Looking for a DAP (mp3 player) with some kind of external/changeable battery

[HeadphoneMan]

Hi,

First post here and I have a probably impossible challenge. I do a lot of travel to places where there is no power. None, zip, zilch (and other zero type words). While there I like to listen to music and books in my spare time and so have a Sandisk e140. It's aaa battery powered and rather battered so although it still still works I would like to try and upgrade.

Most (all?) players now have internal lithium batteries; fine if you can get to a power point but hopeless if you cannot.

Are there any players out there that allow you to swap batteries out, so you can have some charged spares, or some other mechanism of getting power into them when the battery is flat but there is a distinct lack of AC.

Features wise Id like some internal memory and a way of expanding via SD/Micro SD. The ability to play ogg vorbis files would be nice (as they compress better than MP3 and I use Linux) but not essential.

Don't need video, games, photos etc.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance.

[dfkt]

http://anythingbutipod.com/2009/11/d...harger-review/

[The DarkSide]

Nice recommendation dfkt.

[McDougal]

+1. Get a Sansa Clip+ with a battery pack, its everything you need and more

[dgb52]

I use one of these



http://www.buy.com/pr/product.aspx?sku=206812375

[HeadphoneMan]

Hi,

Not sure if this throws a spanner in the works, but I forgot to mention that I am UK based, so any ideas need to be purchasable from the UK.

Anyway thanks for the advice so far. dfkt, it looks like this unit is in effect another battery that needs charging, so when that's flat I need access to the mains again? I didn't know such things existed and thinking about it what I think I need is something similar but that works on aa/aaa batteries which you can get practically everywhere.

dgb52 - this looks interesting, but does anyone know if the Sansa clip that McDougal suggested will work if its powered via the usb (in otherwords I can listen to it) or if it will only charge via the usb?

Finally does anyone have any experience of using an mp3 player, clip or otherwise, with one of these packs - or indeed any others, and how many charges to you get/ or hours music out of them? I guess it depends on the player and pack but it'd give me an idea of the best combination.

Thanks again.

[dfkt]

Originally Posted by HeadphoneMan

dfkt, it looks like this unit is in effect another battery that needs charging, so when that's flat I need access to the mains again?

True that - sorry for the brainfart about the Duracell charger. The Tekkeon charger dgb52 linked takes 4 AA batteries and seems like a much more suitable one for your needs.

It's probably hard to say how many charges you get out of a set of batteries, it depends on the connected player's battery capacity. (I have an USB charger that takes 2 AA batteries, but I never really used it to recharge any device while waiting, I just continue using the device while the charger is connected to it.)

[nodirectionhome]

Another possibility is a dictaphone that has a microSD.

I have a Sony that is just 2Gb but sounds quite as good as a DAP with a customizable EQ and takes an AAA battery, rechargable through USB. I believe Olympus has models that are expandable: http://www.anythingbutipod.com/forum...ad.php?t=62170

[FreeZ5]

Duracell makes another charger that takes two AA batteries. I have never seen it in Canada, but haven't really looked very hard.
http://www.duracellpower.com/ipod-an...t-charger.aspx

I have a similar charger that takes one AA battery. I just got it in January (for $1 at a close out sale) but haven't really used it yet.

Steve

[JK98]

Be careful. Many of the chargers made by Duracell and Energizer that take AA batteries will only work with alkalines. Search for reviews of each individual model before buying.

There are also USB crank chargers, however most have plastic gears and will wear out quickly. There are solar usb chargers, however with the exception of the larger expensive models, most take way too long to charge.

I have both the Duracell Instant Charger and the Tekkeon mp1550. If you decide to get the Duracell Instant Power, make sure you get the newer model that has a power switch. The older model lacks a power switch, and will lose its charge at a much faster rate when sitting idle. The Tekkeon mp1550 is much larger and heavier than the Duracell Instant Power, but it can hold around triple the power when using 4 2700 mah nimh batteries.

[sideways]

Some of the Sony players are rated as holding a charge for up to 50 hours and might be worth a look. Check out this thread

May I ask what kind of travel it is and how long you will be without power? Not all solutions are created equal.

If you are backpacking off the grid for a week or two I'd go with a light weight Sansa clip plus and and an external powerpack that can charge cellphones, mp3 players and any other small gadgets you may have with you. I'd rather have the weight in the charger than in the device itself as you then can allocate the juice to wherever it's needed the most. There have already been several suggestions posted so I wont go into that.

If you are car camping or will be taking motorized transit get a car charger. It weighs very little and gives you access to ubiquitous power. If on the other hand you are going off the grid for a longer amount of time I'd prioritize getting power up and running and generate your power on the spot. Generators (the little ones or the ones you attach to tractors), solar panels and battery banks, wood fired generators and mini hydroelectric stations come to mind.

[HeadphoneMan]

Hi sideways.

re without power - varies usually a week - 10 days, but can be couple of months. Generators are all very well, but rather heavy to lug with everything else. The biggest bind is getting there. I don't sleep very well on 'planes so a music player keeps me sane (ish). You can't charge in an airport waiting for a connecting flight (unless you are lucky enough for there to be an internet cafe in transit) and can't charge on the plane.

The Sony looks interesting but I'm not sure the 8 gb restriction is good. Would prefer to have a way of adding more via sd or some other way.

So far the sansa clip + or maybe the fuze (though this has stuff I don't need) plus some kind of AA battery device looks the best bet. Unless there is another make that has an expansion ability.

[sideways]

The Sonys go up to 16 gb. The 4 at the end means it's an 8gb model a 5 Means it's a 16 gb model. For example S754 (8gb) --> s755 (16gb)

"re without power - varies usually a week - 10 days, but can be couple of months." A solution for a month long trip requires outside power of some sort.

"Generators are all very well, but rather heavy to lug with everything else." Yeah, that's why I asked... If you are backpacking into remote areas even that extra battery pack will seem heavy. My main point was that instead of thinking how to get a big enough battery for a longer term stay you should instead be thinking how to get power.

"The biggest bind is getting there." I'll interpret that as your main problem being having power as long as you are in transit? If that is the case either the clip plus and a power pack or one of the 16 gb sonys might do it for you. Both are capable players.

[nodirectionhome]

The 32Gb S756 exists - but just in Japan, I think.

Previously I wasn't really bothered about battery life on a DAP, but it's actually something I really appreciate with the S754.

[Mikerman]

A steal of a deal for a AA external battery charger, that will work with rechargeables as well as 1-use batteries (2 AAs), at a low price of around US$3 shipped worldwide: http://cgi.ebay.com/AA-Battery-Emerg...item483e39e293. (eBay has many sellers for these--do a search on AA emergency charger.)

[The DarkSide]

Sony NWZ-A847 64GB WALKMAN MP3 Player @Advanced MP3 Players

[lestatar]

Another recommendation for the Tekkeon MP1550. I love that thing...

[Marvin the Martian]

http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/06/s...ide-usb-power/

What was a Japanese-only device has finally made it to the US shores. Sanyo's Eneloop Mobile Booster (aka, KBC-L2) battery supplies 5V 500mA of juice to a pair of simultaneously connected USB devices or 1,000mA to a single, more power-hungry tablet. The 5,000mAH Lithium-ion pack is baked right into the device (rechargeable Eneloop AA owners should check out Sanyo's Mobile Booster stick) and charges fully in about seven hours from an AC circuit or 14 hours from a relatively feeble USB jack. Available now for $79.99.

[HeadphoneMan]

Originally Posted by The DarkSide

Sony NWZ-A847 64GB WALKMAN MP3 Player @Advanced MP3 Players

Looks nice, bit over specked (I reeealy don't need video) and a bit expensive, but I guess it'll come down in price. 30 hours battery sounds good though and it looks light so an extra battery pack or two is not going to be much of a problem.

Sadly as mentioned I am based in the UK - which means that we come under EEC (EU) regulations and the bureaucrats in Brussels (capitol of Belgium) have decreed that we are all stupid and not to be trusted with our hearing. So they have put a volume limiter on this and all players with a CE mark - oh and you cannot sell anything in the EU without a CE mark - neat eh?. Many people on Amazon are not happy as you cannot turn the limiter off and the limit is way to low. Oh good.

Anyone who travels will know how loud a jet is, a single engine job is worse and don't get me started on helicopters - my pet hate - so cranking the sound up is sometimes the only solution. No idea how good/bad the noise reduction is on the Sony, but noise is noise and without full plugged phones I suspect this player and any others that have been limited are going to be duds.

Does anyone EU based know of a player where you can turn this volume reduction 'feature' off?

[FreeZ5]

Originally Posted by HeadphoneMan

Does anyone EU based know of a player where you can turn this volume reduction 'feature' off?

Don't have to be EU based to know the answer to this question. Almost any player EXCEPT a Sony. Definitely easy with the Sansa Clip+ and Fuze, and probably the Fuze+.

Steve