Read Before Asking for Mp3 Player Recommendations

[WalkGood]

In order for our community to help you chose or recommend an Mp3 player we need some information:

• Location: General area where you live, so others can recommend purchase locations if possible (either online or B&M)
• Capacity: What size player do you need? Many come 2, 4, 6, 8, 16, 32GB or larger, these are mainly flash memory players but there are hard drive players that are larger. Also some of the flash memory players come with an expansion slot for a microSD card for expansion. Try to be clear what your needs are ...
• Budget: The price you are willing to invest, minimum to maximum spend
• Use: What is the main intended use? Commuting, working out, traveling, audiobooks, watching video, etc.
• Type/Design: DAP (digital audio player, more focused on music or no video at all), PMP (portable media player, more focused on video)
• Features: Gapless, MSC/MTP, EQ, sound enhancements, USB host, text reader, FM radio tuner, video, games, Bluetooth, internet, a built-in microphone or line input for recording, built in speaker, etc., etc, etc. …
• Display: Display or no display and rough size
• UI/Controls: User interface with tactical buttons, touch or combination of both
• Battery life: Some players don't have great battery life, how long will you need before recharging?

Links: abi’s Top 5 Players, abi reviews, What are the Most Important MP3 Player Features?, Glossary

Member recommended categories and recommendations (work in progress)

• Large capacity: Cowon X7, Archos, 32gb Cowon J3 + 32gb card and iPod
• Best bang for your buck: Clip Zip, Clip, Clip +, Fuze and Sony E series
• Best sound quality: Clip Zip, Clip +, Fuze v2, Cowon J3, X7, ZuneHD?
• Best battery life: the Cowon X7 103 hours, Cowon J3, Cowon i7
• Best for video: Cowon A3? (don't slam me, I don't do video on anything less than lappy), J3
• Best for podcasts: Clip+, Fuze, Zune HD
• Easy-to-use players: Clip Zip, Clip, Clip +, Zune HD

[CrowdAds]

[WalkGood]

Getting tired of seeing similar new threads once a week looking for mp3 player recommendations, so am I. Rather than starting a new sticky I thought unlocking this one and making regular updates as new players or recommendations change or come up might be a good idea. So I’ve started with an example and I’m looking for additional input so it’s a community thing and not just a few mods/admins/editors, post up your ideas on categories and players (DAP’s/PMP’s/etc) that you might recommend and I’ll update this sticky as needed.

Here’s an example, once the ball gets rolling I’ll update the sticky below the current bullets as the category labeled below, let’s please keep apple products to a minimum as this is anythingbutipod (alternative choices)

Member recommended categories and recommendations

• Large capacity: Cowon X7, Archos and iPod
• Best bang for your buck: Clip Zip, Clip, Clip + and Fuze
• Best sound quality: Clip Zip, Clip +, Cowon J3, X7, ZuneHD?
• Best battery life: the Cowon X7 103 hours, Cowon J3 60 hours
• Best for video: Cowon A3? (don't slam me, I don't do video on anything less than lappy)
• Best for podcasts & Audiobooks: Clip + and Fuze
• Easy-to-use players: Clip Zip, Clip +, Zune HD

*disclaimer, let's see how this goes ...

[dkschlaefer]

How about a category for easy-to-use players? People have asked for recommendations in the past for a non-tech family member or friend who needs something simple. I think the Clip + and Zune HD fit the bill from a hardware and firmware standpoint, and the Zune's desktop software makes it pretty darn easy to find new music and get it onto the device.

(Some of Creative's devices are nice and simple too, but I've had issues with hardware/firmware that keep me from recommending them)

[WalkGood]

I agree, thanks for the idea

Edit: I added your idea, but won't update the first post till we get a better list overall.

[musichound]

Best sound quality: The X7 also fits this classification because for the most part it uses the same audio components as the J3. I tried both and they sound virtually the same.

Best battery life: For high capacity players, the X7 - 103 hours for audio playback
For flash players, the J3, over 60 hours I believe.

[WalkGood]

I've gone ahead and updated the first post; I am still waiting on more recommendations or changes from members. The podcast category is still blank, this won’t work if you guys don’t suggest some players as this is “member recommended categories and recommendations.”

[Marvin the Martian]

I always thought the Clip+ and Fuze were good for podcasts, although I'm not using them for that purpose now.

[WalkGood]

Fair enough, better add rather than leave blank, thanks.

[The DarkSide]

Um, I have to admit that Creative, Zune, & the iPod's are all excellent w/podcasts as well.

[copeys]

Rockbox-able players? I've seen a few threads/posts of people looking for rock box players...

[McDougal]

^Definitely Rockboxable players.

I know this might be saying too much but IMHO the new iPod touch 4G has better SQ than the ZuneHD.....just a personal opinion.

Also don't forget the Sonys...very good players too.

[FreeZ5]

The first time I looked at this thread I thought I saw Audiobooks, but it must have just been Podcasts. I don't do audiobooks so no personal recommendations. But others seem to regularly suggest Clip+ & Fuze.

Maybe the line item should be Podcasts & Audiobooks?

Steve

[WalkGood]

Steve I'm the same all music on mine, thanks for suggestion and it's added.

[lestatar]

I gotta put my vote for Sony E series for "Best Bang for Buck" category.

Really, were the Fuze not Rockboxable, I might actually put the Sony E ahead of the stock Fuze in nearly every category, except for expandable storage. I still say, out of the box, the Sony E with its very pleasing Sony sound enhancements sound quite great, nudging out a stock Fuze [but that's just me]



-les [who dares to be different...]

[WalkGood]

Originally Posted by lestatar

I gotta put my vote for Sony E series for "Best Bang for Buck" category. ...

I was wondering when you were going to chime in ... added

[nodirectionhome]

what about Samsung players? or is this a mainly Sansa/Cowon list?

The Fuze and Cowon A3 are discontinued.

[skip252]

Originally Posted by nodirectionhome

what about Samsung players? or is this a mainly Sansa/Cowon list?

The Fuze and Cowon A3 are discontinued.

It's mainly a "what you suggest" list. Take a look at WalkGood's purpose in doing this in post#2. If you have a Samsung you think is best in a particular category or if you have a new category, suggest it.

I don't think a player being discontinued would exclude it from this list. If it's one you would recommend and it's still available it could be included. The Fuze may be discontinued but it's still available online new and refurbed. I wouldn't have a problem recommending someone buy one. If that changed down the road and you could only find them at collector pricing it would be time to take it off the list.

[WalkGood]

nodirectionhome, skip252 hit the nail on the head, if you have good experience with Samsung players feel free to suggest category and any of your reasons as I don't have any real experience with them. Posting your reasons aren't important to me but the peeps that we direct here might want to read the "why" in your post. I mainly started this as an easy way for us to point the hundreds of posts we get asking "recommend me a player," in hopes that it gets the poster thinking and some quick info.

[musichound]

I think for the best for Podcast category needs to go to the iPod Touch and Classic also. Using iTunes, this is a seamless process.

[WalkGood]

I understand that I did write "let’s please keep apple products to a minimum” and although I did include it in the large capacity category I’d rather not keep including it. If you think about it, it can actually fall into almost all categories one way or another and we are "anythingbutipod" so let’s look at alternative choices. I know that some of you guys have ipods and I don't have any problems with that, but there is another site for ipods and we're not it. BTW the day there’s more availability in large size players it’s coming off the list

Edit: BTW I'm not trying to ruffle any feathers, hope you understand my position ...