Flash player first impressions...

[Tech2]

Well, I've been wanting to get myself a flash player for some time. After having owned an iPod and a Zen Micro, I decided it was time. Prices have dropped and, like most here, I love gadgets.

This isn't intended as a review, just my impressions.

I went to Best Buy today and bough a Sandisk 512Mb flash player, complete with FM tuner. Nice looking little unit (I know, good reason to buy it, right?), at a great price (for a brick and mortar reseller) - $85. I was thrilled and couldn't wait to get home and try it out (you ALL know what I'm talking about.)

Upon opening the package, I found the following included items:

- 512Mb player
- USB cable
- Throw-away earbuds
- 1 AAA battery
- Protective, clear plastic case
- Armband
- User guide
- CD (MusicMatch)

Anyway, I got home and popped in the included AAA battery, loaded some music (more on that later), plugged in my Grado SR-60s and was...........

completely and thoroughly underwhelmed.

I had to crank up the volume just to hear the music. I was nearly at max volume. Thinking that the culprit was the impedance of the Grados, I plugged in the supplied earbuds and found the same thing. Then there was the issue of the noise I heard every time I disturbed the headphone jack. It was horrendous. Just slightly touching the jack caused the music to explode with noise and static. It was fine if left undisturbed. Faulty jack? Maybe. Crappy quality? Also a possibilty.

Musically, this thing sounded much "thinner" than both my Zen Micro and iPod. It just seemed to lack something. Very anemic, no punch at all. I didn't try amping the thing, since this was strictly going to be my bare-bones portable player.

On a positive note, the functionality of the player was rather nice. I particularly liked the drag-and-drop file transfer. You simply treat the player as a removeable drive in windows. All players should function this way, IMO. Basic navigation and playing the files was simple and straight-forward. Playing with the unit for a short time, I was on my way.

After listening for a short while, I dug into the accessories for the player. The plastic case is a joke, IMO. It's made of a cheap, pliable, clear plastic, with two snaps on the back and a loop for attaching it to the arm band or to your belt. Just very cheap, IMO.

Another feature I liked was the AAA battery. No more worries about running out of power. When using alkaline batteries, juice is always as close as the nearest store, worst case. Another reason I bought the player.

The player also has an FM tuner, which I didn't even try. My experience with these has been horrible, and wasn't a factor in my purchase.

So here's my recap, based on my admittedly brief encounter with my first flash-based player:

Positives

- Asthetically pleasing
- Runs on common AAA batteries
- Fairly straight forward operation
- Drag and drop file transfer

Negatives

- Poor sound
- Suspect headphone jack
- Crappy plastic case

I hate to make a judgement based on a brief encounter with my first flash based player, but I was not very impressed. I'll most definitely be returning the player tomorrow.

I guess I'll always wonder, though: Is this as good as it gets with cheap flash players? or any flash player, for that matter? Am I expecting too much at this price point? Am I expecting too much from this technologly period? I realize that it is a tiny player, driven off of a single AAA battery, and I don't want to paint an entire segement of the portable market with a broad brush, based on my limited, and decidedly crappy, first impression. But first impressions are lasting impressions.

 

[DJ Mauler]

ahh, i hate having to have my music on max volume to listen to a song, i dunno just cant handle it, because if a song comes up and its too low i cant go and turn up the volume.

 

[c.you]

Really? I've never had volume problem with my flash player. I got an iRiver fp-790 and the volume goes quite high.

 

[gshan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by c.you Really? I've never had volume problem with my flash player. I got an iRiver fp-790 and the volume goes quite high.

Indeed. Sounds like a job for Iriver. My ifp-790 had enough juice in the headphone jack to drive my sr60s easily at 1/4-1/3 volume.

BB had some great B&M pricing on IFP-8xx players a while back. Worth checking out imo, if you find the Sandisk lacking.

 

[zip22]

give the ipod shuffle a try. i have tried both, and i was unimpressed with the sandisk as well, but moreso for its navigation and overall feel. the player itself felt cheap and i thought i was going to break it. mine regularly turns off while im trying to find a new file (i have updated the firmware, etc.). i also have a shuffle and i use it a lot. i'm curious how you will find the audio quality of the shuffle. i dont have nearly as much experience as you, therefore i don't feel like i can judge which player has better audio quality, but many people really like the shuffle for its audio quality.

some negatives are the obvious lack of a screen and the built in battery, but if you are looking for a cheap, small, lightweight flash player, i dont think you can do much better. i even see the rechargeable as a positive (i dont have to deal with it, just plug it in). the lack of a screen means that you will be using itunes (or another database builder) on a regular basis, but im on my computer a lot anyways.

if you're still looking for a small flash player, i would check out the shuffle. you will even get $30 back, cause the shuffle is cheaper at bestbuy.

edit: i was looking at the 1gb prices.
sandisk: 512MB - $89 (on sale from $109) 1GB - $159
shuffle: 512MB - $99 1GB - $129

 

[DJGeorgeT]

I think one of the best flash players is the iPod shuffle as fas as sound quality

 

[Tech2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by zip22 give the ipod shuffle a try. i have tried both, and i was unimpressed with the sandisk as well, but moreso for its navigation and overall feel. the player itself felt cheap and i thought i was going to break it. mine regularly turns off while im trying to find a new file (i have updated the firmware, etc.). i also have a shuffle and i use it a lot. i'm curious how you will find the audio quality of the shuffle. i dont have nearly as much experience as you, therefore i don't feel like i can judge which player has better audio quality, but many people really like the shuffle for its audio quality. some negatives are the obvious lack of a screen and the built in battery, but if you are looking for a cheap, small, lightweight flash player, i dont think you can do much better. i even see the rechargeable as a positive (i dont have to deal with it, just plug it in). the lack of a screen means that you will be using itunes (or another database builder) on a regular basis, but im on my computer a lot anyways. if you're still looking for a small flash player, i would check out the shuffle. you will even get $30 back, cause the shuffle is cheaper at bestbuy. edit: i was looking at the 1gb prices. sandisk: 512MB - $89 (on sale from $109) 1GB - $159 shuffle: 512MB - $99 1GB - $129

First of all, I consider myself a n00b at most of this stuff.

Secondly, I welcome and appreciate your comments.

Thirdly, I didn't consider the shuffle because I wanted an LCD for navigation, which is why I haven't tried one.

Thanks for the reply.

 

[Tech2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gshan Indeed. Sounds like a job for Iriver. My ifp-790 had enough juice in the headphone jack to drive my sr60s easily at 1/4-1/3 volume. BB had some great B&M pricing on IFP-8xx players a while back. Worth checking out imo, if you find the Sandisk lacking.

I guess I was lured by the price, which again, if you're serious about this stuff, shouldn't be the deciding factor. If I get the "itch" for a new gadget, I believe I'll try an iRiver flash player.

 

[DJGeorgeT]

well my logic behind not needing a display on a flash player with 1GB or less of storage is that because of the limited storage size, all tunes I have in it are tunes I REALLY REALLY like, so I let it shuffle and I go to relax or workout.

 

[Tech2]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJGeorgeT well my logic behind not needing a display on a flash player with 1GB or less of storage is that because of the limited storage size, all tunes I have in it are tunes I REALLY REALLY like, so I let it shuffle and I go to relax or workout.

Good point. Maybe I'll look at an iPod shuffle, after all.

I have a couple of questions though:

- Can you set it to just play through, in order? Just curious, since I would likely just use it in the shuffle mode.

- What is the battery life like on your Shuffle? I'm assuming it charges through the USB port?