iaudio x5 or zen vision m??

Framed10

Ok since my creative zen sleek refuses to turn on I want to buy a new player.
Ive it narrowed down to two
Im not sure whether to go with the iaudio x5 (to buy online) or the zen vision.
anyone recommend one over the other?

muckwarrior

Do you think you'll use video? If so then the Vision:m is yer only man, otherwise the X5.

colmranger

Framed10 wrote:

Ok since my creative zen sleek refuses to turn on I want to buy a new player.
Ive it narrowed down to two
Im not sure whether to go with the iaudio x5 (to buy online) or the zen vision.
anyone recommend one over the other?

I'm in the same boat but i think i will hold off until March as i see on the net that Sony are launching a few new models set to take on ipod for the market, might be worth waiting?

Slutmonkey57b

Anybody tried the new archos models yet?

tywy

DO NOT BUY SONY! The software is HORRIBLE!

One of my friends has the iaudio x5 and another has a creative vision m. I have looked at both of them and if I was choosing I'd probably go with the creative.

The Creative is SO much better for video. You don't have to convert the video files so they play on the player. You can also buy a TV out cable from ebay for €20ish which allows you to plug your vision m into the back of the TV and watch whatever avi files you have on there. I think this is a great feature! Also the interface on the Vision is MUCH slicker than on the iAudio. The icons and that on the iAudio are ugly and choppy looking. The creative looks and feels nicer. Another advantage to the Creative is that if it needs to be repaired it'll happen in Ireland, not Korea which is the case for iAudio.

I own an iPod Nano 4GB and an iRiver H340 myself, so I'm just pushing Creative as if there is no alternative. I just think between those 2 the creative is by far the best.

Hope this helped!

ablelocks

I nearly bought the x5, but then the vision:m was released and I bought that instead. Very happy with it, sound quality is excellent, screen is bigger and better. The X5 is now at least 2 years old, I'm very surprised that iaudio haven't brought out a new player to replace it. If I was buying now, I'd get the 60gb vision:m as that has usb-to-go for direct connection to digital camera.

www.dapreview.com is a great review site for music/media players - search for reviews of both players there.

www.epizenter.net is the forum for all things creative - you'll get lots of info there.

and don't get sony.

JC 2K3

tywy wrote:

Another advantage to the Creative is that if it needs to be repaired it'll happen in Ireland, not Korea which is the case for iAudio.

Not true. Cowon repairs units in Germany and have excellent customer service. My headphone jack broke, I sent it to them and it was returned fixed in one week.

The Creative is a superior video player, no one's denying that. But the X5 wins on a couple of other fronts:
-Much cheaper(€250 inc. postage on eBay for 60GB)
-Superior audio support: FLAC, OGG etc.
-UMS - drag and drop music to the player
-ROCKBOX SUPPORT

Seriously, Rockbox with dual booting gives you all the features of the X5 firmware plus the amazingness that is Rockbox - Gapless audio playback, games and loads other software, customisable fonts and skins, and so on.

ablelocks wrote:

If I was buying now, I'd get the 60gb vision:m as that has usb-to-go for direct connection to digital camera.

So does the X5...

Makaveli

JC 2K3 wrote:

The Creative is a superior video player, no one's denying that. But the X5 wins on a couple of other fronts:
-Much cheaper(€250 inc. postage on eBay for 60GB)
-Superior audio support: FLAC, OGG etc.
-UMS - drag and drop music to the player
-ROCKBOX SUPPORT

QFT

If you want it to play videos (a serious battery drain) go for the Creative. If you want to be able to use a player that supports multiple codecs beyond mp3, wav and wma go for the iAudio. iAudio has Rockbox support too which would be the real clincher for me.

The Vision:M has got a nicer interface than the iAudio but the iAudio is still simple to use and doesn't have one of those annoying track pad type interfaces that the Creative does (which often tend to be hyper-sensitive). Another plus for the Vision:M when compared with a non-Rockboxed iAudio is on the fly playlists. The iAudio can make one (DPlaylist) but it can't be saved and can't be accessed when connected to a PC. The Vision:M can create OTF playlists and save them.

padi89

Heres one for you OP to think about.

Do you really need to carry 20-30 gigs of music around with you???

If not, its worth considering a flash player,there are ones out there for half the price of either the two previous mentioned players with equal if not better sound quality.With the money you save you can pick up a sweet pair of in ear monitors and i guarantee you musical bliss.

BostonB

padi89 wrote:

Heres one for you OP to think about.

Do you really need to carry 20-30 gigs of music around with you???

If not, its worth considering a flash player,there are ones out there for half the price of either the two previous mentioned players with equal if not better sound quality.With the money you save you can pick up a sweet pair of in ear monitors and i guarantee you musical bliss.

Its hardly worth posting but a HD Dap is about not having to choose (as often) what music you want to carry with you. Its a different use case IMO to a flash player.

I'm curious which flash players you think have better SQ han the zen vision m, as its pretty well regarded as to SQ.

swingking

"muckwarrior wrote:

I'm in the same boat but i think i will hold off until March as i see on the net that Sony are launching a few new models set to take on ipod for the market, might be worth waiting?

Where did you find out this information?

I asked someone I know who works directly for Sony and he has told me that they have decided not to release video players to match the ipod.

Interesting if they did


To the Op

Go for the Creative Zen Vision M

So much better:D

muckwarrior

BostonB wrote:

the zen vision m, as its pretty well regarded as to SQ.

The X5 is the one player I encountered with better sound than the Zen, which is one of the reasons that it's a better choice IF you don't want video.

@swinking: you made a mistake in your quote. It wasn't me that said that. Personally I'd never go near Sony players.

colmranger

This is where i read the info of new Sony incoming in March.

http://www.t3.co.uk/news/247/entertainment/mp3_player/new_walkman_incoming

I have a sony 1gb for two years and like it except wish for bigger storage.

padi89

BostonB wrote:

Its hardly worth posting but a HD Dap is about not having to choose (as often) what music you want to carry with you. Its a different use case IMO to a flash player.

I'm curious which flash players you think have better SQ han the zen vision m, as its pretty well regarded as to SQ.

Iriver Clix, 1st gen shuffle,Samsung YP range and a few of the cowan iaudio players.Im sure there are a few more but they are the only ones i can speak for as i have only listened to them.

What im pointing out to the OP is that for say 280 euro you get your hard drive dap and to get the most out of it you really need to throw away those freebie headphones and spend a little to get something decent,plus the official covers and plug adapters aint cheap.Its nice to have all the music on one device but with drop and drag changing music around on flash players is very quick , even using itunes software..
280 euro would get you a really nice flash player (any of the ones i mentioned or more) and a set of Shure E4c or Westone um2 or whatever your choice and they are more durable.
Its just another option for the OP ,i dont use my iriver h120 much at all anymore , i prefer something light and more portable for on the go,1st gen shuffle works perfect and sq is better than the headphone out of the iriver.

Basq

Waiting on my Creative Zen:Vision M...

Had an expired €200 voucher for Carphone Warehouse (only expired less than 2 months ago) but luckily i know someone who works in Carphone Warehouse who got one for me, but is awaiting for renewal of the vouchers from England before he can process them. And he's using his discount as well so it'll cost me a total of €40! Schweet!

Hope it's as good as it sounds!

Something will have to replace my Archos AV400 which is as dead as a doornail!

BostonB

I've had a few of those myself, and the only one I'd say is markedly "better" is the Shuffle. Even then its not as "fun" a sound as the Creative. I used to prefer my shuffle for classical and acoustic stuff and the creative for rock and dance music.

I was just curious anyway. Flash players and HD daps are for different uses.

swingking

muckwarrior wrote:

you made a mistake in your quote. It wasn't me that said that. Personally I'd never go near Sony players

oh God, I apologise, should have read the person who made the quote

Not mad about sony either:D

padi89

BostonB wrote:

I've had a few of those myself, and the only one I'd say is markedly "better" is the Shuffle. Even then its not as "fun" a sound as the Creative. I used to prefer my shuffle for classical and acoustic stuff and the creative for rock and dance music.

I was just curious anyway. Flash players and HD daps are for different uses.

All im doin is just throwin another option out there for the OP.May aswell have a few choices in what way to go.You should ask yourself what you REALLY need in a DAP before you go and spend,afterall a nice setup aint too cheap.

Scubadevils

If you can wait till August (which I doubt ), you could get the X7

tywy

Iriver are supposed to have better sound quality that Creative but they haven't released anything that can compete with the vision m sadly enough

chat2joe

I'm selling my iAudio x5 30GB on adverts.ie - selling it to help pay for a Digital slr.

Here's the link: http://adverts.ie/16923

€180 now

:rolleyes:

BostonB

tywy wrote:

Iriver are supposed to have better sound quality that Creative but they haven't released anything that can compete with the vision m sadly enough

I always though that Creative > iRiver.

crybaby

ive been tossing the two of them back and forth for awhile aswell and i think im gonna get myeself an iaudio only thing i dont like is the silly little adapter plug but the drag and drop feature and size of the thing won it for me

SteM

crybaby wrote:

ive been tossing the two of them back and forth for awhile aswell and i think im gonna get myeself an iaudio only thing i dont like is the silly little adapter plug but the drag and drop feature and size of the thing won it for me

The Vision M has one of those too. My iRiver 140 has pretty much given up the ghost so I've just ordered a 60gig Vision M from ebay, looking forward to getting it next week. Opted for the Creative over the Cowan for the video functionality.