New MP3 Player Recommendations

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Bisectors Fore

Limp Gawd
Joined
Aug 24, 2008
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Hey all - I'm currently in the market for a new portable music player to replace my iPod Nano Gen 5, which was stolen a few months ago. The Nano worked well and I was satisfied with it, but unfortunately Gen 5's run over $200 now that the newer touch-screen models are out. I've considered getting one of the 6th Generation, but I don't have experience with the interface and I don't know if I'd like it. In the past I have shopped for iPods simply because they are a well known brand and seem to be generally well-liked, but seeing as how this would be my third purchase in probably as many years (my first iPod spontaneously died), I'm interested in saving some money this time around. With iPods I feel like there is a premium price for the brand name as well as a lot of other features that in reality I don't need (radio, pictures, video etc), so I feel like it might make more sense for me to look at some other brand MP3 players. All I really need is something that lets me carry and listen to my music when I am at home, in the car, at the gym, etc, with some basic playlist features being a plus. However, I don't want to sacrifice quality in the process and wind up with something that doesn't work well or wears out quickly - I'd rather pay more for a better product. I'm just looking for comments from people who have firsthand experience with different types of MP3 players to aid in my research. Thanks. :)
 
/me stares at the wall of text and offers Bisectors Fore a few carriage returns for the future... :)

Simple answer:

If you want just an mp3 player, and nothing more, with the few features you mentioned (playlists, good/great quality, etc), the SanDisk Sansa Clip+ is all you'll ever need:

http://sandisk.com/products/sansa-music-and-video-players/sandisk-sansa-clip-mp3-players

They are brain-dead simple to use, they offer practically the best audio quality out there (seriously, go over to HeadFi.org and see just how many 'audiophiles' use the Clip+ as their players of choice on-the-go), great battery life, playlists, diminutive size, and all around they kick some serious ass.

If you want a bit more functionality, larger screen, etc, then the Fuze is highly recommended (I don't prefer the Fuze+, I mean the original Fuze line of players that have the circular spin-wheel control, the Fuze+ is all tactile press-to-work buttons).

You're not really going to do much better for a truly basic but highly capable mp3 player, especially considering the cost of one of these. Buy.com regularly sells Clip+ refurb models for around $20-35 depending on the capacity.
 
I just picked up a sony walkman 4gb for $60. Plays videos too so its pretty cool.
 
the clip+ is great, they are small, relatively cheap, sound good, extra storage via micro sd, and if you are into it, you can RockBox them for more EQ options and some other functionality.

I would also recommend the Nationite N2, it has all of the above (minus RockBox) with BBE sound enhancement technology plus a built in amp if you are driving a nice set of headphones.

schermafbeelding_2011-03-20_om_17.26.16.png
 
Sorry about the wall of text - I need it to keep Mexicans from illegaly accessing the forum. :p

Thanks for all the replies. The Sansa Clip seems like basically what I'm looking for. Just to be clear, is there any difference between Sansa Clip and Clip+? The one linked above just says "Clip" but I noticed that you all referred to the "Clip+" so I wanted to make sure. Any further input is appreciated. Thanks again.
 
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Bisectors Fore said:
Sorry about the wall of text - I need it to keep Mexicans from illegaly accessing the forum. :p

Thanks for all the replies. The Sansa Clip seems like basically what I'm looking for. Just to be clear, is there any difference between Sansa Clip and Clip+? The one linked above just says "Clip" but I noticed that you all referred to the "Clip+" so I wanted to make sure. Any further input is appreciated. Thanks again.
Click to expand...

Wikipedia has an entry that says the following:

On August 31, 2009, SanDisk released a redesign of the Sansa Clip called the Sansa Clip+, cosmetically similar to the Clip and maintaining its basic design, audio hardware, compatibility, and 4-line OLED screen, but with a few significant differences. The case has been redesigned to look more square (including the navigation pad, which is also no longer backlit) and is constructed of higher-quality plastic, the clip is no longer removable, and the player now supports folder browsing, gapless playback and Replay Gain support. A microSD card slot has been added, allowing the memory of the device to be expanded up to an additional 32GB. The Clip+ also has added features when playing slotMusic and slotRadio. To make room for the microSD slot there have been some changes from the old Clip, including moving the volume switch to the left side of the device and changing the power/hold switch to a simple power button. The new power button seems to be vulnerable to a mechanical problem that causes it to fail to respond to any input. Hold mode is now activated by holding the "Home" button on the device.
Click to expand...

So... take that with a grain of salt I suppose...
 
i'm partial to iaudio players myself
http://www.cowonglobal.com/

their UI tend to be a little weird in 1st use, once past that, very easy to use.
their biggest advantage is awesome sound quality. with decent earbuds (not cans), they rock.

i particularly like the i9.
http://www.cowonglobal.com/product_wide/iAUDIO9/product_page_1.php
relatively powerful (2x 30mW)
play all formats - mp3, wma, flac, ogg, ape, wav
good battery life - 20+ hrs
and windows recognises it as a removable drive (drag & drop).

i haven't got this model tho i have an old U2 and it still works (4-5 yrs old)
 
Bisectors Fore said:
Sorry about the wall of text - I need it to keep Mexicans from illegaly accessing the forum. :p

Thanks for all the replies. The Sansa Clip seems like basically what I'm looking for. Just to be clear, is there any difference between Sansa Clip and Clip+? The one linked above just says "Clip" but I noticed that you all referred to the "Clip+" so I wanted to make sure. Any further input is appreciated. Thanks again.
Click to expand...

Other than the obvious differences, the Clip+ has a warmer sound signature. The original Clip sounded brighter and more detailed. Both models have very good sound quality.
 
Many thanks for all the input. I think I'll go ahead and spring for Sansa Clip+. Looks like a great product for the price. :)
 
My Sansa Clip+ has served me well for a year. It has been hit with weights and even dropped in water but it is still kicking.
 
aphasia said:
i'm partial to iaudio players myself
http://www.cowonglobal.com/

their UI tend to be a little weird in 1st use, once past that, very easy to use.
their biggest advantage is awesome sound quality. with decent earbuds (not cans), they rock.

i particularly like the i9.
http://www.cowonglobal.com/product_wide/iAUDIO9/product_page_1.php
relatively powerful (2x 30mW)
play all formats - mp3, wma, flac, ogg, ape, wav
good battery life - 20+ hrs
and windows recognises it as a removable drive (drag & drop).

i haven't got this model tho i have an old U2 and it still works (4-5 yrs old)
Click to expand...

I agree. The sound quality of all Cowon players is nothing short of amazing. They blow the competition out of the water. I also don't care for the weird UI but I'm willing to tolorate it for the awesome sound. The build quality is top notch too.
 
Deadjasper said:
I agree. The sound quality of all Cowon players is nothing short of amazing. They blow the competition out of the water. I also don't care for the weird UI but I'm willing to tolorate it for the awesome sound. The build quality is top notch too.
Click to expand...

If you're an audiophiliac, definitely a Cowon. Great sound.
 
People over at HeadFi.org put the Clip+ right there with anything Cowon makes in terms of sound quality, it's one of the reasons so many people over there actually use the Clip+ as their "primary" portable source device. I know a lot of people value that BBE sound modification circuitry but, personally I've never even used EQ in the past on any material, just can't see the purpose for it myself. I just plug in and press Play, that's about it.

Never cared to carry that much crap around with me personally: a source device, then an amp - even that tiny fiio amp about the size of the iPod shuffle is just more to carry along, and then perhaps a case or whatever and a strap/rubberband to have it a contained in too - just too much for me. :)
 
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