OMG teh Jambands
Head-Fier
- Joined
- Aug 26, 2006
- Posts
- 75
- Likes
- 11
Greetings, all. I've been a member here for awhile, but have rarely posted. Today, I am need of Head-Fi's collective expertise.
I have been a Rio Karma user since 2004. I originally had a 20GB Karma, and when the HDD died (as they all did eventually), I replaced it with a custom 60GB Karma in 2007. Over the years, I've made lots of small repairs, using the first Karma as a parts unit for the second. Now, however, my beloved Karma has suffered a fatal fall. the wheel and control stick seem to be broken beyond repair. More importantly, I am tired of fixing it (and out of spare parts to do so), and I think it is time for a new high-capacity DAP.
here's where I need your help, guys. As a happy Karma user for over 5 years, I feel clueless as to what is out there. I've looked around a bit, but it doesn't seem like there is much out there currently that strikes my fancy. I have scoped out the Cowon iAudio X5, Trekstor Vibez, Zune, and iPod Classic; all of which seem to have appealing features despite being a couple years older (and hard to find, in the cases of the Vibez and X5). I have also just been tipped off about these Nationite S:Flo2 players, which seem interesting.
Anyway, here are the things I am looking for in a DAP. Keep in mind that I am replacing a player that was made in 2003, so even something designed in '06 or '07 may have features that are new and interesting to me (or also some that I find unnecessary and useless). I am open to ALL suggestions!
-Capacity AT LEAST 30GB, and that' really a minimum. 60-80GB would be ideal. I have a lot of FLAC that I don't mind transcoding, but it's nice to be able to fit some lossless and/or video on there without taking up the entire capacity. Speaking of video, I don't really care about video, but if a player does it well, I might get into that a little bit.
a 16GB Flash player that I can put an SDHC card into would not be out of the question. Also, I am not afraid to modify, so if there's a fantastic 20GB DAP that I can swap a bigger HDD into (as was the case with the Karma), that's fine.
-Gapless playback (either native to the player or through Rockbox installation). I bought the Karma originally because it was the only player that did gapless. Now, I'm happy there are more options!
-Tactile controls rather than a full touch screen. I like being able to control the volume and track forward/back without looking at the player. I like that they added volume buttons to the side of the iPod touch. I wish they'd do that for the Classic, because that would make it a clear winner. The industry seems to be moving heavily towards touch screens, making it tougher for me to find something I like. If player has combination of touch screen and buttons, or some sort of remote, that would work too.
-Home/car stereo integration. Right now I have Karma docks in two different rooms, and a 3.5mm adapter in my car. I love to be able to use it with my home/car stereo. I guess iPod has the best options for something like this? Any other players that do it well?
-Nice interface features/sound quality/EQ. I can't explain how nice the Karma's interface was to someone who hasn't used one. To those who have: is there anything that compares? The sound quality and EQ were top-notch for its time, but I know there is stuff out now that surpasses it...right?
THANKS in advance for any opinions, advice, etc. I know Head-Fi is one of the smartest audio forums online, so I can't wait to hear what you guys have to say. I look forward to making an informed purchase. In the meantime, I've dug out my box of old minidiscs to rock out to!
I have been a Rio Karma user since 2004. I originally had a 20GB Karma, and when the HDD died (as they all did eventually), I replaced it with a custom 60GB Karma in 2007. Over the years, I've made lots of small repairs, using the first Karma as a parts unit for the second. Now, however, my beloved Karma has suffered a fatal fall. the wheel and control stick seem to be broken beyond repair. More importantly, I am tired of fixing it (and out of spare parts to do so), and I think it is time for a new high-capacity DAP.
here's where I need your help, guys. As a happy Karma user for over 5 years, I feel clueless as to what is out there. I've looked around a bit, but it doesn't seem like there is much out there currently that strikes my fancy. I have scoped out the Cowon iAudio X5, Trekstor Vibez, Zune, and iPod Classic; all of which seem to have appealing features despite being a couple years older (and hard to find, in the cases of the Vibez and X5). I have also just been tipped off about these Nationite S:Flo2 players, which seem interesting.
Anyway, here are the things I am looking for in a DAP. Keep in mind that I am replacing a player that was made in 2003, so even something designed in '06 or '07 may have features that are new and interesting to me (or also some that I find unnecessary and useless). I am open to ALL suggestions!
-Capacity AT LEAST 30GB, and that' really a minimum. 60-80GB would be ideal. I have a lot of FLAC that I don't mind transcoding, but it's nice to be able to fit some lossless and/or video on there without taking up the entire capacity. Speaking of video, I don't really care about video, but if a player does it well, I might get into that a little bit.
a 16GB Flash player that I can put an SDHC card into would not be out of the question. Also, I am not afraid to modify, so if there's a fantastic 20GB DAP that I can swap a bigger HDD into (as was the case with the Karma), that's fine.
-Gapless playback (either native to the player or through Rockbox installation). I bought the Karma originally because it was the only player that did gapless. Now, I'm happy there are more options!
-Tactile controls rather than a full touch screen. I like being able to control the volume and track forward/back without looking at the player. I like that they added volume buttons to the side of the iPod touch. I wish they'd do that for the Classic, because that would make it a clear winner. The industry seems to be moving heavily towards touch screens, making it tougher for me to find something I like. If player has combination of touch screen and buttons, or some sort of remote, that would work too.
-Home/car stereo integration. Right now I have Karma docks in two different rooms, and a 3.5mm adapter in my car. I love to be able to use it with my home/car stereo. I guess iPod has the best options for something like this? Any other players that do it well?
-Nice interface features/sound quality/EQ. I can't explain how nice the Karma's interface was to someone who hasn't used one. To those who have: is there anything that compares? The sound quality and EQ were top-notch for its time, but I know there is stuff out now that surpasses it...right?
THANKS in advance for any opinions, advice, etc. I know Head-Fi is one of the smartest audio forums online, so I can't wait to hear what you guys have to say. I look forward to making an informed purchase. In the meantime, I've dug out my box of old minidiscs to rock out to!
