[ttan98]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Abouna /img/forum/go_quote.gif - I do want good SQ - I do want good UI, yes Cowon, I want to be able to sort by artist, genre, etc - I do want controls for a homo sapien, I have fingers and I like buttons. Contrary to the Dr. Morbius's over at Apple and others in the same track (and I do like some of their stuff, but buttons are good, some people are even blind [gasp] and might appreciate something other than touch controls, I'm speaking to the uber bloated iPhone here [again, I like the iPhone, especially if it weren't the kitchen sink) power, volume, skip, etc. with a tactile button is a good thing. - I do want some decent battery time - I'd like decent capacity, 10gb minimum - I'd like a replaceable battery In short I'd like my 1985 Aiwa or Sony Walkman with 21st century storage.

I heard Meizu M6 8g(max) gives good audio quality and cheap, battery lasts 20hrs on audio alone. It has video feature which you don't need. It has Extra battery accessory, with this and future firmware upgrade, this month, you will have a new feature call OTG, google to find more info.

TOTAL COST: less than US$200

google MEIZU for detail and forum discussions and then shop at Ebay. I am considering purchasing one.

 

[brokenwallet]

I agree with the buttons issue. Maybe a used/refurb Rio Karma, or Iriver H120?

Personally i want nothing more than a better 1st gen shuffle. 2-4gb capacity, headphone port on bottom end like 2nd gen nano, and thinner.

 

[Zakalwe]

I agree, I do not like where the DAP industry has been heading in recent years. Sometimes I take a look at professional digital recorders instead - the customers for such things care more about legible displays, good buttons, sturdy construction, replaceable batteries and expandable memory. Unfortunately the playback capabilities are usually just an afterthought, and the battery runtimes abysmal. I hope the current way of making DAPs is just a fad.

 

[Sparky191]

Can only agree with the above.

 

[RubenNYC]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Abouna /img/forum/go_quote.gif It's been a while since I studied the TrekStor, but what comes to mind is: - TFT screen, adios daylight - no replaceable batts (I think) And, though I didn't include it in the original breakdown: too dang expensive. These things should be topping out at $100 bucks, especially when you can get a no frills laptop for $399!

The backlight on the screen is actually pretty good, making the screen very readable even in daylight.

And, yes, the battery is user replaceable, assuming you have a paper clip handy to pop the back cover off. TrekStor even sells replacement batteries separately.

 

[Quaddy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Abouna /img/forum/go_quote.gif Sonic Stage..............

agreed

- but you dont have to use it. a selection of other no hassle transfer apps is out there. grabyourmusic (GYM) for one. and MP3 manager.

but if it was lossless you wanted, maybe not for you. you can only go to 352kbs atrac plus.

 

[Abouna]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RubenNYC /img/forum/go_quote.gif The backlight on the screen is actually pretty good, making the screen very readable even in daylight. And, yes, the battery is user replaceable, assuming you have a paper clip handy to pop the back cover off. TrekStor even sells replacement batteries separately.

Good news, but the price is still too high. I'm sorry but $200 for what amounts to a throw away device (that's right, it will be near worthless in one way or the other within 2 years) is way too much.


Quote:

Originally Posted by Quaddy /img/forum/go_quote.gif agreed - but you dont have to use it. a selection of other no hassle transfer apps is out there. grabyourmusic (GYM) for one. and MP3 manager. but if it was lossless you wanted, maybe not for you. you can only go to 352kbs atrac plus.

Not concerned with lossless, I'm not that finicky. I do however prefer to use any old management tool, I just don't want to deal with old Sony proprietary stuff. Though I am a Sony fan.

 

[sayrum]

a question on the side:
why are you requiering a replacable battery when you consider your future dap to be "a throw away device ... worthless ... within 2 years"???

Quote:

Originally Posted by Abouna /img/forum/go_quote.gif Good news, but the price is still too high. I'm sorry but $200 for what amounts to a throw away device (that's right, it will be near worthless in one way or the other within 2 years) is way too much.

how do you like the samsung yp-t9?
superb sq, buttons, only 8gb so far(still hoping...), battery life ok.

good luck on your quest!

 

[Abouna]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sayrum /img/forum/go_quote.gif a question on the side: why are you requiering a replacable battery when you consider your future dap to be "a throw away device ... worthless ... within 2 years"??? how do you like the samsung yp-t9? superb sq, buttons, only 8gb so far(still hoping...), battery life ok. good luck on your quest!

Good point on the battery. However, part of my "2 years" timeline has to do with obsolete devices/components like the battery. If it weren't for such items I would rarely upgrade.

Whats the screen like on the samsung?

 

[kipman725]

you could do what I did in the end and just get a cheap laptop from ebay... mines only 266mhz but running damm small linux will play everything flac/wav/wma/mp3 downsides are battry is only 3-4hrs with the lid closed and you have to get it our of your backpack to change tracks.

 

[Abouna]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kipman725 /img/forum/go_quote.gif you could do what I did in the end and just get a cheap laptop from ebay... mines only 266mhz but running damm small linux will play everything flac/wav/wma/mp3 downsides are battry is only 3-4hrs with the lid closed and you have to get it our of your backpack to change tracks.

Ummm, I have a computer already. Sure wouldn't fit in my pocket very well

 

[Amblin]

Ok, first of all, steer clear of the Sansa e200 series. While they have alot of good things going for them, they have sub-par sound quality. Trust me on this, Ive owned one.

ttan98, however, has the right idea. Ive also owned a Meizu M6, and Id have to agree, they have great audio quality, long battery life (manufac rated 36 hours MP3), and a fully customizable UI. Unfortunately it only ranges up to sizes of 8GB, and uses touchpad controls. I picked up a 8GB model for $156 on eBay a couple of months ago.

The Creative ZEN also looks like a good candidate. It has tactile controls, capacities up to 16GB, long battery life, and (gasp), a 16.7 million color screen and good looks.

The Zune is also worth a look. It has full tactile controls, great audio quality, a large 3" display for our blind friends, 30GB capacity, and a low price, can be had for about $150. *Rant* And DRM? What DRM? Have any of these iPod fanboys even used a Zune? *End Rant*

 

[Abouna]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amblin /img/forum/go_quote.gif Ok, first of all, steer clear of the Sansa e200 series. While they have alot of good things going for them, they have sub-par sound quality. Trust me on this, Ive owned one. ttan98, however, has the right idea. Ive also owned a Meizu M6, and Id have to agree, they have great audio quality, long battery life (manufac rated 36 hours MP3), and a fully customizable UI. Unfortunately it only ranges up to sizes of 8GB, and uses touchpad controls. I picked up a 8GB model for $156 on eBay a couple of months ago. The Creative ZEN also looks like a good candidate. It has tactile controls, capacities up to 16GB, long battery life, and (gasp), a 16.7 million color screen and good looks. The Zune is also worth a look. It has full tactile controls, great audio quality, a large 3" display for our blind friends, 30GB capacity, and a low price, can be had for about $150. *Rant* And DRM? What DRM? Have any of these iPod fanboys even used a Zune? *End Rant*

Amblin,

Thanks for the note.

Good comments, the Zune, though quite huge ( know I said I didn't need tiny but it's a bit large isn't it?), is attractive. Maybe I should hold off for the new batch.

Something from Creative would probably make the best match since the Dell was a Creative product. I really don't need all that screen though.

 

[LaBreaHead]

If you don't want/need the screen that the new ZEN has, I'll second the reference to the Samsung T9 -- smallish screen, you don't need to use video capability, and the control pad looks to be a lot like that of the late, great Rio Carbon (hey -- my Carbon's still working, and it's great ... so I would consider the T9 as a possibility for a highly portable replacement, along with the Creative ZEN).

Edit: I think iPods are better than their detractors say they are, and not as good as some diehard fanboys assume they are ... and I think it's interesting that the new iPod Classic might be one of the last of the breed when it comes to hard-drive players with less than a full-size screen and a concentration on music as much as on video. So that might be a good option for music lovers, over the next year or so while such a player is still in the marketplace ... huge capacity for high-bit-rate or lossless files, and the intuitive ipod controls (yeah, no buttons, but it's not as attention-demanding as a touch screen would be).

On the other hand, I like having multiple small, low-capacity players to carry around -- some with minimal or no screen -- which is one way to focus on the music and not the bells and whistles ...


________________________
Sources (in order of purchase):
2nd Generation 10GB iPod for Windows (retired)
Creative Muvo 256MB
Creative Muvo 1GB (out on loan)
Rio Carbon 5GB
Cowon iAudio 5 1GB (out on loan)
Rio Karma 20GB (low-mileage collector’s item)
Creative Zen Nano 1GB
Samsung YP-U2 512MB
4th Generation 40GB iPod (monochrome; used as home jukebox)
2nd Generation iPod Nano 4GB
Creative Zen Stone 1GB
iRiver T60 2GB

 

[Amblin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LaBreaHead /img/forum/go_quote.gif If you don't want/need the screen that the new ZEN has, I'll second the reference to the Samsung T9 -- smallish screen, you don't need to use video capability, and the control pad looks to be a lot like that of the late, great Rio Carbon (hey -- my Carbon's still working, and it's great ... so I would consider the T9 as a possibility for a highly portable replacement, along with the Creative ZEN).

You are correct, LabreaHead, from what I hear it has great audio quality, small size and good battery life, unfortunately, it only goes up to capacities of 8GBs.

And how did I forget about this one...the Iaudio 7. Small size, audiophile audio quality, LONG battery life. And I believe Ive seen somewhere that COWON is coming out with a 16GB version. Unfortunately, it seems this version will be retailing for Korean equivalent of $322. If the price doesnt bother you, take a look.