I recently bought Frontier Labs Nex mp3 player that is a compact flash based solution. Well I didn't buy it for myself but will be using it for a couple of weeks. Memorycard based mp3 players work in allmost any kind of situation, but what about hard-drive mp3 players. So here are my questions.

1. Since they have hard-drives, is there any risk of damaging hd if i drop it?

2. What about temperature? I know most of you don't need to use them in winter conditions (<-0 celsius). But i live in Finland and it can get to -30celsius at winter. Does hd work in those extreme conditions?

i dont know about the super cold temperatures. but if the mp3 comes with a impact resistant covering, it helps it alot. i happen to have a hd mp3 player, and ive dropped at least a handful of times.

i think if it werent for the extra padding ..the thing will have stopped working by now.

You guys should check out Austonia's website www.dapreview.com

He has a lot of information on hard drive based portables. While you're there sign up for the forums, he could use some traffic. I'm sure he'll answer your questions and I'm sure he'd appreciate a couple of new members.

>>1. Since they have hard-drives, is there any risk of damaging hd if i drop it?<<

Yes - especially if it is running and the disk/head mechanism moving.

Most HD players idle or stop the drive intermittently to preserve power; the disk seeks data to keep input buffers filled. That is when it is most vulnerable to high G movements like being dropped (well, actually, it is the sudden stop )

>>2. What about temperature? I know most of you don't need to use them in winter conditions (<-0 celsius). But i live in Finland and it can get to -30celsius at winter. Does hd work in those extreme conditions?<<

Typical disk drive environmentals do not include operation at near freezing temps. Example: Toshiba MK3019GAX has operating temperature range of 41° - 131°F (5 to 55°C). So you would need to keep it under your coat.

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(Thanks Watchdog)

1 - Hard drive players are surprisingly resistant to shock since they use notebook-style drives, but you problably want to avoid dropping any electronics. I take my iPod mountain biking, no problem.

2 - yes, just keep it in your inner jacket next to your person where it will stay warm. iPod even has a special skiing jacket built just for it (The Burton Amp) with controls sewn into the sleeve.

3 - too much shock or extreme temperatures will probably affect any electronics, just use a little more caution for hard drive players. The benefits far outweigh the drawbacks. Think about carrying around 1,500 songs vs. 15 on your flash player.

>>just use a little more caution for hard drive players<<

It goes without saying that you should have your MP3 collection backed up on your PC since when these drives fail (and they will), you will have to restage a replacement drive.

A player with a high-speed external interface (firewire or USB 2) is desirable.

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1. Well my mp3-player doesn't go mountain biking and I allready suspected that it isn't going to be a problem.

2. If i keep Ipod in my pocket, I still think that it can get to minus degrees. But what happens then? Will it break instantly or just shut down? It would be great if there were some fail-safe systems that shut down the ipod if it gets too cold. Like some camcorders that won't work if it gets doo damp.

3. I agree there that hard drive players are superior when it comes to capacity, but i can carry about 400 songs with Compact Flash player with an 1Gb card, and i don't need to worry about temperature or damaging the hard drive. And they can be smaller and consume less battery......oh and none of the hard drive based mp3-players have removable battery. This is a really big minus for me.

But i have think about this for a while and compare my options. Thank you all for your answers.

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The NJB3 battery is user replaceable.

>>I still think that it can get to minus degrees. But what happens then? Will it break instantly or just shut down?<<

While it is running, it will generate a modest amount of heat which may be enough to keep it going. You will probably experience erratic behavior or a player stopping before the drive stops. It shouldn't hurt the drive to stop this way.

>>none of the hard drive based mp3-players have removable battery.<<

The Archos Jukebox Player and Recorder models have removable and user-replaceable AA NiMH cells (four). It is cumbersome to remove the panels that conceal them but then the cells can be easily removed.

Ok thanks for correctting.

Austin, you make me proud. Kansas City isn't too bad, is it?
BTW, I just found AND visited the largest high end audio store in Kansas City, Primus Audio Pleasure! Check this place out, its incredible!

Primus Audio Pleasure

That makes quite a few high end audio salons.

Audioport
SoundFX
Accent Sound
Primus Audio Pleasure
and, the Bose store!

Laffer, I just want to clarify something here, and if I'm mistaken, I'm sure that everyone and their mother shall correct me

The MP 3 player you're talking about, the nex accepts type 1 and type 2 flash cards as well as IBM microdrive cards. Now, which one of those players did you get ? The type 2 or type 2e? According to the site, the only card that comes in a 1 gig flavor is the IBM microdrive, and that actually happens to be a mini hard drive ! It has heads, cylinders and a moving search arm. It may be tiny, but I believe that no matter how you slice it, it's still a HD. Otherwise, you're only left with standard sized flash cards. I was just wondering if you were aware of that.

It looks pretty neat though, and there's a website that sells it for $69. Look here

Nex IIe is the player that i have.
Currently i'm using 256mb flash card but i could by a 1Gb compact flash for this player. Yes i know about IBM microdrive but I am not planning to use one on this player. And there is really no point of using Microdrive with Nex IIe because it would drain battery way too fast.

The player itself has a little "plastic" feeling to it but it is pretty light and according to the website it is the smallest Mp3-player on the market that can hold 1Gb of data. And it still houses to AA-batterys.
Btw. In Finland it costs 124€ without a card.

Very true about the microdrive cards...they would suck the battery dry. I just didn't realize that regular flash cards came in a 1 gig flavor, till I saw them. Very expensive though...wow. $300 for a Gig. Phew. At those prices, one would perhaps be better off with a NJB3 or something. But on the flip side of things, I really wouldn't buy another HD based MP3 player. I would like however, to buy a flash based MP3 player just for ****z and giggles ya know ? I love the thought of ultimate portability and easy navigation.

I also like its folder system too. Could you tell me a little bit more about the one you have ? One of my Professors wants one, but the last one he got, he couldn't stand. He said that the navigation was annoying and wasn't really all that intuitive. What are your likes and dislikes about the Nex ll ? I understand that the firmware is upgradeable...do you think they'll eventually implement the Ogg codec ? If they did, I'd bite for sure.

Ok here comes some info on Nex IIe.

Pros.
+It is not the smallest unit with 1gb capacity (at least the specs tell that)
+Display is very clear and backlight is nice too.
+2x30mw is enough for most portable solutions.
+Alltough i don't have any good portable headphones at the moment to give any detailed information on sound quality but it seems that there is no hiss or crackling.
+It comes with carrying case with beltclip
+Removable batterys (2xAA)
+Removable media
+Firmware upgradable
+Low price


Cons.
-When you go in to the menu music stops!
-I noticed a bug in the software when playing vbr-mp3 files with nex. Time counter "bounces" with the changing bitrate!
-"plastic" feeling .....well duh it is made of plastic
-No remote
-No games (now like you need any on a mp3 player)

The only thing that really bugs me is that you can not browse files when music is playing. I have no problems with the controls.

It is true that 1gb flash cards are way too expensive at the moment but the interesting thing is that prices are coming down and fast! I Bought 128mb card 3 months ago and it cost about 70€. Last week i bought 256mb card and paid 76€ for that, I checked the prices now and it was only 62€!. The current price for 1Gb card here is 250€ but if it drops to 125€ during this year it will be a very intresting option for mp3-players. 1Gb is more than enough for most users, unless you want to use your player for something else.

I'll be happy to answer any questions you have on this player.