P3 Replacement-Help Please!

[spantastic]

Right my P3's touch screen is dying and I'd rather buy something new than have to pay a ridiculous amount to get it fixed.

I love the P3 and everything it does but as new 8gb versions are now more expensive than my 16gb one was nearly 2years ago i'm looking for something new but along the same lines.

Ok so the wish list-

1) 16+ storage or the ability to expand it as long as the extra memory integrates fully.
2) Must have a shuffle feature
3) Must have some function to create playlists on the fly
4) Would prefer it to have a speaker and microphone
5) Would like some tactile volume controls if a touch screen
6) Decent battery life
7) Preferable drag and drop, i find that generally any dedicated software is useless.

Hope i'm not asking to much. I've looked around quite a bit and just can't seem to make a decisions as every player that seems great one minute is bashed by someone the next.

Any help would be great, thanks.

[CrowdAds]

[deadohiosky]

well, you did not specify on your budget so i'm gonna throw in the Cowon J3.

it goes for $185 at 8GB (16 GB, $218) up to $271 for the 32GB version at amazon.com.

it has a mic, speakers tactile controls (volume rocker, power/hold, play/pause, rew,ff), like most decent players it has a shuffle feature, i think you can have a favorite list but not really a "on the fly" playlist, afaik.
it behaves like a usb storage device if you want it to. it has 64 hours of "rated" battery life.

and finally it has a mSD slot for mSDHC cards up to 32GB.


there is nothing else, fitting your bill, afaik.

[spantastic]

Cheers for the info, i read a few reviews on that, people on here seem to love it. I read something about you only being able to but 12,000 songs on it then you have to use the micro sd slot? I'm not sure was on amazon a while ago. Is it worth paying for the extra capacity or just bunging a memory card in there?

[deadohiosky]

Originally Posted by spantastic

Cheers for the info, i read a few reviews on that, people on here seem to love it. I read something about you only being able to but 12,000 songs on it then you have to use the micro sd slot? I'm not sure was on amazon a while ago. Is it worth paying for the extra capacity or just bunging a memory card in there?

actually it's only 8,000 music/video files (and 4,000 other files, total 12,000 files) for internal storage and the same for a mSD card.

again, if you are on a budget a 8GB or 16GB J3 plus a 8/16 GB card will come cheaper than a 32 GB J3. But if you (like me) want to have possibly 64GB of storage you might want to consider the 32GB version and you can later buy a mSD card for "cheap".


oh and you really shouldn't bother about the file limit. you should use high bitrate files anyway (if you want to enjoy music on the J3) and you won't hit the file limit this way.

[headpiece747]

The Sony Walkman S545 would be another one to look at it has 16GB, external speakers and great battery life.

[McDougal]

For your needs I would personally recommend the Sony Walkman S545 over the Cowon J3. From your given requirements I feel that the J3 is a little overkill, plus more expensive than the Sony.

[deadohiosky]

Originally Posted by McDougal

For your needs I would personally recommend the Sony Walkman S545 over the Cowon J3. From your given requirements I feel that the J3 is a little overkill, plus more expensive than the Sony.

yup, except no expansion slot and no "on the fly" playlist(and lackluster msc support). but it still would be the wiser, the budget choice.

got me J3 today, and i'm deeply in love... with an electronic device. pathetic.

[spantastic]

cheers guys, lots to think about

[Swordian83]

Unless all your songs are in Flac format. You shouldn't worry too much about the capacity.

[nodirectionhome]

cowon J3 yes, might also suggest the Sony S755

[spantastic]

Thanks for all the help so far, just need a bit more before i part with my hard earned cash!

So quick question about the J3. how well does the SD card music integrate with the rest of the library? Does it just all get put in the same place so you can browse it with music on the actual player by genre, artist ect or do you have to browse it separately?

[dfkt]

Cowon J3 Review.

[McDougal]

^+1

[spantastic]

cheers