What's new

Which MP3 player to buy?

DoctorP

先輩
3 Jun 2004
1,983
93
58
I can't seem to decide which one to go with. This is a gift for my oldest son (a tween) so I'm not going too elaborate with it until he can prove he can take care of it.


Here are my choices:

Kenwood MediaKeg

Toshiba Gigabeat U101 or U102

Victor XA-C110

They are all 1GB.

I did not include the Ipod because I don't want to deal with the whole iTunes thing.

I'm leaning towards the Kenwood for shear sound performance...any input is appreciated.
 
I have a zen creative micro photo..

It has 8 gb.. And the costs were just 150 euro .. I'm really happy with it.
 
thanks...actually the Creative Zen VPlus 1GB was also one of my choices. It is actually one of the cheapest!
 
I wouldn't normally say this, but you really really really should go with the IPOD. I hate Apple generally speaking, but the ipod offers the best ammount of features and capabilities, while suffering from a bit of Apple's typical dumbed down interface... I dont even use the itunes service, and I much prefer the Window Media Player 11 software... But, for your dollar and what you get, IPOD still offers the best media experience.

Take this from someone who absolutely loathes Apple Computer Co.
 
emm
Creative is really the same as the Ipod.....
It has really a lot of capabilities. It is easy to use. And I'm really in love with the whole thing. 👍

If you compare the Creative with the Ipod most people here in the Netherlands chose the Creative.

*next to that I hate Ipod.. It's really an money sucking bullshit popularity item*
 
I wouldn't normally say this, but you really really really should go with the IPOD. I hate Apple generally speaking, but the ipod offers the best ammount of features and capabilities, while suffering from a bit of Apple's typical dumbed down interface... I dont even use the itunes service, and I much prefer the Window Media Player 11 software... But, for your dollar and what you get, IPOD still offers the best media experience.
Take this from someone who absolutely loathes Apple Computer Co.


Correct me if I am wrong (which I probably am)... don't you have to convert your music files in order to use them on the IPOD?

That is why I didn't even look at any Sony's. I swore off Sony after my minidisk! I had to convert the files just to put them onto the minidisk...took way too long!

I want something simple to use. Drag and drop type of stuff as far as loading the music is concerned!
 
Correct me if I am wrong (which I probably am)... don't you have to convert your music files in order to use them on the IPOD?
No, not whatsoever, in fact, the only IPOD that you can (voluntarily) do this on is the clip-on Shuffle*... And you can convert them on-the-fly, if you so choose. I wish this was available on the nano, because I'd like to store more music, but it's not. All my music is MP3 and it goes straight to my iPOd that way... now, I only wish that iPod supported lossless FLAC.

That is why I didn't even look at any Sony's. I swore off Sony after my minidisk! I had to convert the files just to put them onto the minidisk...took way too long!
Forget sony... Atrac is a joke, and their DRM mindset is one too... Any company that essentially installs a Root Kit (Sony Link) on your pc when you play a DRM infecected CD is just not to be trusted... They had some really nice players out there, with LCD screens, but, sony is just a big mess... W/ Ipod I just transfer and go... I had a Shuffle 2.0 and returned it for a Nano 4gig 2.0 and I haven't been happier... Syncing and music control is great (except for a few thing's I'd change here and there)... You can even get Japanese podcasts synced to your ipod.

I want something simple to use. Drag and drop type of stuff as far as loading the music is concerned!
That really is the ipod in a nutshell... I say this telling you that I loathe Apple the company, but they really did hit the nail on the head w/ the ipod... especially I love the nano series, so small and usefull... you can even use it as a usb drive!

And the itunes software is very simple and easy... A while ago I thought to myself, why do I need a portable music player... I'd been used to cd players, but once I got my Nano... I can't imagine being without it.

*Of course you COULD convert your entire library (on any ipod device) to AAC ***IF*** you wanted to, but, why in the world would you do that...

pps. Atrac was Sony's big selling point for minidiscs... Somewhere I think, I even have an atrac capable cd-player... but Neither do I want to convert my music catalouge to Sony's ghastly format, nor do I want to wait for them to be converted on-the-fly... This is why Apple portends that you can cram 2000 songs on certain ipod models, because they are basing their standards on a paltry 128kbps aac encoding... pshaw...

While the enitety of the encoding community is encoding their mp3s either in the near perfect sounding "preset-standard" 'lame' encoder setting, or baring that, using lossless flac, Apple, (much like w/ quicktime), sticks with it's crappy 128 aac format... And why would you shop for music in that format? (Interestingly enough, Warp records, a techno/experimental records label sells ALL of their music in LOSSLESS drm free FLAC encoding, and V/Vm, well, they just give away their tracks after a while....)

Why would you shop for music in .wmv format for that matter as well... As Jobs has stated, it's the record companies, not the vendors that are holding back lossless DRM free downloads... but the record companies need to get over it, they've lost the war.

emm Creative is really the same as the Ipod..... It has really a lot of capabilities. It is easy to use.
Most players are basically "the same", they all play music, but saying that the Creative devices are the same as an iPod is both obviously incorrect, and missleading... They may be easy to use, (I don't know, I've never tried one), but from specs I've read they are entirely different in ergonomics, features, syncing etcetera...

I again, hate to say it, because I really do loathe Apple computers for their elitest attitude, but there is a reason that iPods have the biggest user base, they're simply feature/cost superior to most players... But don't take my word for it, go out and read comparison reviews. They're out there.

ps. I know this is pointless, but you never call YOURSELF -chan, -san, or anything else like this in Japanese... (kids do it though... I think.. before they know better) It's a suffix that others use to refer to you, not how you refer to yourself in Japanese, I don't much mind, but I thought I'd let you in on the mechanics of the language.
 
Last edited:
I went with the Kenwood. I'm really impressed with it so far. The sound quality is much better than the iPOD. Also it can be set to either English or Japanese which is good for my kid too. Really easy to operate, load songs, etc...

Thanks for those of you who replied.
 
iphone looks nice!!
iPhone

Yeah, but I heard the damn thing's gonna cost $499.99! And that's before you include a wireless plan! YOIKS! Now, I'm as devoted an Apple consumer as the next guy (yes, I have an iPod and I swear by it, easily one of the best inventions of the last decade), but there's no way I'd shell out my hard earned cash on the iPhone! No way!

😲
 
Back
Top Bottom