Recommend me an MP3 player

useeme

Im looking to get my first MP3 player. I already have a large mp3 library and i dont need to download anything via the mp3 player, and i will not subsribe to any online services.

I need about 10 gb of storage.

It must be simple to use, and must look like an extra drive on my laptop for the purposes of loading music onto it. I am very suspicious of using additional software (from previous experience).

Sizewise it wont be bigger than the average mobile phone. I am not fussy as to what this looks like but it must be robust. I aim to use this in the gym and while travelling.

Budget is up to €400, including a protective case and docking station for charging. Docking station must also have speakers!

I look forward to your replies.

Civilian_Target

iAudio X5 or X5L. Although I hear good things about those new 8 gig Creatives, if you're willing to try them...

Bard

I second the iAudio X5L suggestion - although the docking station won't have speakers.

The dock speakers you can get (mostly for the iPod) are usually fairly poor quality anyway from what I've seen. I wouldn't have that as a major selling point if t'was me looking for one.

TempestSabre

Forthe gym you'd be better with a flash player and the biggest capacity is the 4GB iPod Nano. However if you don't want extra software then the Cowon x5 is what I'd go for. But they are not suitable for the gym IMO.

useeme

i got an iriver h10 20gb player.

So far so good.

I reccommend Creative products. I have a micro 6gb which I have no problems with, but thats probly not enough space for you, so check out the site www.creative.com

cormie

Don't bother with docking station speakers. For €400 you should get sorted with a 10GB, case etc and have enough left over for quite a nice set of non docking speakers.

muckwarrior

If you want a set of small or portable speakers then creative have some nice ones.

kwinabeeste

General Motors wrote:

i got an iriver h10 20gb player.

So far so good.

I have an i-River for about 2 years and am goin to get a new one soon. Can't understand why more people don't have them.

They are by far the best of what i have seen. Mates have iPods and that Sony thing (haven't messed with the Creatives) and they are dependant on the encoding of the software supplied and you can only play the default (aac or the Sony format or MP3). With the i-River you can play WMA's, WAV's, OGG's, MP3's probably more and it is so easy to transfer music onto it. Plus it can be used as a storage device and has radio and dictaphone included...well my one does!

i-River all the way man!!

blorg

I'd consider an iPod; bear in mind that you _don't_ have to use iTunes (I certainly don't) and they are very small, easy to use, and actually are price competitive.

kwinabeeste

blorg wrote:

I'd consider an iPod; bear in mind that you _don't_ have to use iTunes (I certainly don't) and they are very small, easy to use, and actually are price competitive.

Didn't realise that, thanks....My mate uses my computer to put his music on and cloggin it up with AAC's..Can he update the ipod without iTunes by just draggin them across explorer and not in AAC?

blorg

The iPod will play mp3s fine natively, there is no need to convert them to AAC. If you install ephPod you can drag-and-drop from Explorer into it. XPlay enables drag-and-drop completely within Windows Explorer but isn't free. No AAC files will be created, although I am pretty sure you can turn off that option in iTunes also, ephPod is just substantially less 'heavy' than iTunes.

blorg

The iPod will play mp3s fine natively, there is no need to convert them to AAC. If you install ephPod you can drag-and-drop from Explorer into it. XPlay enables drag-and-drop completely within Windows Explorer but isn't free. No AAC files will be created, although I am pretty sure you can turn off that option in iTunes also, ephPod is just substantially less 'heavy' than iTunes.

muckwarrior

kwinabeeste wrote:

I have an i-River for about 2 years and am goin to get a new one soon. Can't understand why more people don't have them.

They are by far the best of what i have seen. Mates have iPods and that Sony thing (haven't messed with the Creatives) and they are dependant on the encoding of the software supplied and you can only play the default (aac or the Sony format or MP3). With the i-River you can play WMA's, WAV's, OGG's, MP3's probably more and it is so easy to transfer music onto it. Plus it can be used as a storage device and has radio and dictaphone included...well my one does!

i-River all the way man!!

Sorry to dissapoint, but iAudio has become the new iRiver. Never used one, but everything I've heard about the latest iRiver range suggests that they're a step backwards. iAudio now boast all the features that we've come to expect of iRiver in the past. Although I'd reccommend the iRiver H3x0 series if you can manage to find one.