Looking to replace my 8gb zune.

[lvillepunk85]

My first post on the forums here.

I've been a loyal zune supporter for the past couple years with a 30 & 8 gig models(my 8 gig has had a cracked screen for so long lol). I believe in subscription music and since rhapsody has a lesser priced plan(even though there are rumors that microsoft may lower the price to match) and also the fact recently i've noticed zune has stopped carrying some of my favorite artist. Im looking for a player similar to size of the 8 gig zune, a little larger form factor won't bother me, I just don't want something the size of a smartphone like some of these newer models are. Looking for minimum of 16 in storage, kinda a audiophile when it comes to sound lol. Looking to spend maybe up to $150, and I wanna make sandisk my last alternative because I had a 280r back in the day and yea...most unstable and annoying device I've ever had.

I've enjoyed creative earphones(630's) but always reading about the lame build of their devices and I always carry my player around EVERYWHERE so I dunno, help me peoples!

Thanks in advance.

[skip252]

Welcome to ABi!

If you are looking for a nice player that handles subscription music I would first look at the Sony line of players. The Sony E345 is a 16GB player that has a solid feature set and excellent sound. Andreas does a review of E34x series here. You can usually find one in the local big box (BestBuy,Walmart) for around $90-$100. If you're shopping online you should be able to find one in the $75-$80 range. If some disaster happened and I had to buy a player to that wasn't a Sansa it would probably be the player I bought. Except...

SonyStyle has the Sony S639 available on their site. MSRP is $159.99 but they are selling it for $74.99. It's listed as a refurb. It's actually new in the box. I just gave my nephew one as a graduation gift. The reason they are calling it refurbished is that there are some expired coupons in the packaging that won't let the sell them as new. The warranty is the same a new unit when you register.

If you look at Andreas review here you'll see that it's a much better player that has all the features that were left out of the E34x series. Much better battery life and build quality.The headphones themselves would retail for around $40 if they were sold separately. Very detailed and clear. I got both the E345 and the S639 around the Christmas holidays. After experiencing the S639 I sold the E345. It was a very good player but the S639 is just better.

Regarding Sansa products, I've had Sansa or 2 including the e280r. You're right, that was a squirrelly player for me but Rockbox tamed that. I find the current group of Sansa players to be much more stable and they are a favorite around here.

If video is not important to you take a look at the Clip+. It's listed as a Rhapsody compatible device and the expansion card is considered part of the device and works with the subscription service. You can pick up the 8GB for around $60 and should be able to find a 8 GB microsdhc card for under $20. Leaves quite a bit of your budget for better headphones. You'll need them. The included earbuds are mediocre at best.

I'm sure that other members will chime in with their thoughts on what would be a good player for your circumstances. This is a great time to be looking for a new player. Prices are relatively low and quality is very good. Enjoy yourself while you look around.

[bikertrash]

The Sansa Clip+ and Fuze has the Rhapsody capability.

[The DarkSide]

Sony S639 all the way baby!!!!!!!!!!