Ipod type player - Which One

Captain Humble · « **on:** 5 Sep 2005, 06:16 pm »

My wife is the regional sales manager for Hertz Rent A Car out of Dallas and has sales reps in 5 States. A couple of years back I bought her a Sony Walkman CD player. I thought it would be nice for her to have on airplanes. Well it's too big so she never took it with her and I gave it away.

Now I'm thinking one of those little MP3 players with a ram memory might be nice. I saw some key chain size ones at Fry Electronics (great selection of DVD concert videos) but didn't buy one because I don't know if they are any good.

Any opinions on what might work well for her would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Jeff

Vinnie R. · « **Reply #1 on:** 5 Sep 2005, 06:39 pm »

I'd get her the iPod mini....great sound, small size, easy to use...

Regards,

PhilNYC · « **Reply #2 on:** 5 Sep 2005, 07:00 pm »

I don't know anyone who owns an MP3 player that wasn't one of the Apple iPods...you can't go wrong with them...

ctviggen · « **Reply #3 on:** 5 Sep 2005, 08:42 pm »

iPod mini, though you might ask her what color she likes. I'd also recommend a sleeve, as the screen on the regular iPod is easily scratched.

Captain Humble · « **Reply #4 on:** 5 Sep 2005, 09:57 pm »

It’s unanimous.
4 out of 4 A/C members can’t be wrong.
I’ll get her an iPod mini.
Thanks guys.

Atol · « **Reply #5 on:** 5 Sep 2005, 10:27 pm »

There are a good number of mp3 players available out there on the market. Personally my favorite has to be the iAudio X5 (which I like over mostly all of the other mp3 players) Karma came in at a close second with its extremely good sound quality, but it was just a little too ugly and plasticky.

iAudio X5(L) (One of the best sounding headphone outs, jet black with many nice features like video, pictures, line in/mic recording, fm radio, etc...)

Rio Karma (Discontinued and ugly, but it is still to this day one of the best, if not the best sounding mp3 players out there)

Apple iPod (Easy to use, simple integration with iTunes, the spin click wheel thing, has a pretty decent line out for headphone amplifiers)

These are mp3 players I have never tried but are pretty popular themselves.

iRiver H10, iRiver H320, iRiver H340, Sony HD-3, Sony HD-5, Zen Micro, Zen Sleek,

sm4r2d2 · « **Reply #6 on:** 5 Sep 2005, 11:04 pm »

I also would suggest iAudio. First, I prefer flash drive. Second, iAudio has mostly battery powered model. It is much easier to carry a spare battery rather than run out of charge or carry a charger.
Battery life is very good and they have a 2 GB flashdrive.
Check out SunTec Inc. on line.

gitarretyp · « **Reply #7 on:** 5 Sep 2005, 11:07 pm »

I have a rio karma, and i've been pretty happy with it. Since it's been discontinued, you might be able to find one for a nice price.

Brad · « **Reply #8 on:** 5 Sep 2005, 11:20 pm »

I really like the sound of my iPod shuffle. I just ordered some Etymotics ER6i's to use with it. Can't beat the size.

The extra storage of the mini might be nice, but I'm happy with the price/size/usability of the shuffle.

WilliamL · « **Reply #9 on:** 5 Sep 2005, 11:53 pm »

No brainer:

Go with the Dell DJ, it simply BLOWS Ipod away in compatibility (plays WAV), price, ergonomics, sound, build quality, etc.

Check out the Dell Website. They are always having special deals on them. My Dell DJ simply rules!

Cheers,
Bill

jon_010101 · « **Reply #10 on:** 6 Sep 2005, 12:04 am »

Quote from: Bill Laurent

No brainer:

Go with the Dell DJ, it simply BLOWS Ipod away in compatibility (plays WAV), price, ergonomics, sound, build quality, etc.

Check out the Dell Website. They are always having special deals on them. My Dell DJ simply rules!

Compatibility? The only common file a DJ can play that an iPod can't is Windows Media... and the sound quality of those files is awful anyways. The AAC (mp4) files that iTunes uses by default are an open standard and are a cut above regular mp3s at the same bitrate. Not to mention that the ipod supports the Apple lossless compression which will give you WAV quality at half the filesize.

With all due respect, I think the only clear area in which the DJ beats the Pod is in price, and even that varies by the model you choose.

Of course, I do own one, and a pair of Shure e3's.

edit: here is the list of formats from Apple's site -- "AAC (16 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Music Store), MP3 (16 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, and 4), Apple Lossless, WAV, AIFF"

I generally use 192kbps AAC, but have some old 160kbps MP3s too.

PhilNYC · « **Reply #11 on:** 6 Sep 2005, 12:16 am »

I'll add this...the only consumer electronics gadget my wife ever asked me about getting was an iPod. Surfed a bunch of sites and showed her a bunch of different ones, and the iPod was the only one she wanted. Her reason? Everything else looked "ugly...like a computer peripheral"...

Atol · « **Reply #12 on:** 6 Sep 2005, 12:52 am »

Quote from: PhilNYC

I'll add this...the only consumer electronics gadget my wife ever asked me about getting was an iPod. Surfed a bunch of sites and showed her a bunch of different ones, and the iPod was the only one she wanted. Her reason? Everything else looked "ugly...like a computer peripheral"...

Once again, marketing wins.

Mathew_M · « **Reply #13 on:** 6 Sep 2005, 01:00 am »

Quote from: Atol

Quote from: PhilNYC
Once again, marketing wins.

Actually Apple marketing typically sucks. The iPod succeeded because it is desirable on pure aesthetics. Women like stuff that is pretty and simple. You can't discount the refined interface either.

sm4r2d2 · « **Reply #14 on:** 6 Sep 2005, 01:14 am »

I think it says alot that the advertised advantage of the Shuffle is that you don"t have to (can't) pick out what order your music plays in.
And you can just trash 'em when they won't take a charge anymore (to expensive to repair vs. replace)

Atol · « **Reply #15 on:** 6 Sep 2005, 02:50 am »

Apple's marketing is pretty freakin' good. They somehow brainwashed every person from age 9-21 that the iPod is the ONLY mp3 player on the market and alternatives that are in fact superior are "bootleg ipods"

Picture this:

1. Your in Radioshack, you see an Apple display. Everything around you is dull and gray. (Typical radio-shack environment) Theres the crappy Aiwa boombox in the back playing some static through a bad radio station. Everything is dull and the iPod just does't seem special.

2. Your in a Mac Store, theres posters of big white dancing figures around you on colorful backgrounds and its full of Apple products, theres music being played loudly on some odd looking JBL speakers by other people. You can play around with their giant 30" widescreen screens on an Apple G5's while you mess around with iTunes and download music to the iPod. Theres a line of iPods connected to some crappy Bose Triports and theres an young, upbeat, and hip atmosphere and you get sucked into that kind of thinking. You walk out of the store with a brand new 20gb iPod photo, a Mac Mini, and a 20" widescreen lcd monitor.

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #16 on:** 6 Sep 2005, 02:54 am »

And then you have all the extra things that you will need for your IPod....

Feisal K · « **Reply #17 on:** 6 Sep 2005, 03:57 am »

I remember reading somewhere that only Rio does proper rips of continuous albums (e.g. Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon) i.e. song is continuous but the song names are properly indicated. Don't know for sure though .. and I can't find one (Rio Kharma)

PhilNYC · « **Reply #18 on:** 6 Sep 2005, 04:06 am »

Quote from: Atol

Once again, marketing wins.

I'd say that it's more a function of superb industrial design than marketing. Same with the iMac...

PhilNYC · « **Reply #19 on:** 6 Sep 2005, 04:11 am »

Quote from: Feisal K

I remember reading somewhere that only Rio does proper rips of continuous albums (e.g. Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon) i.e. song is continuous but the song names are properly indicated. Don't know for sure though .. and I can't find one (Rio Kharma)

Well, there's another thing...how many women do you know who are into continuous albums...?