[garyHal]

I am moving away from my iPod Touch to try out something new. It was the first generation iPod Touch and it has served me well. This is my first time in this subforum and really surprised to see how many alternatives there are to the portable player world. As a result I would like some recommendations based on my criteria:
 
1) around $300
2) mp3 format
3) genres of music from classical, pop, metal, techno
4) at least 32gb storage
5) touchscreen is nice but not necessary, must have a big screen to display album art though
6) at least 10 hours of battery life
7) I will be alternating between small inner ear to big over the ear phones depending where I go so the DAP must be able to drive em
 
Browsing this forum, I see models like iBasso dx50, AK100, Sony, and Cowon thrown around. The dx50 looks very appealing but I will have to wait for the reviews. Being with Apple for so long, I would also like a professional looking product with long time support as well.
 
Thanks
GH

 

[DrSheep]

M4A from iTunes are actually encoded in AAC, so you don't need to re-encode them into MP3s, and all the DAPs you are aware above will read them.  I would recommend the DX50 first, then the Sony F807 second, or you can wait for the new F886 next month.