[bangraman]

Having a tiered approach to music listening is a neverending thing. The gargantuan NJB3 suffices for my main listening requirements, and the iPod is fine for something when I want more svelte, the iMP-550 is for a specific task and I don't really consider it super portable. Sometimes I want something much more portable which I can fill with music (MP3) quickly.


I have the Sony N10 which is small and a handy sized, but it's a total pain in the backside to load on-demand and of inferior sound quality too (no... I should rephrase that... the unit's quality is pretty good but the Net MD process just introduces too many artifacts and glitches in the sound).


Ideally, I want something smaller than the N10 which supports any bitrate MP3, has 512MB memory , has USB 2.0 transfer, radio and onboard mic, plays for about 8 hours as a minimum, charges in 4 hours and will drive an Audio-Technica ATH-EM7 as a minimum... And does not feature any DRM which interferes with the transfer process or makes it any slower. If it has DRM which doesn't impact the sound, speed or ease of transfer of the music then I don't mind.


Does it exist?I know the iFP series do practically all of what I mentioned, but it's USB1.1...

 

[master83]

Creative Nomad MuVo2 1.5GB


+ 1,5 GB
+ USB 2.0
+ Battery life about 10 hrs
+ Powerful head-out
+ Relatively small

- Radio
- Mic

 

[bangraman]

I didn't know it was usb2.0 compatible. It says an optional remote (which I can't find) is needed for FM radio and I'm being picky here but ideally I wanted it to be an all-in-one thing. Any more ideas? Thanks



EDITED LATER:
I was looking further on the support information, and could it be the case that the club... I mean the FM wired remote that I have for my NJB3 will work with the Muvo2 as well? It certainly looks like it. I will have to contact Creative Support for the full info.

 

[austonia]

bangradude, there are several new ultraportables that have USB2:

As said.. the Nomad Muvo2 (1.5gb) is like 3 oz.. even has replacable battery and can add FM remote

Also the Rio Nitrus (1.5gb) is even smaller.. only 2oz. no radio, no remote but frikken tiny

iRiver iGP-100 (1.5gb) has a built in radio like you want but its getting close to iPod size.. not a very good shape either

 

[utdeep]

bangraman,
I had the same specs in mind when I was searching for a player. I decided that the removeable battery in the nomad muvo 2 was great, but having AAs was better. Despite the slower USB1.1 connection the iriver 395t that I just received is absolutely brilliant! Not USB 2.0 but a lot faster than the ****ty NetMD crap.
I haven't found a single issue with it .... I think I'm in love.
Sound quality is great, mic is good, radio is fantastic, battery life is amazing, build quality is fantastic, really well-designed!

I also purchased a zip-linq retractable USB cable for it and the combo do wonders as a removable storage drive.

I also have a charger that can fully charge a 2100 NiMH battery in 15 minutes so the AA capability of the iRiver is nice.

 

[bangraman]

Would you let me know when you get it, or can any owner let me know how long it takes to fill 512MB on the iFP? And is it possible to delete tracks on the unit (e.g. to make room for a recording) ? Thanks.

 

[utdeep]

bangraman,
It took about 10 minutes for me to fill it up. I spent most of the time finding music in my collection to put on it, so it was transferring while I was choosing. It was with UMS firmware 1.11 US that doesn't require any drivers and shows up as a removable drive. I think that they sped up the transfer rate considerably in this firmware for UMS.
On page 11 of the manual, it describes the way to delete a file or folder on the player using the Nav button and the Mode button. I hadn't even thought about this, but it's there!

 

[utdeep]

Bangraman,
I've noticed that you like a healthy dose of metal in your musical devices. The ifp-395 doesn't have any metal except for the buttons and the joystick, but it is made of really tough scratch-proof plastic! The ifp-595t is made of metal, but I don't like the compromises of the battery or the higher price.

 

[bangraman]

That's not looking too bad. Thanks for that information.

 

[MadDog]

Not sure if this could be helpful but I've been a long time HD MP3 Player user and just got myself iFP-395 (512MB). Now I don't want to take anything bigger than iFP-395 outside. You put that cutie on your neck and you won't even notice it's there. FM reception was exceptional and I did not find consderable difference in sound quality as compared to Zen. The sound is amazingly crisp and good. Voice recording is definitely a plus and this sucka has tons of features in it. Quite sturdy, too.

It transfers the song quite fast. After all, you are only transferring 512MB at max. I love this new ultra portable toy.

 

[Musicfan123]

Here's to hoping the 1.5gb version comes out soon.