Best Mp3 Player?

henbane

Thinking of buying a decent mp3 player and would prefer the better quality over the cheapest (within reason).

Can anybody give me information on sound quality, battery life, ease of use of the iPod, Jukebox zen or Neuros HD? Any other manufacturers you've used would be appreciated.

Any information on support available if they break would be useful.

Greenman

They are talking about flash MP3 players here http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&threadid=122845

henbane

Thanks greenman but I'm looking for something a little larger than flash memory can offer. HDD based players with lots of capacity - 10 gig and up.

Other questions that thread brought to mind is compatibility of the software for the players with various OSes and whether they is seen as a HDD or something funkier by the OS. I is checking some of this stuff myself but would appreciate if anybody who is using the players had any comments to make about quality of the kit.

Venom

I picked up the 20GB Jukebox zen at the start of the year and I must say its an awsome peice of kit. Works a dream with Windows, sounds great when you swap the earphones with something a bit better then the creative ones (just didnt feel right) and looks sleek and sexy.

The ability to move pc files around is soooo handy when you have net access in work. The utilities and proggies that come with it are easy as pie to setup and use.

I highly recommend this product.

Zaphod

This might be of interest:
http://gear.ign.com/articles/452/452815p1.html?fromint=1

radiospan

I own a Jukebox Zen (20GB, USB2), and I have no complaints about it. (Except maybe the size/weight).

The sound quality is excellent, and the transfer speeds from the PC are very fast (about 2 megabytes a second)

It looks like a very good bargain on Komplett (link) for just €290. To compare, the 20GB iPod is €434.

iPod's are much nicer than Zen's IMHO, but overpriced. Even the 60GB Zen NX Xtra is cheaper than the 20GB iPod on Komplett.

henbane

Most votes for the jukebox zen on sound quality. So far, about all the iPod has going for it is the stylishness factor - can anybody tell me this isn't true?. Any other opinions on players and their sound quality?

Makaveli

I was thinking of getting an Ipod until I saw the prices for them. I ordered the 30gb Zen NX instead. €309 from Komplett.
I can't find much info on the earphones though. Anybody know what they are like? Should I expect to be replacing them?

super_furry

I can't find much info on the earphones though. Anybody know what they are like? Should I expect to be replacing them?

Definately. They're the little in-ear variety and while the sound quality is good, they are very uncomfortable and always falling out. Aside from that, I couldn't recommend the 30GB NX enough - it's absolutely brilliant. The earphones with the 20GB Zen are wrap around, but again they're not the best.

Also I don't really think that size and weight should be a factor in your decision. While the Zen maybe the biggest MP3 player on the market (not sure about the Arcos), it's only a matter of centimetres and it's still much smaller than any discman or walkman. So unless you're switching over from a Minidisc player, it will seem much smaller and lighter.

Makaveli

Thanks for the feedback.
Got any recommendations on a set of earphones that sound good and wont break the bank?

Greenman

A trawl around here might yield something on headphones.

p2p

Go for the Iriver Ihp-120

There's a review on CNet somewhere, if you cant find it
post back and i'll try and dig it out.

Quality system!

irishguy

i would say get an Ipod got one there 2months ago and they rock, use it about 3hours a day and no prob with the battries. must leave it play till it dies sometime.the sound is great and they look really cool

Burago

I'm in the market for a jukebox/mp3 player and I'm having a really hard time deciding which model to go for. I sort of settled on a 20gb iPod because of the amount of storage plus the dock, case and wired remote. A slew of new players have come to my attention and made things really difficult for me. The Zen supposidly has the best sound and a line in recorder. The iRiver has an FM radio but the iPod beats both of them on size and looks hands down. I better go read some more reviews...

Makaveli

May beat them on size and looks but it's outrageously expensive.
Are you willing to pay over €100 more for style?

IrishPug106GTi

No-one has answered the most important question. Does the Jukebox Zen skip seeing as it is based around a hard-disk?
My g/f is getting me an mp3 player and I intend using it while out on my bike or in the gym but I need to know if it will skip.
Honest answers please.

radiospan

Originally posted by IrishPug106GTi
No-one has answered the most important question. Does the Jukebox Zen skip seeing as it is based around a hard-disk?
My g/f is getting me an mp3 player and I intend using it while out on my bike or in the gym but I need to know if it will skip.
Honest answers please.

No skipping from my experience, but I don't jog with it usually. I shook it for 30-45 seconds once to see how good the protection was, and it didn't skip once.

The manual advises against running or jogging with it, BTW, and a sticker on the back says "For Home or Office Use".

Yellow Dog

I too am looking to buy an MP3 player.
I was going for the ipod, but I think now I will opt for the Creative Nomad Jukebox Zen NX with 60gm hard disk. I see Komplett have this listed at €422.29.

However I have a couple of questions regarding:

System Requirements

Microsoft® Windows 98® SE/Me/2000/XP
Intel® Pentium® II 233MHz or AMD K6® -2 266Mhz (Pentium III 450MHz or higher recommended for MP3 encoding)
64MB RAM (128MB recommended)
USB2.0 or 1.1 port
30MB free hard drive space
Sound Blaster® Audigy®, Extigy or Live! (Recommended)
CD-ROM drive with digital audio extraction support

1. USB2.0 or 1.1 port.
Q. How do I know if I have this?

2. Sound Blaster® Audigy®, Extigy or Live! (Recommended)
Q. What are these all about?

I' not too good when it comes to technical things, as you can see, which is another reason for going for this model. I think the ipod is maybe more complicated when it comes to Windows.

Woden

well if your computer was bought in the last few years its bound to have a usb port, its a rectangular port about 2cm*1cm roughly.


anywho they look like this

http://www.usb.org/shopping_bag

with regards to the sound card i don't know why they recommend you have there own sound card? far as i know your just transferring files from you hard disk to your jukebox and that its nothing to do with the sound card (perhaps someone can correct me if i'm wrong)

maybe they just think you should have one for listening to the music on your computer.

its just creative recommending a creative product surprise suprise i suppose

i'm getting a 10gig ipod but only coz i'm getting eircom bb twas only €150 which makes it fine by me regardless of style or anything

Yellow Dog

Thank you for that.

I was happy I had a USB port available. I got three. I has web cam, 2nd has modem which leaves one for Jukebox (if I take the plunge).
But what is the difference between USB 2.0 & 1.1?

Woden

the difference between usb2 and usb1.1 is just the transfer rate that the port is capable of. IIRC usb2 is about 7 times faster then usb1.1 but i will look into it. at the end of the day usb 1.1 is fine it will just take longer to transfer a large amount of files.

also i would get someone to confirm what the story is with the soundcard thingy

edit: http://www.usb.org/info/usb_nomenclature

right lots more info here its seems there is a transfer rate of 1.5 Mb/s and 12 Mb/s which would be a difference of 8 times faster (must have been where i was getting that 7 thing from)

that page also mentions a transfer rate of 480Mb/s have to say i didn't know that usb 2.0 supported up to 480Mb/s so i'd say your looking at 12Mb/s for a usb 2.0 device like the creative zen.

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