Stuck choosing new DAP: Samsung R0 or Sansa Fuze

[GumbyX84]

I've been looking for a new MP3 player since I broke my Fuze v1 last year. I was going to get a Cowon, but money got tight and I had to pass on it. I was going to get a Fuze+, but the lack of tactile controls and problematic firmware turned me off. So I've been MP3 player-less for 7+ months. :'(

Today I was at Toys R' Us and saw that they were having a clearance sale on MP3 player. I took a look out of boredom and was suprised to see that they had Fuzes. I was going to grab one when I saw a YP-R0 next to them. I liked the style of the player better then the Fuze and have had good experiences with Sansung players in the past. Does anyone know how the Fuze (v2 I'm guessing) compares to the R0? I can't find any comparisons in any of the forums, so I have nothing to go off of. The major features I'm looking for are sound quality, ease of use, and stability of firmware. Any insight you can give would be appreciated

[The DarkSide]

Better deal: Sony S639 16gb @89.99 from Sony Style -it's new, but listed as a refurb as it's got an expired coupon in the box (also has an excellent starter set of in ear headphones in the package): http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/...52921666065153

[lestatar]

I too think that Sony S639 is a sweet deal. Still to try and answer some questions...

The V2 Fuze is superior to the V1 in terms of battery life. For you, the GUI will remain familair and the controls well known. Also, keep in mind Fuze v2 is fully Rockboxable, with all the benefits that come with RB.

The Samsung R0 IMO is indeed a nice looking piece of gear, physically nicer than the venerable Fuze. However, look in the Samsung R0 subforums - I recall reading some folks reporting GUI/FW issues, but confirm for yourself.

Price for each?

[dgb52]

Plus with the Fuze you can always expand your memory

Maybe you should check out a Clip+

[GumbyX84]

Originally Posted by lestatar

I too think that Sony S639 is a sweet deal. Still to try and answer some questions...

The V2 Fuze is superior to the V1 in terms of battery life. For you, the GUI will remain familair and the controls well known. Also, keep in mind Fuze v2 is fully Rockboxable, with all the benefits that come with RB.

The Samsung R0 IMO is indeed a nice looking piece of gear, physically nicer than the venerable Fuze. However, look in the Samsung R0 subforums - I recall reading some folks reporting GUI/FW issues, but confirm for yourself.

Price for each?

I did see some posts about FW issues, but also read a few posts about FW fixes. Rockbox is also in the process of being ported, so that would solve any FW problems. Price wise, I believe there is only a $10 difference ($80 for R0 and $70 for Fuze) with a 15% discount on either player if you buy it in stores.

Originally Posted by The DarkSide

Better deal: Sony S639 16gb @89.99 from Sony Style -it's new, but listed as a refurb as it's got an expired coupon in the box (also has an excellent starter set of in ear headphones in the package)

I am not a fan of Sony walkmans. Don't like the interface or buttons. Major reason I dont like them is that Sony only supports MTP transfer. I have a Mac, so I need MSC/UMS.

Originally Posted by dgb52

Plus with the Fuze you can always expand your memory

Maybe you should check out a Clip+

ATM I don't really care about expanded memory. My old Fuze was 4GB and I only recently got close to maxing it out, and that's because I had duplicates of songs on it (App I used to transfer playlists was creating folders for each playlist, even if they shared songs in common). The Clip+ is just too small for me (I can palm it twice over). I probably should have listed physical size as a feature I'm looking for.

[The DarkSide]

The Sony will show up as an MSC device on your MAC, and drag and drop works on a MAC or a PC. Otherwise, if your just not personally fond of the Walkman - it's all good. The Fuze is still a great choice, and it's something you possibly might want to consider - or a Cowon dap. It's a bit more expensive, but it's worth it.

[GumbyX84]

Originally Posted by The DarkSide

The Sony will show up as an MSC device on your MAC, and drag and drop works on a MAC or a PC. Otherwise, if your just not personally fond of the Walkman - it's all good. The Fuze is still a great choice, and it's something you possibly might want to consider - or a Cowon dap. It's a bit more expensive, but it's worth it.

If by Drag-and-drop you mean MTP mode, you are incorrect. *nix doesn't have native support for MTP. You can install third party drivers and apps to get it to work, but I've had bad luck with them in the past. MSC mode is just easier. If you mean UMS/MSC, I thought the Sony walkmans had issues with MSC mode. Maybe not with connecting, but with playlists:

Originally Posted by skip252

opps! forgot to quote you. Yeah back a few months ago you had some questions about making playlists on a Sony connected in MSC mode to a Mac. I may be remembering poorly but I thought you said the lack of .m3u playlists in that case was a dealbreaker. Sorry if I'm mis-characterizing your thoughts back then.

I would get a Cowon but I cannot afford one anymore. Like I said in my first post, I was planning to get one but wasn't able to.

I have another day or two until my credit card clears, so I have time to decide which to get. Though the more I read up on the R0, the more I'm liking it.

[lestatar]

@Gumby, yes glad you saw that RB is in the process of being worked on by some awesome people. Still, as much as they have achieved thus far, I think a real working RB port for the R0 is some time away. If you can wait, sure. But even so, there is no guarantee of ultimate success of the RB Samsung R0 port or what degree of success they will have.

As excited as I am by this effort, I am still waiting on the sidelines before grabbing a R0, even though in its stock form, it is already a pretty decent piece of gear. Just some apparent issues with the device makes it not so much a priority for me right now.

So to answer your original post again, yes, I would go Fuze at this moment...

[GumbyX84]

Thanks for the heads up lestatar. I can wait for the RB port (as I waited for it for the e250R and Fuze). I just want to make sure the stock FW is something close to stable. Looks like I have some more research to do. The R0 just seems to be the "perfect" player for me, but then again so what the View and look how that turned out.

Edit: After doing some more research, I decided to go with a v2 Fuze. I'd have loved to get the R0, but the firmware is lacking and there is no alternative as of yet. Sadly players like the Fuze and R0 (tactile controls) seem to be going the way of the Doodo.