included software! There's no instructions! There's no nothing! I feel so old . . .

 

[ghoti]

Use WMP to rip music to your HD. It will automatically tag your songs so the track numbers and genres will be correct.

 

[ghoti]

Also, stay organized! Make a folder for each artist and a subfolder for each album. Nothing is worse than a mess of random music on your HD.

 

[ghoti]

Just to be clear, you dont need any new software. Just rip your cds with WMP and put them in organized folders. Your Clip is a hard drive. Just drag whatever album you want from your music folder directly onto it.

 

[Dumpy]

Yeah, that's what I'm doing. It took a few minutes to figure out that I wanted to "rip" and how to do it.

OK, my wife showed me. :-(

 

[Master Shake]

Should of got an Ipod...