looking for non-iPod MP3 player, preferably in the 60 gig range

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BustaUppa

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I've gone too long without one of these things. I wanna get a MP3 player that fits my whole collection, and I have no interest in an iPod or anything video-related so I wanna see what my options are.

So I wanna know:
A) what players you people recommend, and
B) good deals on 'em!

Some friends of mine recommend Creative Zen players... I've also seen a lot on Toshiba. Thoughts on those, as well as any other recommendations (and, of course, DEALS) are all welcome!
 
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Get an old Generation Non-video iPod. You can probably get a good pricce because they are older. I have a 40 gb monochromo display, and it's awesome. Goto Apple.com and look under the refurbished section, and if your a student you can get a good discount on top of the refurb price.
 
Heck I have a 40 Gig 3rd Gen iPod (pre-video) with some accessories I would be willing to sell. Barely used it a dozen times, and the earbuds have never been used.

If you are interested PM me.
 
Lol geez guys he said he doesn't want an iPod..

Anyway. I'm using an iPod right now, but I definetely liked my Creative better, the way of putting songs and folders are alot easier, and they tend to last me for more than 2 years, good luck on that.
 
I've been thinking about grabbing an iriver. I know a few people that have them and love them to death.
 
How about the new video ipod! It roxxxajj;lakdjfa;i'mnotafanboyldkfsad;lkfjasd;lkscn

Seriously though, I've heard good things bout the x5 and creative's zen vision:m. There's also that new Toshiba gigabeat S that's comin out soon, so you might want to wait a little while.
 
I'm actually looking into something similar myself. I really like the look and sound of the iRivers but I'm just wondering, which exactly would be the one to get and the best place to get it? And what makes it the better choice for those who have used iRivers before? Just lookin' for some more info on them myself. :) Thanks.
 
[quote name='Koshiba']I'm actually looking into something similar myself. I really like the look and sound of the iRivers but I'm just wondering, which exactly would be the one to get and the best place to get it? And what makes it the better choice for those who have used iRivers before? Just lookin' for some more info on them myself. :) Thanks.[/QUOTE]I have an H320 (purchased Jan. 05) with a recently installed 30gb drive (20gb stock) and high capacity battery (2200mAh vs. 1300mAh stock). I'd recommend one of those if you can find one or, if you don't have about having a color screen, an H120. Both were available in 40gb capacities as well. As far as where to get one ... at this point ebay is your best bet as those models have been discontinued (and the newer ones don't offer quite the feature set).

As for what makes it a better choice, well let's see ...

Drag & drop files on and off (no software required)

Plays MP3, WMA, and OGG. 300 series displays BMP and JPG. Video capability with official Korean/Japanese firmware.

High sound quality, good equalizer. Recording capabilities (line in or internal/external mic). FM tuner.


Whether or not any of that matters to you is, well, up to you. Personally, I've been messing around with Rockbox for a while for the on-the-fly playlisting, gapless playback, and album art, but that's still in the development stage right now. First official release is scheduled for May 1st.

For other general info I'd check out MisticRiver.
 
[quote name='Skelah']how does anyone even still want an mp3 player on here when u can use a psp?[/QUOTE]

Is this a joke or a serious post? Just curious. I really really don't mean to sound mean.
 
i supose a complaint may be memory personaly if i had that much space walking around with me just for songs id probly never use 80% of them.
 
[quote name='Skelah']i supose a complaint may be memory personaly if i had that much space walking around with me just for songs id probly never use 80% of them.[/QUOTE]Memory would be a big one for me. Size would be an issue. Features/control definitely. I don't know about the supported formats, so I can't say anything about that for sure. I'd expect battery life to be pretty damn good, if not then that would be a problem as well.
 
[quote name='sblymnlcrymnl']I have an H320 (purchased Jan. 05) with a recently installed 30gb drive (20gb stock) and high capacity battery (2200mAh vs. 1300mAh stock). I'd recommend one of those if you can find one or, if you don't have about having a color screen, an H120. Both were available in 40gb capacities as well. As far as where to get one ... at this point ebay is your best bet as those models have been discontinued (and the newer ones don't offer quite the feature set).

As for what makes it a better choice, well let's see ...

Drag & drop files on and off (no software required)

Plays MP3, WMA, and OGG. 300 series displays BMP and JPG. Video capability with official Korean/Japanese firmware.

High sound quality, good equalizer. Recording capabilities (line in or internal/external mic). FM tuner.


Whether or not any of that matters to you is, well, up to you. Personally, I've been messing around with Rockbox for a while for the on-the-fly playlisting, gapless playback, and album art, but that's still in the development stage right now. First official release is scheduled for May 1st.

For other general info I'd check out MisticRiver.[/quote] What he said. I have an H340 that I got after I RMA'd an H140 (I dropsed it and it borkeded). I couldn't be happier.

Especially with Rockbox. Rockbox is an open source firmware created by enthusiasts. And it is freaking awesome.

Here's some different shots of various aspects of the H300 series.

gta.jpg

Here, we have an InSkin. And InSkin involves removing the player's case and inserting a printed picture, like seen above. I haven't done one of these, and frankly I don't need to because I have a case on my player, but that's kinda cool.

The picture also shows the default firmware. It's sorta of pretty.

godotwarthemepreview7ct.jpg

This forum goer named Salival used to take requests and make skins for people. This is an example of one. Pretty nice stuff.

preview.jpg

This is the "famous" Music Pirate skin. My personally favorite, it was the first one I tried and the last one I kept. If I were still using the stock firmware, this would be my skin of choice.

But I'm not using the stock firmware. I'm using Rockbox, which is much more capable.

Rockbox involves flashing a hacked firmware, which technically voids your warranty even though it will not brick the player. Updating is easy, boiling down to a download and unzip onto the root of the player.

My favorite features are the gapless playback, crossfading, and album art, all of which are not available on the stock firmware.

icatcherscreendump12jr.png

This is my current Rockbox skin, known as a WPS, or "While Player Screen" in Rockbox terms. It comes in a variety of colors. I use the Black one, but this one just shows the detail in the design. The album art is the emphasis, and I love it. It takes some work to get art for all of your albums, but in the end it's totally worth it.

So, there you have it. The only problem you'll ever have with an H300 series iRiver player is finding one. I'm not sure about the current situation, but the tend to be a bit elusive and sometimes expensive.

iRiver has been the only brand of mp3 player I've owned, and I will surely not own another brand.

EDIT: Un-hotlinked a couple images.
 
^wow, that H340 looks amazing.

well since im here, i might as well sell yall on the archos av420.

thier pmp players, thats audio and video, and the av420 records video from tv using a base connected by a/v wires

http://reviews.cnet.com/Archos_Pocket_Video_Recorder_AV420/4505-6499_7-30925078.html

^there's the cnet review giving it an 8.3 editor's choice over the ipod video

$350 for the 20GB and but cheaper on eBay. i got mine used for $270, i like all the features, its very durable, has a nice remote accessory. its great, the only downside is the low GB space(i filled that thing up real fast ;-) so im also looking for a backup mp3 player.
 
Wow, thanks for the suggestions so far guys. One question about iRivers... can I get one in 60 Gb capacity? I rechecked my computer and I've already got 32 Gigs of music on it, and I've still got a ton of CD's I haven't even ripped. So I've decided 40 Gb is cutting it too close, so I'm gonna go for a 60 gigger (I've edited the thread title to reflect this). That iRiver sounds interesting, but when I look on their site I only see models going up to 20 Gb.

One thing I've got my eyes on is the Creative Zen jukebox. On Creative's eBay-based factory store, they're selling a refurbished, 60Gb model for $219 (+sales tax, but no shipping). This sound like a good deal?
 
The H300 and H100 series both only go up to 40gb, but if you're truly interested in those players, you could probably swap in a 60gb hdd if it's the same physical size.

I'd look it up over at misticriver. People there have done similar things, though I don't know much about it and can't confirm if it's been done with a 60 giger.
 
I had a 40 gig Zen Touch, and my experience with it wasn't too good. The biggest problem I had with it is that it doesn't have skip protection. I assumed it did when I bought it, but the manual said otherwise. You can still run with it to some extent, but if it shakes to much, it will skip.
 
If you really want something to run with you should go with a flash-based player. Besides the no-moving-parts thing, there's the issue of weight. A 40gb player could really throw off your balance. :lol:
 
I have an iRiver H120. It may be discontinued but I love it. I've had it a couple of years now and has worked FLAWLESSLY the entire time.
 
I have been researching for a new MP3 because I outgrew my 20GB Dell DJ first gen. I want the same because I always buy music online and cds. Anyways the here are my picks so far:

iAudio X5 60GB has a USB host that can be used for digital cameras and my PSP
(Newegg has the best price link above)

Toshiba F Gigabeat 60GB but wait for the S to come out and it will drop even more
(Amazon had the best price last time I checked)

Neuros 80GB has a built in FM transmitter and Flash player included. Only downside it sounds like a mixbag some people says it good and some say its awful.
(www.neurosaudio.com has the best price for $249.00)

Mustek PVR-H160 60GB can't recommend because I can't one single review. Archos is overpriced but go up to 100GB. Creative Zen 60GB is the old one and looks that way. Wolverine MVP-9060 60GB the hot red cover scares me.

Out of all of them Toshiba is the only with Windows Playforsure so it is the only one compatible most online stores except for eMusic.com that uses MP3 and no DRM. Hope this helps.
 
Oh yeah, that's kind of an important issue, whether or not you are going to legally buy and download stuff.

If that's the case, don't bother with the H100 series, because they don't support it, or the H300, because the foreign firmwares (read: the best/better than the American) and Rockbox also don't due legal downloads.
 
Oh geeze, FLASH... that's something else I should think of. I was planning on doing some running. If you hold a hdd-based player in your hand while running (as opposed to keeping it in your pocket), is it still likely to skip? If so then I guess I should start thinking about flash stuff. What are the drawbacks of flash-based players?
 
The main drawback of flash players is storage vs. cost. But they are small, lightweight, don't skip, and have excellent battery life (well, the good ones anyway).
 
[quote name='headpiece747']Neuros 80GB has a built in FM transmitter and Flash player included. Only downside it sounds like a mixbag some people says it good and some say its awful.
(www.neurosaudio.com has the best price for $249.00)[/QUOTE]That one looks cool, but the description on the site seems to indicate it is HDD-based. Is the flash player something separate? Ha ha oh man now the running issue has me all hung up on this Flash business.

I'm looking around on eBay and it seems like the flash players only go up to like 2 GB capacity. Is a 60gb flash-based device pretty much out of the question? I'd love to have something I could safely run with, but if I have to just go without that and get a HDD model I guess I'll just deal with it.
 
Sony Newtwork Walkmans are nice flash MP3 players.

And if you decide to use Atrac3 format you can fit 2-5 times as much music in it.

Plus the battery life is like 50 hours.
 
Flash based anything, not just MP3 players, are always small. I think the biggest cards they make go up to about 2gb. I couldn't deal with that, hence the 40gb hdd model.

I have never had a skipping problem with either of my iRivers, but then again I never run with it. I have mowed, worked, walked, been on a rough hay ride or two, and other various non-running activities with no issues.

I'd be more afraid of dropping it than it skipping. Dropping an hdd player = 1,000 deaths. Been there.
 
Okay so I guess I can't have my cake and eat it too. Capacity is more important to me, so I'll stick with a HDD 60-gigger. For running I can just go old-school and use my DiscMan.
 
Do what I do, Have a HDD-based for storage/less active listen and pick up a refurb iPod Shuffle for running. You can get one for less than $100 for a 512. Little more for the gigger. I have a Creative Zen 30 gig modded to 40 and the Shuffle. I just load up a few songs into the Shuffle when I run. Light, no skip, and cheap. :D
 
I had an H120 with Rockbox -- very very very smooth player. Harddrive broke after ~2-3 years of pretty heavy use (I think I dropped it or something, can't really remember how it broke) and I've now got a Zen Micro. Takes a bit more work but also a pretty cool player (not in your capacity range though, I believe it is 4-6GB flash).
 
[quote name='gamefreak']I had an H120 with Rockbox -- very very very smooth player. Harddrive broke after ~2-3 years of pretty heavy use (I think I dropped it or something, can't really remember how it broke) and I've now got a Zen Micro. Takes a bit more work but also a pretty cool player (not in your capacity range though, I believe it is 4-6GB flash).[/QUOTE]Do you still have that H120? If so I'd be interested ...
 
A little update on the search, and a few questions:

- I checked out the Neuros HD 80GB device (www.neurosaudio.com). It seems really good, and a hard-to-beat value at just $250, but I get the impression that it has a generally "buggy" feel to it. The FM radio supposedly isn't that good, and worst of all I've heard it has problems with random play, like it tends to get all screwy and just loop a short list of songs over and over again. That's a deal-killer right there.

- iRiver seems nice, and someone said that you don't need any special software to add files to it?? Like, can you just drag and drop files from any computer? That's awesome if that's true. When adding music to a iRiver, does it actually REMOVE it from your PC? I've heard some stories about people putting files onto a player, only for some DRM bullshit to keep them from ever getting stuff back on the computer.

My most important iRiver question is about the hard drive. How difficult it it to obtain a larger hard drive and replace the one that came with the player? It's really bumming me out that iRiver maxes out at 40gb, because everything else seems really nice.

- Toshiba Gigabeat seemed promising since it had 60 gb, but I read about all sorts of DRM encryption stuff on it. fuck that.

- Creative Zen Xtra 60gb... seems nice and solid and basic. Gives me the space I need. However the iRiver's FM tuner, internal mic recording (it has a built-in mic, right), and drag-and-drop (again, I'm assuming I'm correct on that) make me hesistate to pull the trigger on the Zen.


Any further advice is much appreciated. I guess my main question is, How difficult is it to buy a fully-featured iRiver in the smallest possible capacity (since I'll dump that HD anyway) and then replace it with a 60-80 GB drive? And I assume I'm voiding the warranty by doing this?

Also a general question about MP3 players... do they require you to actually MOVE the files from your PC to the player? Or do only the stupid ones do that?
 
[quote name='BustaUppa']- iRiver seems nice, and someone said that you don't need any special software to add files to it?? Like, can you just drag and drop files from any computer? That's awesome if that's true. [/quote]
Yes. It shows up as an external hdd in Windows. Just drag and drop.

[quote name='BustaUppa']When adding music to a iRiver, does it actually REMOVE it from your PC? I've heard some stories about people putting files onto a player, only for some DRM bullshit to keep them from ever getting stuff back on the computer.[/quote]
I've never used a legal downloading system (Napster, iTunes) so I can't vouch for DRM type questions, but with normal music files, it does NOT delete them from your computer. It simply copies to files/folders to the player's hdd.

It should be noted that using foreign firmware (such as the official Korean firmware or Rockbox) technically voids your warranty and disallows you to use DRM music files. It doesn't affect me at all, but I thought I'd let you know.

[quote name='BustaUppa']My most important iRiver question is about the hard drive. How difficult it it to obtain a larger hard drive and replace the one that came with the player? It's really bumming me out that iRiver maxes out at 40gb, because everything else seems really nice.[/quote]
Buying one is as simple as finding a website selling the hdd or going to eBay. I'm unsure about prices and availability, but I'm sure it's not exactly cheap and probably fairly easy to find.

I haven't replaced my harddrive, but I know it's not that hard. I think you basically open it up, remove the previous hdd, and put it all back together.

You'd have to look it up at MisticRiver.net. They have guides, FAQs, and other type materials related to battery, hdd, and other modifications.

[quote name='BustaUppa']I guess my main question is, How difficult is it to buy a fully-featured iRiver in the smallest possible capacity (since I'll dump that HD anyway) and then replace it with a 60-80 GB drive? And I assume I'm voiding the warranty by doing this?[/quote]
Since I'm not exactly in the market for buying any iRiver products (considering I've had mine for over a year), I don't know how the market is. I don't think they manufacture the H100 and H300 series anymore, so it would be an eBay or other website thing.

Keep in mind that the 20gb models are actually smaller, so you would only be able to put it in (for example, since I once again must say I'm not an expert on this) a 40gb or 60gb. With the 40gb models, you can put in a larger hdd.

Of course, all of this would void your warranty.

[quote name='BustaUppa']Also a general question about MP3 players... do they require you to actually MOVE the files from your PC to the player? Or do only the stupid ones do that?[/quote]
Speaking for iRivers, yes, you have to manually move them, but I know there are iTunes-esque automatic music management programs available if you're interested. I personally prefer doing it manually, but you can do it however you wish.
 
Oh I should have clarified, I was basically just repeating my earlier question about the iRivers, but applying it to all players. By "moving the files" I meant actually deleting them from the original PC ( which you already explained would not be a problem for non-DRM files). Every single MP3 on my comp is ripped from the original CD's, so DRM is no issue for me.

Thanks a lot for the detailed response! Good to know about the different physical sizes on the iRiver models; I assumed I would just be throwing money away by getting the 40GB model only to replace the HDD. But if that's the only model that could accomodate a 60GB hard drive, it will be money well-spent.

Hell, I'm starting to think I should just go for the 40GB iRiver right now. I don't actually have 40GB of MP3's yet, it's just that I know I WILL need more space in the near future. But I could buy the 40 gigger now, get familiar with it, and do some research oh HDDs in the meantime. I can start to experience the benefits of the player right away, and still take time to figure things out! I don't get that "freedom of expansion" vibe with the other players.

Cool, so I'm gonna focus my research on 40 gig iRivers now. If anyone knows of a particularly crazy deal, feel free to send it my way!
 
However the iRiver's FM tuner, internal mic recording (it has a built-in mic, right)
Click to expand...

Those extra features on MP3s are nice to have in theory but don't get used. If you have over 30GBs of music, why listen to radio and my internal mic on my Dell has never been used. I use my MP3 player just for MP3s. End rant...

If your music is not DRM protected then I would say go with the iAudio because it has alot of great features which you like and has the storage too at 60GB. Also the Neuros 80GB is a steal at that price and the company is good at replacing them most customers say in the forums. Toshiba is good because they don't DRM your MP3s only ones you buy online.

Not trying to complicate your choices but I just think it would be better for you to get a larger harddrive and have all your music when you want like I want.
 
Ha well I know what you're saying... I never really cared about an internal mic until I saw that a lot of players included it. Then I thought about it more, and now I'm intrigued.

My main concern with the Neuros now is the whole random play issue. After digging through the forums it seems like a people have had problems just random playing through all their tracks. Random play is actually a big concern of mine; I just do a random play all with Winamp on my PC, and that's how I want to use my portable player. So if a player is all weird with it's shuffle mode, that's a crippling problem for me. What has everyone's experience been like with the random play features of the different players?

I'll definitely take a look at iAudio. And Toshiba might be worth another look, I didn't even realize that the DRM stuff only applied to purchased MP3's.

However another thing that really attracts me about iRiver is how no special software is needed. Do any of the other players have drag and drop? I keep reading about these special pgrograms that they need to use and about "building a database" and stuff like that.
 
Reading through your posts, you remind me of me when I was looking into all this a year or so ago.

I'm definitely not going to push the iRiver stuff on you anymore, but I haven't had any regrets with my purchase.
 
Update on the search...

- Priority one for me is still HDD capacity. My main options for a 60+ gigger are iAudio X5, Zen Xtra, Toshiba Gigabeat, Neuros II, and (if I want to be adventurous) a modded iRiver.

- Of secondary importance is the ability to drag and drop media files, without the need for extra software. Out of the above options, this narrows it down to iAudio X5, Neuros II, and iRiver

- I've done more research on Rock Box, and it really does seem amazing. Apparently it is supported on iAudio X5, iRiver, Archos, and iPod

Under these criteria, iAudio and iRiver are my top two candidates at the moment. I'm leaning towards iAudio since I can just get a 60GB HDD out of the box, without the need to mod... it's more expensive, but according to a post on MisticRiver I'd be spending at least $100 to upgrade an iRiver HDD anyway. It does bother me that I'll be spending money on video and photo features that I have no interest in, but with my 60-gig options being so limited to begin with, I can just bite the bullet on that.

I'm still checking out articles and reviews though... but my goal is to pull the trigger and buy something by the end of next week! Thanks to everyone for all the input and leads so far!
 
I'd have to agree, especially if the iAudio is supported by Rockbox. That way, you get the large capacity, probably decent features (I don't know much about the iAudio), and the product is easily available.
 
after racking my brain like a madman, I have finally gone ahead and ordered the 60GB iAudio X5! Thanks to everyone for their advice here (especially the newegg leads). Before my search I wasn't even aware of this particular player, and all the other suggestions just helped me narrow things down and figure out which features I really wanted. So a big thanks again to everyone! :D
 
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