My Son wants an MP 3 player

[wolfmann601]

My soon to be 17 year old son wants an MP 3 player for his upcoming birthday. I have no idea what models are considered the best, how much memory is acceptable and what a 'decent' portable MP 3 player costs.

Anyone that can help me out would be named in my will [gotta leave my clones to somebody]

Thanks in advance guys

 

[nosilence]

this is the one that i want.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000633E0/103-6891240-7285441?vi=glance
not only does it fit in your pocket but...,

20 GB digital audio player stores over 400 albums
Supports both MP3 and WMA files
remembers your favorite songs and creates custom mixes
Built-in FM tuner with custom presets
Windows and Mac compatible
Battery life: Up to 10 hours
Batteries: Rechargeable lithium-ion battery
Weight: 10 ounces with battery
new around three hundred used from 180.

this is by far the best mp3 player ive ever seen.
if thats too much or too expensive this things pretty cool
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...10/103-6891240-7285441?v=glance&s=electronics
it plays regular cds and mp3 cds which is real nice cause you can put your favorite songs on cds as mp3s and play your regular cds on the same player.
i think i paid 80 bucks for mine.

 

[wolfmann601]

How do they work? What/how do you transfer songs and where on the net do you find the music?

Also, can you easily transfer CD's and how much music does 128 megs hold?

 

[torment]

I like my iPod very much. It was really easy to use, to transfer files on to, and to carry with me. It is rather expensive but I really liked the styling and simplicity of the model. And that pressure sensitive wheel is just cool

 

[Steven Roos]

Originally posted by wolfmann601
Also, can you easily transfer CD's and how much music does 128 megs hold?

Most players come with software to "rip" (or transfer) CDs to MP3's and then onto the player.

128MB will hold about 2 average CDs worth of music.

I have a 20GB (20,000MB) Archos Jukebox and I love it! If I could, however, I would get an Apple iPod or a Creative Zen in whatever size you think would be best.

 

[Tennessee]

Honestly speaking, I am not really into MP3 cause of the recording quality but then again, if I would to make a choice, I'll go for the Apple IPOD.

 

[Ron Andersen]

I have hundreds of my CDs converted to MP3 and notice NO noticeable hit in music quality. My stereos in my car and office, as well as my computer, are all MP3 compatible. Instead of carrying hundreds of CDs in my car, I only have about 20. Each has been burned by song category.

I use Windows Media Player (which comes with MS Windows OS or can be downloaded separately) and purchased Intervideo MP3 XPack (very inexpensive) which plugs into Windows Media Player and allows it to convert standard CDs into MP3s.

I convert all my music at super high quality (192 Kbps, I’m not a technology nut, but I’ve been told I’m converting them at about twice the quality and size required for maximum quality…but what do I know; I just want to assure the best quality sound) and can fit about 125 standard songs (or about 6-7 albums) on one CD ROM.

Regarding which player to buy, Rio/Sonic Blue is certainly a great one. Look closely at disk size (does he have LOTS of CDs to convert? if so, at least a 40 GB) and graphic interface.

 

[mtnbkr]

I would stay away from players that use solidstate memory like Compact Flash, etc. They're fine players, but you can't carry much music around (and that's the whole point of MP3, right?). You can carry extra memory cards, but that's a hassle IMO.

The models that use a laptop harddrive (Archos, Apple Ipod, etc) let you carry a lot of music, but have other faults. You can hear/feel the harddrive spinning up, seeking, etc.

I have an Archos 5000 (5gig drive). It's slightly larger than a deck of cards and carries all of my music (I don't have a big collection). I rip my CDs at near max rates. Each CD takes up about 80-100 megabytes. My biggest grip is the battery system. It uses proprietary, rechargeable batteries that can only be recharged in the unit (there might be an extra, external recharger).

Something to consider: If your son is a audiophile, he probably won't like MP3. I'm not quite an audiophile and the quality annoys me. However, it's tops for easy portability.

Another option is a portable CD player that can play MP3s. You can put more music in MP3 format on a CD than it can hold as audio tracks. Plus, the MP3/CD players can play music CDs as well.

Hope this helps,
Chris

 

[DEA]

it depends on whether your son wants to use it for sports like jogging etc where there'll be a lot of movement
i was considering the zen but i will be using the player on my runs, so i gave it up
i'm still looking for a solid state player that uses removable media, but the closest (sony/philips collaboration, can't remember model no.) doesn't allow you to take out the memory card and is non-expandble

still looking...

 

[Steven Roos]

MP3 does loose some quality, but on most equipment you won't be able to tell the difference. However, on my Klipsch Promedia v.2-400 speakers, I can tell the difference between an MP3 encoded at 128kbps vs. 160 kbps vs. 192kbps. After 192kbps, I can hardly tell, but no MP3 has the full range that a CD or DVD does.

If you have the choice, encode at 192 kbps or higher for the best quality.

BTW, my 20GB player is about full, and I have at least three solid weeks worth of stuff on there. Anything bigger than 20GB is overkill IMHO.

Also, the Achos uses standard NiMH rechargeable AA batteries. They can be removed and charged in a NiMH battery recharger. I use a Rayovac charger that charges a set in under an hour!

 

[mtnbkr]

Originally posted by Steven Roos
Also, the Achos uses standard NiMH rechargeable AA batteries. They can be removed and charged in a NiMH battery recharger. I use a Rayovac charger that charges a set in under an hour!

I noticed that they were NiMH, but the mAh rating is different (1600 on the Archos batteries vs 1900 on my NiMH rechargeables). Would that be a problem? I hope not, I have rechargeable NiMH batteries and a charger for my digicam.

Chris

 

[Ron Andersen]

Originally posted by Steven Roos
BTW, my 20GB player is about full, and I have at least three solid weeks worth of stuff on there. Anything bigger than 20GB is overkill IMHO.

You might be right. Depends on the user. I just checked my various hard drives (technically "partitions"...I have five 6GB "partitions" assigned to media) and added up just over 20GB of MP3s (representing well over 200 CDs). But I only have about one third of my CD collection converted to MP3s (so that would become about 60GB if I converted all my music).

I don't have a "portable" MP3 player, but if I did, 20 GB might be fine...but overkill has always been my modus operandi.

 

[wolfmann601]

Thanks guys, I really appreciate the help.


The kid wants to be able to listen to toones while he skateboards and bikes. He likes the sound of quality, but I do not believe he has the kind of ear that would pick up subtle differences.

But............Samsung has a 128MB MP3 player that can be had on E-bay for about $55. On the other hand, I see some MP 3's run into the $hundreds. Beyond memory issues, what else is there to be concerned about that effects price and

is smaller, better?????

 

[Steven Roos]

Originally posted by mtnbkr
I noticed that they were NiMH, but the mAh rating is different (1600 on the Archos batteries vs 1900 on my NiMH rechargeables). Would that be a problem? I hope not, I have rechargeable NiMH batteries and a charger for my digicam.

No problem there. in fact, the more mAh, the longer life. My Achos had 1500 mAh batteries with it, and I've got a set of 1600 mAh batteries in there now. I've noticed a slight boost in runtime.

 

[Steven Roos]

Originally posted by wolfmann601
The kid wants to be able to listen to toones while he skateboards and bikes. He likes the sound of quality, but I do not believe he has the kind of ear that would pick up subtle differences.

But............Samsung has a 128MB MP3 player that can be had on E-bay for about $55. On the other hand, I see some MP 3's run into the $hundreds. Beyond memory issues, what else is there to be concerned about that effects price and is smaller, better?????

My Archos (a hard drive based player) holds up to a lot of motion while playing, but it wouldn't take to kindly to a hard crash. Granted, no electronics are meant to take too much shock, but hard drives and gravity don't mix well...

The Samsung could be a nice option because if he takes a spill with it, you won't be out $300-500.

As far as MP3 players go, pretty much the more memory, the better and the smaller/lighter it is, the better. Just keep in mind that better usually means more expensive.

 

[Steven Roos]

Originally posted by Ron Andersen
You might be right. Depends on the user. I just checked my various hard drives (technically "partitions"...I have five 6GB "partitions" assigned to media) and added up just over 20GB of MP3s (representing well over 200 CDs). But I only have about one third of my CD collection converted to MP3s (so that would become about 60GB if I converted all my music).

I don't have a "portable" MP3 player, but if I did, 20 GB might be fine...but overkill has always been my modus operandi.

Completely true. It all depends on the person. However, I would think that a few weeks worth of music is more than enough to keep a person entertained until they have the chance to put something different on there.