Help with finding a 30+gb player that needs no software

[musichound]

+1 about playlists. This is the only major pitfall I know about the J3 and mostly all Cowon players, for playlists are almost non existent except what Cowon refers to them as favorits. From the player itself, I believe thee is only one favorites group allowed and it's limited to about 250 songs. Playlists can also be transferred from a computer but they are not as straightforward as one might think.

[Just Some Guy]

Originally Posted by a1shot

Ehm...sure, i love walkmans...but would you mind telling me the models? I could not find such models upon just a search. I am computer savvy so i think rockbos is also good - would be better if i could get it to my past ipod. but no.

I guess I should have listed that in the first place.

I personally have an NWZ-A846, which is the 64 GB model. I have just under 14000 songs on it, and a few playlists (you an just make the playlist in windows; just right click on any music file on the player, and it will say "create playlist". Then just drag and drop any songs you want onto the list and save it when you're done).

It's very small: 47 mm/1.8 inch wide, 105 mm4 inches long, and 7 mm/0.25 inches thick, with a weight of 60 or so grams, which is2 ounces. Like I said, it's small.

There are also the newer Japanese A850s, but those are only in Japanese language, so unless you're fluent in Japanese, or can figure everything out on your own, that might not be a good idea. Same size, slightly more features and a higher price.

I got mine from advancedmp3players.co.uk when they were on sale. It was a fast delivery at a good price, so I'm more than happy to refer someone to them.

[a1shot]

Originally Posted by skip252

Which Walkman models are readily available to you depends on your location. For instance there's no Walkman offered in the US right now at more than 16 GB. That's enough for me but I only carry a small subset of my music with me at one time.

As far as Rockbox check my sig on that. If you can follow a relatively simple set of directions for installation and are willing to spend some time in the manual it would seem to get you the player you're looking for at a very good price. Also, if you haven't already look at the Port Status page on the Rockbox site. Rockbox is available for some iPods, you would need to determine if yours is one of them.

If you are looking to Rockbox a player look at either the Sansa Fuze(not the Plus model) or the Clip+. The Fuze is discontinued but still readily available here in the US. That includes both new and refurbished models. The Clip+ has a smaller screen that's unsuited for videos and lesser battery life but shares the same excellent sound quality.

Did i get you correct - fuze is better than clip+? Yeah i did check the rockbox site, but those ipods are old ones - it does not seem to support the ones that are after 5th gen. I am not into using rockbox if i dont have to. All i want is to be able to browse my library and search it . just like i do on my pc. Otherwise it is a headache to create plalists and import music and new songs.

[musichound]

FWIW there is in development a Rockbox port for the iPod Classic.

[skip252]

The Fuze(not the Plus) and the Clip+ use the same audio processing hardware. The sound is the same.

[a1shot]

Originally Posted by musichound

+1 about playlists. This is the only major pitfall I know about the J3 and mostly all Cowon players, for playlists are almost non existent except what Cowon refers to them as favorits. From the player itself, I believe thee is only one favorites group allowed and it's limited to about 250 songs. Playlists can also be transferred from a computer but they are not as straightforward as one might think.

Ehm...what do yoou mean no playlists? How can one listen to songs, only by selecting the track in the folder and it will go on further? Will it pass on to the next folder? or what is its sequence? Any apps/software that allows to create playlists?

Would be the best to get something like a add-to playlist feature in the player. SO if i search a song and i want to add it to the best playlist, i would use some keys on it.

[a1shot]

Originally Posted by The DarkSide

The Cowon DAP's are also quite bad at dealing with playlists. On a Sony you can have a few - on a Cowon there's almost always an issue.

a few? I am having hard times understanding how can that be limited ...or even why? Ever since players appeared on PCs, playlists were there.

Originally Posted by Just Some Guy

I guess I should have listed that in the first place.

I personally have an NWZ-A846, which is the 64 GB model. I have just under 14000 songs on it, and a few playlists (you an just make the playlist in windows; just right click on any music file on the player, and it will say "create playlist". Then just drag and drop any songs you want onto the list and save it when you're done).

It's very small: 47 mm/1.8 inch wide, 105 mm4 inches long, and 7 mm/0.25 inches thick, with a weight of 60 or so grams, which is2 ounces. Like I said, it's small.

There are also the newer Japanese A850s, but those are only in Japanese language, so unless you're fluent in Japanese, or can figure everything out on your own, that might not be a good idea. Same size, slightly more features and a higher price.

I got mine from advancedmp3players.co.uk when they were on sale. It was a fast delivery at a good price, so I'm more than happy to refer someone to them.

Ive been there...but it is only for uk:? Also, drawbacks of that 64gb player? Battery, built? Sound i presume is good? Ease of Use? Cause i have an old w810 walkman phone,a nd comparin it to nokia, it sounds quite better..but thats old age. I want a player i wont shift to anything else - an ideal player. I always wondered why is that so hard to find.

Originally Posted by skip252

The Fuze(not the Plus) and the Clip+ use the same audio processing hardware. The sound is the same.

But the difference is? Battery life, video, bigger screen for easier use? Cause i would like to have more than 2 lines actually. My t8 iriver has like 5 and it is not that user friendly - a screen is better indeed. Thought it weights like 30 grams

Originally Posted by Just Some Guy

I guess I should have listed that in the first place.

I personally have an NWZ-A846, which is the 64 GB model.

Nwz seems to be also quite good -but 32-64 is the limit, no card support (is expensiver than cowon, but i guess if i buy cowon and a 32gig card, would be around the same). No software is good, is its battery up to the standards? Also, does it sort by the folder as it is placed, or like an ipod - on its own thinking, by artist, by song name and etc? Maybe it supports playlists on the fly?

[skip252]

Think of the Fuze as a Clip+ with a longer battery life and a larger color screen. It also uses a scroll wheel instead of a D-pad. Due to the screen and wheel the interface is different but the sound is the same.

Personally I find the screen on the Clip+ bright and easily read in everything but the strongest sunlight. Rockbox or not it's my favorite music only player. I've never seen the T8 iRiver so I can't make a comparison but unless your eyesight is very bad the small display isn't a problem.

That's just my opinion of course. I just find it very convenient to carry a player with excellent SQ that's the size of a book of matches that will easily provide me with a full days worth of music. The Fuze will do the same thing just in a slightly bulkier package.

[musichound]

Originally Posted by a1shot

Ehm...what do yoou mean no playlists? How can one listen to songs, only by selecting the track in the folder and it will go on further? Will it pass on to the next folder? or what is its sequence? Any apps/software that allows to create playlists?

Would be the best to get something like a add-to playlist feature in the player. SO if i search a song and i want to add it to the best playlist, i would use some keys on it.

On the J3 there is a favorites option where you can add your songs on the player to any order you like. This is the J3s implementation on playlists. You can also add other playlists from your computer but like I stated earlier it could be quite tricky for some people. Being I only use playlists on my iPod players, (and my iRIver H320 when it's working) I am not that intimate with the J3 to explain further. Also, to be clear, I had the J3 for a limited time, but I chose an X7 instead due to its large storage space and extended battery life. However, both players treat favorites relatively the same way.

[a1shot]

Originally Posted by skip252

Think of the Fuze as a Clip+ with a longer battery life and a larger color screen. It also uses a scroll wheel instead of a D-pad. Due to the screen and wheel the interface is different but the sound is the same. +

Personally I find the screen on the Clip+ bright and easily read in everything but the strongest sunlight. Rockbox or not it's my favorite music only player. I've never seen the T8 iRiver so I can't make a comparison but unless your eyesight is very bad the small display isn't a problem.

That's just my opinion of course. I just find it very convenient to carry a player with excellent SQ that's the size of a book of matches that will easily provide with a full days worth of music. The Fuze will do the same thing just in a slightly bulkier package.

Oh, so i see - thought they are of the same size.

[a1shot]

So, guys - i guess i have only 3 choices, J3, Clip/fuze, and NwZ Sony. I guess all are kind of a long play, lightweight, software free, music players with best sound and additional stuff to them. Pricing of course also is different. Out of all i guess j3 and sansa are extendable - plus to them.

Some questions left:
- Only j3 is customizable? and to what extent?
- the playlists - kind of still did not get it. What is wrong with them on those players?
- also what is an external and internal library? Whats the difference?
- Where's the cheapest place to buy internationaly -cowon and clip for the matter? (i do have them near by, but i presume i can get it even cheaper).

[The DarkSide]

You really need to read the reviews of the players your interested in, and read THIS: Glossary for Newbies

[Olley]

The problem with reviews is that most aren't updated after the devices have been with new firmware.

[The DarkSide]

Well, then search the prospective players section of the forums to further the research. I was new here once, and I learned to search - it helps to understand what you want, and what others are trying to explain to you - yes???

"Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime"

[musichound]

@DS: In your opinion, was my explanation for favorites OK? I am asking because you had the J3 longer than me, so maybe you have a bit more insight.

[a1shot]

Originally Posted by Olley

The problem with reviews is that most aren't updated after the devices have been with new firmware.

Indeed - i have no clue what has been fixed to what in j3 for instance.

Still, i got more than i wanted to - in a day i got the names of 3 players that will at least suit 75% of my needs, and that is better than ipod. Indeed i need to check out more - i checked video and test reviewes, usually talking about sound qual and physical and functional aspects. But they usually do not tell small details - otherwise ipod is a great product....untill i understood how its playlists suck. That was a major issue...and itunes...that is a major issue for all.

[The DarkSide]

Originally Posted by musichound

@DS: In your opinion, was my explanation for favorites OK? I am asking because you had the J3 longer than me, so maybe you have a bit more insight.

I only ever used 2 custom playlists - and it was to sync tunes to the J3 internal & external memory. Playlists were a complete ***fail*** IMO. The "Favorites" list is a PITA tho, as adding tunes in such a crippled fashion is quite annoying.

Does the X7 do it the same way? Or are the playlists still present after a sync (I couldn't have a custom playlist that worked off of the ext memory - only internal), as they would occasionally disappear off of the J3,...

PS: @a1shot - the iPod's do playlists exceptionally well, do podcasts & audiobooks perfectly, and the SQ is quite good. As for iTunes - you don't need to use it for the iPod's - Media Monkey, J.River, WinAmp all work as well - plus many others nowadays.

[musichound]

Originally Posted by The DarkSide

Does the X7 do it the same way? Or are the playlists still present after a sync (I couldn't have a custom playlist that worked off of the ext memory - only internal), as they would occasionally disappear off of the J3,...

Not sure because I only played with the favorites feature on the X7 briefly. And you're correct, it's a PItA.

[The DarkSide]

Originally Posted by musichound

Not sure because I only played with the favorites feature on the X7 briefly. And you're correct, it's a PItA.

If they make a V.2 X7 w/a screen res of 800X480 I'm getting one for myself - now back on topic young man!!!

[Just Some Guy]

Originally Posted by a1shot

Ive been there...but it is only for uk:? Also, drawbacks of that 64gb player? Battery, built? Sound i presume is good? Ease of Use? Cause i have an old w810 walkman phone,a nd comparin it to nokia, it sounds quite better..but thats old age. I want a player i wont shift to anything else - an ideal player. I always wondered why is that so hard to find.

It's based in the UK, but they ship to anywhere. I'm in Canada, and I've seen other peoples comments that they had theirs delivered in Asia, the US, Australia, etc... so you should be able to get it.

Battery is rated for about 30 hours, but you're more likely to get around 25.

Buttons on the front are easy to find and use. The side-mounted volume button has a ridge on the top that lets you easily tell which one is volume up. They could have been made a bit thicker to stand out more, though. That's just a personal preference.

It's a Walkman, they get good rating on sound quality. Plus the A840 series get all these fancy things like a built-in amp.

As for finding the perfect player... sorry, that's just one of the mysteries of the universe.

Originally Posted by a1shot

Nwz seems to be also quite good -but 32-64 is the limit, no card support (is expensiver than cowon, but i guess if i buy cowon and a 32gig card, would be around the same). No software is good, is its battery up to the standards? Also, does it sort by the folder as it is placed, or like an ipod - on its own thinking, by artist, by song name and etc? Maybe it supports playlists on the fly?

Battery life I've already stated. Card support... well, even if it did have any kind of card support, you'd be better off getting a hard-drive based player, as it would have far more capacity.

It does tags AND folders.

Playlist on-the-go isn't supported, as very few players actually do that any way. But you can put as many playlists on it as you want, via your computer. I've already said how to do so before.