Are Decent Non-iPod MP3 Players Illegal now?

DNukem170

DNukem170

Banned
So, my SanDisk Sansa Fuze broke so I wanted to try and get a new MP3 player. I have loathed Apple pretty much since I was born, so unless I get it for under $10, no iPods for me.

Except that SanDisk now only makes Clips, which have gotten worse and worse as the gens went along. Sony's Walkman seems good, but it apparently can't accept SD cards and is a pain in the ass to shut off. And everything else is 3rd party crap like Coby and Eclipse.

Why don't companies make quality mp3 players anymore?
 
Because smartphones and iPods have dominated the market. Most people have the former, and of the ones that don't, most of them have the latter (if they want an MP3 player). There's such a small place in the market that most companies don't bother. Plus, iPod prices are pretty damn competitive, and they're some of the best players on the market. Like them or not, Apple knows how to make an MP3 player.
 
I just got an iPod Touch for free, and I find it inferior, especially since I can only use iTunes to add music to it. It's 1st Gen, so I can't use any apps. I would rather stick to my 3DS if I wanted an mp3 Player.

It is a damn shame they don't make standalone mp3 players anymore, even ones with built in radios.

Well: All is not lost since I just found a foobar2000 ipod plugin.

 
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But the OP isn't going to spend $200 for that. He just wants a standalone mp3 player, those are harder to find than a cd player with tape and radio.

 
Also, I'd love a CD player with tape, radio, USB input.....audio out, etc. Maybe that could also be a clock radio. HD radio, internet Wifi radio compatible. Why not? 

 
Access_Denied said:
Plus, iPod prices are pretty damn competitive, and they're some of the best players on the market. Like them or not, Apple knows how to make an MP3 player.
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Competitive? My Fuze was $80 when I bought it new and it plays videos, has a slideshow, plays MP3s, has FM Radio and could even record. And the monitor was a high quality display with colorful graphics and smooth animation. It had an actual power switch and could use SD Cards. Hell, it can even use slotRadio, whatever that is. This was before the iPod Touch and the iPhone. Why is it only 3rd party companies can even attempt this?
 
Ummmm, hate to break it to you but most people just use their phone.. And if not that, an iPod. Hell, you can probably find really cheap MP3 players at Walgreens or something.

Not going to lie, though, I secretly wish Zune had been more of a success. I had a Sony player wayyyy back in the day and I can assure it was a pain moving stuff back and forth. Great hardware but the software was shit.
 
breakfuss said:
Ummmm, hate to break it to you but most people just use their phone.. And if not that, an iPod. Hell, you can probably find really cheap MP3 players at Walgreens or something.
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I use my phone for other stuffs, so putting on my MP3 option would drain the battery in no time. When I got out, I use my player for 4-5 hours minimum.

My problem isn't how expensive they are. It's that none of them have the same basic functionality as the player I bought ALMOST A DECADE AGO.

It is just infuriating that I have to scour eBay for a piece technology perfectly fine and a cheap a decade ago but is now suddenly non-existant.
 
DNukem170 said:
I use my phone for other stuffs, so putting on my MP3 option would drain the battery in no time. When I got out, I use my player for 4-5 hours minimum.

My problem isn't how expensive they are. It's that none of them have the same basic functionality as the player I bought ALMOST A DECADE AGO.

It is just infuriating that I have to scour eBay for a piece technology perfectly fine and a cheap a decade ago but is now suddenly non-existant.
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Well, this isn't much help to you since you hate Apple (why, lol?), but playig mp3s barely drain the battery on their products. You could easily get 5 hours without a significant hit to battery life. Even when using apps like Spotify.

I think we'll start to see point-and-shoot cameras eventually fade away as well.
 
DNukem170 said:
Competitive? My Fuze was $80 when I bought it new and it plays videos, has a slideshow, plays MP3s, has FM Radio and could even record. And the monitor was a high quality display with colorful graphics and smooth animation. It had an actual power switch and could use SD Cards. Hell, it can even use slotRadio, whatever that is. This was before the iPod Touch and the iPhone. Why is it only 3rd party companies can even attempt this?
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And where is your Fuze now? If you say broken, then it's suffered the same fate as the Fuze I had, as well as the other 2 Sandisk players I owned. Meanwhile, my iPods are all still working great. For something that will easily last 5 or 6 years, yes, the iPod prices are very competitive.
 
If you hate ipods, buy a walkman. Seriously. They have GREAT audio and build quality and use android as their OS now. They're at about the same price point as ipods though. I went from an ipod to a walkman a few years ago and I was blown away by how shitty ipods sound.
 
dohdough said:
If you hate ipods, buy a walkman. Seriously. They have GREAT audio and build quality and use android as their OS now. They're at about the same price point as ipods though. I went from an ipod to a walkman a few years ago and I was blown away by how shitty ipods sound.
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Yea, iPods sound like ass. But they are popular so everyone who doesnt care about sound buys them. I was in the same boat as OP, my SanDisk broke (well, I broke it being stupid) and after searching I ended up buying a Walkman. I HATE how the hold button is the power button so in order to turn off the Walkman you have to pause the music first and then hold that button. And when I turn it on it doesnt just play, I have to hold that button again to unlock it. Other than that it sounds great and does everything I need it to do. And I dont even need to install itunes or some other shitty music organizer on my PC to use it!

 
Access_Denied said:
And where is your Fuze now? If you say broken, then it's suffered the same fate as the Fuze I had, as well as the other 2 Sandisk players I owned. Meanwhile, my iPods are all still working great. For something that will easily last 5 or 6 years, yes, the iPod prices are very competitive.
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It didn't break on its own. It fell out of my pocket when I bent down and was then stepped on.
 
breakfuss said:
Well, this isn't much help to you since you hate Apple (why, lol?)
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I have despised using Mac computers since Elementary school and the hate grew every year. iPods looked like overpriced crap when they first came out and I loathe pretty much everything about the iPhone.
 
iPods don't sound terrible at all. Certainly the pack-in headphones do. They are just a cheap pack-in. Don't use them. Use a decent set of headphones and they sound great. Yeah, the golden-ears that thought drawing on a CD with a black (correction: green) marker made it sound better are not pleased with them, but otherwise….

 
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I had a 8 gig Sony Walkman mp3 that I used for a long time. Basic interface and you just transfered everything over via usb.

Eventually just switched over to using my phone for music, and a flash drive for long car trips.

 
MushaOne said:
Yea, iPods sound like ass. But they are popular so everyone who doesnt care about sound buys them. I was in the same boat as OP, my SanDisk broke (well, I broke it being stupid) and after searching I ended up buying a Walkman. I HATE how the hold button is the power button so in order to turn off the Walkman you have to pause the music first and then hold that button. And when I turn it on it doesnt just play, I have to hold that button again to unlock it. Other than that it sounds great and does everything I need it to do. And I dont even need to install itunes or some other shitty music organizer on my PC to use it!
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Depending on the model, the hold button is separate from the power button. Mine had a switch for hold.

Crunchewy said:
iPods don't sound terrible at all. Certainly the pack-in headphones do. They are just a cheap pack-in. Don't use them. Use a decent set of headphones and they sound great. Yeah, the golden-ears that thought drawing on a CD with a black (correction: green) marker made it sound better are not pleased with them, but otherwise….
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Have you tried other players? ipods sound like shit compared to less popular offerings. Even my old Nokia 5800 has better sound quality and I certainly don't skimp on headphones. Shure e500's and Westone w4's are the only things besides q-tips that I stick in my ears(MDR V6's on-top ;)). It's not me drinking hatorade either; it's me auditioning them back to back with the same phones/cans with no EQ. Believe me, I would love to like the ipod sound because it would make plugging it into any car that much better for my commutes and walking around town.

Sure, an amp and some EQ would help, but that's really only for the hardcore that want to carry an extra device. There's either not enough power to drive the phones and Apple doesn't just use a very good onboard amp. Or maybe Apple just likes a very bland in-house sound signature.
 
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Creativ have pretty decent MP3 players. I still have a Creative Zen Vision M that I paid around $150 for many years ago, or it might have been $100, I don't remember. Anyways why not just get an older Creative MP3 player? They're pretty cheap these days. 

I would never bother buying an iPod though. They're far too overpriced. Hell, there's even really good cheap ones out there worth checking out. 

 
dfaebd67ddf239b4ba87ea015f89d233_large.jpg


Pono Music player

Unfortunately, this is the kind of thing that will be very niche and therefore very expensive. Too bad, but hopefully there will be a growing demand for higher quality options (for players and music files).

 
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If that thing's built like a brick, I might bite.

I wonder whatever happened to that mp3 player that ran 100 hours on a single actual battery? I saw it on Gizmodo (gasp seven years ago), and you'd think that would at least be popular.

 
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dohdough said:
Depending on the model, the hold button is separate from the power button. Mine had a switch for hold.
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Ah, damn. Mine has a PWR/HOLD button. Its an annoyance. Took me several minutes to figure out how to turn it off!

That Pono player seems unnecessary as most mp3 players out there will play FLAC. I know my SanDisk did. I am pretty sure iPods do. I havent tried on my Sony but I would assume it plays FLAC as well.

 
I have no idea what the price for a Fuze should be but here's a 16 gig new on amazon for 130. Seller was WCC Trading. 98% four star feedback rating on the seller. I am posting from mobile so I hope that the link works. www.amazon.com/SanDisk-Sansa-Fuze-Player-Black/dp/B0041G62VU/ref=sr_1_3?s=mp3&ie=UTF8&qid=1407380327&sr=1-3&keywords=SanDisk+Sansa+Fuze
 
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I've heard some good things about the Fiio X3 and iBasso DX50 which are both available now and cheaper than the upcoming Pono. Not much more than that Fuze.

I agree than SanDisk's build quality seems to get worse with each passing year. They're now just cheap, disposable players for bringing on a hike or to the gym.

 
mask-air-raid said:
That's hella expensive.

Something weird happened to my post.

This is what I have: http://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-Sansa-Clip-Player-Black/dp/B002MAPT7U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407389758&sr=8-1&keywords=sansa+clip+plus
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Op said he had a Fuze and didn't want a clip. Like I said I don't know what a good price for a fuze is but it also does video from what I can tell which is going to jack up the price. I'm not sure of the relative merits of any of them any more to be quite honest as I've been using my phone but I don't do a 4-5 hr sessions like the op does.

 
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sweeetja713 said:
Op said he had a Fuze and didn't want a clip. Like I said I don't know what a good price for a fuze is but it also does video from what I can tell which is going to jack up the price. I'm not sure of the relative merits of any of them any more to be quite honest as I've been using my phone but I don't do a 4-5 hr sessions like the op does.
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That's not what he said. He said that they get worse as generations went along.

The one I posted is the Clip+. It is the best of the Clips. It has around the same battery life as the clip but it has a better build and it supports microSD. It passes five hours of continuous use easily.

The Fuze is alright. I almost got one on Black Friday a few years back, but I still had my Clip+ and I was extremely short on money. The Fuze needs conversion for videos, like other Sansas.

 
mask-air-raid said:
That's not what he said. He said that they get worse as generations went along.

The one I posted is the Clip+. It is the best of the Clips. It has around the same battery life as the clip but it has a better build and it supports microSD. It passes five hours of continuous use easily.

The Fuze is alright. I almost got one on Black Friday a few years back, but I still had my Clip+ and I was extremely short on money. The Fuze needs conversion for videos, like other Sansas.
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Ah cool thanks for clarifying. Like I said I don't know much about them anymore. The one I linked to was a 16 gig which accounts for some price difference but not 100 I quite agree particularly since they have sd slots. If I ever need a dedicated option I'll have to look at the one you linked to.
 
I've taken shit for years on my love for the Zune both on my various podcasts & everyone I know in real life.

In 2012 (I had the Gears 2 120 GB Zune) the HDD failed after 4 years of constant use & I bought the tool kit & HDD for a friend to fix for me & 3 months later the new HDD failed & I forgot to go file a warranty claim through the EBay seller b/c I'm never on EBay & I forgot.

I've been using my IPhone as my podcast device but I have nothing to listen to music with right now (my IPhone is the basic 5 & almost out of space.) "New" Zunes are still their original MSRP b/c of the issues stated here & if I wanted a used one I would just try to repair my existing one for the 2nd time since it's a LE device.
 
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What I want is an mp3 player with massive storage capacity. The 160 or whatever iPod classic is not nearly enough to get my cd collection all on there. I've researched this but haven't found anything bigger, or did I miss something?
 
Never too many songs..ive got a 2k cd collection I've been building for 20 some years. I'd like to have them all in my pocket as well. They've made small hard drives up to 200 something gigs that could go in an mp3 player, but haven't utilized it for the niche music whores like myself. I'm pretty sure apple is done with the classic and wont be seeing any capacity upgrades, and most other companies are more concerned about apps and features to keep up with the iPod touches rather than storage.
 
SD cards are up to 256GB now and there are players that can accept them. At that size, the issue you're more likely to run into is a firmware limitation on the number of song files it will read.

 
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CrazyDiamond84 said:
Never too many songs..ive got a 2k cd collection I've been building for 20 some years. I'd like to have them all in my pocket as well. They've made small hard drives up to 200 something gigs that could go in an mp3 player, but haven't utilized it for the niche music whores like myself. I'm pretty sure apple is done with the classic and wont be seeing any capacity upgrades, and most other companies are more concerned about apps and features to keep up with the iPod touches rather than storage.
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At this point you pretty much have to switch to cloud storage if you want to take -everything- with you.

I'm at the 20,000 song limit with Google Play and have no problem listening to all my music on my phone or laptop.

If you need more than 20,000 song space use Amazon Music.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_online_music_lockers

 
Ugh, I just can't keep up with the times. I'm still on CDs and we are already past downloading mp3s, and have moved on to streaming and clouds...
 
nixmahn said:
everone just uses thier phone now. Just find a smaller older phone.
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Was thinking about doing this, but then I realized that I often listened to local radio on my player and the only radio app that gets my local stations is TuneIn Radio and that thing drains my battery in no time.
 
I think you should stick to your gaming device to listen to mp3s if you can't find a substitute. You're playing anyway, and the 3DS/PSP/Vita is ample anyway. I've just used my iPod touch recently in conjunction with foobar2000.

The steps I took were:

1. Download an old version of iTunes. Version 10 should be fine.

2. Browse through the exe file with 7zip, and find "Apple Mobile Device Support" exe.

3. Extract "Apple Mobile Device Support" and install.

3. Download the newest version of iPod Manager for Foobar2000.

4. Extract the plugin and put it into your Foobar2000 components folder.

5. Turn on foobar2000.

6. Enjoy your iPod without even bothering with iTunes.

 
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