AAC, MP3 or WMA

strictly a matter of taste but the order of my preference

AAC/Liquid Audio
WMA
MP3

YMMV

Don't mean to be a useless idiot - it's hard for me...... - but, I prefer ATRAC (Real Audio 8) to ALL of those.....at higher bitrates.....132+

At 128 kbit/s, AAC is definitely the winner. Between mp3 and wma at this bitrate it's not as clear. For a blind listening test of one sample (more to follow when Ogg Vorbis RC3 is released), see:

http://www.worldzonesupport.com/~fastforw/128tests.html

ff123

you forgot atrac man, beats em all I say

braver.......look two or three posts up on the screen.........

I've heard a number of MP3 players, and a number of MD portables. Given good equipment (earphones, even an amp), MD simply sounds better at comparable bitrates (or even lower bitrates than MP3). HOWEVER, that may not matter. If you're going to be using the portable in very active and/or noisy environments, the truth is any difference in sound is going to be negligible. I'm going to assume that sound quality isn't the end-all criteria for your choice.



When comparing MD and MP3 players, more important than absolute sound quality IMO are your needs/intended uses. There are several different kinds of MP3 players: hard drive-based, solid state-based, and CD-based. They each have strengths and weaknesses, and advantages and disadvantages when compared to MD. You can't simply compare "MD vs. MP3."

Do you want absolute sound quality, portability, battery life, low total cost, and the ability to record on the run, and are you willing to bring along a number of discs and swap them out? MD is the way to go.

Do you want to be able to have lots and lots of music (maybe your entire collection) in a fairly small package, and are you willing to give up battery life, risk hard drive failure (low, but there), and pay a little more? A hard drive-based MP3 player is probably better.

Do you want the smallest possible unit with the best anti-shock, and are you willing to give up sound quality, battery life, storage capacity, and low price? Solid state MP3.

Finally, do you want cheap media and good storage capacity, and are you willing to give up shock resistance, small size, and battery life? CD-based MP3.

Figure out what YOU need, then decide on the best solution for YOU.

Umm.....you want something that won't be outdated in five years? with MD-sound quality? get an MD!

There really is nothing out there that can compare.......MD stomps flash players....and HD players have their own problems.....

I agree with vij. Although it's easy to think that MD players are obsolete because every 6 months Sony comes out with a new model with new features, the models that exist are very fine and will remain great units for years to come. New features come around, units get smaller, battery life increases, but the unit you have doesn't get any worse.

Oops, sorry Odin. I had just taken what vij said. If you're looking to get one and a half years out of a portable player, then I'd definitely recommend a good portable MD recorder.

Well if that's the case, then MD is the answer. One of our MD units, that we still use regularly, is a 1998 Sharp MD-MS702. Plays as well as any current unit. No MD unit will be "out-dated" in 1.5 years.

Eh - sorry, tho it should be noted that both DanG and I said MD would last another 5 years - 1.5 for sure!