| Author | Message | ||
     Vortec57 |
Guys I need input on a decent mp3 player. I scored an XM2go for myself and now the gf wants an ipod for riding. I've never really wanted one for myself so I don't have the slightest idea what I should be looking for in one. Any suggestions of what to get or avoid? Kind of looking at the ipod shuffle at the moment | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
I've got a "Creative Muvo TX" it's a 1gb player with the advantage that you can use it direct as a USB key, you can't operate it while riding though, the display & controls are too small for that. No complaints with it, it's simple to use & works fine, takes 1 AAA battery. | ||
| Thumper74 |
I've got a 30 gig zune with a riding playlist. It's great, but they just released updated software/firmware last week... The firmware kicks butt, the software is horrid. It's so slow and so pretty (ie I just want to make playlists). | ||
| Danger_dave |
I've always used macs, so any of my 4 iPods and the iTunes way works brilliantly for me on the bike. My new ipod touch should be here wednesday. Can't wait. I'm a downloadin-fool | ||
| Andrejs2112 |
I'd go with an Ipod. Yes, everyone has one, but they are the most supported, and have the most aftermarket goodies to choose from. IMO | ||
| Lost_in_ohio |
Whats to support???? I am not stuck with using Itunes to sync my player....I can use a bunch of other apps to do it with a standard mp3 player, Heck I can even just drag and drop them on the player. I just need a head phone jack. I have a sandisk 2 gig unit. uses 1 aaa battery. No fooling around with rechargeable battery. It holds everything I like at the moment and the best part it was 49 bucks. | ||
| Dick8008 |
iPod it is. I've got an older one, 20. But it every bit of music I own on it. I transfered all my music to it that I had before I got the ipod too. Easy to upload your cd's or just buy online. IMO if you get an ipod get one with enough memory to store all of your music. Easier then creating and updating the play list all the time. I just with they had a 60 gig iphone, I'd have one by know. | ||
| Danger_dave |
Just for contrast - I use a 1gb shuffle mostly and enjoy managing my playlists. | ||
| Toona |
+1 on any of the Creative mp3 players. I just picked up a 30gb "M" for $100 slightly used on the 'bay. New, I think they are in the $250 range. Color screen, FM tuner (like you need it with 30gb of tunes) plays movies and I can rip directly from the disc right to the player w/o having to convert to another format thru a USB cable | ||
| Oldog |
I have a creative zen stone about 1/2$ the shuffle, the case is plastic / no clip on board batteries charge slow on a lap top and quite quick on the home unit. I picked up a set of sony head phones with noise canceling on clearence # mdr-nc11a these take 1 aaa batt, and are OK in the helmet the volume is still quite high to over come road noise but they muffle a lot of clatter type noise and cut wind racket.. about 40$ @ radioshack.. I can't compare, the provided software it works ok and I dont have much recorded music, not many accessories for the stone, I tuck it in the gauntlet of my riding glove and put the anr unit on the outside with its clip (its' the volume control) I have about 90$ total in the phones and player. It may not be safe but I enjoy it out away from town.. | ||
| Corporatemonkey |
If you are into tinkering with your gadgets then look at the Creative products. If you just want something that is simple, and works very well then there is only one answer: Ipod. The latest Ipod nano is an engineering marvel. It is very small, holds a decent amount of music, and can play video. A lot of people bash itunes for its closed sandbox operation. I agree it is closed, but it works... And for most people that is all that matters. | ||
| Andrejs2112 |
"Whats to support???? I am not stuck with using Itunes to sync my player....I can use a bunch of other apps to do it with a standard mp3 player, Heck I can even just drag and drop them on the player. " You don't need to use itunes. I use Anapod Explorer. I can even take stuff off of the ipod and put it on someone elses. Not that I would do such a thing. (Message edited by andrejs2112 on December 02, 2007) | ||
| Mr1spd |
Get the ipod. Monster cable makes a rf remote that can mount to your handle bar or a wriststrap. They are work pretty well and are availiable at the applestore. | ||
| Rocketman |
Is it possible to play an iPod on any reasonably decent hi-fi system via a jack or phono lead, or does it require a dock or transmitter/receiver? Rocket | ||
| Mr1spd |
yes just go get a 1/8 to rca adapter from your local radioshack. I think you can even go to a department store and get one | ||
| Corporatemonkey |
Rocketman, If you want high quality audio from an Ipod, you need to access the line out jack within the ipod connector. Most all basic docks have this, there are even companies that specialize in make small adapters for this. The line out jack runs through a lot less processing than what the headset jack is subjected to. The only other thing you need is to encode your music in "Lossless" These two steps are very important when running on any decent equipment (rotel/B&W/Linn/etc...), and also makes a big difference when using it in a vehicle. Here is a link to Amazon Uk's site. This is the official apple dock. It is solidly built. http://www.amazon.co.uk/New-Apple-iPod-Universal-D ock/dp/B000BAFN24/ref=pd_sbs_ce?ie=UTF8&qid=119663 6404&sr=8-4 | ||
| Wile_ecoyote |
I've had a few different type but have found it s like the old addage, you get what you pay for. The cheaper players have worked fine for me but for my girlfriend they have not. She walks and runs while listening. I ride and sometimes walk with them Memory is what it adds up to though for me. I paid 70 bucks for a zune with 1meg of memory and found thats all I need. Get tired of listening to the same songs so I'm always updating my play list. While the others have a larger playlist I still hear those same songs over and over. As stated above, you cant go wrong with the I pod. Best wishes. | ||
| Rocketman |
Thanks Cmonk, so am I to find 'line out' on the larger iPods or just from the dock they sit in? Seems silly not to be able to travel somewhere and not be able to just plug in to a hi-fi system with a lead. Anyway, assuming I want to start loading lots of my CD's and albums onto an iPod, and using the iPod as my main source on my home hi-fi, is the sound reproduction as good as say my Rega Planet CD player? I was thinking about getting the new touch screen iPod so as I could go online with it. Will this particular iPod have at least as good a sound reproduction as any of the other iPods? Someone told me that iPods compress the data which takes away some of the sound quality. Is this true? Rocket | ||
| Corporatemonkey |
The line out is only available via a dock, or an adapter. I have one of these for when I travel. It is the smallest line out adapter http://www.sendstation.com/us/products/pocketdock/ lineout-usb.html As for sound quality, if you encode all of your music as "Lossless" its quality is a good as the original recording material. By default iTunes will choose AAC 128k, that is HIGHLY compressed. I find anything less than ~200K unlistenable. As for sounding as good as a Rega (nice machine BTW) it should be very close. I have found most of the ipods headphone jacks to be a little thin, but the line out perfectly natural. As for which ipod to get that is up to you, and your needs. My main ipod is a classic 3rd generation (40gb) unit. I also have a 4th gen 30gp, and a brand new 8gb nano. I have found managing my playlist a pain. I prefer to just load everything as lossless, and have one library. Now being that lossless music has minimal compression, I can only fit and handful of CD's on my nano, but everything on my 40gb. If I was to do it again, I would buy the largest hard drive unit they have (currently 160gb). That should hold well over 100 cd's. The ipod touch is a neat device, but for real world use you would be better served with an iphone. It is basically the sme device, with phone functionality. I know it only runs Edge, and that is very scares in the UK, but when you cannot find WIFI, GPRS would suffice... | ||
| Rocketman |
Corp, thanks for the info, and the link. You've answered all the questions I needed to ask, which is great because I have been considering this for a week or three after buying my daughter the new Nano for her birthday. She loves it by the way. She had the little Shuffle before that, which is limited but still fun. My son is using her old Shuffle at the moment. He had the original black Nano which he'd left in his pants by accident as they went in the wash, twice. It dried out the first time and worked fine, but the second time it just displays a battery symbol. Which just goes to show, you can only wash a Nano once, lol. The iPhone is tied to the 02 network over here, which is my service provider anyway, but the specific contract is way more expensive than the business use contract my mobile phone is on. But the touch iPod just looked cool for using around the house to access BadWeB using a wireless router rather than sitting in front of the PC or having a laptop on your knee. Thanks again. Rocket |
