Hi

I'm just wondering what the gadget of choice is these days when it comes to listening to music on the move.
I don't like iTunes so am considering a basic mp3 players, but is that old hat now and which is the one to go for?
I don't like the idea of usng a mobile phone to listen to music as it would surely kill my battery before the day gets going.

Thanks

The gadget of choice is the mobile phone but most people are not that worried about battery life as they have chargers everywhere now. One at work, one in the car, multiple chargers at home, all to keep them topped up.
If people are using them for a specific sporting activity they'll happily plan it so they have enough charge to listen to music for an hour or two whilst maybe using a gps tracker too to monitor the run, cycle, walk or whatever they are doing. Plus people don't want to carry multiple items when out and about.
Without using iTunes (which I hate as a bit of software) your options are even smaller. Argos have few models to get you going but how many people can help you choose between them I wouldn't dare to imagine!
I just use my windows phone for music when needed but that is not ideal. Does mean I can avoid iTunes though.

Thanks for your detailed reply. I always thought people were just being cheap by using their phones to listen to music on, but perhaps not then.

I have a very crappy phone but am due an upgrade. As I already use a Tab S tablet I wouldn't mind getting a Samsung phone as im so familiar with the OS. So maybe ill jusg go with the flow and use a new phone for music.

Just need to he sure I can get an hour or 2 of music and still,have enough charge for a days regular use (no chance of a recharge in my line of work).
I definitely don't want one of those big things, so perhaps the Samsung A3 might be a good option, especially as I hear the battery life is supposed to be good.

Cheers

What's your budget?

I can recommend Austell and Kern's AK Jr @ aprox £400 which I use at home and is exceptional in every way, or I can recommend the much cheaper Fiio X1 or Xduoo X3 @ about £80.

All the above play hi res audio and suit the serious listener, if you are just after a basic player for casual listening the you can pick up some pretty decent players on Ebay/Amazon, something like the sanza clip plus/sport for about £25/£30, it has very good battery life and expandable memory.

Wow that is serious. I like my music and still rock HiFi seperates, but this is just to fill some time on the way to work so am not looking at spending too much. I do run occasionally so maybe the Sanza might be a good option in terms of size.

Ta

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0196GCGHI

So far I quite like the AGPtEK IMP for £60.

Can't speak of it's longevity as I have only had it 2 weeks, but it can take a 128gb micro sd card (64gb officially).

And the battery lasts a week or so with normal usage, plus it plays Flacs.

Cool, ill take a look at that as well.

So, buy a phone and use it to listen to music on, or buy a dedicated mp3 player.
A bit like buying jeans with the belt included, or buying jeans and a seperate better quality belt.
I most certainly fall into the seperate belt category

Cheers

The Clip+ is my current weapon of choice both for driving around at work and for running, walking etc. One essential for any DAP/MP for me is that it can run the Rockbox modded firmware which brings the Filo X1 and Xduoo X3 into the frame as a possible future replacement with work currently ongoing on ports.

(the AK Jr model is crossed off my list as I need a physical Play/Pause button which can be found and used by touch alone wearing gloves while working)

There's no discernible difference between hi-res FLAC etc files and MP3 files at 256 & esp 320k.

Why the hate for iTunes? It works, it creates playlists, it hooks in with other devices neatly, it accepts music from anywhere not just the iTunes site... Jumping through hoops to find something that isn't iTunes to get something that does what iTunes does seems a bit obtuse tbh. Like the advice for people trying to get Windows 8/10 to look & work like Windows 7, sometimes it's easier to go with the flow and use what's there and what does the job.

Maybe for you - I can notice a difference between lossy and the lossless formats.

Yes it also depends on what equipment you are using.

There might not be a difference if they are using headphones that don't allow the extra quality to come through.

But I definitely prefer 24bit 192kHz files to 320kb Mp3 files.

I think people don't like it because it is an Apple system and uses their way of thinking. If you use a Mac it is very easy and logical to use. For some time I used to use the system that came with windows XP to make WMA files for a Teac player with a small memory, when I bought an iPad I tried iTunes and, once I got used to it, preferred it. As the old Teac player was replaced with an iPod and the XP computer with a Mac, iTunes is now my default system but it doesn't handle WMA so any files I had only in that format had to be converted. Fortunately most things were originally made in WAV which I converted in iTunes to mp3 at 198kbs.

The Fuse+ was my first mp3 player, apart from the frustrating touch pad it was a decent player, still have it somewhere. Don't think you'll go far wrong with either the Fiio or the Xduoo, they are both very good, out of the two I preferred the Xduoo.

It's very simple. iTunes is bloatware, and it uses DRM on the files.

A rockbox'd Ipod and the Apple driver means you can copy your files over and play them without all the bloatware and DRM rubbish.

Even more simple than iTunes.

Just really don't like the way the software works, the way it wants to organise everything it's own way which is awful, the way that it's a real pain in the arse to change pc's and devices, basically it just does not seem logical to me at all. Each to their own.
I do get a lot of people coming in to the store saying thee same thing though. Saying they've ditched their i devices because of the software and iTunes.

Equipment and ears.

The majority of my music collection is 24/96 and 24/192, I also have some 32/192 and DSD256 demos. I can't remember the last time I sat down and listened to mp3.

320K mp3 is effectively lossless. I've tried back to back and can't hear any difference. Naim amps. PMC speakers. It all sounds tremendous and I've got better things to do than set up an oscilloscope to prove to myself that there is a difference.

I'll leave to you argue about software, I find that it works, and doesn't trouble my PC by being 'bloatware'. SQL Server is bloaty, so is MS VS 2015. So what? They all do what I need them for, and do their respective jobs very well.

MP3 is lossy, nothing lossless about it, just compare file sizes, mp3 @320kbps is roughly a fifth of the size of a typical 16bit recording, that increases for 256kbps/192kbps recordings or when it's 24/32bit.

So you don't have the ears or equipment to hear the difference, doesn't mean it's not there for others.

I think you are confusing the iTunes web site, I use Amazon, with the Mac/PC software. Never had any copying problems either with my Amazon downloads or my own material.

I said effectively lossless. It doesn't impact the sound, ripping at 320k - toggling between the CD and the MP3 shows that.

I agree that my ears might be starting to lose their edge a bit now, but the amps & speakers and the source CD player & streamer aren't, and anyhoo you've moved the goalposts. OP wants a device for music on the move; I contradicted the opinion that it requires a hi-res player, you've now introduced hi-res downloads into the argument. The point stands that for portable music players a high bit rate MP3 is more than good enough. If your hi-res files have more information than the equivalent CDs good for you, but that's a different discussion to whether there's an audible difference between an MP3 ripped at 320k compared to the source CD.

I also wanted to ask about headphones.

I used to use what I think were called Earbuds..... They were called in-your-ear headphones in simpler times, until these ridiculous canal-bud things suddenly took-over.
I say ridiculous because they never fit. I've tried 4 brands, none of which were usable. They would all fall out unless you pushed them in uncomfortably far, but then the sound would be muffled. I have what most people would say are regular sized / shaped ears, so god knows whats up with that!

Are there still decent in-your-ear (not canal style) headphones still around? Its even a struggle finding them on Amazon. I honestly cant resort to walking around with over-the-head-phones.... I just think they look funny when worn in public.

You originally said "There's no discernible difference between hi-res FLAC etc files and MP3 files at 256 & esp 320k", (so I think you'll find it was you bringing hi res flac into the argument #9), now you are just referring to CD rips, what was that about goalposts.

Now if you are just referring to CD rips I will partly agree, the difference can be subtle, but there is a difference to be heard, again, quality of hearing and equipment play a big part on picking up on thoses differences. Because you don't hear any loss of quality/detail certainly won't apply to everyone, and just because you don't feel the need or requirement for higher quality recordings on the move doesn't mean others don't, all the players I recommended are compatible to both formats.

Have you tried the IEM's that have ear support, they look like a bluetooth ear piece, the support helps to keep the buds in place.

Have you looked on ebay for in ears?