Give me tactile controls or give me death!
Mar 13, 2009 at 3:46 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 33
hucifer

hucifer

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Hey guys, long-term reader first-time poster here.

My trusty iAudio7 is beginning to look a little worn out and I'm on the market for a new DAP but I'm finding it hard to find a suitable replacement.

Firstly (just in case the title of this thread didn't tip you off) I HATE touchscreen interfaces and unfortunately this seems like a ubiquitous trend in DAPs at the moment. The one fault I have with my iAudio7 is the touch interface and I'd like to find an alternative with tactile controls.

If anyone knows of a decent DAP that matches all/most of the following criteria I'd love to hear some suggestions:

Excellent sound quality
FLAC/OGG support (not fussed about WMA)
8Gb+ Flash memory
Tactile controls
UMS file transfer (preferably)
Non-proprietry USB (preferably)

I'll mainly be using it for commuting and generally strolling about town, so pocket-operation is a high priority.

thanks!
 
Mar 13, 2009 at 4:16 PM Post #3 of 33
Why do you hate it? Do you hate it in general or just becausr you can't use it while it's in your pocket? If it's the latter, the iAudio S9 has awesome little rocker buttons to do everything from your pocket, if it's the former, well, I wouldn't recommend an iRiver H1xx anymore unlike the (spamming) iRiver dude, I got one and didn't think it lived up to the massive expectancy, but I'd look into a Sansa Fuze, though I don't know if they support FLAC, you'd have to check, and it has propietary USB, but that little bugger is still an awesome player to get right now.
 
Mar 13, 2009 at 4:25 PM Post #4 of 33
Sansa Fuze meets all but one criteria (it has a proprietary connection).
 
Mar 13, 2009 at 4:31 PM Post #5 of 33
I can get the clip to play back FLAC so I'm assuming perhaps with the most recent firmware the fuze would support it also? The fuze is a wonderful sounding player and I'm very sorry I didn't buy it over a year ago because I was worried about having to retag all much stuff.
 
Mar 13, 2009 at 9:05 PM Post #6 of 33
Quote:

Originally Posted by iriverdude /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Iriver H140 with compact flash mod? :) Apart from joystick isn't tactile


Isnt H140 discontiued? i cant find it on the iriver homepage.
 
Mar 13, 2009 at 10:01 PM Post #8 of 33
Quote:

Originally Posted by ZarakiSan /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Why do you hate it? Do you hate it in general or just becausr you can't use it while it's in your pocket? If it's the latter, the iAudio S9 has awesome little rocker buttons to do everything from your pocket, if it's the former, well, I wouldn't recommend an iRiver H1xx anymore unlike the (spamming) iRiver dude, I got one and didn't think it lived up to the massive expectancy, but I'd look into a Sansa Fuze, though I don't know if they support FLAC, you'd have to check, and it has propietary USB, but that little bugger is still an awesome player to get right now.


Yeah the S9 is on my "maybe" list at the moment due to the fact that I freely admit to being a Cowon fanboy and because of the buttons on the side. However, my problem with touchscreens isnt just because they're hard to use whilst in your pocket; it's because so far I've generally found them to be sluggish and unresponsive when compared to traditional buttons. They also tend to be fingerprint-magnets and you end up having to clean them all the time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by HipHopScribe /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Sansa Fuze meets all but one criteria (it has a proprietary connection).


I notice than we've got a few recommendations for Sansa so far. The feature list on the Fuze is impressive, however I've got a few reservations about build quality when it comes to Sansa players. I've read a few reviews that say they feel kinda cheap and that the screens aren't very good. Anyone got any thoughts on this?
 
Mar 14, 2009 at 12:06 AM Post #11 of 33
Quote:

Originally Posted by hucifer /img/forum/go_quote.gif
I notice than we've got a few recommendations for Sansa so far. The feature list on the Fuze is impressive, however I've got a few reservations about build quality when it comes to Sansa players. I've read a few reviews that say they feel kinda cheap and that the screens aren't very good. Anyone got any thoughts on this?


They're plastic, though they feel well enough put together to me, the only issue is that the front of the player is more prone to scratches than some other MP3 players. The screen is good enough for navigation, but it is low res, not good for photos or video.
 
Mar 16, 2009 at 2:18 AM Post #13 of 33
Not only I hate touch screens, I hate any sort of touch pads or wheels, and so does the iPod wheel emulating Sansa wheel. I found that Sony has the best all buttons interface. The older Sony A81x series even has a raised button that I can feel it through my clothing. (the phrase is not meant to be interpreted liberally)
 
Mar 16, 2009 at 2:49 AM Post #14 of 33
touch screens FTW :p Well unfortunately Apple has now made everyother manufacturer going to touchscreen only models. Even blackberry makes some models.
Oh did u like your zune? thats a nice touch wheel there..

more like Sansa emulating iPod wheel?

Sony/Creative Zen have the worst button interfaces, i hate too many buttons. Ruins the look of the player and seriously why soo many buttons?????

I like touchscreens, because i can get to what i want straight away... and doesnt have to go through pressing the direction buttons couple of times to get to where i want and once i get there press another button to say yes i want to start that app.
 
Mar 16, 2009 at 3:47 AM Post #15 of 33
Quote:

Originally Posted by member1982 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
I like touchscreens, because i can get to what i want straight away... and doesnt have to go through pressing the direction buttons couple of times to get to where i want and once i get there press another button to say yes i want to start that app.



Exactly why I like them.

Especially my S9 since it is wayyy more responsive than my P2.
Plus you get more screen real estate, since there are no buttons taking up all the room.

I think the Cowon U5 would be good, not sure if it has normal usb mode, I'll check.
Weird...I thought most cowons supported ogg and flac, but this one doesnt.
It's a nice cheap simple player though.
 
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