Best mp3 player?

[Young Spade]

I use an iPod Touch right now but I know there are other players out there that are waay better in providing audio. I have all of my music at 320 KB and I would love a player to play it higher if possible.

Also, this would be un-amped until I can find some extra money or know if the Astro Mixamp would help
Link: :: Astro Gaming :: Product Detail :: A40 MixAmp™ ::

So thanks in advance for the feedback and help.

[Warhawk]

How many gigs are you looking for?
Do you want another touch screen?
Or even expandability via sdhc?
Is wifi a must?

If the last one is really important then I think the Archos 605 would be the way to go, but if not then I'd stay away.
Maybe the Cowon D2 would be good, you could get a 16 gig plus 32 gig sd card.

"I have all of my music at 320 KB and I would love a player to play it higher if possible"

So you want a higher capacity or higher kb, as in lossless?

If you answer just a few of those first questions, it would be tons easier to recommend a player for you.

[EmThor]

Hi, first post here.

I think he is looking for better audio quality, 320kbps+ like myself!

I have a SE W810i Walkman phone (great bass, no mid and high, built in equalizer crap), but I want a phone what is 'just' a phone, maybe a slim Nokia, and a very good (in sound quality) mp3 player!

I'm considering an Ipod. I know, but not just the style but the feeling and the SQ and I never had one before!!

I know the new Ipod Classic 6g has the Cirrus chip, and it has a built in winchester, though it provides lots of space, but had a Philips 2gb mp3 player with winchester and I didn't like the 'clicking' and the feeling that something is moving inside, not speaking of it can be go wrong in 2 years (hope not!), and maybe it can go wrong if it's moving?! After all its a 'moving' part of the machine...

So, the 2 (maybe 3 with classic) remaining DAP's are the Ipod Nano 3G and the Ipod Touch. I'm not going to use an Amp but a good in-ear headset (sennheiser cx300), or with a 3.5-3.5 cable with a Logitech z-5500 set, and would like to listen to 320kbsp+ or lossless music!

Nano 3G 8gb:
+small
+relatively cheap
+long battery
+wolfson chip
+flash memory

-little screen, not good for movies
-for a 80gb classic only a little more money needed
-only 8gb

Touch 8gb:
+touch screen
+email, net - wifi + lots of apps!
+wolfson chip
+good for movies too
+flash memory
+the geek inside me loves the PDA like functionalities, like

-only 8gb for my money
-less battery life
-its for music and hearing the mixed sound quality reviews...
-no dedicated music buttons

Classic 80gb:
+80gb for lots of good quality music
+good for movies
+good sound quality though (better than touch?)??
+good battery life
+has some organizing features, like calendar, has a clock, etc.

-for a little bit more money I can get the touch
-cirrus chip damn
-winchester

Maybe I should go with the 6g classic, but I'm scared of the winchester... Can u feel its operating inside? I like lots of space & videos! But damn, why Apple had to change the audio chip? Anyway, is it a big difference for an Ipod virgin like me?

Or the touch? Email & net on the go, neat touch screen (but changing music on the train can be pain in the @ss , but expensive and only 8gb, also wolfson chip but everyone sais it's not so good in SQ... Save money for a 16 gb Touch? Wait for July 11 and see if a price drop comes? Hard to wait for September

What should I do? I"m confused, would be thankful for some help!

Thx

[HipHopScribe]

I would suggest against any of the current iPods in terms of sound quality from the headphone output, they're completely unimpressive, and if you like EQ'ing, their EQ presets are almost completely usesless, as all but a couple introduce a lot of distortion.

For sound quality from the headphone output, among current MP3 players, I would advise looking at the Cowon/iAudio players (Good EQ and sound enhancements), the current Sony line-up (A82x, A72x, or the older A81x and S61x series), the Zune 80 (no EQ though), the Toshiba Gigabeat flash players (only EQ presets, and a couple sound enhancements), Sansa Clip & Sansa Fuze (EQ's aren't great on these either).

[knights]

for unampd solution; COWON D2... also consider Creative's ZEN

[Young Spade]

As low as a price as I can get. Low memory, no wifi nothin fancy like that. Just a good media playback player that has software to manage the music. IE: iTunes.

[EmThor]

I'd stuck with the ipod

[EmThor]

As low as a price as I can get. Low memory, no wifi nothin fancy like that. Just a good media playback player that has software to manage the music. IE: iTunes.

Maybe back to bigger disk space like the Classic, iTunes considers the Ipod line, sooo... seems to me the only option?!

[HipHopScribe]

There are a number of MP3 players that don't require software, but whatever player you pick can be managed by a piece of software if you want it to be, you can use something like MediaMonkey, Winamp, or a bunch of other programs.

Do you plan to play video and/or view photos, or do you just want to listen to music?

[synaesthetic]

I sold my iPod Nano 3-gen to buy a Cowon D2. =P

Now if I can get used to the touch screen it'll be great.

[EmThor]

Originally Posted by synaesthetic

I sold my iPod Nano 3-gen to buy a Cowon D2. =P

Now if I can get used to the touch screen it'll be great.

grat

I'm reading Sony A828 reviews right now... but then, why change from a Sony Walkman Phone, to a Sony A828? But everyone sais its good SQ, so will keep reading reviews And the A828 is cheaper than any Ipod!

Thanks again!

[V1P]

Hey,people.
Could you help me?
I am using iPod Nano with Rockbox for 2 years.So i am tired of my ipod.Recently i have bought Shure 530 and went to my friend to listen Cowon D2.I was surprised but i can't say that is sounds more better than my rockboxed nano.
So question is:
what to buy with SQ real better than iPod with size no more than Cowon.
I am listening different music except pop\electronic.

[BigEat]

This is going to sound odd and it may not be what you have in mind at all, but if you want true high end audio quality, and your budget can stand it, look at the Korg MR1000 40 GB recorder/player. We could debate portability all afternoon, but it is "portable" and allows for true audiophile high resolution digital file playback.

[V1P]

Originally Posted by BigEat

This is going to sound odd and it may not be what you have in mind at all, but if you want true high end audio quality, and your budget can stand it, look at the Korg MR1000 40 GB recorder/player. We could debate portability all afternoon, but it is "portable" and allows for true audiophile high resolution digital file playback.

Oh..
I think it is very good but it isn't associating with portable player to me. In my opinion,First of all this is a recorder.I don't want such devices\recorders as Microtrack\Edirol and etc .

[BigEat]

Originally Posted by V1P

Oh..
I think it is very good but it isn't associating with portable player to me. In my opinion,First of all this is a recorder.I don't want such devices\recorders as Microtrack\Edirol and etc .

I understand and that was the reason for my cautionary intro, but the question was sound quality above all else, and if that's the goal, there are so-called portable options to attain pretty high levels. The Korg in my view, as an electrical and acoustical engineer, is very much distinguishable from Microtrack and Edirol which as you point out are more recording focused. The Korg has the virtues of both.