Advice on buying an MP3 player (X5?)

JC 2K3

Right so I used to have a 20GB iAudio X5 and loved it. I had issues with the headphone jack twice, but Cowon fixed it both times, they have good customer service. It died a few months ago however when I spilt suncream all over it(literally saturated it) when I was in France, I opened and cleaned it out, which worked for a while but it failed again and is now officially dead.

Anyway, I was looking into getting a new player and would be pretty happy with another iAudio X5, there's a 60GB one on ebay for €217 which seems like a sweet deal.

Now, I'm wondering, do you reckon I should go for this or would I be better off getting something else?(I'm not up to date on the whole MP3 player scene, iAudio X5 seemed the best for me a year ago). My budget is about €250, I want at least 40GB and I much prefer UMS to MTP. I'd like a decent audio format compatability range too.

Bard

iAudio still have the best sound from what I've seen. I wouldn't touch iRiver or MS Zune with a bargepole. iPods are pretty but you need more than that. Creative's are nice, but you won't get 60GB for the price you're getting a 60GB iAudio there... although you do get a bigger screen...

If you're getting a 60GB iAudio X5 for €217, I'd say that's a steal - and go for it. They're a brilliant little piece of kit. Just keep it away from the suncream this time!

padi89

Bard wrote:

iAudio still have the best sound from what I've seen. I wouldn't touch iRiver or MS Zune with a bargepole. iPods are pretty but you need more than that. Creative's are nice, but you won't get 60GB for the price you're getting a 60GB iAudio there... although you do get a bigger screen...

Mate, Iriver made one of the best DAPs ever in the H100 series and this is common knowledge.My sister bought one two years ago in Peats and is still as sweet as the day she bought it.I ended up buying a refurbished one and stuck rockbox on it and its incredible.They are discontined now a good while but their new players do suck.
If your getting one strictly for audio then id go with the iaudio X5 too but if you want to stick video on it go for something else.I has a chance tp play about with a Vision M nice bit of gear.

TempestSabre

If you want UMS then you'd be better off sticking with the iAudio, they are well regarded. There are other less well known players like Kenwood, but I'd stick with the iAudio.

DublinEvents

Hey you can exchange your music with your friends wirelessly if you have a Zune player. I'm sure Microsoft have made it to succeed in the marketplace so I bet you will love it.

JC 2K3

^The Zune looks like it has a lot of great features which will be crippled my typical MS restrictions. It would probably be a kickass player if modded.

Bard wrote:

iAudio still have the best sound from what I've seen. I wouldn't touch iRiver or MS Zune with a bargepole. iPods are pretty but you need more than that. Creative's are nice, but you won't get 60GB for the price you're getting a 60GB iAudio there... although you do get a bigger screen...

If you're getting a 60GB iAudio X5 for €217, I'd say that's a steal - and go for it. They're a brilliant little piece of kit. Just keep it away from the suncream this time!

http://cgi.ebay.ie/NEW-COWON-iAUDIO-X5-60GB-MP3-Media-Player-60-GB-PMP-NIB_W0QQitemZ150066971979QQihZ005QQcategoryZ73839QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

eBay rocks for MP3 players

Think I'll go with the iAudio again then.

TempestSabre

I'm not anti MS but what does the Zune have going for it. Its big, bulky and offers very nothing new. The WiFi feature is pointless.

djfattony2000

Just so you know, you wil be shafted for tax as thats coming from the US. I have been done a few times in the recent past so I just wont buy anything now from there.

JC 2K3 wrote:

^The Zune looks like it has a lot of great features which will be crippled my typical MS restrictions. It would probably be a kickass player if modded.


http://cgi.ebay.ie/NEW-COWON-iAUDIO-X5-60GB-MP3-Media-Player-60-GB-PMP-NIB_W0QQitemZ150066971979QQihZ005QQcategoryZ73839QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

eBay rocks for MP3 players

Think I'll go with the iAudio again then.

JC 2K3

djfattony2000 wrote:

Just so you know, you wil be shafted for tax as thats coming from the US. I have been done a few times in the recent past so I just wont buy anything now from there.

I'll just ask the seller to value it at €50 or something, I've done this several times in the past and never been caught.

Gran Hermano

Bard wrote:

iAudio still have the best sound from what I've seen. I wouldn't touch iRiver or MS Zune with a bargepole. iPods are pretty but you need more than that. Creative's are nice, but you won't get 60GB for the price you're getting a 60GB iAudio there... although you do get a bigger screen...

If you're getting a 60GB iAudio X5 for €217, I'd say that's a steal - and go for it. They're a brilliant little piece of kit. Just keep it away from the suncream this time!

Must admit that I too find the iRiver bashing a tad strange. I've used both
the H140 and H340 and compared to any of the other players out there these
have one of the best Digital-to-analog converters in a portable player.
When you look at the recording capabilities, optical line out feature and no
need to use any software to upload/transfer music they really were great devices. Flashing Rockbox onto these allows true gapless playback and great
playlist options. Pity iriver turned their back on hard-drive players in recent
products. I believe there is a port of Rockbox for the Cowon player, know I'd
flash one if I had it.

Original poster might want to look at www.rockbox.org for the aforementioned
improvements over the original Cowon firmware.
if they get a new Ix5.

As Bard said, for €217 you dont have much competition to the X5, if money is
not a restricting factor I know I'd look at the Creative Vision M: 60gb.
The Vision M gives you much more than an MP3 player. The video playback
and in particular playback onto your TV is a joy - you wont need a DIVX
player!

Bard

Gran Hermano wrote:

Must admit that I too find the iRiver bashing a tad strange. I've used both
the H140 and H340 and compared to any of the other players out there these
have one of the best Digital-to-analog converters in a portable player.
When you look at the recording capabilities, optical line out feature and no
need to use any software to upload/transfer music they really were great devices. Flashing Rockbox onto these allows true gapless playback and great
playlist options. Pity iriver turned their back on hard-drive players in recent
products.

WERE is the operative word in this... I said I wouldn't touch iRiver with a bargepole and I specifically meant their current range (i.e.: the H10) not the brilliant H3XX series, which they should have never discontinued, but improved on/upgraded instead.

JC 2K3

Gran Hermano wrote:

Original poster might want to look at www.rockbox.org for the aforementioned
improvements over the original Cowon firmware.
if they get a new Ix5.

I tried it briefly with my old player but this was at the dying stages and it was ****ed up so I can't judge it.

The iAudio battery doesn't handle Rockbox very well however, you only get 4 hours or so compared to 14/15 with the original firmware.

chat2joe

if you fancy a 30GB mp3 iAudio x5: http://adverts.ie/16923

JC 2K3

JC 2K3 wrote:

The iAudio battery doesn't handle Rockbox very well however, you only get 4 hours or so compared to 14/15 with the original firmware.

I jsut saw I posted this a while back. It's totally untrue and was only based on what I'd heard at the time about Rockbox. I haven't noticed any difference in battery life since I put Rockbox on my X5.

Oh and chat2joe, thanks, but I got the 60GB of ebay already.

pleasant Co.

Bard wrote:

WERE is the operative word in this... I said I wouldn't touch iRiver with a bargepole and I specifically meant their current range (i.e.: the H10) not the brilliant H3XX series, which they should have never discontinued, but improved on/upgraded instead.

ahem.... you are about a year behind buddy, irivers current range consists of the clix2 (updated version of the clix), x20, and the yet to be release w10 and unit 2.

To answer the OP, check out the Creative ZV:M, top notch music/video DAP