[TheRH]

I have a Sony NWZ-344, and I love it but the screen is getting very scratched. I was curious if the Fuze+ would be a a good upgrade or if there is a better recommendation for $150 or less. It would be cool if it could play H.264, but this is not a priority, This will be used primarily for audio with Klipsch S4's.
 
RH

 

[Anaxilus]

The Fuze+ is a downgrade from the Fuze v.2 IMO.  No Rockbox, yet, no LOD = Fail.  Your needs may vary.

 

[paulypaul]

if you were going to get a Sansa, you should consider somethin you can rockbox like clip+ or fuze v1 or v2.
this will give you more flexiblility to the sound.
Also you could consider an upgrade to your sony to an S series or A series which have more sound enhancements and better eq.
some of the older Sony's are worth going for like the S639 or A828, A728.

 

[idvsego]

he said he loves the screen and mentioned h264 so it sounds like video is a concern.  the fuze has a 1.8" screen which is too small for me.  It rules out the clips entirely.  My zune 120 has a 3" and it is decent size for videos so I am on the fence with the fuze+ myself.  that and the sony's in the same price range are all that I have found that have acceptable screen real estate so far.  You didnt mention cpapcity...if 8 or 16 is ok, look at the zune HD.  Love the screen ont hat one.  I am also looking at the Cowon s9.  the 8gb version is in your range.

 

[Townyj]

You have heard the new Fuze+ i presume..?? I wouldnt jumpt to such conclusions yet, i for one am considering the Fuze+ as a future buy. Having no lineout shouldnt really count as it is ment to be a portable, not a brick when you add an amp.
 
Quote:

The Fuze+ is a downgrade from the Fuze v.2 IMO.  No Rockbox, yet, no LOD = Fail.  Your needs may vary.

 

[tds101]

Go look at anythingbutipod.com as there's a few owners of the Fuze+ there already. They're giving it pretty good reviews, and I'm gonna try 1 out soon myself. Anyway, go to their forums and check it out.

 

[Anaxilus]

Quote:

You have heard the new Fuze+ i presume..?? I wouldnt jumpt to such conclusions yet, i for one am considering the Fuze+ as a future buy. Having no lineout shouldnt really count as it is ment to be a portable, not a brick when you add an amp.
 

 
Quote:

The Fuze+ is a downgrade from the Fuze v.2 IMO.  No Rockbox, yet, no LOD = Fail.  Your needs may vary.

 
The only thing it could replace in my inventory would be my Clip+ but it won't since it doesn't have a clip let alone Rockbox, yet.
 

 

[Townyj]

I saw what you wrote in your last message

I was merely stating that it could be a good player, looks wise it definitely has some appeal. Hopefully soundwise its the same and for the price it has my utmost attention.
 
Quote:

 
The only thing it could replace in my inventory would be my Clip+ but it won't since it doesn't have a clip let alone Rockbox, yet.
 

 

[nonsupremous]

The Fuze + has finally added AAC and H264 which makes it a good option because it has more flexibility. 
 
If you can hold on a little longer, a new S series is coming from Sony.  There was one on display at IFA, but unfortunately it had no info on it.  No release date, storage size or pricing.  So, when it's going to be released is anybody's guess.  Also, if you are a Sony fan and want to go with a cheap option for now, the new E series has been release.  The 4GB and 8GB.  69 and 79 respectively.  Should be able to swing into a Best Buy and check them out.

 

[HipHopScribe]

Amazon has the 8GB Cowon S9 for $129.99. Doesn't have h.264, but it does have that great AMOLED screen, and Cowon's legendary sound enhancements. The screen is protected by glass, so it will resist scratches well.

 

[TheRH]

"8GB Cowon S9 for $129.99" really? Well I do not need native support for h.264, I have a video converter that will put it in any format I want. I have yet to get A Cowon and the i9 looks tempting as well. Video would be nice, but I will use this primarily for audio 95% of the time.

 

[faisal2003456]

The Sony DAP probably has better sound quality. A Fuze un-rockboxed is inferior. I second the recommendation of the S9. Here's a link to my impressions: http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/513076/cowon-s9-impressions.

 

[idvsego]

I picked up a fuze + today to try and get by with it as an inexpensive mp3 player for work...not liking the controls so far.  sounds alright though and its feels better built than it looked in the packaging.  I guess for $90 it wasnt bad.  I have a clip but its too small and I needed video playback as well.  Going to give it a few more days before making judgment.