Which MP3 player ??

Adam Min · 27-02-2005, 08:04

I'm thinking of buying my first mp3 player. Having looked around and on the internet I have narrowed down the selection to:

Creative Zen Micro
Creative Zen Touch
IRiver h10
IPod

Has anybody any experince of the above and prepared to offer advice.

Thanks

iain · 27-02-2005, 12:18

my advice is to get yourself over to john lewis asap and snap up a cheap iPod.

£125 for an ipod mini is a great price, and £269 for a 40gig ipod photo is a great price - with the dock and cable.

yes - other players can slow down or speed up your music for you. yes - other players support OGG files. yes - some other players have a radio.

but i guess it depends on how useful you find those things. for me - the brilliant integration between the ipod and itunes is of far more value.

Iain

uncle_sam_ie · 27-02-2005, 12:20

Ipod is your best chose. Even Microsoft employees on the corporate campus believe that iPods are the best MP3 players out their. http://www.wired.com/news/mac/0,2125...w=wn_3techhead

iain · 27-02-2005, 13:10

also - people will say 'the iPod is only a fashion accessory!'. but its not - it actually is a music player too. and a very good one.

Iain

G@V · 27-02-2005, 13:19

http://www.aria.co.uk/specials.asp

Some cheap mp3 players there

imno12u · 27-02-2005, 14:38

The Zen Touch is pretty much dead now but the other 3 are great buys.
Zen Micro for fetures and ease of use
H10 for near faultless playback every time
and iPod for cheapness and the many accessories.

I had to make a similar choice a couple of months ago (it was a different iRiver though) and I chose Zen Micro because it was simply gawwwwgeous and it had so much more for the price it was.

Stuart P · 27-02-2005, 20:24

ipod.........

Richard_T · 27-02-2005, 20:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by imno12u

The Zen Touch is pretty much dead now but the other 3 are great buys.
Zen Micro for fetures and ease of use
H10 for near faultless playback every time
and iPod for cheapness and the many accessories.

I had to make a similar choice a couple of months ago (it was a different iRiver though) and I chose Zen Micro because it was simply gawwwwgeous and it had so much more for the price it was.

arent you getting the zen touch confused with the Zen Xtra/Nx?

StereRowe · 27-02-2005, 22:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stuart P

ipod.........

There's currently another thread running, asking how to connect an iPod to an Hi-Fi.

The solution, like virtually everthing else for the iPod, involves buying an accessory.

There's other players out there that have these solutions 'as standard' - no accessories needed.

Something to bare in mind when you make your choice.

StereRowe

iain · 27-02-2005, 22:36

my iPod came with a dock.

i did have to buy a cable for £1.99 tho.

Iain

chiliblue · 27-02-2005, 23:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by StereRowe

There's other players out there that have these solutions 'as standard' - no accessories needed.

Something to bare in mind when you make your choice.

StereRowe

Yes bare in mind that with the Ipod you caan actually get accessories! Chances os Rio releasing a decent case for my Karma, or a wired remote? Zippy chance!

On the down side though if you do buy a Ipod of any flavour do get a case for it or the screen will get scratched. Same goes for pretty much all Mp3 players, although with some you get a semi decent case thrown in. If you don't get a case you may struggle finding a case for a lot of Mp3 players (my Karma is a good example, only 2 case options, 1 very expesive from south america the other rather hand made by Karma enthusiast)

Adam Min · 28-02-2005, 19:23

I'm not keen on the iPod for a start all my files are wma and I have quite a lot of stuff bought as wma protected files so as I understand it this pretty much rules out an Ipod as they can't play wma files.

Anyway I prefer the offerings from Creative, iRiver or Rio. In fact I quite like the Rio Carbon it's got good write ups and looks the business. I hear that the Creative Zen Micro feels a bit cheap.

Wheres the best place to buy mp3 players online ?

dodgygeeza · 28-02-2005, 20:00

The iRiver comes with a nice leather case included, and you can even get iSkins for them now. Just thought I'd point that out

I had a very similar choice to make a while ago, and based on price to performance ratio at the time, I went for an iRiver. Its got superior sound reproduction, an LCD remote amongst other things included and better battery life than the 'pod. (but then again what hasn't?) The build quality is also very good, with a magnesium alloy case it feels very sturdy. At the time the iRiver also had a huge price advantage over the iPod but I can;t say whether that still holds true or not. I know I made the right choice for me, but all it really is is personal preference.

Richard_T · 28-02-2005, 20:00

I bought my last MP3 player form www.amazon.co.uk, and thats where i will probably buy my next mp3 player, i havent had any problems with anyuthing ive bough from them so far ( big and small things)

My first mp3 player was bought from ebuyer, that was the first thing i bought form them, and i wll never use them again.

As for trying out the players, you can always go to a retial store to see how the players feel

some unofficial comunity sites you may be interested in
www.rioworld.com Rio players
www.nomadness.net Creative players
www.misticriver.net/ iRiver players

joyofatoy · 28-02-2005, 20:19

I bought my first MP3 player in early December 2004 and after doing some research, (inc the Creative machines), I opted for the SMASUNG VH-920 which is in conjucnction with NAPSTER.

On saying that, you don't have to use Napster to transfer your music from, as things such as WMP works just as well. I can't fault that model, and it comes with remote, and docking station, and has a built in FM redio.

5 *****

Chris

iain · 01-03-2005, 10:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adam Min

I'm not keen on the iPod for a start all my files are wma and I have quite a lot of stuff bought as wma protected files so as I understand it this pretty much rules out an Ipod as they can't play wma files.

except that iPods can play WMA files. (or at least convert existing WMA files to AAC, and then play them)

Iain

sancheeez · 01-03-2005, 11:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by iain

except that iPods can play WMA files. (or at least convert existing WMA files to AAC, and then play them)

Iain

So it can't play them then can it!

It has to CONVERT them ..... you even said it yourself!

My Muvo2 could play vinyl ...... IF I converted it first! Doesn't mean it can play vinyl though does it .....

This was what put me off the Sony player .... why on earth would I want to convert all my MP3's (there are a hell of a lot of them) to some other format ..... which I'm only going to use on the Sony player ?!?!? Same applies to Apple's AAC format ..... it just isn't as widely used as MP3. Simple as that.

FOXPRESIDENT · 01-03-2005, 13:10

What about the Samsung MP3 player in ARGOS.

http://www.argos.co.uk

search for SAMNSUNG MP3 and click on the first one.

What do people think?

iain · 01-03-2005, 13:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by sancheeez

So it can't play them then can it!

It has to CONVERT them ..... you even said it yourself!

My Muvo2 could play vinyl ...... IF I converted it first! Doesn't mean it can play vinyl though does it .....

This was what put me off the Sony player .... why on earth would I want to convert all my MP3's (there are a hell of a lot of them) to some other format ..... which I'm only going to use on the Sony player ?!?!? Same applies to Apple's AAC format ..... it just isn't as widely used as MP3. Simple as that.

well i don't know. if the end result is that you can listen to your music then thats the main thing.

people often seem to be saying "i have wma files, therefore i would be unable to listen to my music on an iPod", which isn't the case.

and converting wma to aac is a let less painful than importing all your vinyl.

so what if AAC isn't as widely used - so long as you can listen to your music on the player that you use, then that matters squat.

Iain

sancheeez · 01-03-2005, 14:13

Aye aye aye ...... So can your iPod play WMA then ???

No it can't.

For the record, my Muvo2 cannot play AAC. If I convert them using DBPowerAmp (certainly no more painful to use than iTunes) it can but thats not the same thing is it .....

I play MP3 on various different things. My portable MP3 player(s), my PC, my DVD player(s), a portable CD player, my mates PC(s). Can I play AAC on all these ? No. Can I play MP3 on them all ? Yes. Thats why I prefer MP3.

Evvy · 01-03-2005, 14:28

Personally I bought a XClef HD800. At the time of purchasing it was about half the price of the iPod!!
Batt Life is 16hrs (approx) and it plays Mp3, OGG and WAV files. It also has a FM radio and the facility to record from the radio. Also an built in mic so you can use it as a dictaphone (or whatever else you wish!). It's a nice size (similar to the iPod) and has a clear screen.
Now the down point - it comes with a case, which although is strong and functional, looks really naff!!
Also the early models had slightly dodgy firmware on them, but that all seems to be sorted now (you can upgrade the firmware yourself via USB).
It can be purchased (along with alot of other players!) at www.advancedmp3players.co.uk

Can I just ask one thing? Which ever player you decide on, please use some decent headphones with it??!! If you've just spent £200'ish on a nice bit of kit, it's pointless using lousy headphones - especially those awful white things that come with ipods! Ugh!!!

iain · 01-03-2005, 14:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by sancheeez

Aye aye aye ...... So can your iPod play WMA then ???

No it can't.

For the record, my Muvo2 cannot play AAC. If I convert them using DBPowerAmp (certainly no more painful to use than iTunes) it can but thats not the same thing is it .....

I play MP3 on various different things. My portable MP3 player(s), my PC, my DVD player(s), a portable CD player, my mates PC(s). Can I play AAC on all these ? No. Can I play MP3 on them all ? Yes. Thats why I prefer MP3.

thats as well may be, but the post i'd originally replied to appeared to be saying that the iPod was out, as they'd effectively be unable to use it to listen to their existing wma files at all. which isn't the case.

if they were saying that the iPod was out as it meant having to convert files before they could be played, then fair enough - but that wasn't the impression i got.

Iain

sancheeez · 01-03-2005, 14:56

I can't even remember what the original question was. I just thought that this ....

Quote:

Originally Posted by iain

except that iPods can play WMA files. (or at least convert existing WMA files to AAC, and then play them)

.... was such a load of tosh I had to reply.

I'd kept out of it up until now in case I got dragged into yet another "ooooh, aren't iPod's great ....... oh, no they're not ...... oh yes they are!" type argument.

In fact, just so I can duck out at this point, the iPod is a fine player. It's just your statement that was rubbish.

your words - "Except the iPod can play WMA ..."

NO IT BLOODY CAN'T!

iain · 01-03-2005, 15:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by sancheeez

I can't even remember what the original question was. I just thought that this ....

.... was such a load of tosh I had to reply.

I'd kept out of it up until now in case I got dragged into yet another "ooooh, aren't iPod's great ....... oh, no they're not ...... oh yes they are!" type argument.

In fact, just so I can duck out at this point, the iPod is a fine player. It's just your statement that was rubbish.

your words - "Except the iPod can play WMA ..."

NO IT BLOODY CAN'T!

well - its splitting hairs really to all intent and purpose.

if someone thinks they wouldn't be able to listen to they're existing music on an iPod, but in fact they could, then thats worth mentioning.

which was all i was getting at.

Iain

sancheeez · 01-03-2005, 15:22

Which is fair enough but you can convert pretty much any music file to play on just about any player if you really want to. In which case, none has any advantage over another in that respect.

I've only ever ended up with one album in AAC format on my PC. It was promptly converted to MP3 to I could use it on my player (and DVD, and PC, and portable CD player .... etc etc).

Oh, and if by 'splitting hairs' you mean you're wrong, then yes, I suppose you are ..... mwhhhhaaaaaahaaaahaaaaahaaaa .....

27-02-2005, 08:04	#1
Adam Min Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: North Wales Posts: 94	Which MP3 player ?? I'm thinking of buying my first mp3 player. Having looked around and on the internet I have narrowed down the selection to: Creative Zen Micro Creative Zen Touch IRiver h10 IPod Has anybody any experince of the above and prepared to offer advice. Thanks

27-02-2005, 12:18	#2
iain Guest Join Date: Mar 2000 Posts: 62,990	my advice is to get yourself over to john lewis asap and snap up a cheap iPod. £125 for an ipod mini is a great price, and £269 for a 40gig ipod photo is a great price - with the dock and cable. yes - other players can slow down or speed up your music for you. yes - other players support OGG files. yes - some other players have a radio. but i guess it depends on how useful you find those things. for me - the brilliant integration between the ipod and itunes is of far more value. Iain

27-02-2005, 12:20	#3
uncle_sam_ie Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Ireland Posts: 601	Ipod is your best chose. Even Microsoft employees on the corporate campus believe that iPods are the best MP3 players out their. http://www.wired.com/news/mac/0,2125...w=wn_3techhead

27-02-2005, 13:10	#4
iain Guest Join Date: Mar 2000 Posts: 62,990	also - people will say 'the iPod is only a fashion accessory!'. but its not - it actually is a music player too. and a very good one. Iain

27-02-2005, 13:19	#5
G@V Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Scotland Posts: 863	http://www.aria.co.uk/specials.asp Some cheap mp3 players there

27-02-2005, 14:38	#6
imno12u Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: London Posts: 7,080	The Zen Touch is pretty much dead now but the other 3 are great buys. Zen Micro for fetures and ease of use H10 for near faultless playback every time and iPod for cheapness and the many accessories. I had to make a similar choice a couple of months ago (it was a different iRiver though) and I chose Zen Micro because it was simply gawwwwgeous and it had so much more for the price it was.

27-02-2005, 20:24	#7
Stuart P Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Hitchin Posts: 922	ipod.........

27-02-2005, 20:44	#8
Richard_T Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: East Midlands Posts: 3,842	Quote: Originally Posted by imno12u The Zen Touch is pretty much dead now but the other 3 are great buys. Zen Micro for fetures and ease of use H10 for near faultless playback every time and iPod for cheapness and the many accessories. I had to make a similar choice a couple of months ago (it was a different iRiver though) and I chose Zen Micro because it was simply gawwwwgeous and it had so much more for the price it was. arent you getting the zen touch confused with the Zen Xtra/Nx?

27-02-2005, 22:10	#9
StereRowe Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Leicester Posts: 1,273	Quote: Originally Posted by Stuart P ipod......... There's currently another thread running, asking how to connect an iPod to an Hi-Fi. The solution, like virtually everthing else for the iPod, involves buying an accessory. There's other players out there that have these solutions 'as standard' - no accessories needed. Something to bare in mind when you make your choice. StereRowe

27-02-2005, 22:36	#10
iain Guest Join Date: Mar 2000 Posts: 62,990	my iPod came with a dock. i did have to buy a cable for £1.99 tho. Iain

27-02-2005, 23:00	#11
chiliblue Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 571	Quote: Originally Posted by StereRowe There's other players out there that have these solutions 'as standard' - no accessories needed. Something to bare in mind when you make your choice. StereRowe Yes bare in mind that with the Ipod you caan actually get accessories! Chances os Rio releasing a decent case for my Karma, or a wired remote? Zippy chance! On the down side though if you do buy a Ipod of any flavour do get a case for it or the screen will get scratched. Same goes for pretty much all Mp3 players, although with some you get a semi decent case thrown in. If you don't get a case you may struggle finding a case for a lot of Mp3 players (my Karma is a good example, only 2 case options, 1 very expesive from south america the other rather hand made by Karma enthusiast)

28-02-2005, 19:23	#12
Adam Min Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: North Wales Posts: 94	I'm not keen on the iPod for a start all my files are wma and I have quite a lot of stuff bought as wma protected files so as I understand it this pretty much rules out an Ipod as they can't play wma files. Anyway I prefer the offerings from Creative, iRiver or Rio. In fact I quite like the Rio Carbon it's got good write ups and looks the business. I hear that the Creative Zen Micro feels a bit cheap. Wheres the best place to buy mp3 players online ?

28-02-2005, 20:00	#13
dodgygeeza Forum Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Manchester Posts: 6,151	The iRiver comes with a nice leather case included, and you can even get iSkins for them now. Just thought I'd point that out I had a very similar choice to make a while ago, and based on price to performance ratio at the time, I went for an iRiver. Its got superior sound reproduction, an LCD remote amongst other things included and better battery life than the 'pod. (but then again what hasn't?) The build quality is also very good, with a magnesium alloy case it feels very sturdy. At the time the iRiver also had a huge price advantage over the iPod but I can;t say whether that still holds true or not. I know I made the right choice for me, but all it really is is personal preference.

28-02-2005, 20:19	#15
joyofatoy Forum Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Lincolnshire (Now Manchester) Posts: 354	I bought my first MP3 player in early December 2004 and after doing some research, (inc the Creative machines), I opted for the SMASUNG VH-920 which is in conjucnction with NAPSTER. On saying that, you don't have to use Napster to transfer your music from, as things such as WMP works just as well. I can't fault that model, and it comes with remote, and docking station, and has a built in FM redio. 5 ***** Chris

01-03-2005, 10:00	#16
iain Guest Join Date: Mar 2000 Posts: 62,990	Quote: Originally Posted by Adam Min I'm not keen on the iPod for a start all my files are wma and I have quite a lot of stuff bought as wma protected files so as I understand it this pretty much rules out an Ipod as they can't play wma files. except that iPods can play WMA files. (or at least convert existing WMA files to AAC, and then play them) Iain

01-03-2005, 11:41	#17
sancheeez Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 6,762	Quote: Originally Posted by iain except that iPods can play WMA files. (or at least convert existing WMA files to AAC, and then play them) Iain So it can't play them then can it! It has to CONVERT them ..... you even said it yourself! My Muvo2 could play vinyl ...... IF I converted it first! Doesn't mean it can play vinyl though does it ..... This was what put me off the Sony player .... why on earth would I want to convert all my MP3's (there are a hell of a lot of them) to some other format ..... which I'm only going to use on the Sony player ?!?!? Same applies to Apple's AAC format ..... it just isn't as widely used as MP3. Simple as that.

01-03-2005, 13:10	#18
FOXPRESIDENT Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Auckland, New Zealand Posts: 3,892	What about the Samsung MP3 player in ARGOS. http://www.argos.co.uk search for SAMNSUNG MP3 and click on the first one. What do people think?

01-03-2005, 13:45	#19
iain Guest Join Date: Mar 2000 Posts: 62,990	Quote: Originally Posted by sancheeez So it can't play them then can it! It has to CONVERT them ..... you even said it yourself! My Muvo2 could play vinyl ...... IF I converted it first! Doesn't mean it can play vinyl though does it ..... This was what put me off the Sony player .... why on earth would I want to convert all my MP3's (there are a hell of a lot of them) to some other format ..... which I'm only going to use on the Sony player ?!?!? Same applies to Apple's AAC format ..... it just isn't as widely used as MP3. Simple as that. well i don't know. if the end result is that you can listen to your music then thats the main thing. people often seem to be saying "i have wma files, therefore i would be unable to listen to my music on an iPod", which isn't the case. and converting wma to aac is a let less painful than importing all your vinyl. so what if AAC isn't as widely used - so long as you can listen to your music on the player that you use, then that matters squat. Iain

01-03-2005, 14:13	#20
sancheeez Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 6,762	Aye aye aye ...... So can your iPod play WMA then ??? No it can't. For the record, my Muvo2 cannot play AAC. If I convert them using DBPowerAmp (certainly no more painful to use than iTunes) it can but thats not the same thing is it ..... I play MP3 on various different things. My portable MP3 player(s), my PC, my DVD player(s), a portable CD player, my mates PC(s). Can I play AAC on all these ? No. Can I play MP3 on them all ? Yes. Thats why I prefer MP3.

01-03-2005, 14:28	#21
Evvy Forum Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Mid-Sussex Posts: 22	Personally I bought a XClef HD800. At the time of purchasing it was about half the price of the iPod!! Batt Life is 16hrs (approx) and it plays Mp3, OGG and WAV files. It also has a FM radio and the facility to record from the radio. Also an built in mic so you can use it as a dictaphone (or whatever else you wish!). It's a nice size (similar to the iPod) and has a clear screen. Now the down point - it comes with a case, which although is strong and functional, looks really naff!! Also the early models had slightly dodgy firmware on them, but that all seems to be sorted now (you can upgrade the firmware yourself via USB). It can be purchased (along with alot of other players!) at www.advancedmp3players.co.uk Can I just ask one thing? Which ever player you decide on, please use some decent headphones with it??!! If you've just spent £200'ish on a nice bit of kit, it's pointless using lousy headphones - especially those awful white things that come with ipods! Ugh!!!

01-03-2005, 14:45	#22
iain Guest Join Date: Mar 2000 Posts: 62,990	Quote: Originally Posted by sancheeez Aye aye aye ...... So can your iPod play WMA then ??? No it can't. For the record, my Muvo2 cannot play AAC. If I convert them using DBPowerAmp (certainly no more painful to use than iTunes) it can but thats not the same thing is it ..... I play MP3 on various different things. My portable MP3 player(s), my PC, my DVD player(s), a portable CD player, my mates PC(s). Can I play AAC on all these ? No. Can I play MP3 on them all ? Yes. Thats why I prefer MP3. thats as well may be, but the post i'd originally replied to appeared to be saying that the iPod was out, as they'd effectively be unable to use it to listen to their existing wma files at all. which isn't the case. if they were saying that the iPod was out as it meant having to convert files before they could be played, then fair enough - but that wasn't the impression i got. Iain

DS Forums

Which MP3 player ??

01-03-2005, 14:56	#23
sancheeez Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 6,762	I can't even remember what the original question was. I just thought that this .... Quote: Originally Posted by iain except that iPods can play WMA files. (or at least convert existing WMA files to AAC, and then play them) .... was such a load of tosh I had to reply. I'd kept out of it up until now in case I got dragged into yet another "ooooh, aren't iPod's great ....... oh, no they're not ...... oh yes they are!" type argument. In fact, just so I can duck out at this point, the iPod is a fine player. It's just your statement that was rubbish. your words - "Except the iPod can play WMA ..." NO IT BLOODY CAN'T!

01-03-2005, 15:04	#24
iain Guest Join Date: Mar 2000 Posts: 62,990	Quote: Originally Posted by sancheeez I can't even remember what the original question was. I just thought that this .... .... was such a load of tosh I had to reply. I'd kept out of it up until now in case I got dragged into yet another "ooooh, aren't iPod's great ....... oh, no they're not ...... oh yes they are!" type argument. In fact, just so I can duck out at this point, the iPod is a fine player. It's just your statement that was rubbish. your words - "Except the iPod can play WMA ..." NO IT BLOODY CAN'T! well - its splitting hairs really to all intent and purpose. if someone thinks they wouldn't be able to listen to they're existing music on an iPod, but in fact they could, then thats worth mentioning. which was all i was getting at. Iain

01-03-2005, 15:22	#25
sancheeez Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 6,762	Which is fair enough but you can convert pretty much any music file to play on just about any player if you really want to. In which case, none has any advantage over another in that respect. I've only ever ended up with one album in AAC format on my PC. It was promptly converted to MP3 to I could use it on my player (and DVD, and PC, and portable CD player .... etc etc). Oh, and if by 'splitting hairs' you mean you're wrong, then yes, I suppose you are ..... mwhhhhaaaaaahaaaahaaaaahaaaa .....