[Budgie]

The new Archos MP3 harddisk player sounds too good to be true, but I don't know that much about MP3. So what your opnion? (edit)Sorry but the hyperlink won't post right, so i will type it out.

(edit#2)That wont work either. What the hell is the deal?

Okay no link is possible. I found it at Sound Professionals web site under more info pages under MP3 recorders. If I can get a damn link to work I will post it.

 

[thomas]

HD based players are aimed at a different market from MD. HD players have enourmous storage capacity and can store entire music collections. So if storage capacity is your primary concern, then the HD players are the best.

But as a portable device, HD players are terrible. They have very very poor battery lives, they weigh a ton, are large, and probably won't be able to take the abuse of portable use. So MD has it beat here.

So it all depends on what you use it for, it is better in some ways but it certainly isn't better for everyone and isn't nearly as versitle.

 

[Budgie]

Try this link
http://www.soundprofessionals.com/index.html

 

[Budgie]

The indication is 7 to 10 hours on a charge, which is longer then I will listen or record in one session. I was thinking more towards making it part of my home system, so bounceing it around is not an issue. And with dig in /out and usb it should be able to load to a chip memory player, Right? (and 100mw headphone output

 

[crk]

Budgie
(there's a dot com missing in the link)
I've got the 'other' 6GB hard drive MP3 player, the Nomad Jukebox. It is a truely amazing gizmo. Compared to the Archos (which I've never heard), the NJB:
is a few$ cheaper.
can't be used with with windows explorer,
but comes with all the software you need.
and is serviced by several newsgroups and web sites (www.nomadness.net) for example.
has 4+ hour battery life (4xAA NiMH) versus the 10 hours with the Archos.
sounds pretty good (but has a line out as well).
looks a hell of a sight better than the Archos.
can be upgraded to 20 or 30 GB (don't know about the Archos).

The sound quality in both players will be affected by the quality of the MP3 files. I use two (amazing) freeware programs, EAC and Lame. I encode at around 190kbs using the Lame varaible bit encoding (VBR).

Get one!
crk
ps geez you were all quick (or is my typing that slow....

)

 

[reynman]

Budgie,

I own the Nomad Jukebox (6 gig HD) and the Sony MZR900. Yes, the Nomad weighs more than the Sony, but I don't carry around a MD and 3-5 discs. Some people view portability as less weight. The battery life on the Nomad is notoriously bad, I've heard stories of 1/2 hour on fully charged burned-in batteries! I bought Powerex 1800 Mah, much improved performance. Recording is much faster with the Nomad (through your PC/MAC), the Sony is real-time. I use the MZR900 because it sounds better.

Cases can be made for both types of equipment, but if you need the latest and greatest in the smallest package and are going to record concerts, go MD. If you want to carry most, if not all, of your CD collection or MP3s go with the HD player.

I would highly recommend the Nomad Jukebox if your're leaning towards the HD MP3 player.

Regards - reynman

 

[Budgie]

Thanks crk. I will go research the nomad.

 

[crk]

Budgie
Check out www.nomadjukebox.net for the upgraded jukebox. As far as I know they are nothing to do with Creative but get excellent feedback on the newsgroup.
crk
ps the NJB weighs 14 oz and is about the same size as a Radio Shack 3904 CD player

 

[Vertigo-1]

Not to start up the old war again, but how people can even consider paying $400-500 for a player that has only 4 hours of battery life is beyond me.

If I had to shell out that much, I'd want a dead minimum of 10 hours at least...and certainly much more than that!

 

[Budgie]

Maybe I should put it all on a seperate computer in a different room, run long interconnects under the house and tye it in. Pain inna ass. Uhm, anybody have a quiet computer? Thanks for all the info guys, Time to do some research and think'en.

 

[Neruda]

the personal jukebox has 12 hours of battery life, a backlit display, and up to 20 gigs in storage. Plus, it's recently seen a dramatic drop in price. check it out at www.mp3factorydirect.com

And personally, I wouldn't be afraid of taking one or two extra batteries with me. What so bad about that?

 

[Vertigo-1]

Ouch...$574 for something that's going to get jostled all over the place everyday...

I'd get a nice lambskin pack to go with that player, that's for sure. That player seems to use proprietary LiIon batteries too...

 

[Neruda]

yes it does, but I think you can buy extras. And hey, the PJB is part of Tyll's main portable rig. (along with a TA and ety 4S's with custom earmoulds.

) That's good enough for me!

 

[MacDEF]

thomas, nice comparison. It all depends on what you need. Unfortunately, what makes these decisions difficult is that what you *think* you need, and what you end up using things for (or wanting to use them for) after you get them, are often two very different things

As for a comparison between the Nomad and the Archos, check out this review:

http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tbart=06521

 

[MacDEF]

Aargh. I just read the Sound Professionals review. One thing that *annoys* me to no end is when reviewers make comments like "the sound rivaled xyz and was true to the orignal source," yet they neglect to report what equipment they used to do the comparison.

Could they not hear a difference using Sony Streetstyles? Or could they not heard a difference using Grado SR-60s? Or could they not hear a difference using a HeadRoom Max with HD600s? The equipment used has as much effect as, if not more than, the units themselves.