Looking for an mp3 Player Recommendation

[az_ryan]

Hello ABI. Thanks for a great site. My name is Ryan, and I'd like to get your recommendations for an mp3 player to replace my iPod nano (2nd gen.), which I left in my pants pocket and washed.

I would like my new player to...

• Sound decent. 95% percent of the time, I'm listening to audiobooks and podcasts. I play them through my car's stock stereo using an old-school cassette adapter. When I listen to music, it's through a pair of $20 Sennheiser HD 201 headphones. So basically, I want a player that sounds decent using this setup, but it's not going to be awesome.
• Have enough memory to hold 2-3 audiobooks, about 12 podcasts, and 20 music albums.
• Be tough enough to withstand the occasional drop or bang.
• Have a replaceable battery, if possible. In a year when the built-in battery dies, I'd like to be able to replace it rather than toss the player in a landfill. (I'm a handy, do-it-yourself type).
• Be compatible with anything I plug it into. I use a PC, but I'd like to be able to plug it into my girlfriend's Mac or my buddy's Linux box and be able to work with non-DRM, non-subscription music files on it.
• Use a standard USB connection, if possible. I think proprietary connections with all the proprietary accessories are a pain.
• Have a good user interface. I don't want to be annoyed navigating deeply nested folders or be distracted by other "cute" features. I want to easily find my books and songs.
• Cost somewhere around $100 or less.

My new player DOES NOT need to...

• Manage subscription content. I don't subscribe to music services. I rip music from CDs or buy non-DRM mp3's from Amazon.
• Play video. I don't watch movies on tiny screens.
• Show album art. In fact, I want the option to not transfer album art so I can save memory.
• Have expandable memory, i.e., have an SD card or micro SD card slot. The built-in memory will be good enough for me.

So, what do you think? Does such a player exist?

I appreciate all your comments and recommendations. I apologize if this post covers ground already discussed in other posts. If so, please point me in the right direction.

Thanks!
Ryan

[HipHopScribe]

The Sansa Clip fits the bill, other than the replaceable battery, but given you can find the 2GB for around $40, and the 4GB for around $60, it's not a big crime that the battery will die in 2 or 3 years.

[derf]

I would go against the clip since the battery is not user replaceable without breaking the player (EnzoTen opened one up and broke it).

[The DarkSide]

regardless of the replaceable battery the clip is what you're looking for.

[JK98]

Originally Posted by derf

I would go against the clip since the battery is not user replaceable without breaking the player (EnzoTen opened one up and broke it).

Since the 2 gig Clip now sells in some places for under $50, it is not so bad that the battery is not replaceable. Imo disposable players that are under $50 are not so bad. My main objection is to players that are well over $50 and perhaps over $100 or even over $200 and are considered disposable due to the fixed battery.

[Jack4L]

Recomend getting the newer version of the Sansa e200, the Sansa e200v2. After a short bit of testing, I couldn't really find any huge differences between my clip and the e200v2. The sound quality atleast doesn't suck like it used to.

Note, only buy the e200 if it CLEARLY states on the box that it will run audible audio books, if it doesn't it might or might not be the new v2 model... My new e200 box (got it new, under warenty) doesn't state its a v2 anywhere, nor does it state it can play audio books, but it is a v2 nonetheless... Still I see the proper v2 boxe in stores stating that the player is audible audio book compatible.

The e200v2 would have everything you need, and dont need, EXCEPT it does have its own proprietary connection cable.

[az_ryan]

Thank you all for the recommendations. They were very helpful. I looked hard at both the e200 series and the Clip. In the end the cheap minimalist in me decided to go with the 2GB Clip in black. It was just what I needed and nothing more, so I went for it.

I might have bought the 4GB Clip, but I really dislike the silver case and especially the silver faceplate. I know the OLEDs shine through, but I think there needs to be a display window to balance the controls. Plus, the 2GB Clip was cheap: $48 on Amazon. After I applied a $30 credit, it was only $18 out of pocket. That's probably cheaper than a replacement battery.

I'm looking forward to trying it out soon. Thanks again for your help!