[rlmoss]

In May Linux Journal review of iAudio 7The COWON iAudio 7, Philip Raymond notes that iAudio 7's default configuration is UMS (user mass storage) device. Writing the iAudio 7 is Linux friendly, Raymond notes that the iAudio 7 appears on the desktop as a volume/drive. Thus it is not necessary to install software on the CPU.

I've fast broadband access at university lab, but the desktops are locked to any executable--which rules out any MP3 player that requires the installation of proprietary software.

Are most MP3 players UMS devices--that is function without installing software.

SONYSTYLE store said "No. You must download to desktop and use "conversion software" to get file into Sony Player."

Does anyone have experience with the Cowon D2, which Raymond noted but rejected in favor of iAudio 7 on size.

Many thanks,

Richard Moss

 

[HipHopScribe]

It's fairly common to find players that can switch between UMS and MTP, the Cowon D2 is one of those players, there are many others, what other specs are you looking for in a player?

 

[dap_pad]

All Cowon DAPs are UMS. Don't worry

but alot of DAPs on the market now are becoming proprietary software controlled... like the iPod and Zune. UMS is becoming a dying breed...

 

[Pantocrator]

Most that aren't ums can be synced with various players. I have a sandisk for example that has to be synced with sandisk software, but I can sync it with WMP or mediamonkey. Ipods can sync with media monkey as well. The computers you use probably have WMP already installed, so you can use any mp3 player you want as long as it is not apple based. (apple and MS don't get along, you can't use wmp to sync ipod)

 

[zip22]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dap_pad /img/forum/go_quote.gif All Cowon DAPs are UMS. Don't worry but alot of DAPs on the market now are becoming proprietary software controlled... like the iPod and Zune. UMS is becoming a dying breed...

ipods are UMS, but they require software. I was under the impression newer sony players were UMS as well.

 

[rlmoss]

Thanks to everyone for commenting. Good news for me. HipHopScribe asks what technical specs I am looking for. Cowon iAudio 7, says Linux Journal,

videos, FM radio, show pictures, display text, record my voice, record old LPs via a line-in jack, record FM radio and play music—not just MP3s, but Ogg, FLAC and (yuck) my few WMAs.

Of those, iAudio 7's ability to record higher resolution FLAC & Ogg are important. Nice to have voice recorder and I'll make use of line-in & record CDs to the iAudio7. They're radio broadcasts and events I miss & iAudio 7 will useful for time-shift.

I've Etymotic ER-6 & once I tried to purchase Ray Sammuel's Hornet. And Ray said does your PCDP have a line out? Answered there's one mini female marked earphone/line-out. Ray said you'd be wasting your money unless you had a discrete line out. A line out would be a nice feature, but I wouldn't expect it. (More importantly, why does Ray say this; is it that he wants to get the signal before the unit itself processes it.

Ease of use--the ergonomics haptics --is an important spec. Here's Raymond's description of the swing bar & it sounds like iAudio 7 will be awkward to use.

Controlling the iAudio 7 is done with a touch interface to the right of the screen. To use the swing-bar, simply stroke the bar up or down, or hold your finger down at one end or the other to scroll through the menu. Tapping either end of the bar tells it to skip to the next file. The play arrow opens any file or function... three control buttons on the top of the player. The left button is power on/off/hold. The center button is the master menu control, which switches between all folders and playlists. The right buttons are for volume up and down.

Wish MP3 players were out on display at listening stations. At Best Buy, Staples, & even SONY Style their either in bubble wrap or (SONY) tethered or behind glass.

Well thanks again everyone,


Richard

 

[wolfen68]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rlmoss /img/forum/go_quote.gif And Ray said does your PCDP have a line out? Answered there's one mini female marked earphone/line-out. Ray said you'd be wasting your money unless you had a discrete line out.....why does Ray say this; is it that he wants to get the signal before the unit itself processes it.

If you have headphones that are already easily driven, then Ray is probably right. However, if you're using headphones with a higher impedance (such as K701's) or have cans that like lots of current (eg. Grados) than your headphone out will sound better through an amp as your cans will be more properly driven (resulting in better impact and authority among other possible improvements).

 

[robojack]

I know at least that Cowon's D2 is an exception to what Ray has said about amping. Because the D2's headphone out is incredibly clean and relatively noise and hiss free, it can actually mimic a line-out very closely. Thus, if you use an amp with it to drive even IEMs, you'll notice a pleasant difference right away. This no subtle improvement we're talking about here, I went from 'meh' to 'WOW' with some of the IEMs and I've tried, when hooking my Tomahawk amp to the D2 (even more so with the Predator amp).

 

[Sparky191]

Quote:

Originally Posted by zip22 /img/forum/go_quote.gif ipods are UMS, but they require software. I was under the impression newer sony players were UMS as well.

I think thats misleading. Like many players, AFAIK iPods are UMS for data only.

The Sony's are MTP for music on Windows and UMS for data only. But UMS for music on non Windows OS'es.

There very few MP3 players that use UMS for music transfers. My old YP-U2 was one.

 

[zip22]

no, the ipod is always UMS. it just needs software to write a database file. UMS just describes the way the device is recognized by the computer, not the way it indexes the music put on the drive.

 

[Aevum]

thats actually not 100% MSC,
when you can drag and drop your media files in to the player and the player wont need any conversion software or database updating software, thats 100% mass storage compatible,

and the software dosnt just update the database, it also adds a itunes wrapper to each music file, try to use winamp or VLC to play a music file off your ipod (without the help of itunes), see where it gets you,

 

[Sparky191]

Quote:

Originally Posted by zip22 /img/forum/go_quote.gif no, the ipod is always UMS. it just needs software to write a database file. UMS just describes the way the device is recognized by the computer, not the way it indexes the music put on the drive.

I take your point. But I don't thats a useful distinction even if technically correct. As per Aevum comment above. That said perhaps "file tree" is a more useful term than UMS in this context. Though I suppose you could have a MTP device which has filetree but not UMS for transfers.

 

[PixelSquish]

the zune isnt which is a bunch of crap

 

[krmathis]

Yes, I believe they are.
Since it allows you to drag and drop files to it directly in Finder/Explorer, etc.

 

[Sparky191]

Quote:

Originally Posted by idiotekniQues /img/forum/go_quote.gif the zune isnt which is a bunch of crap

Quote:

Originally Posted by krmathis /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yes, I believe they are. Since it allows you to drag and drop files to it directly in Finder/Explorer, etc.

The Zune isn't what, MTP?