[SoulSyde]

Quote:

I will be publishing a full review of the Shuffle soon. It IS in some ways better sounding (though not as warm -- less distortion) than the original shuffle which is still among my favourites. It has a tiny break between songs - about the same as what other manufacturers claim is 'gapless'. It isn't gapless. It drives very hard to drive iems quite well, though about a step below the Clip in terms of overall resolution. It beats the clip for hiss - there is none in comparison. You can hear it with very sensitive earphones: Final Audio FI-BA-SB and A1, for example, but only barely. Lowest hiss of any. Good battery life, decent control scheme. 
 
Honestly, I bought one only because my old shuffle was biting it (after 5 years). It has surprised me in every way. I don't care about iTunes - it does more than any software I've ever used and I've no (no longer that is) any vendetta against Apple. I use it, I close it, I listen - that is all. Had the iPod no need for iTunes, I'd still use it anyway to drag and drop playlists, all my favourite albums, ssongs, etc. thanks to great search features etc.
 
Shuffle isn't perfect, but it is one of the most impressive players I've used in a LONG time.

Looking forward to your full review.

 

[heynice]

Quote:

For those that say the shuffle of even current Nano.  Other than iTunes (yuck), what would be the advantage over the Clip+?  Anyone have impressions of shuffle or nano via LO vs the Clip+? 

well i had the clip and newest shuffle, clip is with my dad and shuffle is with my sister now..., the shuffle is a pain to clip on cause you always end up pressing buttons on it...but sq wise without using any dacs, and some 34$ jvs buds i couldn't notice much difference really..they are good solutions for everyday portable music, but the clip is just more functional, better formats, playback options, etc...and no annoying itunes sync to deal with..not sure about the nano

 

[solidsnake]

my iPod shuffle 1st gen is pretty incredible and i've read good things about it too

 

[david1978jp]

If you like brighter sound, you can consider Philips GoGear Mix MP3 Player. Mine accidentally swam with me many times, it still works.

 

[Anaxilus]

Quote:

If you like brighter sound, you can consider Philips GoGear Mix MP3 Player. Mine accidentally swam with me many times, it still works.

I love solid state.  Put your DAP in the washer, dry and enjoy.  Screw hard drives.

 

[heynice]

that phillips is only 4gb...aren't basically all players at this level 'solid state' ???

 

[SoulSyde]

Quote:

that phillips is only 4gb...aren't basically all players at this level 'solid state' ???

In fact, almost all DAPs sold today are solid state.  HDDs are definitely the minority these days.

 

[Gene]

Get yourself one of the original gumstick Shuffles. Sound and volume can't be beat!

 

[Anaxilus]

Quote:

that phillips is only 4gb...aren't basically all players at this level 'solid state' ???

HDD iMods are big around these parts.

 

[kloan]

The Clip+ ended up being a big piece of crap. It skipped and froze.
 
I did however receive the silver Clip I purchased on eBay and installed Rockbox on it. Couldn't be happier with it! Huge improvement over the original UI, and the blue LED lit controls looks MUCH nicer than the Clip+.

 

[tds101]

Sony S & E Series players are small, get great battery life, have fantastic SQ, are pretty inexpensive, have a nice little screen, and are all-around excellent performers.

 

[estreeter]

Damn you, shigzeo 

 
Despite working in retail and in a position where I can get any of the iPods for cost+10%, I have ignored them completely, especially the Shuffle. Given the high regard in which many hold that 1st Gen Shuffle, and my own memories of same, I am going to have to buy the thing, load it with a few ALAC tunes and give you my impressions. For the record, I remain extremely cynical at this point in time, and still maintain that the Clip+ is the king of the little guys - sadly, the boss sees it differently hence a display case full of Apple players ......
 

 

[estreeter]

I can name at least 2 tracks that sound absolutely fantastic out of the new Shuffle, but my experience has been that the tiny DAC in it becomes overwhelmed when you point a wall of sound (particularly metal) in its general direction - more expensive players like the X dont suffer that fate, IMO.
 
Price aside, who would buy one ? I can repackage mine and give it to a relative at Xmas, but a 2 measly GB ? What, apple ? This seems to be a cynical marketing exercise aimed at people who are prepared to lose the tiny sliver of plastic and silicone at their first gym session.
 
The big improvement, based on the 3 days I spent with the previous generation Nano and my mediocre 2G Touch, is that Apple have somehow managed to fit an amp on a piece of silicon that cant be much bigger than a postage stamp. When I say 'amp', I mean it actually scales well with increases in volume rather than simply forcing you to turn it off - I sense another lawsuit in France

 
Sure, the golden-eared here will undoubtedly tell me that Apple have done something naughty with the Shuffle, and we will nod sagely that the bass has been boosted, the highs rolled off and unacceptable amounts of RF are being channeled straight into our brains. All very edifying, but I dont see anyone here buying the thing anyway - 2G isnt even enough for a single afternoon's entertainment at your desk.
 
My suspicion is that Apple have simply installed the same sound processing geegaws that proved so popular with the late-2009 Touch/iPhone refresh, and that would now be costing them very little to implement. My question is simple : if Sandisk and Apple can get good sound out of cheap components, and your average smartphone has improved exponentially in this area over the last 3 years, why is the onboard sound on most computers so bloody abysmal ? I havent heard anything from the Core i3/i5/i7 chipset, so I may be premature in saying this, but onboard sound has been woeful for way too long. Happy to hear otherwise from someone who has a recent Mac or PC-based machine and doesnt wince when they plug a set of headphones into the headphone jack.
 
Its great that the aftermarket has so many goodies designed to improve onboard sound, but in 2010 the baseline should be higher than it is. Intel have reportedly improved onboard graphics - time to spend a few pesos on the sound, team.
 
Back OT, I would advise the OP to get the Clip+ and as much SD card as he/she can afford. The Shuffle might be back to its 1st Gen 'mighty mite'  best, but its not much use having a family car that seats 1 .....

 

[Flimberson]

Although a small and unimportant feature for some, one thing to keep in mind is that the Clip+ doesn't have a hold switch like the original clip.  

 

[Achmedisdead]

Quote:

Although a small and unimportant feature for some, one thing to keep in mind is that the Clip+ doesn't have a hold switch like the original clip.  

There is a hold function that you can enable, although I forget how you do it, because I never use it.