Ipod or another MP3 portable player

[Stratofuzz]

I'm going to step up to the current technology, and get a portable MP3 player. The deciding factor for me is online source(s) for music. I will convert ccd's I have, but it does look like the future for buying music is from ana online source. Apple has Itunes and that's it, right? But site slike Napster and others have the deal you get unlimited music for x dollars a month, but if you stop subscribing the music is no longer able to be played.

So is it just better to get a Apple or non-brand specific way to play music? If so, what is it?

 

[chaddy45123]

i love my ipod havent had any others but hte i pod is great

 

[Dave Orban]

We've got a half-dozen iPods in my household, including a 1st-generation iPod that still works great.

Big fan!

 

[jrkoosh]

I like Rhapsody for its subscription service- and listen to it all on a Creative Zen

 

[pete692]

As someone who owns both, the sound quality and especially the line out quality of the Zune is far better than the current Ipod Classic that I own. If you're not an audio buff, either one is fine.

 

[DC1]

As someone who owns both, the sound quality and especially the line out quality of the Zune is far better than the current Ipod Classic that I own. If you're not an audio buff, either one is fine.

I use an 80G, 1 year old iPod classic in my recording studio and systems design work, and I can tell you the line out (I use one of these) sounds very nice indeed.

I also use uncompressed aiff files as sources.

dc

 

[pete692]

I use an 80G, 1 year old iPod classic in my recording studio and systems design work, and I can tell you the line out (I use one of these) sounds very nice indeed.

I also use uncompressed aiff files as sources.

dc

I've got them both. Only use lossless compression. The line out on the ipod classic isn't garbage or anything, but side by side, my Zune beats it. ipod is a little thinner, with less output than the Zune. Both good products though. I'm no Microsoft fanboy by any stretch, just calling it like I, and anybody that else I show hears it.

 

[Atomic Punk]

I have the 120 Gig iPod classic and an 8 Gig Sandisk Sansa Rhapsody edition. The Sansa with it's customizable (not just pre-sets ) eq sounds WAY better. On the other hand, I can fit pretty much my whole music collection on the iPod.

 

[MickeyJi]

I've got two Sony players and they both sound better than iPods.

 

[fierce_carrot]

EVery guitarist should have an iPod. It's an EXCELLENT teaching tool in that the stereo separation thru the ear pieces is incredible for listening to and learning the chops and licks from various guitarists.

I bought it for when working out at the gym, and now going to the gym as turned into a time of learning new music and gaining inspiration, along with getting healthy!

 

[HoboMan]

I've had my 2 gig Sandisk Sansa for a few years now and LOVE it. It has a micro SD slot so I've upgraded it to 4 gigs. Not a lot of space but I just swap out songs when I need to.
The customizable EQ is a must. It also has an FM radio and you can record radio with it. Probably useless for a lot of people but I actually use it quite often. I record radio shows to listen to at a later date.

Here's the most important thing for me. I originally bought it to use as a memo voice recorder for work so I wanted something that I could carry in my pocket all the time and the Sansa is small enough to do that.

 

[Bo Faulkner]

I like my Sony Walkman.. sounds great. I'm more comfy using windows media than i tunes and the walkman can do either. Very easy to just pop a song or two on it whenever i need to. Every time I load my daughters ipod I am glad I bought a sony

 

[DC1]

Personally, I don't care at all what people listen to, but I can tell you the iPod classic 80G sounds terrific since I put music on it that I have mastered myself and know exactly what it sounds like.

Personally, I don't care at all about settable EQ either since I don't need nor would ever use EQ on the output. Defeats the whole purpose of an audio reference! For consumers, it's whatever you like, so if you like an EQ, than that is better.

I can tell you that compared to my Adcom CD player, my iPod is smoother and more detailed on the same material. I attribute this to the not having any CD error correction and importing CD's without it.

Of course, you need to have pretty pristine CD's to do that.


dc

 

[mcdonaldkd]

Ipod all the way. I have not found anything more reliable or easier to use.

 

[Flyin' Brian]

I have a 120g iPod classic. Sounds good enough for 62 year old ears and convenient as can be.

 

[B Vance]

Don't like iPods because I don't like iTunes and that's the only interface you can use. I'd suggest a Zune.

 

[K-Line]

Apple stuff is proprietary, meaning that the files you buy are only good on an IPOD unless you get the software to convert. I went with a non-apple and never looked back!

 

[bdegrande]

Subscriprion services are a bad idea, they eventually go out of business and your music vanishes. I have used AmazonMP3 for years, good quality. MP3 format plays on anything, and no DRM. They have great deals on at least one CD each day, and lots of other cheap ones and free songs. You can also buy individual songs or CDs from Napster or Rhapsody, and iTunes will be completely DRM-free for audio by April and is mostly so now, so there are lots of good choices.

If you are doing nothing but listening to music, a basic MP3 player will do fine. I have been very happy with the Sandisks over the years. I am biased toward flash-based players, I think tiny hard disks in devices that you bang around is asking for trouble.

If you want a device that does more, there is nothing like the iPod Touch, Web browsing, video playing, many games, all sorts of applications. .

 

[cg]

I see it a different way. I love subscription services and figure that I will always be willing to spend $15 a month for as much music as I want. I couldn't afford to have half of my collection on a pay-per-track or CD basis.

Subscriprion services are a bad idea, they eventually go out of business and your music vanishes. I have used AmazonMP3 for years, good quality. MP3 format plays on anything, and no DRM. They have great deals on at least one CD each day, and lots of other cheap ones and free songs. You can also buy individual songs or CDs from Napster or Rhapsody, and iTunes will be completely DRM-free for audio by April and is mostly so now, so there are lots of good choices.

If you are doing nothing but listening to music, a basic MP3 player will do fine. I have been very happy with the Sandisks over the years. I am biased toward flash-based players, I think tiny hard disks in devices that you bang around is asking for trouble.

If you want a device that does more, there is nothing like the iPod Touch, Web browsing, video playing, many games, all sorts of applications. .

 

[jordanL]

I've used 2 different sandisk sansa's - an E200 (8GB) and a 2 GB clip. Easy to use good sound and very attractive pricing. Don't use any online service so I can't comment there.