[whiteSanjuro]

my karma died several weeks ago and since best buy refused to fix it or give me my money back, i am waiting for a gift card in the mail. i have, in the mean time, gotten a neuros audio II (floated on the cc) and am going to return it asap. i need advice about what DAP to get. i have heard many bad things about the iriver h1x0, but it is the only player left that meets my specs besides the iaudio m3 (which i dont know where to buy), i am wondering what to do.

here are my specs:
min 20GB HD
usb 2.0
vorbis required
gapless playback required

the karma was great, but it locked up ALL the time and had to be dropped on the floor to restore operation. eventually, after 3 monthes, this tactic stopped working and i got to my current situation. the neuros II has a lot going for it, but gaps are gaping and vorbis playback is not reliable.

does anyone have any advice on trying either an iriver or the iaudio? is there a mystery machine that meets the specs that i dont know about? where can i try an iaudio m3? thanks!

 

[drdnl]

I'd go for the IAudio M3, all your options + near gapless. As to where to try it, if you're in Europe go to Mediamarkt, in the US try Fry's

 

[terrymx]

wht bad things about iriver?

i have never read people postings problem with the iriver before, maybe 1 times. and mine work perfectly.

if its the harddrive problem, trying banging it really hard. heh.

 

[Fenwik]

Wait. Am I to understand that you deliberately droped your $250 audio player on the floor repeatedly? Or was that a joke?

My advice is to get another Karama, since you seemed to like it. This time however, use different "tactics" to restore it to working order. I've had my Karma for around ten months, use it about every other day, and have only ever had it lock up twice, both times hitting the reset button on the bottom restored it to full health.

 

[viator122]

Well if I were him and I had a DAP that continually locked up, I wouldn't want to get a second one anyway. I don't think a $250 audio player should lock up all the time.

 

[AuroraProject]

Quote:

Originally Posted by whiteSanjuro i have heard many bad things about the iriver h1x0, but it is the only player left that meets my specs here are my specs: gapless playback required

The iriver ihp-1X0 series don't do gapless.

 

[whiteSanjuro]

hmm, lots of good things to think about. i was unclear about the current status of the iriver gapless, which is part of why i posted this

thanks for the info. i am going to try the m3 and see how it measures up.

btw, fenwick, yes. my karma locked up on day 2 after i bought it, when i was sitting in a chair typing on my laptop with the player stationary on the table. i read this infamous post about the solution and decided it was worth a shot. it worked, instantly. i repeated this about once every week for 3 monthes until my player decided to finally stop working. i used it a bit more than you, however, probably 3 hours a day on the bus/walking downtown and another 2-4 sitting on the dock at home. it would always lock up during any serious cueing (or cueing in songs longer than 30 mins) and during any cueing of flac, but i simply did not do that. however, it would also lock up for no reason when just sitting playing, even on the desktop. this was annoying because it would happen randomly; i could never determine what, if anything, i did caused it.

my best buy service plan was revoked because they no longer carry the karma and honestly, as much as i loved it, the hassle of the constant lock ups requiring either a paper-clip or a drop was too much for me to want another karma, at least not until v2.0.

thanks for the advice!

 

[whiteSanjuro]

oh, screw it, im getting the iaudio m3...i just read this link and noted the FLAC support that now exists

 

[xantus]

after reading a bit about it(and hearing about their good support), i'm taking the plunge as well...FLAC, line-out, drag-n-drop, a possibility to replace my portable AND bedside unit? i'm all over it. and so far this place is the best price i've seen

 

[whiteSanjuro]

hmmm, i was thinking of going with the 40GB w/ cradle from manufacturer direct because you also get a free 128MB flash player and for $100, i dont mind doubling storage .... but its not in stock, so its a tough call. thanks for the link though! i might go that way depending on how soon neuros processes my RMA.

EDIT: i just found this store...even cheaper and more variants!

 

[Sweet Spot]

Why not wait for the M5 ? It doesn't tie you down to using JUST the remote, as it boasts a pretty cool looking colour lcd with USB OTG (not sure if OTG applies to US models though). I'd say that the FLAC support is the only thing which puts the iAudio on top of the Hxxx series at this point. As far as "very close to gapless" goes, AFAIC, "very close" is just as bad as not at all. An audible click between two tracks that need to flow together is annoying as hell, and neither the iAudio or Iriver player achieve clickless/gapless play like this. Only the Karma at this point provides the comfort of true gapless playback, but for the very same reason as to why you wouldn't get another Karma, is why I never got one in the first place.

From day one, till this very day, the complaints remain the same, which IMO is the biggest shame in the world considering all the Karma offers. If not for the build quality and HD/firmware issues, the Karma would be one of the best DAP's out there. Add recording, FM radio,full UMS support, a remote (lcd) and make it NOT ugly, and it would be THE best DAP bar none. Shame. (

 

[whiteSanjuro]

i actually liked the karma's appearance

and i have to say, not having a screen that is going to get scuffed in my bag or pocket is very appealing about the m3. the most common complaint i read about with the m3 is the screen not being on the player; i for one welcome our new remote-screen masters. ive been jealous of those trendy MD players for years, and now i could have a cool, programmable one? i think its nice.

i very much appreciate the heads up about the gap issue though. have you used/have an m3 with the latest 1.30 firmware? if it still has gaps, i think i will have to hold up then.

 

[gratner]

It locked up 2 days after you bought it and you kept it?

You deserve what you get then.

 

[whiteSanjuro]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gratner It locked up 2 days after you bought it and you kept it? You deserve what you get then.

everyone gets what they deserve ... plus your sig says you own a karma, so aren't you being a little harsh to your own DAP?

 

[gratner]

Quote:

Originally Posted by whiteSanjuro everyone gets what they deserve ... plus your sig says you own a karma, so aren't you being a little harsh to your own DAP?

I have a Karma with an extended warranty... all I'm saying is why would you keep any piece of electronic equipment if it acts up 2 days after you bought it.

Certainly the 30 day store warranty would cover your exchanging it for a new unit so that makes no sense. Every manufacturer has defective units.