Music players besides iPods

[vivalarevolución]

So now that Apple seems to have stopped trying with the iPod, what else is out there for decent portable music players?  I have no clue.  I saw that Sony thing on Massdrop and that looked good enough.

Full disclosure, I still have a 160GB iPod, but the battery is near dead, the screen is all scratched, and the darn thing freezes every time I plug it into the computer, so I figure it would less of a hassle to sell it for what I can get rather than try to fix everything.

[baldgye]

What do you mean stopped trying? And what sort of capacity are you after?

[azhdar]

I was in the same boat as you are, my old ipod nano was only 8Go and they dropped the ipod classic for some reason. And ****heads are reselling then for 2x its price on ebay.

So I've ordered the sansa clip plus, I don't have it yet because it's out of stock everywhere.
But it has 8go native that you can upgrade with up to 64Go Sd Cards, and it plays flac, while costing 40€.

I wish Apple still did Classics...

[nubbinator]

I haven't had a good player since my Zune.  I was probably the only person who was disappointed to get an iPod Touch for Christmas after asking for a Zune.

[baldgye]

I haven't had a good player since my Zune.  I was probably the only person who was disappointed to get an iPod Touch for Christmas after asking for a Zune.

I LOVED my brown 30gb Zune... it was beautiful and the software was a JOY... and then the screen melted... and then died and then I lost it...

if anyone could do it for me, I'd buy a Zune or two and a new HDD for it and plop in a 250gb ssd or something

[vivalarevolución]

What do you mean stopped trying? And what sort of capacity are you after?

Lack of doing anything different except standard updates and low capacity (by my standards).

I'm looking at the ability to add SD cards for increased storage.  Also, I don't even want a large touchscreen, if that improves battery life.

[baldgye]

What do you mean stopped trying? And what sort of capacity are you after?

Lack of doing anything different except standard updates and low capacity (by my standards).

I'm looking at the ability to add SD cards for increased storage.  Also, I don't even want a large touchscreen, if that improves battery life.

there's always the Pono

[azhdar]

What do you mean stopped trying? And what sort of capacity are you after?

Lack of doing anything different except standard updates and low capacity (by my standards).

I'm looking at the ability to add SD cards for increased storage.  Also, I don't even want a large touchscreen, if that improves battery life.

there's always the Pono

I haven't seen a positive review of the pono.

[trizkut]

I haven't had a good player since my Zune.  I was probably the only person who was disappointed to get an iPod Touch for Christmas after asking for a Zune.

I'm still using my zune hd 64gb and loving it.   I think I still have a pink zune 2 8gb in my car as well.

[GL1TCH3D]

http://www.aloaudio.com/astell-kern/ak240

The AK240 is always a nice choice

[baldgye]

http://www.aloaudio.com/astell-kern/ak240

The AK240 is always a nice choice

I wish I could afford this

[trizkut]

http://www.aloaudio.com/astell-kern/ak240

The AK240 is always a nice choice

Personally, I think the AK240 looks horrendous.  I had been considering grabbing the ak100ii or the ak120ii, though

[ghostjuggernaut]

There are a lot of really good mp3 players out there.  I'm not sure what you are wanting, function wise, but the Sandisk Clip line is pretty good.  I have had a Clip+ for about 5 years, and it is still going strong.  They have newer models that are probably just as good, if not better.  I used to use a Cowon J3, but sold it due not using it to its full potential.  They also have many new models, and are a really good brand.

[GL1TCH3D]

http://www.aloaudio.com/astell-kern/ak240

The AK240 is always a nice choice

Personally, I think the AK240 looks horrendous.  I had been considering grabbing the ak100ii or the ak120ii, though

Supposedly it's more ergonomic, though I agree the aesthetics suck

I have the original 120

[CPTBadAss]

I have a Zune for travel and a Sandisk Sansa for the gym. Love them both. Especially the Zune.

[exitfire401]

I haven't had a good player since my Zune.  I was probably the only person who was disappointed to get an iPod Touch for Christmas after asking for a Zune.

I LOVED my brown 30gb Zune... it was beautiful and the software was a JOY... and then the screen melted... and then died and then I lost it...

if anyone could do it for me, I'd buy a Zune or two and a new HDD for it and plop in a 250gb ssd or something

I have the halo 3 edition zune. Currently on its second harddrive. Love that thing.

[baldgye]

I haven't had a good player since my Zune.  I was probably the only person who was disappointed to get an iPod Touch for Christmas after asking for a Zune.

I LOVED my brown 30gb Zune... it was beautiful and the software was a JOY... and then the screen melted... and then died and then I lost it...

if anyone could do it for me, I'd buy a Zune or two and a new HDD for it and plop in a 250gb ssd or something

I have the halo 3 edition zune. Currently on its second harddrive. Love that thing.

The original software that was just a skinned wmp was epic too

[uzoc]

Fiio X1, HD player, BYO microSD (up to 128GB) = $100

[exitfire401]

I haven't had a good player since my Zune.  I was probably the only person who was disappointed to get an iPod Touch for Christmas after asking for a Zune.

I LOVED my brown 30gb Zune... it was beautiful and the software was a JOY... and then the screen melted... and then died and then I lost it...

if anyone could do it for me, I'd buy a Zune or two and a new HDD for it and plop in a 250gb ssd or something

I have the halo 3 edition zune. Currently on its second harddrive. Love that thing.

The original software that was just a skinned wmp was epic too

Couldn't agree more. Simple to use and the store was ridiculously easy to navigate. The only thing I miss is the ability to use the subscription service. I used to have all of my music through that. Afterwards, I get most of my music from spotify.

[abjr]

There are a lot of really good mp3 players out there.  I'm not sure what you are wanting, function wise, but the Sandisk Clip line is pretty good.  I have had a Clip+ for about 5 years, and it is still going strong.  They have newer models that are probably just as good, if not better.  I used to use a Cowon J3, but sold it due not using it to its full potential.  They also have many new models, and are a really good brand.

+1 for the Sandisk Sansa Clip line as well. No proprietary connectors. It has a microSD card slot. No need for crappy iTunes-like software. Just drag and drop files to it. Even under Linux you can just copy files to it as a mass storage device.

[baldgye]

I haven't had a good player since my Zune.  I was probably the only person who was disappointed to get an iPod Touch for Christmas after asking for a Zune.

I LOVED my brown 30gb Zune... it was beautiful and the software was a JOY... and then the screen melted... and then died and then I lost it...

if anyone could do it for me, I'd buy a Zune or two and a new HDD for it and plop in a 250gb ssd or something

I have the halo 3 edition zune. Currently on its second harddrive. Love that thing.

The original software that was just a skinned wmp was epic too

Couldn't agree more. Simple to use and the store was ridiculously easy to navigate. The only thing I miss is the ability to use the subscription service. I used to have all of my music through that. Afterwards, I get most of my music from spotify.

**** I never got to use the store as the Zune only officially came out in the US... had to import it to begin with!

[vivalarevolución]

http://www.aloaudio.com/astell-kern/ak240

The AK240 is always a nice choice

Prefer something that does not require me to sell my car in order to purchase it.

There are a lot of really good mp3 players out there.  I'm not sure what you are wanting, function wise, but the Sandisk Clip line is pretty good.  I have had a Clip+ for about 5 years, and it is still going strong.  They have newer models that are probably just as good, if not better.  I used to use a Cowon J3, but sold it due not using it to its full potential.  They also have many new models, and are a really good brand.

I guess that I should figure out what I want function wise.  I guess not Apple, ability to slap an SD card in there, and decent quality.

This Sansa seems to get a lot of love.

[ghostjuggernaut]

http://www.aloaudio.com/astell-kern/ak240

The AK240 is always a nice choice

Prefer something that does not require me to sell my car in order to purchase it.

There are a lot of really good mp3 players out there.  I'm not sure what you are wanting, function wise, but the Sandisk Clip line is pretty good.  I have had a Clip+ for about 5 years, and it is still going strong.  They have newer models that are probably just as good, if not better.  I used to use a Cowon J3, but sold it due not using it to its full potential.  They also have many new models, and are a really good brand.

I guess that I should figure out what I want function wise.  I guess not Apple, ability to slap an SD card in there, and decent quality.

This Sansa seems to get a lot of love.

If you want something simple and basic, I recommend a Clip+. Assuming the prices are still low, I got mine for $30 new.

[uzoc]

Clip Zip+ (with ROCKBOX only), because it gives me that +24DB treble that I want (and Themes, etc, of course). 

[GL1TCH3D]

http://www.aloaudio.com/astell-kern/ak240

The AK240 is always a nice choice

Prefer something that does not require me to sell my car in order to purchase it.

There are a lot of really good mp3 players out there.  I'm not sure what you are wanting, function wise, but the Sandisk Clip line is pretty good.  I have had a Clip+ for about 5 years, and it is still going strong.  They have newer models that are probably just as good, if not better.  I used to use a Cowon J3, but sold it due not using it to its full potential.  They also have many new models, and are a really good brand.

I guess that I should figure out what I want function wise.  I guess not Apple, ability to slap an SD card in there, and decent quality.

This Sansa seems to get a lot of love.

If you want something simple and basic, I recommend a Clip+. Assuming the prices are still low, I got mine for $30 new.

For the price there's definitely no beating the clip

[jdcarpe]

I formerly owned a Sandisk Sansa Fuze, and loved it. I just purchased a Sandisk Sansa Clip Sport for $43, which has 8GB internal storage, and supports up to 32GB MicroSDHC cards, for a total of 40GB. I'll let you know how I like it once I receive it, but it looks like a nice little player for 40 bucks. Has support for FLAC and Ogg Vorbis, Audible audiobooks, as well as standard MP3, AAC, WMA, and WAV.

The only con is no ROCKBOX support.

[vivalarevolución]

Full disclosure, I still have a 160GB iPod, but the battery is near dead, the screen is all scratched, and the darn thing freezes every time I plug it into the computer, so I figure it would less of a hassle to sell it for what I can get rather than try to fix everything.

[nubbinator]

Has the Sansa quality improved?  I had one back in the day, but was unimpressed.  Navigation was clunky, sound quality was mediocre, and, even with babying them, I had 2 or 3 die on me in two years.

[HoffmanMyster]

Has the Sansa quality improved?  I had one back in the day, but was unimpressed.  Navigation was clunky, sound quality was mediocre, and, even with babying them, I had 2 or 3 die on me in two years.

What time frame did you have one?

I'll throw another vote out for Zune (though it may not perfectly fit all your needs, it is an excellent alternative to iPod). I've never owned a Sansa but have used them a few times; they seem to be really solid devices and would fit your needs. I'd obviously defer to an owner for further comment.

I say all of this as a bit of an iPod fanatic.    But iPods have their issues and are not for everyone, and personally I do still think Zunes are superior.

[nubbinator]

I had an e200 or e250, so 8-10 years ago?  It really wasn't all that great.  The click wheel sucked, the headphone jack broke continuously, and so many other issues. 

[ghostjuggernaut]

Has the Sansa quality improved?  I had one back in the day, but was unimpressed.  Navigation was clunky, sound quality was mediocre, and, even with babying them, I had 2 or 3 die on me in two years.

I think they have gotten much better. The Clip+ audio quality is very good, and I haven't had any issues with mine. They are still cheap players though, so I don't set my expectations very high.

[HoffmanMyster]

I had an e200 or e250, so 8-10 years ago?  It really wasn't all that great.  The click wheel sucked, the headphone jack broke continuously, and so many other issues.

IMO, that's long enough ago in the electronics world to be a "retired" opinion, so to speak.  (not to come off as overly critical, just saying)

Like using a 1st gen iPod and recommending someone should or should not buy a 7th gen iPod - just is too disconnected.

[nubbinator]

I had an e200 or e250, so 8-10 years ago?  It really wasn't all that great.  The click wheel sucked, the headphone jack broke continuously, and so many other issues.

IMO, that's long enough ago in the electronics world to be a "retired" opinion, so to speak.  (not to come off as overly critical, just saying)

Like using a 1st gen iPod and recommending someone should or should not buy a 7th gen iPod - just is too disconnected.

It depends.  I know some brands never improve.  ECS, for example, never went from crap to decent and I still would never use a Diablotek PSU.  Some brands are good at getting better while others may do one or two things well and the rest may be crap, no matter how long they've been around.  I've never had fantastic luck with Sandisk though and I know their SSDs were getting ripped to shreds in the recent past, so I had massive doubts about their PMPs.

[GL1TCH3D]

In my personal experience the clip zip was fantastic for the price. UI is really lousy though and not enough characters can be displayed on the screen.

But the size and microsd slot makes it a fantastic piece at such a low price

Sound wise it's closer to the fiio sound. A bit thin / shallow. Also don't expect to power any power hungry headphones with this, it feels more geared towards easier to drive headphones and IEMs (portable)

[epzy]

sony nwz-a15

[vivalarevolución]

Of all the players that you fine gentlemen have discussed, how does the sound quality compare to that of an iPod?

[ghostjuggernaut]

Of all the players that you fine gentlemen have discussed, how does the sound quality compare to that of an iPod?

Most dedicated mp3 players will sound much better than an iPod.  I can vouch for Cowon, and the Clip lineup personally for sounding better than an iPod.

[vivalarevolución]

Of all the players that you fine gentlemen have discussed, how does the sound quality compare to that of an iPod?

Most dedicated mp3 players will sound much better than an iPod.  I can vouch for Cowon, and the Clip lineup personally for sounding better than an iPod.

If even the low-priced Clip lineup has better sound quality than an iPod, that seals the deal, this old iPod is going on Ebay.  Even ones that don't work are selling for like $150+.

[vivalarevolución]

Any other suggestions for music players here, people?

[Larken]

another vote for the cowon. I've had two of their players, the first one a hdd based model that kept running for 5 years before the battery wouldn't hold a charge, and the second one I had since 2008, and still going strong with daily usage. as far as SQ goes, most players would be better than an iPod. I haven't tried an A&K, but a buddywho has a Cowon auditioned it on occasion, and he mentioned that it was really much better than the Cowon, which he decided was still good enough (due to that price tag).

I'd suggest looking at the x9 or the M2 for something smaller (both have microsd card slots), battery life is extremely good (I used to charge mine once every 1 - 2 weeks at the most with about 4 hours commute time everyday). downside - proprietary cables, and the UI isn't the most polished around (not a big deal for me as my routine is main - turn it on, press 'play' and chuck it in the bag).

[vivalarevolución]

I can't stand the design aesthetic of those Astell and Kern players.  If I'm gonna drop 2k on a music player, please make a product that is not repulsive looking upon first glance.

Those Cowons look interesting.  Some seem to have expandable memory, others do not.

I guess a built-in speaker also would be a nice feature to have.

[GL1TCH3D]

I can't stand the design aesthetic of those Astell and Kern players.  If I'm gonna drop 2k on a music player, please make a product that is not repulsive looking upon first glance.

Those Cowons look interesting.  Some seem to have expandable memory, others do not.

I guess a built-in speaker also would be a nice feature to have.

My AK120 is quite classy and runs about $600 on the aftermarket. 2x microsd card slots + 64gb base memory puts you at 192gb total very easily.

The AK240... Is... Unique in aesthetics. However my friends who have owned/tried it tell me that the way it's shaped leads to it being very comfortable in the hand. Whatever the reasoning is, it has solid reviews for sound.

For something lower end than AK, Fiio makes really solid products in the $100-300 range (X1, X3 and X5).

I owned the X5 and was happy with it for the price.

[vivalarevolución]

I can't stand the design aesthetic of those Astell and Kern players.  If I'm gonna drop 2k on a music player, please make a product that is not repulsive looking upon first glance.

Those Cowons look interesting.  Some seem to have expandable memory, others do not.

I guess a built-in speaker also would be a nice feature to have.

My AK120 is quite classy and runs about $600 on the aftermarket. 2x microsd card slots + 64gb base memory puts you at 192gb total very easily.

The AK240... Is... Unique in aesthetics. However my friends who have owned/tried it tell me that the way it's shaped leads to it being very comfortable in the hand. Whatever the reasoning is, it has solid reviews for sound.

For something lower end than AK, Fiio makes really solid products in the $100-300 range (X1, X3 and X5).

I owned the X5 and was happy with it for the price.

Thanks.  I'm not much of an audiophile (yet), so I know little about these players and can't discern the difference between the various models and why they are priced differently.  I'll do some more research and figure that out. I like the design aesthetic and utility of those Fiio players.  Don't really care for much more than playing music on the machine.  Our phones are better for other media.

A used, low-end AK could a good investment if I save my pennies.  Is it difficult to swap out the battery on those AK players?  Battery life would be my only concern with a used player.

[IvanIvanovich]

Perhaps a brand not as many know of or talk about too often... but you might look into some of the meizu products. I had one a few years ago that I bought when I was backpacking a lot. I got it because it was cheap as to not be too upset if I lost or broke it. While it's interface was a bit clunky it really did sound quite good. Certainly sounded better than iPod I was used to at the time.

[GL1TCH3D]

I can't stand the design aesthetic of those Astell and Kern players.  If I'm gonna drop 2k on a music player, please make a product that is not repulsive looking upon first glance.

Those Cowons look interesting.  Some seem to have expandable memory, others do not.

I guess a built-in speaker also would be a nice feature to have.

My AK120 is quite classy and runs about $600 on the aftermarket. 2x microsd card slots + 64gb base memory puts you at 192gb total very easily.

The AK240... Is... Unique in aesthetics. However my friends who have owned/tried it tell me that the way it's shaped leads to it being very comfortable in the hand. Whatever the reasoning is, it has solid reviews for sound.

For something lower end than AK, Fiio makes really solid products in the $100-300 range (X1, X3 and X5).

I owned the X5 and was happy with it for the price.

Thanks.  I'm not much of an audiophile (yet), so I know little about these players and can't discern the difference between the various models and why they are priced differently.  I'll do some more research and figure that out. I like the design aesthetic and utility of those Fiio players.  Don't really care for much more than playing music on the machine.  Our phones are better for other media.

A used, low-end AK could a good investment if I save my pennies.  Is it difficult to swap out the battery on those AK players?  Battery life would be my only concern with a used player.

It definitely doesn't seem easy to open and swap. I know there's a guy that does these mods calls the red wine audio mod and he opens it up and changes some of the internal components of the AK units so there's definitely a way.

The player can last 8+ hours on battery while playing music the entire time, if not more.

[LarsMarkelson]

I loved my Sansa Clip+ back when I used it. Reminds me I have it somewhere, should pull it out and start using it again. Great little device.

[demik]

my computer

[vivalarevolución]

my computer

Can I transport that for driving in my car, riding the bus, or walking down the street?

[vivalarevolución]

The old iPod sold for $227 tonight, boys and girls.  Did not expect that.

[GL1TCH3D]

http://www.moon-audio.com/astell-kern-ak-jr-digital-music-media-player.html?redirect_mongo_id=55428bbd34393803d8040000

Just came out