MP3 players: Is an MP3 player really worth the trouble?
Is an MP3 player really worth the trouble?
by GVDL01 - 8/2/08 10:25 AMAs I read through post after post throughout numerous websites regarding the frustrations associated with MP3 issues, complaints and problems, I have to wonder if having an MP3 player is worth all the trouble. I don't want my MP3 player to be the main reason for my need to meditate. I want my player to be a source of joy vs. anger, feelings of inadequacy and frustration.
At this point, as soon as you've parted with a good chunk of money for the player, many needed extra accessories too help protect the player or charge it aren't supplied. The screens are easily scratched so you need to buy a case. Don't accidently sit on them or they'll break. They won't easily convert WMA formats or they work one day and are dead the next for no known reason.
For 6 months now I've come close to laying down my money. But just as I'd decide on a player I'd read someone's frustrated cry for help regarding the one I'd just decide on.
Is it just me or does it seem that every manufacturer is playing some sick-o game with all of us vs. creating something that doesn't make us have to blog our brains out over it?
Let's review my choices again...I keep my $$$...have more spare time to do fun things with friends and family vs. screaming at a MP3 player or some mfgr's software glitches and play my CD's?
Your thoughts please.
I've had great experiences
by ktreb - 8/2/08 11:49 AM In reply to: Is an MP3 player really worth the trouble? by GVDL01But consider this. Millions of mp3 players are sold every year (iPod has a big chunk of this business and have sold 120+ million to date). What you are seeing on this and other websites represents a relatively small chunk of that. People come to forums like this to ask for help, seek advice, and to complain. So that's mainly what you'll see. And unfortunately, a certain percentage of player will have problems. You will hear more iPod issues because there are so many more out there. But you can say the same thing for any product, electronic or not.
I've been buying mp3 players for nearly 6 years. I currently own 10 that range from simple/inexpensive to the fancy/expensive. One was a cheap freebie from work. I've never had any problems that have caused me anger and frustration. But I also started off simple and learned my way around mp3 players before moving on to something more complicated. And they're not really that complicated.
For me, listening to CDs are best done at home on a nice system or in the car if you have a cd changer or can play mp3 cds. Having an mp3 player is a convenience. I can carry a few hours worth of music or podcasts that I can clip to my shirt and then I'm off to the gym or a walk. If I want to carry more music and more types of music, I have something that fits in my pocket or purse. I can plug it into a speaker system at work and share my tunes with the office and take requests. If I want to watch tv shows, movies, and video podcasts I have a player for that.
You don't have to buy a fancy and expensive mp3 player, especially if you are new to it. Not everyone wants, needs, and can afford an iPod or similar player. If you're perfectly happy listening to cds, then you don't need one. But if you do want one, start off simple and inexpensive. Get one that simply plugs into your computer without a cable that you can put music on via drag and drop through Windows Explorer. I've got several like this that I've sat on and dropped numerous times and don't have accessories for.
If you want to get something fancier/complicated/more expensive, do your homework. I actually got myself a "Dummies" book. Look at reviews. Try to get a hands on. If you need software, get to know it. Many programs, such as Windows Media Player, iTunes, Zune software, and RealPlayer are freely available for download if you don't already have them on your computer. If you don't know this already, the default ripping setting for Windows Media Player is wma, so you may want to change that to mp3 (you don't have to). Also the default ripping setting for iTunes is AAC. You can also change that. If you get a high capacity hard drive based player, you may want an accessory to cushion it from falls or to keep it from falling (of course, keeping it in your pocket a fine idea and no extra accessory needed).
The one accessory I do recommend for almost every mp3 player out there is a pair of headphones. Almost all come with crappy headphones. An additional $30-$50 will get you something that is a lot better than the ones they come with. I actually have a few that I paid as little as $10 for. But I do a lot of experimentation and sound quality is subjective.
One more thing. If you buy downloads, I suggest that you buy mp3 only. Don't get anything with DRM that restricts what you can play them on and what you can do with them.
Don't buy an Iriver CLics!
by pallidin - 8/2/08 12:11 PM In reply to: I've had great experiences by ktrebAfter hours of reading posts, recommendations, etc on players I finally bought one--an iRiver Clics. Turns out to incorporate a piece of half baked software. I like to listen to audio books and am a pretty competant PC person. After frustratingly listending to several books I find there is no way to bookmark. Thus every time you rip a new book and load it to the Clics plan to listen to it all the way through each Disk. Turning it off either on purpose or accidently makes you start all over again to find your place. What half competant programmer put that program together??
Most people who write reviews, professionals or otherwise, use their MP3 players for music. Thus they never tell you how well the player works for downloading audio books and listening to them. I really wonder why the audio book software is so far behind that for music.
In summary, if you are interested in audio books read any reviews VERY CAREFULLY!
Players that bookmark
by ktreb - 8/2/08 5:34 PM In reply to: Don't buy an Iriver CLics! by pallidinHere's a link to players that support bookmarking, according to the mp3 editors at CNET. I believe that these do active bookmarking, you actually have to do something on the player in order to bookmark at the point you want to bookmark.
http://reviews.cnet.com/4321-6450_7-6543879.html?tag=txt
You are right. Reviews and manufacturer product specs don't really say enough, if anything about bookmarking, if they have it or not. And if they do, how to utilize it. Even the CNET reviews don't really touch on that.
Left off of this list is the iPod, but it does bookmark. If you mainly listen to audiobooks, the iPod may be overkill, though. In my rather biased opinion, it's probably one of the best at it. Bookmarking is done passively. If you download audiobooks from iTunes or audible, bookmarking is already enabled. If you rip from cds, you'll need to set the options for each track within the iTunes software to remember playback position.
If you are a podcast listener, you can download podcasts through iTunes and they will automatically have bookmarking enabled. Useful for listening to long podcasts.
Do your homework is the key.....
by TMT904 - 8/17/08 1:03 AM In reply to: Don't buy an Iriver CLics! by pallidinNot quite sure which iRiver Clix you own, but I've owned 3 for almost 3 years and they're all still working perfectly. I bought one for my brother to send to him in Iraq and one for me and my wife. We use them for our motorcycle music system. I can be listening to a song and power it down and it picks right back up where I left off when I power it up. Now if I stop the song and back out to the main menu, I will have to restart the song and fast forward or relisten. It works the same for the videos I watch on my iRiver. Never listened to books but are they not audio files...(mp3s)?? Maybe you just got the wrong Clix.
The main thing in purchasing any electronic device is to do your homework. Read the reviews on CNet or ask friends. The iPods are certainly the most widely promoted in the mp3 arena. They have countless accessories......and endless list of accessories for that matter! I own an iRiver Clix 4gb, Archos av500 100gb, and an Archos 605wi-fi 160gb player which basically spans from the lower-end to higher end of the mp3 spectrum. The latter actually gets me onto the internet and can stream videos from my pc to my tv....it's all in what you want to do with the player. As I said, my iRiver is used primarily on my motorcycle....very compact and doesn't miss a beat. I can go forward or backwards thru my playlist by tapping (clicking) the appropriate edge of my player....hence the name Clix. No buttons to fiddle with while trying to concentrate on collision avoidance from the careless automobile drivers out there who sometimes seem like they're out to get me.
Identify what you want/need and as was said in a previous post, do your homework. All of a sudden, your player will be right in front of you. Keep your receipts and make sure there is a good return policy just in case!! Put it through the hoops as soon as you can as most stores will accept returns in the 1st 30 days. If you're not satisfied, move on to another brand.
Happy listening,
-Joe
Iriver Clic
by pallidin - 8/17/08 10:40 AM In reply to: Do your homework is the key..... by TMT904Joe;
You are happy with the Clic for music and I agree with you but I used mine mainly for audio books. For audio books it leaves a lot to be desired. Bookmarking just do not work--even tho several reviews said they did.
Curious...
by ktreb - 8/2/08 7:28 PM In reply to: Is an MP3 player really worth the trouble? by GVDL01I'm curious as to what player you almost plunked down $$$ for.
And a recommendation.
If you live near a SonyStyle store or a retailer (Best Buy) that sells them, I would suggest that you take a look at the newest Sony players. They are well built, simple to use, you don't need additonal software, you can do drag and drop, and battery life is phenonmenal. It supports folder organization. There are limits to how deep you can go, but the documentation spells this out. They are not incredibly cheap, but you can get a lower capacity one for $100 or so. I do prefer the video playing ones than the stick ones (I like having a "biggish" screen).
I have one of last year's models that I bought on clearance. It sounds great and I have bought absolutely NO extra accessories. I have the NWZ-A816 and I even use the included headphones (cord is a little on the short side, though).
http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&categoryId=16178
Another recommendation:
If your cell phone has mp3 player capability, use it. It may not be the best experience, but you could get your feet wet with it.
Players I've looked at
by GVDL01 - 8/3/08 10:44 AM In reply to: Curious... by ktrebSony, iRiver, Zune, iPod nano. It's just that no matter which brand/model, it seems there is some type of comparative drawback either in offered features, sound quality, fragile construction, proprietary, doesn't come with a charger, etc. Just as an example, I'll think I've found the right one but then I'll read a post saying something like: it's proprietary, the sound quality isn't as good as the previous generation, no SD slot, won't convert WMA, unit keeps crashing and tech support is useless.
Basiclly, I just want an MP3 so I can archive my CDs. I have WMA files I've purchased that will need to be converted. My car has a auxiliary input jack which is where I'll primarilly be playing music so I know I'll need a cable for that. I'm thinking 8GB should be all I'll need.
experiences are subjective
by ktreb - 8/3/08 11:32 AM In reply to: Players I've looked at by GVDL01And perhaps you're overthinking. Almost every product out there (mp3 players, computers, cars, televisions, toasters, etc) will have negative reviews. If you listen to everything, you could have an empty house and no car in the garage/driveway.
I could go on an on and attempt to refute everything you're saying, but that would take hours and it's no way to spend a nice Sunday afternoon.
Another question/suggestion: Do you or your family and friends know any teenagers? If so, chances are one or more of them has an mp3 player. Take a look at what they have, listen to them, and pick their brains. Try to take a more hands on approach. Reading stuff online is all fine and good, but nothing beats hands on.
If you're primarily playing music in your car, perhaps you really don't need an mp3 player. Maybe you should get a new head unit that allows you to play mp3 cds, if you don't have one already.
I want to ditch the CDs
by GVDL01 - 8/3/08 12:55 PM In reply to: experiences are subjective by ktrebI want an MP3 because I don't want to carry CDs around anymore. If I buy an 8GB Nano, will I be married to iTunes or can I use Napster just as easily? Battery life is another concern as it isn't changable on the Nano. Does the unit have to be sent back to the mfgr for a replacement?
itunes
by ktreb - 8/3/08 3:32 PM In reply to: I want to ditch the CDs by GVDL01you need to use iTunes with a nano. There are ways around it but I've never bothered. Don't buy music from the iTunes store and you'll be fine. As long as you buy drm free mp3s you can use any service. I'll expand on my answer later. I'm typing on an ipod touch right now and I prefer to be at my computer.
cont'd
by ktreb - 8/3/08 7:10 PM In reply to: I want to ditch the CDs by GVDL01The iPod and Microsoft Zune are tied into proprietary software, if that was what you meant by proprietary. So, the short answer is no you can't use Napster software. And any DRM'ed content from stores such as Napster, Rhapsody, and the old MSN Music store(which closed when MS opened up the Zune Marketplace) will not work on either player. And subscription services will not work either (Zune does have a subscription service, though). Napster and Rhapsody recently went all mp3 for music sales, so everything purchased from that point on (I think this was a couple months ago) should work on any player using any software.
Most mp3 players do not come with a wall charger. They usually just come with the cable to connect it to your computer to transfer songs and will charge at the same time. A wall charger is usually an additional accesory. The iPod's is a $30 accessory, which I bought. Then I ended up buying $15 charger at WalMart that charges two devices at the same time.
Battery lifespan on the iPod:
Of course the battery will die eventually. By the time this happens, it should be well out of warranty. You could send it back for replacement, but Apple actually replaces the iPod with either a new or refurbished one of the same model. It is currently $59 plus 6.95 shipping and handling. It is possible to DIY, but it might be more difficult as they become smaller/thinner. Most mp3 players do not have user replaceable lithium ion batteries. Off the top of my head the ones that do are SanDisk Sansa e200 series, the Archos generation 4 (not the new gen 5), and the Creative Zen Vision W.
http://www.apple.com/batteries/replacements.html
Here is a quote from Apple's website regarding the battery:
"A properly maintained iPod battery is designed to retain up to 80% of its original capacity at 400 full charge and discharge cycles. You may choose to replace your battery when it no longer holds sufficient charge to meet your needs."
There are ways to maximize battery life so you don't need to charge as often:
http://www.apple.com/batteries/ipods.html
I would imagine this would apply to any mp3 player.
As for WMA conversion. If they are un-DRM'ed iTunes can convert to mp3 (you will need to change default ripping settings to mp3 since iTunes default is aac). It actually makes an mp3 (or aac) copy and the original wma is preserved that you may either want to delete or move off of your computer. If they are DRM'ed, no software can legally do this, since breaking copy protection is illegal in the United States (violates the DMCA). Of course, you can do the tried and true method of burning as an audio cd then ripping back onto computer.
Units keep crashing:
Unfortunately there will always be a small percentage of players across ALL manufacturers that will be defective. You may hear more Apple horror stories because there are many, many, many more out there than their nearest competitor. If you find yourself with one of these, return it.
Fragile construction:
As I said before, nothing beats hands-on. iPods today are mostly metal construction (iPhone and Touch have glass faces) and I find them to be well built. Perhaps look for mostly metal construction. I do like to keep my hard drive players in a case to cushion against falls. Dropping a laptop is never a good idea, and I wouldn't want to drop a hard drive player too far either.
Horrible tech support:
I've never needed tech support. Apple is usually known for its good tech support. If you've got an Apple store nearby, you can get some face time at the genius bar.
Sound quality is subjective. I really don't have a lot to say on that. If you're going to listen through headphones, don't use the ones they come with. As I said in an earlier post, most headphone pack-ins are crap.
But if you really want something objective, take a look at this article:
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-6490_7-9968448-49.html?tag=mncol;title
Although objective, these numbers mean nothing to me.
This post is getting really long, so I will just say a couple more things and be done with it. If you really are unsure and have a Costco membership, you can buy an iPod there. They've got a 90 day unlimited return policy (no restocking fee) and you can return it if you absolutely hate it. You'll probably know right away. If you really want to use Napster, I'm pretty sure that Sony players work with the service and they are well built.
Good luck!
one more thing...
by ktreb - 8/3/08 8:44 PM In reply to: cont'd by ktrebIf you are still interested in getting an ipod Nano, you may want to hold off. iPods are due for a refresh, so we may be seeing some new ones with possibly lower prices in September. Nothing has been announced yet, but September is usually when Apple announces these things.
How do I know if my WMA's are DRM's?
by GVDL01 - 8/4/08 7:39 AM In reply to: one more thing... by ktreb"you need to use iTunes with a nano. There are ways around it but I've never bothered. Don't buy music from the iTunes store and you'll be fine."
1.) I'd like to clarify my understanding of the above statement. So vs. buying tunes from iTunes I just access the iTunes website to convert any DMR or WMA tunes?
2.) I don't know how to verify if my WMA's are DRM. Can I assume all my earlier Napster purchased tunes that are WMA are also DMR so I'll have to converted them all regardless if I'm ripping from a CD or accessing from my hard drive?
"you need to use iTunes with a nano" = False?
by R. Proffitt
- 8/4/08 7:42 AM
In reply to: How do I know if my WMA's are DRM's? by GVDL01
Here I'm using FLOOLA. Odd thing is that I can also use iTunes. As to DRM and WMA, CNET has written that if we burn those to AudioCD then feed them to iTunes then "it just works."
I've never had to use any other method.
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