apod touch or zune 80. please help... im very confused

[neverover]

hi, all!
im planning to replace my zvm 30 gb to either ipod touch 32 gb or zune 80 by this sept. as a person that can get very confused by taking choices, id rather starts on thinking about my option now, and ended up purchasing something that i won't regret, cause ill be buying this from my saving (im still on high school).
i was thinking about ipod touch 32 gb and zune 80, as both has a huge screen (well, compared to my zvm 2'5 screen, at least). here is my consideration, sorted by the most important point:
1. durability: i want something that can survive for at least 2 or 3 years. i dont want to go back and forth to the sevice center...
2. sound quality: my custom EQ in my zvm is 10 (80 Hz), 10 (250 Hz), 6 (1k Hz), 2 (4k Hz), 4 (13k Hz). as u can see, i like bass so much. i am well aware that zune doesnt have EQ settings, but it said to have a very good sq, does that very good sq packed with a punchy bass? and what about ipod warm sounds? is it bassy enough? does it allowed custom EQ? im using yuin pk3, and hate IEM since it give me headache (seriously, a real concrete headache). and im not planning on LODing those DAP since im not a very audiophile person. my music are all encoded to WMA 44 kHz Stereo 128kbps (i know, right?), and i dont use amp.
3. video quality: my zvm deliver a very good video quaity with it divx support. but i heard that H264 profile has a more superior quality. is it correct? which one has the best screen? ipod or zune? and i know that zune can be hacked to play divx video, but if H264 has a better quality in a smaller size, i think it'll be a pretty useless hack.
4. Extra function: i suppose ipod blows zune on this. safari sure blows zune 3 plays.:lol: but is ipod wifi is stable? good? im really digging my zvm voice recording and fm recording... does zune have this?
5. Minor function: i was thinking if ipod or zune has the ability to make, rename, and rearrange the tracks order on a playist? rename a track information?
thank you very much for your suggestions. it will be very much appreciated

[Ricardo Dawkins]

wait for the new players if you going to buy the DAP around September.

The best option you have right nown following what you requires is the 32GB iPod...but you must wait the next 3 months when new players will be coming out.

[nywytboy68]

Originally Posted by Ricardo Dawkins

wait for the new players if you going to buy the DAP around September.

The best option you have right nown following what you requires is the 32GB iPod...but you must wait the next 3 months when new players will be coming out.

I agree, wait till September and see what comes out. And even if you do go w/the ipod Touch know that it doesn't play WMA music files. you'd have to either re-rip the songs or convert the WMA's (and if you DO convert they'll sound like CRAP).
I'd rock the Zune 80 myself tho'.

[neverover]

^so, converted music files from mp3 320 kbps to m4a 128 kbps will sound better than wma 128 kbps to m4a 128 kbps? that means if i buy ANY ipod, i have to re-rip my music? ...... i have more than 5000 tracks. re-ripping is not a fun thing to do anymore...
thx all for ur advise

[mule65]

If I had 5,000 WMA files I wouldn't consider Apple. Also note that Zune has no EQ -- something a basshead probably won't like.

[HipHopScribe]

Originally Posted by mule65

If I had 5,000 WMA files I wouldn't consider Apple. Also note that Zune has no EQ -- something a basshead probably won't like.

Yeah, I'd say neither of these seem like very good choices given those facts, maybe a Cowon D2? It can certainly pump out bass, with the EQ & Mach3Bass, and I found the build quality to be great, should last. It supports Divx/Xvid, unfortunately limited to 320x240 resolution, but the video playback looks better than the Vision:M, given proper encoding, with the 16.7million color screen. It also has voice recording and FM recording, and some other nice features, like Flash Lite. Not so good on the playlist front, only the one on-the-go playlist, otherwise you'll need to make playlists on the computer.

[chimpanZ]

I would get a touch for the loads of other features it has.

[gblais]

Hi,

1. If the durability is an important point for you, i would'nt recomand you the ipod touch, it's not very tough. If you buy one, be very very careful, or buy a very good case, or both, cause mine has been reak when i droped it from 1.5 m. from the ground on a hardwood floor. I don't have a zune, i'll probably have one in a couple week, so mp me in something like a month to have a feedback or/and a comparaison on the durability.

2. all your songs are in WMA ?!? don't even think of an iPod, iTune can convert them in mp3 before putting them on an iPod, but it's VERY long, if you want to convert something like 1000 songs, you need at least 15 hours. There are no User EQ on the touch, and on the Zune there is no EQ. If you like bass, i recomand you the skullcandy Skullcrushers (even without an EQ, YOU WILL HAVE THE BASS YOU WANT ). The sound is ok, if you can find them under 90 $, they worth it. When the bass aplificater is at MAX position, they shake on your head, you take them by the headband and you feel the bass. In extra, you have a lifetime waranty, I already returned a pair cause the headband broked, and it's very simple, you send an e-mail, they answer you 2 day after, they accept EVERY e-mail, you just have to read the waranty paper and invent something credible or to say the truth if it's over the waranty, and one week after, you receive your product in a new box, with all the accesories, they don't repair them, they give you a new pair, I think it's a must. The only bad thing that I've notice on the skullcrushers is that they're not tough like a G.I or a T.I. of the same brand, but with the waranty, it's not a very big problem. Another bad thing ( but that point won't affect you ) is the sound quality : it's not very detailed compared to the bose headphones ( both on-ear and around-ear ), the JBL reference 510 and other stuff like that, but it's not the same price range too, if you pay 90 $ or less, it's not overpriced, and not under-priced. You say that the sound quality is not a very important thing for you, anyway, if you have ultrasone edition 9 or a cheap pair of headphone, at 128 kbps, there won't be a big difference.

3. There is a very good video quality on the touch, i don't have any other thing to say about video quality, it's good.

4. For that point, the zune is 100 km under the touch. You can Jailbreak the touch to add almost everything on it, games, utility, downloading music directly on the touch without any computer, stream media, web with saffari, youtube, internet radio, VoIP, agenda where you can add frends' info directly on the device ( very usefull function ), google map, gmail, etc. The touch is way better on that point.

5. You can rearange playlist order, add or delete a song on a list that you made before, you can't delete or rename songs from the memory diectly on the device, but you can delete videos on the device.


It should help you a little bit.

English is not my first language so you'll maybe find some error, but i did the best I could.

[neverover]

^wow, thx for the insight. but skullcandy are IEM, right? iem gives a very punchy bass, but the last time i used it, i get a lock jaw (i cant open my mouth, seriously...)
i know cowon, and i liked it very much. but the biggest capacity are 16gb. i have 30gb of files. besides, my brother in law has cowon (forgot the type, but its the 1st cowon, kinda archos like, big screen and A, B, C buttons), and it has a slow UI n crash often...

[HipHopScribe]

Originally Posted by neverover

^wow, thx for the insight. but skullcandy are IEM, right? iem gives a very punchy bass, but the last time i used it, i get a lock jaw (i cant open my mouth, seriously...)
i know cowon, and i liked it very much. but the biggest capacity are 16gb. i have 30gb of files. besides, my brother in law has cowon (forgot the type, but its the 1st cowon, kinda archos like, big screen and A, B, C buttons), and it has a slow UI n crash often...

You can easily expand the memory on the Cowon though.

[Ozric]

The Cowon is a pretty solid recommendation (although I haven't personally tried the D2, I own the older U3, and the Cowon EQ options, including MP3 enhance, BBE and Mach3 bass are excellent).

My current DAP of choice is the Zune 80, and I'm perfectly happy with not having to EQ anything. If you just got yourself the Zune paired with, say, the Koss KSC35s, or even the Sony V6, I think you'd be satisfied in the bass department.

[filipelli]

I am coming home at the end of the week to an ipod touch 32. I will let you know. I currently own zune 80, cowon d2, nano +supermini IV, and have owned sony a816, 829, cowon x5, ipod 5.5, creative zen, zen vision m, microphotos, shuffle 1g, 2g, sansa e260, and i think that is it. So add that to the list.

[neverover]

^woo hoo! can u compare zune 80 and a zvm (in EQ setting of 10,10,6,2,4), and tell me about the bass and the detail using yuin? cause i listen to hip hop and pop a lot.
i looove cowon, but i guess i need a larger screen than zvm, cause i like to play full-length movie in it.
btw, i want to know, if mp3 320 converted to m4a 128 has a different quality compared to wma 128 converted to m4a 128?
thx guys

[omega52]

One of the major questions that you have to answer, is whether you want touch screen or tactile buttons. That may sound obvious at first, but it is a huge issue. Touch interface will not allow you to use the device (change volume, advance track, pause etc.) without looking at the screen. The Zune will allow you to do the above functions by feel. Some units on the market with dedicated buttons make it even easier to operate unsighted. I finally "got over" the sexy touch type interfaces & am very happy with my Zune 80. My Sansa Clip & T-400 are easier to use unsighted, but the touch controls of my Samsung S-5 are a pain. With the Samsung, I can't even transfer it to my pocket without it pausing or doing another function. I would have to lock the "keyboard" to prevent accidental button presses. So, go to the store & play with the different type interfaces & try to actually simulate the way you want to use the unit. Think about how you would be listening to it, in your pocket, on the desk beside you, in a bag & think about how you would change volume or tracks while listening.

have fun & put some thought into it.
kev

[Nqstv]

I have to agree with Omega. You may not realize it, but having the tactile response is HUGE if you are a track scanner as I am.

I used my 16GB Touch for a while, and while I love the functionality and video quality, it just didn't work out as a general purpose music player for me. by the way, I should also say that my opinion is that the Touch has very good sound quality. The Touch has now been relagated to "cool techy piece to show off to friends" and video.

Right now, I use my Red Zune 80 for all music, and I use 2 sets of earphones; TripleFi10s for travel and bed listening, and ATHC7ti earbuds for walking around and work. This meets my needs.

And I've gone through a ton of players (JB3, Zen Xtra, Zen, Vision:M, Carbon, Karma, X5, Sony 818, Zune 30, Zune 80, Zune 8, Touch, 5th Gen, New Nano, etc...). I have an addiction to players.

Of all of these, I would say the Karma and the Zune 80 are my favorites. I have no need for EQ, so I can't say if any of the others are better with fiddling.