MP3 players are disappearing

[JK98]

Only 11-15 hours of battery life for a new player? Keep in mind that this will drop over time as the player ages. I want a player that starts out with around double the absolute minimum battery life I need, so that when the battery gets down to half its initial power capacity the player is still convenient to use. Around 12 hours or so of run time from a $30 player(Clip+) isn't so bad, however I won't pay much more than that to get the same limited battery life. My oldest Clip+ seems to be below 6 hours in battery life now, using Rockbox. The battery life might even be 4 hours or less now. I didn't measure it precisely.

[CrowdAds]

[The DarkSide]

This is a player/amp combo, so it's using a lot more power to make it go. Use a battery pack,...I suspect you might own one.

[Marvin the Martian]

Originally Posted by JK98

Only 11-15 hours of battery life for a new player? Keep in mind that this will drop over time as the player ages. I want a player that starts out with around double the absolute minimum battery life I need, so that when the battery gets down to half its initial power capacity the player is still convenient to use. Around 12 hours or so of run time from a $30 player(Clip+) isn't so bad, however I won't pay much more than that to get the same limited battery life. My oldest Clip+ seems to be below 6 hours in battery life now, using Rockbox. The battery life might even be 4 hours or less now. I didn't measure it precisely.

The output power is equal to that of 16.66667 Clip+ players. That is why the battery life is what it is.

[BruceBanner]

So the question is, is the output overkill? I mean being that so many of us are avid sansa fans, how about 3-4 times the power with better battery life rather than 16.66667 times.

[Marvin the Martian]

Originally Posted by BruceBanner

So the question is, is the output overkill? I mean being that so many of us are avid sansa fans, how about 3-4 times the power with better battery life rather than 16.66667 times.

For most of us here in this forum, its output probably is overkill. Consider this...it has a 3,000mAh battery..... my SGP 5.0 has a 2,500mAh battery, and it is rated at 60 hours under certain conditions.

But they are aiming the player at the Head-Fi crowd that likes power-hungry cans....it basically has the amp hardware of the E17 portable DAC/amp built into the X3. So in a way they could be cannibalizing some of their own sales.

I'm intrigued by the player, but I am happy with what I have now (plus I am poor) so I will probably not be buying one. I think they are planning on ~$199 USD price-wise.

[epithetless]

Originally Posted by BruceBanner

So the question is, is the output overkill? I mean being that so many of us are avid sansa fans, how about 3-4 times the power with better battery life rather than 16.66667 times.

I think the goal in raising the output power to that extent is to allow the player to work alone with high-impedance headphones that would otherwise require an additional amp to drive. Oh, and to appeal to the irrationality of certain audiophiles who think crazy high output power boosts sound quality, regardless of the volume level or type of headphones used.

[JK98]

Originally Posted by Marvin the Martian

For most of us here in this forum, its output probably is overkill. Consider this...it has a 3,000mAh battery..... my SGP 5.0 has a 2,500mAh battery, and it is rated at 60 hours under certain conditions.

But they are aiming the player at the Head-Fi crowd that likes power-hungry cans....it basically has the amp hardware of the E17 portable DAC/amp built into the X3. So in a way they could be cannibalizing some of their own sales.

I'm intrigued by the player, but I am happy with what I have now (plus I am poor) so I will probably not be buying one. I think they are planning on ~$199 USD price-wise.

Why couldn't they design this to get 40+ hours of battery life when set to a low power output mode, but only get 12 hours or so in the high output mode?

Will they really price it at $199, or will the list price be $199 and it might perhaps be discounted to $140 or less?

[epithetless]

Originally Posted by JK98

Why couldn't they design this to get 40+ hours of battery life when set to a low power output mode, but only get 12 hours or so in the high output mode?

Because, like every other product manufacturer in the world, they didn't have you at the helm to steer them.

Originally Posted by JK98

Will they really price it at $199, or will the list price be $199 and it might perhaps be discounted to $140 or less?

I'm not sure any one of us can answer that. It's probably going to be a wait-and-see-(until-it's-released) type of situation, although I can't imagine a brand new, niche device that (hypothetically) lists for $200 getting a $60+ discount right off the bat...

[CDMP3PlayerFan]

Originally Posted by The DarkSide

This is a player/amp combo, so it's using a lot more power to make it go. Use a battery pack,...I suspect you might own one.

Although I like the design of the player, I was put off by it's relatively short battery life. It's unfortunate that they wouldn't design it to use an easily replaceable battery, allowing you to buy extra batteries for backup power when needed.

[The DarkSide]

Originally Posted by CDMP3PlayerFan

Although I like the design of the player, I was put off by it's relatively short battery life. It's unfortunate that they wouldn't design it to use an easily replaceable battery, allowing you to buy extra batteries for backup power when needed.

A user swappable battery would have been an excellent idea,...I wish they had gone that route myself.

[CDMP3PlayerFan]

Originally Posted by The DarkSide

A user swappable battery would have been an excellent idea,...I wish they had gone that route myself.

The kind of battery I was thinking is one that attaches to the bottom of the player and doesn't call attention to itself (except for a small separation line it looks like it's part of the player). Then it can be quickly removed with a twist and replaced. Since both the player and battery are sealed units, you don't have to open the player to replace the battery.

Considering the proposed price of the player, I'm sure many users would be willing to pay something like $20 each to get an extra battery pack or two. In that case, for me the issue of battery life is a non-issue.

At my first look the specs on the player look good, and I like the overall look of the player. If they had included a user-replaceable battery, I'd get one as soon as it's available in the U. S.