Happy New Year to you
Sounds like you really need one. Digital forms like mp3 are absolutely convenient, and there are many times when I’m pleased to use them. But digital music, particularly in current mp3 and AAC forms, is a huge step backwards from older analog systems when it comes to capturing the real shimmer of a cymbal or the fade of a bass note. But the real point is you simply don’t get “better” sound from a pricey ipod than you do from your average generic mp3 player. They are both severe compromises. Better earphones, recording lossless etc., will give you some improvements. But there is no inherent sound superiority to an ipod.
So have a good one. Crack open a beer, dust off the old hi-fi, and enjoy some good old analog tunes. It is sure to put a smile on your face.
buds vs in ear monitors
Actually, I have read some fairly reputable studies that show that people use considerably higher decibel levels with ear buds as compared with in-ear monitors, so as to achieve the same level of “signal” relative to the background noise. IEM’s are obviously much better at sealing out outside noises, so people don’t turn them up as high.
plus, good IEM’s will give you arguably the best sound quality bargain in the world. you can get the best IEM’s in the world for about $350, vs thousands and thousands of dollars for speakers.
Andrew
I wouldn’t buy a zune.
See Memphis’ post on this.
another reason not to buy a zune
apparently all the zunes in the world have simultaneously frozen up today!!
another brilliant microsoft product!!
happy new year from bill gates!!!
Interesting
The detail clarifies things.
Still, you have to be careful with both types.
Buy one of the others and report back!
No one has said the only thing to get is an iPod.
If you like the alternative better, go for it!
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While cNet doesn't love it, most of the user reviews are positive.
"http://reviews.cnet.com/mp3-players/sandisk-sansa-c250-2gb/4505-6490_7-32078916.html"
The good:
The SanDisk Sansa c200 series player is an exceptional value, considering its assortment of features. It comes with a FM radio, a voice recorder, photo viewer, a built-in MicroSD slot for adding memory, and even a user-replaceable, rechargeable battery. Navigating menus is a breeze.
The bad:
The menu interface is boring and screen quality subpar. Sound quality is far from impressive; there's no video support. The player uses a proprietary USB port. And, there's no 4GB version.
The bottom line:
Thanks to its exceptional value and user-friendly features, the SanDisk Sansa c200 is an acceptable choice for youngsters and first-timers--but more sophisticated users would be better off shelling out a bit more for a better player.
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"Visual Land vl877c 8GB mp3/mp4/photo-player – 37.99 incl shipping"
Seems like an "over featured" cheapy knock-off to me.
Try your luck! It certainly is cheap (but cheap doesn't mean "good"). It isn't expandable. At least you can go look at a Nano before you buy one.
http://www.overstock.com/Electronics/VL-877-C-V-Bop-8-GB-Portable-Media-Player/3476690/product.html?fp=f&siteid=CPqWkHwkNyo-kfjPtrZHdxvdlWCq.ylGiA&cid=74613
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"Help me find a 8-10GB ipod for under $50."
Help me find an new Benz for $10,000 and I'll give you one!
Irrelevant
"But digital music, particularly in current mp3 and AAC forms, is a huge step backwards from older analog systems when it comes to capturing the real shimmer of a cymbal or the fade of a bass note."
Who the heck said otherwise? No one (other than you) was talking about whether the "best" analog system was worse or better.
Anyway, what quality analog system costs as little as $300 (which is expensive for an mp3 player)? What quality analog system is portable?
You said that analog FM was better than digital just merely because it was analog. This is obviously false. Many analog forms (AM, FM, cassettes) are "severe compromises" compared to mp3s and CDs.
It isn't a "huge step backwards" because it doesn't cost the thousands that your "mysterious" and unspecified alternative does!
As good as vinyl might be (and whether or not it actually is, is very complicated), is irrelevant to this conversation!
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"But the real point is you simply don't get "better" sound from a pricey ipod than you do from your average generic mp3 player. They are both severe compromises. But there is no inherent sound superiority to an ipod."
This, engineering-wise, is a false generalization. A particular model of iPod is better than some devices and, likely, worse than others.
Heck, different iPods models perform differently!
Anyway, no one said that iPods always performed better. iPods are not, though, always "pricier". Sometimes, they are cheaper than other devices with the same features! And, if they are more expensive, the extra cost is not very large.
If you find a player that is cheaper than an equivalent iPod model, go for it!
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Talking about vinyl (or analog) in this thread is like suggesting a bicycle when somebody is asking about kayaks. It's irrelevant.
Hard drives versus solid state
"Nobody wants the unreliablility of moving parts if you can get flash memory anywhere near the same price."
This is absolutely true. It's also why you no longer see hard-disk based players with 8GB of memory!
For a large amount of capacity, hard drives are still much cheaper than solid state.
If the lower general capacity of affordable solid state memory is enough for your needs, by all means go with solid state! If it's big enough for your needs, solid state is better!
It seems likely that solid state will replace hard disks but it's going to take a while.
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"32 GB is a ton of music."
I have about that amount of music on my iPod. 32GB is also not very much if you want to view video.
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"Today you can buy an 8 GB SD card for $18.44 including shipping."
This is about $270 for 120 GB (and no player). You can get a 120 GB iPod classic for for $250 plus you won't have to deal with 15 extra little pieces of plastic. (Which one of the 15 will have the music you want?)
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"In my opinion, the only valid price comparison is solid state iPods to solid state MP3 players."
Personally, I wanted a player with lots of memory (which means, at this point, a device with a hard disk).
This is what is nice about the market place: people have a choice.
You might find, with real information, that an iPod won't work for you. There is nothing wrong with that!
A few answers and thoughts
My Sennheisers are the in-ear type and they come with 3 sizes of rubber seals to fit your ear canal. Don’t know that they’d stay in while jogging, but they do fine as I work around the house.
Yes, going from a MP3 or AAC to an AIFF is always less than CD quality, but if the original encoding was 192kbps of higher, most folks would have a hard time telling the difference.
Each model of iPod has it’s own history, so a 3rd gen iPod classic is much older technology than a 3rd gen nano. Wikipedia has a cool timeline of all the models:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPod
iPods have no expansion slots, no FM tuners, no ability to record audio (maybe the Touch does?). With the iPod line, you buy the size you want and that’s what you get (fewer components = less things to break and take up space). You can exclude songsfrom going on the iPod or explicitly tell it which songs to sync. Or let it pick a set randomly for the Shuffle and models that can’t hold your entire music library. I think the Shuffle holds 7 or 8 hours or music, so it’s still much better than that 6 disc CD changer in your car and easier to get new music into when you start getting repeats.
The current lineup (except Shuffle) will do photos and videos. If you are serious about doing much of that, the Touch is the way to go with a big, high-res screen (big compared to the others).
The volume limiting feature is set in iTunes and I am pretty sure all current models support this. My 2nd gen Shuffle does.
A BMW costs more than a Kia, you have to decide what you want and which is better for you. Decent deals on iPods are often on dealmac.com, but they don’t often give them away. As always, if there is something better and cheaper, go for it.
jim
Not quite correct
“apparently all the zunes in the world have simultaneously frozen up today!”
Only one particular model with a particular version of the firmware “froze”.
It IS funny but Microsoft will fix it.
iPods and accessories
"iPods have no expansion slots, no FM tuners, no ability to record audio (maybe the Touch does?)."
There is a rich marketplace of iPod add-ons that provide these things and more. (Yes, you pay extra for them.) You can't add memory to the iPods (except, maybe, for the hard-disk models but not easily).
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"The volume limiting feature is set in iTunes and I am pretty sure all current models support this."
My 80 GB 5.5 gen iPod has a built-in menu setting for the volume limiting.
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"If you are serious about doing much of that, the Touch is the way to go with a big, high-res screen (big compared to the others)."
Except 32GB probably is a bit on the small side for that kind of use.
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"A BMW costs more than a Kia"
Except a cheap BMW is $35,000 and and an expensive iPod is $300!
"you have to decide what you want and which is better for you. Decent deals on iPods are often on dealmac.com, but they don't often give them away. As always, if there is something better and cheaper, go for it."
Absolutely. Do the research and choose what works for you.
zunenfreude
i was exagerating a bit
You were exaggerating a lot!
There’s enough misinformation in this thread already!
(It is funny. And people say iPods are terrible!)
(I don’t know a lot about the Zunes but I think they are getting better.)
our 07 honda has no port
and no cassette player which you can buy a cheapie tape with connector and it really works well.(in our van) but our newer car has none and a couple of fm adapters worked terribly perhaps because of so many hills. There is a fm adapter for almost $100 which may/may not work well but I am not spending that kind of cash for that option in the car. I just told my kids to burn me cds to play or for them to play! not as convenient an option but much cheaper.
Zune crash
OK, I had to laugh at this one. Earlier I had posted about me having a microsoft zune and how I haven’t had any issues…all good right? Wrong. Well, it seems that Leap Year has struck and all the 30 gig Zunes have crashed. Not just mine…ALL. As soon as I read this a few minutes ago, I went to check mine. Sure enough…frozen in time so to speak. Checked out the Zune.net support page. It seems it will resolve itself on Jan 1st. Something about an internal clock bug. Sounds like Y2K, bt leap year.
Sooo, I had to be different and not get an IPOD…got the cool looking Zune…crash.
If it resolves…I’ll still really like mine. Lots of vids, all my music and photos. Just can’t ring in the New Year with it. LOL
being the linux nerd that I am
I can’t help myself. I have to say this.
Don’t buy a Zune.
lol
ipods cost 2-3X
Okay, we cleared that up a little, I think. For solid state player/viewers, ipods cost 2-3X as much as a comparable bargain-basement-priced generic. They don’t have expansion slots to take advantage of future cheap SD memory cards, and they require a proprietary cord plug that could add $6-10 for bare minimum cabling, or $20-40 for full cabling (pc connection, in-car charger, home charger, spare charger for traveling).
While they’re not comparable pricewise, ipods do have a certain “cachet”, or mark of distinction, that makes them worth more to some people. One poster compared it to cars with BMW vs Kia. I’ll grant this in theory, though the service provided (music stored, transported and played) is so much simpler than with cars that a more appropriate analogy might be Monte Blanc vs Bic (ballpoint pens). True, the Monte Blanc pen is demonstrably superior, but the Bic is quite adequate 99.9% of the time. If they both keep their current pricing strategy, Bic is going to dominate the market, but Monte Blanc can continue to run a very profitable business.
one more cycle
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“Today you can buy an 8 GB SD card for $18.44 including shipping.”
This is about $270 for 120 GB (and no player). You can get a 120 GB iPod classic for for $250 plus you won’t have to deal with 15 extra little pieces of plastic. (Which one of the 15 will have the music you want?)
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Yes, but there has been a 4X improvement each year for the last 4-5 years. One more such year would drop the price from $270 to under $70 for 120 GB, and that would probably be the final blow to hard drive players.
I posted this from my iTouch
Just for laughs…
100 and everyone has been nice.