Travel Technology - hard drive music players: which one, and why?

What do you use? I have reviewed the archives here but things change quickly.

What do you think about the iPod these days?

And what about iRiver?

Whatever you use, why do you use it? And what are the strengths and weaknesses?

What do you use? I have reviewed the archives here but things change quickly.

What do you think about the iPod these days?

And what about iRiver?

Whatever you use, why do you use it? And what are the strengths and weaknesses?

The iPod is still the top HD player.

Some believe it's missing features such as an AM/FM radio tuner.

The main advantage with the iPod is that it works with MP3s, and the iTunes Music Store. I would argue that this is the easiest combination for purchasing digital music there is right now. They also have a fairly liberal use policy for the music purchased.

I've had an iPod for several years since the first generation and use it with the Mac. The interface works really well and is very easy to use. It's easy to find what you're looking for quickly. The songs transfer very quickly from the computer over Firewire.

Some Windows users have technical issues with getting the iPod to work over USB 2.0. Switching to Firewire usually solves the problems, but that is not always an option.

Everyone here knows that I am no ipod fan... :)

I don't like iriver because of their stupid user interface, I am a fan of the Rio Karma but sadly it has been discontinued. Currently using an Archos Gmini 400, does MP3, WMA, does drag-and-drop so no need for bloated software like itunes to transfer tunes, also does video, photos and even games. For $379 - a $40 rebate at the moment it is a better deal than an ipod photo IMHO.

I've had an iRiver H120 for over a year, and I don't find the user interface particularly stupid . . . I stick with file tree mode and keep my albums and artists neatly organized.

Note that this model has been discontinued in favor of the new color H3xx models.

I'm particularly fond of the unit's ergonomics; I can pause, stop, turn on/off and adjust the volume without removing it from my shirt pocket. And with the included remote, I can leave it safely ensconced in an inner pocket under a jacket while still able to navigate through albums/songs.

One thing that the iRivers offer that few other DAPs do is a L/R balance control; important if your hearing isn't what it used to be :)

It also has an FM tuner, but I really haven't used that.

Finally, there's an ongoing effort to port RockBox (http://www.rockbox.org/twiki/bin/view/Main/IriverPort) to this model (and initial forays into a porting effort to the H3xx series). This is an alternative firmware that provides much greater flexibility, including the ability to play Gameboy ROMs, decode and play many more less-popular music file formats, build and edit on-the-fly playlists and many other features.

I think a big consideration should be understanding what type of user you plan to be. Are you a tinkerer? Do you intend to store your music in high quality, lossless format? Do you, or do you plan to, purchase music online? If so, do you have a preferred source?

If you like to fiddle with technology, you might not be as fond of the iPod, because you can't fiddle with it as much. It has comparatively fewer knobs, dongles, settings, software options, features, etc. That's not to say it's too stripped down; in fact, most people have more than enough features to accomplish what they need to with the device. But if you're the type who works in the terminal window as much as in a GUI and builds your own machines, you might find it constraining.

If you are an audiophile who demands super-high quality music, you may hold HD capacity value above usability, or some of the other features that may be more of a priority for most users.

If you already have a substantial collection of music purchased online from something other than the iTunes Music Store or AllofMP3.com, then an iPod might not be for you. In fact, you'll want to be careful in selecting a player that is compatible with your collection.

If you're looking for something that is easy and quick to set up and sync with your music library on your computer, something with lots of available accessories to trick it out, easy user interface and fast navigation, etc, the iPod would probably be a good bet. Its main strength is in its integration with iTunes, which makes it a piece of cake to manage through your computer. No other player has such a comprehensive solution.

It's not for everyone, but, judging by the numbers, it's for about 75% of users and was the choice of 5 million of them in the last three months alone. :)

^
I and my bf are Ipod users, 1st gen and 3rd gen, both love them when on long flights or just a metro across town. His is only 5 gigs (I think?) where I have the 20 gigs. Honestly 20 gigs is more than anyone needs with them at one time in day to day life.

Pros-very easy to use I am a PC user and he's a Mac user we both find it easy and very intuitive.
- small and easy to carry/pack/toss in the backpack
- batt life is fine for me 5 hours for his 8 hours or so for mine we both have easy to use car chargers and travel chargers for when out of town
-Itunes is easy and cheap, very easy to create CDs of music or MP3s for other uses.

Cons
-cost of course
-wish I could classify a song as more than one kind of music
-seem to be on the hit list for thieves

Does anyone have input on the pros/cons of the different players when they're used while running & biking? (Other than the obvious difference of storage capacity)

Seems like the flash-memory would be best to avoid skipping -- with the hard-drive and removeable media types more prone to problems when bounced around.

DAP's come in many different styles and flavors. You have to determine What,when, where and how you will use your player.

I don't care for Ipod's simply because they are too limiting. Probably good for most people and neophytes but on a price vs feature basis there is little value for me. The only reason I would consider buying an ipod is if I was going to buy music from itunes. My music is encoded in OGG, FLAC, WMA and MP3 so an ipod is not the best player for me. Also I listen to several different types of music, so that i need to manipulate the sound. I have to have a player with a solid EQ. Ipod is limiting in that area.

Irivers have good sound and a solid feature set, I don't really care for them because of their continuous firmware issues.

Rio makes some solid players that sound awesome but everyone is waiting for the CHROMA to be released.

Creative makes solid well sounding players, with more functionality than Ipod. I am not crazy about their firmware updates.

Sony makes great DAP's but their software is proprietary and considered non-user friendly.

Samsung is making a big push into the DAP market but I have yet to test one out.


My preferred brand of players are from Cowon/iaudio. They make solid players with advanced feature sets, no proprietary software formats, UMS, multiple codec support, consistent firmware updates and most importantly they SOUND great with multiple EQ options.


Wait another 3 months and you will probably have more choices amongst DAP's than you can imagine.

Check out these 2 forums for good info on different players

http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/

http://dapreview.net/news.php

Does anyone have input on the pros/cons of the different players when they're used while running & biking? (Other than the obvious difference of storage capacity)

Seems like the flash-memory would be best to avoid skipping -- with the hard-drive and removeable media types more prone to problems when bounced around.


Some HD players such as Sony and Samsung have technology that supposedly protects the HD from physical shocks.

I suggest if you plan on exercising your better off getting a flash of CF/SD player for your workouts. I would suggest that you even get a cheap player so you don't have to worry about abusing it. After all you don't need 20gb of music to work out too.

Regarding the click wheel iPod and iPod photo . . . does anyone know when they were last updated? Seems they might be due for an update soon.

Regarding the click wheel iPod and iPod photo . . . does anyone know when they were last updated? Seems they might be due for an update soon.

The basics of the ipod haven't changed since the very first 5Gb device, with the exception of the scroll wheel and a few options the devices are pretty much the same....

Regarding the click wheel iPod and iPod photo . . . does anyone know when they were last updated? Seems they might be due for an update soon.

The last update was in March 2005.

They added a 30gig Photo and changed the accessory bundle. The 40 gig photo was discontinued. The 60 gig photo took a price reduction.

I have a Archos that I bought several years ago. But it's time for something new.

I don't find 20GB too much...it's too little in fact.

I have zero interest in iTunes or its ilk.

Anyone else happy or unhappy with their iRiver?

I have a Archos that I bought several years ago. But it's time for something new.

I don't find 20GB too much...it's too little in fact.

I have zero interest in iTunes or its ilk.

Anyone else happy or unhappy with their iRiver?


A tip: 20Gb isn't much, but 20Gb in WMA with VBR is pretty cool as it'll fit as much as 35Mb of mp3's. I used to use OGG on my Rio Karma and fit a whopping 48Gb of music into 20Gb without any noticable quality loss.

I've got a Sony Vaio Pocket (VGF-AP1L to be precise) (http://vaio.sony-europe.com/ShowProduct.do?site=ite_en_GB&category=VAIO+Portable+Players&product=VGF-AP1L). Got a nice 40GB disk which is enough for the majority of my music and interfaces well with my existing music collection as I could just drag and drop onto the VP and since it can play mp3 directly the process doesn't take eons. However I find SonicStage the biggest pile of doo-doo, now I hate iTunes but this is just bad :td: However, the VP is so good I am willing to put up with it.

Features I like:
-40GB disk
-Drag and drop transfer
-Easy categorisation
-remote control
-more than an 8hr battery life ;)
-direct connection to my camera for transfer of photos
-superb colour screen which makes a great photo viewer when on the go
and most of all IT'S NOT AN IPOD! :p

Bad features:
-Sonic Stage :td:
-Size - it's no iPod shuffle!

A tip: 20Gb isn't much, but 20Gb in WMA with VBR is pretty cool as it'll fit as much as 35Mb of mp3's

Did you mean 35GB? :)

Did you mean 35GB? :)

oops :p

I concur with Scott, although I use the Archos 4100 and find it to be the best machine in existence (that is until their PMA has bigger HD's), 100GB with video.

I forgot the mention that the Rio Karma seems to be the only player that currently does gapless playback. If you have alot of dance mixes this is a huge feature.

If I was to buy a HD player today I would probably lean towards the Cowon X5. It is a full featured DAP with a color screen, the only downside to the player is the lack of support for Id3 tags but I am confident that Cowon will provide a future firmware update to support that functionality. Cowon seems to respond their customers suggestions and concerns when it comes to the software.

The basics of the ipod haven't changed since the very first 5Gb device, with the exception of the scroll wheel and a few options the devices are pretty much the same....

Yeah, as a first generation 10Gb iPod owner, I know the changes haven't been "radical."

Still, if the OP is considering an iPod, I was thinking it might make sense to wait for if a product refresh is around the corner since it usually means increased capacity at the previous price points. But as another poster pointed out, the last refresh was this past March, so a refresh doesn't seem so likely soon.

I forgot the mention that the Rio Karma seems to be the only player that currently does gapless playback. If you have alot of dance mixes this is a huge feature

Vaio Pocket has gapless playback, unless you are in 'shuffle' mode in which case it is not much use for dance mixes anyway!

I have a Archos that I bought several years ago. But it's time for something new.

I don't find 20GB too much...it's too little in fact.

I have zero interest in iTunes or its ilk.

Anyone else happy or unhappy with their iRiver?

I've had the iRiver ihp 120 for a bit longer than a year and a half. The drag and drop interface is so easy, but I also like a couple of other features. The Optical line in allows me to transfer audiotapes or other formats directly to the player and the drag them onto my laptop HD if I want.

Also find the external mike very handy for taping speechs and presentations.

Earlier in this thread I posted some information regarding the H1xx series of players from iRiver. They've sadly been discontinued, but anyone that currently owns one can breath new life into it . . .

Rockbox (http://www.rockbox.org/twiki/bin/view/Main/IriverPort) lives!

The progress on the iRiver port of this firmware has been proceeding very rapidly of late, and it's at the point where it's quite usable. If you're comfortable flashing a firmware update on your H1xx, you can install and use Rockbox.

The list of features can be found at the link above, but the particulars that will excite iRiver owners include true gapless playback, on-the-fly playlists and bookmarks; MP3, Ogg Vorbis, FLAC, Musepack, AAC, AC3 and other file formats are now supported.

The FM radio's not enabled yet, and recording still needs quite a bit of work. But it's coming along, and fast.

If you're not averse to a little risk, check it out. So far, no one's bricked their player installing it :)

I like my Creative Jukebox 3 - 40GB is a lot of space and I like the spare battery port which means you get around 20 hours of playback which is great if you do long flights. Downside is the slightly bulkier size and lack of a shuffle or random playback.