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What mp3 player to get...

Which mp3 player to choose

  • Creative Zen Micophoto 8gb.

    Votes: 15 41.7%

  • Sandisk Sansa e280 8gb.

    Votes: 13 36.1%

  • Other 8gb or larger small player.

    Votes: 8 22.2%
  • Total voters
    36
P

plywood99

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Dec 25, 2004
Messages
1,666
Hey all trying to decide what mp3 player to get. I've narrowed it down to the 8gb Zen Microphoto or the Sansa e280 when it comes out in a couple weeks. I like the Zen but the Sansa is flash based so should be more durable.

No Ipods please, overated and over priced imho.

Name other players you like also. Only thing I'm looking for is 8gb storage or more and small size, along with decent battery life...
 
I didn't vote [because you "forgot" the iPod option :)], but I'd recommend solid state flash players over microdrive or hard disk players. For the storage capacity you're looking for, solid state is what you should be looking for, in my opinion.

So, of the two, I'd go with the Sansa.
 
Sandisk Sansa e280 8gb is pretty cool i mean i got the sansa 2gb model.. i think it's the e250?.. well any hoo the mp3 player can also play video which is pretty fun when you get bored and it's pretty sleek.. it's like the size of a nano but about 2 times as thick.. o and the mini sd slot
 
phide said:
I didn't vote [because you "forgot" the iPod option :)], but I'd recommend solid state flash players over microdrive or hard disk players. For the storage capacity you're looking for, solid state is what you should be looking for, in my opinion.

So, of the two, I'd go with the Sansa.
Click to expand...

Lol, didn't forget Phide, just don't care for the Ipods. And there is the other option on the poll, but it must be atleast a 8gb player...
 
Well I've had 2 Creative Zen Micro's now. 6 gig and 5 gig. I know they're not the same model that you're looking at, but I've been very happy with both of them, so I'd say the Creative!
 
I have an iriver h10 20gig, and I know your not looking for a hdd one, but just to warn you, the h10's are garbage. They freeze and you have to reset them, iriver has the worst tech support, half the time the computer wont recognize it. My uncle has a sansa and he loves it, so theres my vote.
 
I had the Zen Micro Photo for around 6 months and didn't really care for it. I seemed very slugish to access songs compared to my 5G iPod.
 
Hmm,
sounds like the Sansa e280 is the way to go. Been checking online but can't find a place selling them yet...
 
sparky3009 said:
I have an iriver h10 20gig, and I know your not looking for a hdd one, but just to warn you, the h10's are garbage. They freeze and you have to reset them, iriver has the worst tech support, half the time the computer wont recognize it. My uncle has a sansa and he loves it, so theres my vote.
Click to expand...

It took them 3 weeks to send back my H10 5GB from RMA. And it STILL freezes and doesn't get recognized by my computer!
 
Chris__ said:
It took them 3 weeks to send back my H10 5GB from RMA. And it STILL freezes and doesn't get recognized by my computer!
Click to expand...

Ouch. I thought Iriver was a good brand...
 
plywood99 said:
Ouch. I thought Iriver was a good brand...
Click to expand...

I've tried an iRiver. I hated the interface as it wasn't like an MP3 player, it was like something that could play MP3's.
 
I'd go with the Sansa out of those 2. It is nice, but the buttons around the scroll wheel are harder to access due to being indented.

I know you don't want an iPod or anything big, but imo, buying a refurbed 30gb video iPod from Apple for $200 + free shipping is a pretty good deal.
 
-Rc- said:
I'd go with the Sansa out of those 2. It is nice, but the buttons around the scroll wheel are harder to access due to being indented.

I know you don't want an iPod or anything big, but imo, buying a refurbed 30gb video iPod from Apple for $200 + free shipping is a pretty good deal.
Click to expand...

That is a very good price, cheapest I've seen. But it is too big for use during exercise, you know, running and biking or at the gym...

Ply
 
If you want something in the 1-8gb range, how about the Cowon iAudio 6? Cowon players have some of the best audio quality, and can play a huge range of formats including ogg and flac.
 
Sounds good but really looking for a minimum of 8gb. I like to keep a large variety of music with me. Never know what kind of mood I may be in. May want some Dream Theater or Metallica one minute, and maybe Sinead Oconner or Natalie Merchant the next. Or some Depeche mode. Variety is the spice of life... ;)
 
Hmm, noticed the poll is tied at seven votes each for the Zen Microphoto and the Sansa e280. Might have to get each and see which is the better.

I've been to the Creative forums getting feedback from other users. But I don't see a forum for Sansa. Anyone know if there is a Sansa forum???

Ply
 
Well the microphoto is pretty cool but the screen is pretty bad, whenever the microphoto glows the screen has a blue tint to it. It's not particularly bright either, but the viewing angles are excellent due to it being an OLED. Mine died within a week though, well most my fault it had a little tumble (only 3 feet) worked fine and locked up the day after, luckily I got a refund. I'm sure I could have probably reset the player but I wanted a vision m :D . The SQ was subpar on the microphoto as well after hearing both. I'm pretty sure you should avoid the microphoto if you care about that stuff, can't speak for the others.
 
StaticSurge said:
Mine died within a week though, well most my fault it had a little tumble (only 3 feet) worked fine and locked up the day after, luckily I got a refund.
Click to expand...
Yikes. People may have mixed opinions of the iPod, but it's pretty safe to say that they're all built like tanks. My nano has taken a tumble on more than one occasion, and although now badly scratched, still functions perfectly. I've known people that have dropped them in water (and one who accidentally left a Mini sitting in a hot tub overnight), and after a quick drying, all come back functional.

I kind of imagine the Sansa will be about as rugged, which is a pretty good bonus, because entropy has this nasty habit of always increasing.
 
I'm really awating the Sansa e280. I've had a couple of Creative players and while the players themselves aren't bad, I loathe the software options (both 1st and 3rd party).
 
You might look at DAP Review's top picks.
http://www.dapreview.net/news.php

I'd personally be more inclined towards a player with Ogg Vorbis support. Vorbis, because it sounds quite good at low bitrates, lets you cram more music onto your device. I got my wife a Rio Karma and she's still amazed at how much music (Ogg Vorbis --quality 2) she can fit on the 20 gigs. With ~8 GB, I'd think it even more important.

Interestingly, you can add Ogg support, and other nifty features to the iPod and some other players using a (fully reversible) third-paty open firmware called Rockbox.

http://www.rockbox.org/twiki/bin/view/Main/WhyRockbox

dapreview's Top Picks:

Creative Zen Vision: M, 30gb
• Just like the iPod video, but you also get FM radio, voice recording, a brighter screen, longer battery life, better quality TV output, and it supports WMA10 DRM (music subscription services). Review.

Cowon A2, 20gb • Our favorite Portable Media Player, with a widescreen display, 8 hours of video playback, and support for all major audio and video formats (including AC3). Also has FM radio, audio and video recording, and USB Host. Read our review HERE.

iPod nano • We like this one for being so small, thin and lite while supporting the same features as the iPod Color. Available with 2gb or 4gb of flash memory. Review.

iRiver Clix, 2gb • Same price as the 2gb iPod nano, but it also has FM radio, video playback, and Flash-based games in addition to bigger, higher resolution screen.

Archos AV500 30gb • New audio/video player with a 4-inch widescreen and high-quality video recording. Also has TV output, USB Host, and a removeable battery.

iAudio X5L 20gb • Plays MP3, WMA, OGG, and FLAC audio, plus FM radio, voice recording, line-in recording, USB Host, and a 5-band EQ. The X5L version has double the battery power, runs for 30+ hours! Review.

Archos Gmini402 20gb • Plays MP3/WMA audio and MP4 videos at 30fps. Also features audio recording, USB Host, and video output to TV.

iPod Video 30gb • A good choice for anyone who values simplicity. We like the click-wheel controller, thin design, big color screen, photo display, and smooth video playback at 30fps. Review.

Rio Karma 20gb • This is our favorite DAP of all time, but Rio went out of business in 2005 and it's no longer available. Featured gapless playback and crossfading between all formats (MP3, WMA, OGG, FLAC), a highly customizable EQ, and a most excellent GUI. Sigmatel, a chipset maker, bought Rio's property and we should see derivatives arriving in late 2006.
Click to expand...
 
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I had an Iaudio X5 and overall it was an ok device. My only gripes about it were a slow boot time and that stupid proprietery dongle thingy for connecting. Seriously WTF? I'd probably still have it if it weren't for that German asshat that decided to smash my car window and steal my player. Bastard.

I'd definately get the Iriver Clix but 2GB just isn't enough space personally. I'd assume the OP would have the same reaction as well.
 
You might do well to consider a refurbished Karma. If you look on the Ebay Stores, you can find some factory sealed refurbs with a few months of third-party warranty for ~$150. For the features and usability, that's really a steal.
 
Yeah Creative definately needs to work on the quality of their products. Even my vision m has it's problems, it scratches way too easily. You'd think they'd use better plastic on one of their higher DAPs. I guess they're just as bad as ipods, I just find it ridiculous the amount of protection one has to get for these things. And once and a while a song will become distorted out of the blue and Creative still hasn't adressed this issue. I'm pretty disapointed with them as a company and I think i'll be looking elsewhere next time.
 
The Karma seems like a really nice player. Anyone know what the size of it is? Seem it would be pretty big since it is a 20igi unit...

Ply
 
I feel the need to defend the ipod, I dont generally like apple (too pretentious for me). But the iPod video is the only mp3 player on the market that does what it does at the price point, it really is the best player for the money. (or at least was when I bought one a couple of months ago). That said, if you aren't interested in the video option, well, the ipod isn't the place to go.


That said, I've never had any problem with microdrive players, and I have had problems with flash ones. Given the two you put forward I'd take the sansa. But for a sure thing, the creative is a good player, undoubtedly.
 
Well, I went ahead and bought both players, the e260 (e280 not out yet) and the Microphoto.

Here is the breakdown.

Size winner: Sansa
Has a nice compact size, just a tad larger than a Nano.

Features winner: Sansa
Does all that the Microphoto does plus video.

Photo viewing winner: Sansa
Lets me listen to music while looking at all those pretty pictures I took.

Sound quality winner: Microphoto
Excellent sound quality and very low background noise. But a very close call.

Playback options winner: Microphoto
Just so many options for playback, multiple playlists, the cool auto DJ feature, easy win here.

Display winner: tie
Sansa has the better look, but, the Microphoto allows customization. Microphoto uses oled display but is not very bright and next to impossible to see in bright daylight. Sansa display is much brighter but is angle dependant. For some reason the Sansa display seemed to mess with my vision too, nothing serious, just seemed a little funky on the eyes.

Controls winner: Microphoto
Although the touch sensitive panel can be too sensitive, even on low sensitivity, it is much better than the minute scroll wheel and hard to access buttons of the Sansa.

Looks winner: Microphoto
Call me crazy, but I like the look of the Creative player better.

Build quality winner: Microphoto
Has a nice solid feel to it, and the paint job is fabulous.

Durability winner: Sansa
Since it is flash based it should be able to handle shocks and drops better.

Included phones winner: Tie
Both phones sounded decent, nothing special. Will need aftermarket phones.

Software winner: Microphoto
Not even close. Creative has the far better software for their player, and more options.

Battery life winner: Sansa
Sansa is rated for a few more hours of playtime over the Microphoto. Both have user replaceable batteries.

Overall winner: Microphoto
My main need was a good solid mp3 player and the Microphoto just does it better. While not as small as the Sansa or as durable, since it is hardrive based, when it comes to playing music it is a top notch player. Microphoto gets to stay at home with me, and the Sansa goes back to Walmart.

On a side note, looking through forum threads I came upon a couple guys with the Microphoto who swapped out the hardrive for a compact flash drive. With CF cards going for around $130.00 for 8gigs, I'm very tempted to make my Microphoto into a flash based player, should increase battery life too.

Well, thats it for now...

Ply
 
Thanks -Rc-.

I've had several players before the Sansa and the Microphoto, and all have their quibbles. With so many good players on the market today, it mainly boils down to taste and value. If the company who made the Karma mentioned above was still around and it was smaller, it would have been the choice for me...

Ply
 
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