Anybody know of a good, quality sounding mp3 player to be used when running or working out for about $100 or so? I hear that some really sound bad with no bass or quality. Also, why are all the earbuds so bid these days that they won't even fit in your ears?
MP3 player for running
- Thread starter jlindy
- Start date
We have an mp3 manufacturer right here amongst us on nsxprime. See this thread for the details.
I would look for a good deal on a used 5-10 GB iPod.
There's hundreds of them on eBay at any given instant that can be had in that price range.
Or...
If you're willing to spend a bit more the new iPod Mini is really sweet. It's nice and small and has a really nice arm band clip suitable for running or jogging. I had a chance to listen to the Mini at Macworld and I was very impressed.
Sure you can get a flash player that has 64MB for $100, but getting 78 to 156 times the storage for roughly the same price seems to be a no-brainer.
-Jim
There's hundreds of them on eBay at any given instant that can be had in that price range.
Or...
If you're willing to spend a bit more the new iPod Mini is really sweet. It's nice and small and has a really nice arm band clip suitable for running or jogging. I had a chance to listen to the Mini at Macworld and I was very impressed.
Sure you can get a flash player that has 64MB for $100, but getting 78 to 156 times the storage for roughly the same price seems to be a no-brainer.
-Jim
i2river is the brand that Jonathan has (owns the company?), and I looked at one today at Circuit City - they are nice and small and looked pretty sweet.
i bought an iRiver through Jonathan for the same reasons as you : for working out, and it had to be low cost. I did a lot of homework on various other brands, and iRiver came out tops. I've been using it for over a month and I am EXTREMELY happy with the purchase... i have no problems recommending it to anyone.
I can assure you that the iRiver i got (380T, has 128MB) has good quality earbuds, and excels at handling low bass/hi-hats REALLY nice.
If you are a quality freak and want to keep the quality maxed out, get the 390T (256MB) which has more memory so you don't need to compress the tracks as much.
i wouldn't recommend an iPod because they use a small HDD. Ok, you have a much greater capacity, but there's the small risk of knocking & damaging the HDD.
You can't go wrong with iRiver.
<IMG SRC="http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/images/icons/icon14.gif">
I can assure you that the iRiver i got (380T, has 128MB) has good quality earbuds, and excels at handling low bass/hi-hats REALLY nice.
If you are a quality freak and want to keep the quality maxed out, get the 390T (256MB) which has more memory so you don't need to compress the tracks as much.i wouldn't recommend an iPod because they use a small HDD. Ok, you have a much greater capacity, but there's the small risk of knocking & damaging the HDD.
You can't go wrong with iRiver.
<IMG SRC="http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/images/icons/icon14.gif">
Neo,
I've dropped and abused my iPods with absolutely no issues whatsoever. The units also have 15-30 minutes of skip protection built in. I've owned two of them. My wife now has my first unit and it's still going strong.
I have never heard the HDs being a problem with the iPod.
I just don't understand the appeal of flash memory players. I guess if you only have a limited number of songs that you listen they would be OK. But it's so cool to be able to store ALL your music, CDs, spoken language, MP3s, etc all on one unit. I find that I never know what I'm in the mood for ahead of time.
When it comes to quality there's nothing like having GBs of space in order to hold music that's not over-compressed. For example, all my MP3s have a 320Kbps sample rate. When I plug my iPod into my home stereo the music sounds just as good as my best CDs.
The choice of FireWire is a big plus too. I use my iPod to backup my laptop several times a day.
Another plus is the free iTunes software (Mac or Windows). It's really first class and very elegant.
There's also tons of cool accessories and add-ons for the iPod too.
http://www.apple.com/ipod/
http://www.ipodlounge.com/
http://www.everythingipod.com/
http://www.densionusa.com/icelink/
-Jim
I've dropped and abused my iPods with absolutely no issues whatsoever. The units also have 15-30 minutes of skip protection built in. I've owned two of them. My wife now has my first unit and it's still going strong.
I have never heard the HDs being a problem with the iPod.
I just don't understand the appeal of flash memory players. I guess if you only have a limited number of songs that you listen they would be OK. But it's so cool to be able to store ALL your music, CDs, spoken language, MP3s, etc all on one unit. I find that I never know what I'm in the mood for ahead of time.
When it comes to quality there's nothing like having GBs of space in order to hold music that's not over-compressed. For example, all my MP3s have a 320Kbps sample rate. When I plug my iPod into my home stereo the music sounds just as good as my best CDs.
The choice of FireWire is a big plus too. I use my iPod to backup my laptop several times a day.
Another plus is the free iTunes software (Mac or Windows). It's really first class and very elegant.
There's also tons of cool accessories and add-ons for the iPod too.
http://www.apple.com/ipod/
http://www.ipodlounge.com/
http://www.everythingipod.com/
http://www.densionusa.com/icelink/
-Jim
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<B>Jimbo</B> - I don't want to start a iPod vs iRiver flame war... but i have a few comments to your last post.
Dropping iPods - ah, ok, that's cool that they can take some punishment. HDD's are usually quite fragile.
<B>I just don't understand the appeal of flash memory players.</B>
Serious answer: size. They are very small.
Neo's answer: chicks dig them.
True, having GB's of MP3's would be nice, and having them all at 192Kbp+ would also be cool. I grant that. The iRiver i own works perfectly for me because i use it at the gym, so naturally i always know what type of music i want - "work out" music. I encode all most of my files in WMA9 at 96K which gives no audible quality loss on any of the techno tracks i've encoded so far (even playing them back on my larger sound system). I use a lot of MP3's at 128 and 160kbp. With only 128MB, i can fit about 2.5 to 3 CD's -- which is more than enough for a 1hour workout.
An intangible thing i don't dig about the iPod is ... i wouldn't want to be seen in public with an "apple" product. ROFL... sorry, couldn't resist that tease. 
If i went HDD-based, I like the new iRiver <A HREF="http://www.iriveramerica.com/products/iHP-140.asp">HP-140</A> which is like an iPod... but again it comes down to size and cost.
Lastly, while iPod's are definitely superior in terms of capacity, battery life is not as good as a flash player. According to the <A HREF="http://www.apple.com/ipod/specs.html">apple ipod website</A> the iPod gets about 8hrs use from the built-in lithium battery. The iRiver 380T i bought gets <B>24hrs (realistically ~20hrs) battery life</B> from a single AA. I just bought a package of AA's so i dont need to worry about recharging batteries.
I read about a person who owned a Sony netwalkman - which also uses a built-in lithium battery - and was left with a lemon when the built-in battery died. That inconvience could happen to the iPod.
Anyway... dont take my points personally Jimbo... we are still NSX-brothers
So in summary, iPod vs an iRiver ... the differences come down to:
* Massive GB's capacity vs small 128/256/512MB?
* Battery life (8hrs vs 20hrs)
* Cost (iPod starting at $299RRP vs iRiver $119RRP for 128MB unit; less if you smile nicely to Jonathan)
* Size (iPod 3.6 by 2.0 by 0.5 inches - iRiver 380T 91x35x26.7mm
* Weight (iPod 15GB model 158g vs iRiver 32g [without battery] )
* Chick Magnet (not sure about iPod, but iRiver certainly has one! )
* Design (personal preference, i like the iRiver's darker look to the iPod's white "star wars" design)
That's just my opinion... the iPod is definitely cool, but for my needs (gym workout's) the iRiver is my choice.
ps. Jimbo, we're still friends right?
Dropping iPods - ah, ok, that's cool that they can take some punishment. HDD's are usually quite fragile.
<B>I just don't understand the appeal of flash memory players.</B>
Serious answer: size. They are very small.
Neo's answer: chicks dig them.
True, having GB's of MP3's would be nice, and having them all at 192Kbp+ would also be cool. I grant that. The iRiver i own works perfectly for me because i use it at the gym, so naturally i always know what type of music i want - "work out" music. I encode all most of my files in WMA9 at 96K which gives no audible quality loss on any of the techno tracks i've encoded so far (even playing them back on my larger sound system). I use a lot of MP3's at 128 and 160kbp. With only 128MB, i can fit about 2.5 to 3 CD's -- which is more than enough for a 1hour workout.
An intangible thing i don't dig about the iPod is ... i wouldn't want to be seen in public with an "apple" product.
ROFL... sorry, couldn't resist that tease. If i went HDD-based, I like the new iRiver <A HREF="http://www.iriveramerica.com/products/iHP-140.asp">HP-140</A> which is like an iPod... but again it comes down to size and cost.Lastly, while iPod's are definitely superior in terms of capacity, battery life is not as good as a flash player. According to the <A HREF="http://www.apple.com/ipod/specs.html">apple ipod website</A> the iPod gets about 8hrs use from the built-in lithium battery. The iRiver 380T i bought gets <B>24hrs (realistically ~20hrs) battery life</B> from a single AA. I just bought a package of AA's so i dont need to worry about recharging batteries.
I read about a person who owned a Sony netwalkman - which also uses a built-in lithium battery - and was left with a lemon when the built-in battery died. That inconvience could happen to the iPod.
Anyway... dont take my points personally Jimbo... we are still NSX-brothers
So in summary, iPod vs an iRiver ... the differences come down to:
* Massive GB's capacity vs small 128/256/512MB?
* Battery life (8hrs vs 20hrs)
* Cost (iPod starting at $299RRP vs iRiver $119RRP for 128MB unit; less if you smile nicely to Jonathan)
* Size (iPod 3.6 by 2.0 by 0.5 inches - iRiver 380T 91x35x26.7mm
* Weight (iPod 15GB model 158g vs iRiver 32g [without battery] )
* Chick Magnet (not sure about iPod, but iRiver certainly has one!
)* Design (personal preference, i like the iRiver's darker look to the iPod's white "star wars" design)
That's just my opinion... the iPod is definitely cool, but for my needs (gym workout's) the iRiver is my choice.
ps. Jimbo, we're still friends right?
Yeh! What Neo said!
Seriously, I took advantage of Jonathan's excellent offer for a Xmas present for 13yr old - just in time it seems - all of a sudden, every kid in school has an MP3 player and the iRiver seems to be one of the "cool" ones. More importantly, she loves it, uses it several hours a day. Thanks again to Jonathan.
Seriously, I took advantage of Jonathan's excellent offer for a Xmas present for 13yr old - just in time it seems - all of a sudden, every kid in school has an MP3 player and the iRiver seems to be one of the "cool" ones. More importantly, she loves it, uses it several hours a day. Thanks again to Jonathan.
Neo,
Of course we're friends!
We're just exchanging ideas and opinions. That's what this forum is all about. I'm just relating my experience with my (and others) iPods.
(BTW: regarding durability of HDs: I also use IBM HD-based Microdrives in some of my digital cameras. Again, very durable. I wouldn't cite fragility as being a problem.)
Now to your points...
True, the flash players have a long battery life. But it's kind of paradoxical isn't it?
They don't really need such a long battery life because they can't hold that much music. Also, you don't need to worry about getting batteries. Many companies (including Apple) have replacements.
http://www.ipodbattery.com/
I rarely listen to my iPod for more than 4-5 hours at a pop. Like when I'm on a long flight. And then at the end of the day I simply dock it and recharge. I can also recharge via a tiny AC adapter.
Since I use it for backup purposes as well the recharging occurs naturally when I do my backup. Given the choice, I'd much rather have more storage capacity than battery life. I also don't have to keep buying batteries every month.
Have you seen the iPod Mini? It's only $249 and small and comes in cool colors too.
http://www.apple.com/ipodmini/
Everyone says how expensive the iPod but I was really surprised at how expensive the flash players were when you consider cost per KByte.
As far as being a chick magnet...
http://crookdrain.diaryland.com/031109_2.html
As a M.E./product designer I particularly get off on well-designed things and for me the iPod is kind of like my NSX. It may cost a bit more but it's worth it. I like the way it feels, handles and functions. The scroll wheel interface is a particularly elegant design.
Your friend,
Jim
PS: It's funny. Over on the MINI forums the iPod is the clear choice of MINI owners. I don't know if it's because of the generally younger crowd over there or because it's so easy to connect the iPod to the MINI's aux port or because there's so many cool MINI accessories for the iPod (like the ability to control the iPod through the radio controls on the back of the steering wheel).
Of course we're friends!
We're just exchanging ideas and opinions. That's what this forum is all about. I'm just relating my experience with my (and others) iPods.
(BTW: regarding durability of HDs: I also use IBM HD-based Microdrives in some of my digital cameras. Again, very durable. I wouldn't cite fragility as being a problem.)
Now to your points...
True, the flash players have a long battery life. But it's kind of paradoxical isn't it?
They don't really need such a long battery life because they can't hold that much music. Also, you don't need to worry about getting batteries. Many companies (including Apple) have replacements.
http://www.ipodbattery.com/
I rarely listen to my iPod for more than 4-5 hours at a pop. Like when I'm on a long flight. And then at the end of the day I simply dock it and recharge. I can also recharge via a tiny AC adapter.
Since I use it for backup purposes as well the recharging occurs naturally when I do my backup. Given the choice, I'd much rather have more storage capacity than battery life. I also don't have to keep buying batteries every month.
Have you seen the iPod Mini? It's only $249 and small and comes in cool colors too.
http://www.apple.com/ipodmini/
Everyone says how expensive the iPod but I was really surprised at how expensive the flash players were when you consider cost per KByte.
As far as being a chick magnet...
http://crookdrain.diaryland.com/031109_2.html
As a M.E./product designer I particularly get off on well-designed things and for me the iPod is kind of like my NSX. It may cost a bit more but it's worth it. I like the way it feels, handles and functions. The scroll wheel interface is a particularly elegant design.
Your friend,
Jim
PS: It's funny. Over on the MINI forums the iPod is the clear choice of MINI owners. I don't know if it's because of the generally younger crowd over there or because it's so easy to connect the iPod to the MINI's aux port or because there's so many cool MINI accessories for the iPod (like the ability to control the iPod through the radio controls on the back of the steering wheel).
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I got a 128mb iRiver mp3 player (forgot the model, but it's the older/triangular one), and it works pretty well. I wish iRiver would make it with built in rechargable battery or use gum stick batteries like my sony CD player... It'll probably make a already small/portable player even better.
jlindy's original request was for unit conducive to running/working out - I think the iriver flash units are hard to beat in that arena. Wear it on the available arm-band & the thing is as unobtrusive as could be imagined. 40-50 songs on a 256 or obviously half or double that for 128 or 512 respectively. Built in tuner if you run through your on-board repertoire & want a quick change of mood. The software interface is nice too - change them all out or select a few tracks from the list to load up or down. The battery lasts forever (well, pretty damn long time) so rechargeable requirement moot I think.
Interesting re the demographics - I got my 16 year old daughter one & mentioned to Jonathan I thought that was probably a strong target market, but I was surprised that biggest demo was 26 -30yr old male (if i remember correctly? - I'm sure Jonathan will catch this at some point & correct if my recollection off). However my kid absolutely loved it & her friends also think it's cool.
Interesting re the demographics - I got my 16 year old daughter one & mentioned to Jonathan I thought that was probably a strong target market, but I was surprised that biggest demo was 26 -30yr old male (if i remember correctly? - I'm sure Jonathan will catch this at some point & correct if my recollection off). However my kid absolutely loved it & her friends also think it's cool.
D'E,
You mean like this?...
http://www.apple.com/ipod/accessories.html
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore?productLearnMore=M9445G/A
I do jog/workout with my 40GB iPod and I'll admit it could be a bit smaller. But it's still pretty small. The new Mini iPod is even smaller and all the Apple people in the booth at Macworld Expo and NAMM wore them with armbands.
jlindy - there's a lot of good suggestions on both kinds of players and technology. I would however, recommend a visit to your local (West County Center - Des Peres) Apple store or a CompUsa and just try out an iPod before you make up your mind.
Best,
Jim
You mean like this?...
http://www.apple.com/ipod/accessories.html
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore?productLearnMore=M9445G/A
I do jog/workout with my 40GB iPod and I'll admit it could be a bit smaller. But it's still pretty small. The new Mini iPod is even smaller and all the Apple people in the booth at Macworld Expo and NAMM wore them with armbands.
jlindy - there's a lot of good suggestions on both kinds of players and technology. I would however, recommend a visit to your local (West County Center - Des Peres) Apple store or a CompUsa and just try out an iPod before you make up your mind.
Best,
Jim
no - like 10% of that size!Jimbo said:D'E,
You mean like this?...
I got both my kids an iRiver 128 for Christmas. About a week later I saw Jonathan's discount offer.D'Ecosse said:
Oh well, it was a very nice gesutre Jonathan! Nice units. Dad has been known to borrow on occasion. Showed my 10 year old son the wrapped Hummer, and now Jonathan is his hero.
How quickly we digress...
oh man... move over single samuari thread. LOL.
<B>Jimbo</B> : LOL... I question the validity of that chick-magnet link... is he a qualified chick-magnet critic? though i had to laugh at the name "Mikes Realm" 
it's not my website.
<B>Zuerst</B> : one prob with having a built-in rechargable battery is that once it says to get tired, it's a pain to replace. So for me, not having a built-in battery was a pro.
<B>Jimbo</B> : LOL... I question the validity of that chick-magnet link... is he a qualified chick-magnet critic?
though i had to laugh at the name "Mikes Realm" it's not my website.<B>Zuerst</B> : one prob with having a built-in rechargable battery is that once it says to get tired, it's a pain to replace. So for me, not having a built-in battery was a pro.
I've been away from my computer for a day, but man I LIKE where this is going. Can we put a MP3 player on Krista Allen or Brooke Burke?
D'Ecosse is correct in that I want it strictly for running or working out so being compact in size is important. Secondly, I want one that comes with good quality sounding earbuds with good bass. (whether a result from the player or the ear buds) I have heard to many that sound like a tweeter would by itself.
I embarrassed to say that I don't know anything about the differences between a HD and a flash player or what it even is. A 128 K would give me 25 or so songs and would be fine, but if I learned how to decode in WMA, I could do more right?
I have a $50 gift card left over for Circuit City, so I thought I could get a real bargin on a MP3 player, but they only have a 256K for $169. I could probably do better on ebay or through Johnathon I would think. A used IPOD on ebay may work, but I don't need that much memory.
Can we put a MP3 player on Krista Allen or Brooke Burke? D'Ecosse is correct in that I want it strictly for running or working out so being compact in size is important. Secondly, I want one that comes with good quality sounding earbuds with good bass. (whether a result from the player or the ear buds) I have heard to many that sound like a tweeter would by itself.
I embarrassed to say that I don't know anything about the differences between a HD and a flash player or what it even is. A 128 K would give me 25 or so songs and would be fine, but if I learned how to decode in WMA, I could do more right?
I have a $50 gift card left over for Circuit City, so I thought I could get a real bargin on a MP3 player, but they only have a 256K for $169. I could probably do better on ebay or through Johnathon I would think. A used IPOD on ebay may work, but I don't need that much memory.
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Well, I certainly can't let this thread go by...
So, to be impartial, I will not comment specifically about anything from our company (other than to include a few models in the round-ups below).
MP3 players are very much like cars in the sense that there are many to choose from, and each offer a different benefit to different people, and luckily for the consumers this particular category has matured to the point that there are a lot to choose from. Now, a quick summary to find out what's the best MP3 player out there for you (and a few options to consider):
Small HD Player:
* Apple iPod
* iRiver iHP series
* Samsung Napster
==> The benefits with a HD player are that you can take a *lot* of music with you, and depending on the size of drive you select, it is quite likely that you can take your entire music collection with you at any given time. The drawbacks are, that you have a bulky device (even at 6-8 ounces, which is what most of the above players weigh), it is much more susceptible to impact than other types of players, and frankly, for many people choosing music to listen to from thousands of songs isn't their bag.
Flash Memory Player:
* iRiver iFP series
* Rio
* Creative Labs Muvo
==> The benefits with a flash player are that the player weighs about 1/4 of a small HD player, there are no internal moving parts, and as such are much more capable of taking a jolt as well as being far easier (and more comfortable) to wear. They are great for workouts/running and offer many hours of music, which is more often than most people often get to the gym
CD MP3 Player:
* iRiver SlimX series
* RioVolt (getting hard to find)
* Sony/Panasonic (more of a checkbox MP3 support)
==> The benefits with a CD MP3 player are that you can still play all of the CDs you have, you can burn your own MP3 CDs for cheap (700MB discs for nearly free anymore), and you still get a all of the navigation and information benefits that compressed audio offer (browsing by song names, seeing artist/album information, etc). Certainly the drawback is that you still have a device at least as big as a CD, although many CD players in this category are just slightly bigger than a CD, and forget working out with one (or any CD player), regardless of skip protection, running with a CD player just isn't the best option.
Micro Storage Device:
* Apple Mini
* iRiver iGP series
* Creative Labs
* Rio Nitrus
==> The benefits here are that you have a device that is about 30-50% bigger than a flash player, but you get a lot more storage space for your $. The drawbacks are, that you still have a HD player, and while it is certainly smaller than the first batch of HD devices I listed, the internal workings are very much the same (granted because of the physics of a small drive, you get some factor of increased impact resistance with the microdrives). They can still be quite good for workouts, but they fall into a bit of a gray area for consumers. So the drawback here is basically, if you are looking for lots of storage, a bigger HD for a few bucks more is a good investment, if you are looking for a great workout piece, a flash player may be better for you, or one of these players may actually be just what you are looking for!
Now that I have that part out of the way, here is one other thing to consider when making an MP3 player purchase:
Will I be buying music online?
==> If the answer to this question is "yes", investigate this carefully. While iTunes offers a great service, if you buy an Apple device, you get to buy your music from iTunes. If you buy a device that supports Windows Media, you will have many more services to choose from, and this disparity will only increase over time.
Now, after all that, the best advice I can give anyone looking for an MP3 player, would again be like buying a car. Find what suits your needs, do some research on the products you find that meet those needs, and buy what's right for you. If someone had a big family, and told you that you needed a Ford Excursion, because that's what they had and it was perfect for them, and you were shopping for an NSX instead, it's likely that you wouldn't see eye to eye, no matter how great they felt their Excursion really was (and might even be).
Compressed Audio, be it MP3, WMA, AAC, or even the goofy named OGG Vorbis, offers a lot of benefits to music fans. As you can see above, there are many different products that can suit your personal needs while still taking advantage of everything comrpessed audio can offer.
Enjoy. Whatever purchase you make will open up a new world of music enjoyment if you have never owned a compressed audio player before.
Jonathan
So, to be impartial, I will not comment specifically about anything from our company (other than to include a few models in the round-ups below).
MP3 players are very much like cars in the sense that there are many to choose from, and each offer a different benefit to different people, and luckily for the consumers this particular category has matured to the point that there are a lot to choose from. Now, a quick summary to find out what's the best MP3 player out there for you (and a few options to consider):
Small HD Player:
* Apple iPod
* iRiver iHP series
* Samsung Napster
==> The benefits with a HD player are that you can take a *lot* of music with you, and depending on the size of drive you select, it is quite likely that you can take your entire music collection with you at any given time. The drawbacks are, that you have a bulky device (even at 6-8 ounces, which is what most of the above players weigh), it is much more susceptible to impact than other types of players, and frankly, for many people choosing music to listen to from thousands of songs isn't their bag.
Flash Memory Player:
* iRiver iFP series
* Rio
* Creative Labs Muvo
==> The benefits with a flash player are that the player weighs about 1/4 of a small HD player, there are no internal moving parts, and as such are much more capable of taking a jolt as well as being far easier (and more comfortable) to wear. They are great for workouts/running and offer many hours of music, which is more often than most people often get to the gym
CD MP3 Player:
* iRiver SlimX series
* RioVolt (getting hard to find)
* Sony/Panasonic (more of a checkbox MP3 support)
==> The benefits with a CD MP3 player are that you can still play all of the CDs you have, you can burn your own MP3 CDs for cheap (700MB discs for nearly free anymore), and you still get a all of the navigation and information benefits that compressed audio offer (browsing by song names, seeing artist/album information, etc). Certainly the drawback is that you still have a device at least as big as a CD, although many CD players in this category are just slightly bigger than a CD, and forget working out with one (or any CD player), regardless of skip protection, running with a CD player just isn't the best option.
Micro Storage Device:
* Apple Mini
* iRiver iGP series
* Creative Labs
* Rio Nitrus
==> The benefits here are that you have a device that is about 30-50% bigger than a flash player, but you get a lot more storage space for your $. The drawbacks are, that you still have a HD player, and while it is certainly smaller than the first batch of HD devices I listed, the internal workings are very much the same (granted because of the physics of a small drive, you get some factor of increased impact resistance with the microdrives). They can still be quite good for workouts, but they fall into a bit of a gray area for consumers. So the drawback here is basically, if you are looking for lots of storage, a bigger HD for a few bucks more is a good investment, if you are looking for a great workout piece, a flash player may be better for you, or one of these players may actually be just what you are looking for!
Now that I have that part out of the way, here is one other thing to consider when making an MP3 player purchase:
Will I be buying music online?
==> If the answer to this question is "yes", investigate this carefully. While iTunes offers a great service, if you buy an Apple device, you get to buy your music from iTunes. If you buy a device that supports Windows Media, you will have many more services to choose from, and this disparity will only increase over time.
Now, after all that, the best advice I can give anyone looking for an MP3 player, would again be like buying a car. Find what suits your needs, do some research on the products you find that meet those needs, and buy what's right for you. If someone had a big family, and told you that you needed a Ford Excursion, because that's what they had and it was perfect for them, and you were shopping for an NSX instead, it's likely that you wouldn't see eye to eye, no matter how great they felt their Excursion really was (and might even be).
Compressed Audio, be it MP3, WMA, AAC, or even the goofy named OGG Vorbis, offers a lot of benefits to music fans. As you can see above, there are many different products that can suit your personal needs while still taking advantage of everything comrpessed audio can offer.
Enjoy. Whatever purchase you make will open up a new world of music enjoyment if you have never owned a compressed audio player before.
Jonathan
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Johnathon
Awesome write up and very informative. I will use the Circuit City gift card for something else and bought the 380T from Johnathon. Can't wait to get it and thanks for everybody's help.
...now on to the pictures. Let's get em started.
Awesome write up and very informative. I will use the Circuit City gift card for something else and bought the 380T from Johnathon. Can't wait to get it and thanks for everybody's help.
...now on to the pictures. Let's get em started.
Hey Jeff, glad you found something you like... for photos I see Ken and Jimbo did their part in throwing some out there, I will add a few more from us just for kicks -
Last edited:
- Joined
- 14 April 2002
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- 2,273
Hey Jeff,
I do a fair amount of running and one of the MP3 players I would love to have is this one:
http://www.duoaria.com/en/products/dualsports.asp
Seems to have many of the advantages of the top MP3 players plus FM heart rate monitor (which is probably the most important thing you can track and train too BTW) integrated into one nice package and upgradable as well.
From their site:
"Dual Sports
DIGITAL MUSIC PLAYER | HEART RATE MONITOR
Workouts become more enjoyable as you listen to your favorite broadcasts, music, or digital audio files. While enjoying your private audio entertainment, real-time heart rate information is displayed, providing guidance while exercising, contributing to safe and optimized training. Digital logging of your workout provides later performance reviews on your PC, supporting a scientifically improved training program.
The shock-proof/skip-free digital audio player uses an upgradeable DSP processor which enables it to support WMA, MP3 and other audio formats. It also features Direct-to-Digital Encoding, allowing you to create your own MP3 audio files from any analog audio source. The built-in FM tuner features digital tuning for accurate reception and you can even create MP3 files using the Direct-to-Digital Encoding function. 128MB of on-board memory means more than 3 hours of motivating music and audio can accompany you on your fitness sessions. The MMC/SD flash memory upgrade slot allows even more audio capacity to be added.
The wireless heart rate monitor uses secure FM transmission from the included chest strap to provide ECG-accurate heart rate monitoring at a glance. The datalog-ging feature allows you to store your workout, and then connect the Dual-Sports to your PC and download your workout for detailed analysis of your performance. Multiple users can program the Dual Sports with personal information such as age and target heart rate for different training goals. The included software allows you to view graphs of calorie-burn rates, maximum/minimum/average heart rate and much more for a complete training experience.
Using standard AAA alkaline batteries to deliver 12 hours of continous music and heart monitoring performance, the Dual-Sports is ready whenever you are. The water-resistant case and armband mount completes the versatility of the player, letting you take it with you nearly anywhere on almost any sports/training activity.
"
I do a fair amount of running and one of the MP3 players I would love to have is this one:
http://www.duoaria.com/en/products/dualsports.asp
Seems to have many of the advantages of the top MP3 players plus FM heart rate monitor (which is probably the most important thing you can track and train too BTW) integrated into one nice package and upgradable as well.
From their site:
"Dual Sports
DIGITAL MUSIC PLAYER | HEART RATE MONITOR
Workouts become more enjoyable as you listen to your favorite broadcasts, music, or digital audio files. While enjoying your private audio entertainment, real-time heart rate information is displayed, providing guidance while exercising, contributing to safe and optimized training. Digital logging of your workout provides later performance reviews on your PC, supporting a scientifically improved training program.
The shock-proof/skip-free digital audio player uses an upgradeable DSP processor which enables it to support WMA, MP3 and other audio formats. It also features Direct-to-Digital Encoding, allowing you to create your own MP3 audio files from any analog audio source. The built-in FM tuner features digital tuning for accurate reception and you can even create MP3 files using the Direct-to-Digital Encoding function. 128MB of on-board memory means more than 3 hours of motivating music and audio can accompany you on your fitness sessions. The MMC/SD flash memory upgrade slot allows even more audio capacity to be added.
The wireless heart rate monitor uses secure FM transmission from the included chest strap to provide ECG-accurate heart rate monitoring at a glance. The datalog-ging feature allows you to store your workout, and then connect the Dual-Sports to your PC and download your workout for detailed analysis of your performance. Multiple users can program the Dual Sports with personal information such as age and target heart rate for different training goals. The included software allows you to view graphs of calorie-burn rates, maximum/minimum/average heart rate and much more for a complete training experience.
Using standard AAA alkaline batteries to deliver 12 hours of continous music and heart monitoring performance, the Dual-Sports is ready whenever you are. The water-resistant case and armband mount completes the versatility of the player, letting you take it with you nearly anywhere on almost any sports/training activity.
"
<B>Jonathan</B> : all those photos make me want to buy a second iRiver! LOL...
Superb summary of the differences. Let's add that to the offtopic FAQ.
LOL...Superb summary of the differences. Let's add that to the offtopic FAQ.
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