[ninjames]

Hey guys, my fiancee and I are looking for a good portable music player. Unlike with the headphone threads, I can't seem to find many threads here that are kind of an aggregation to make things easier to digest. So instead, I'll just ask for some advice. We'll listen mostly with IEMs, from Ultimate Ears TripleFi to many others. I also have the HiFiMan HE-300 and HE-400 that I'd like to use with the player. All of my music is FLAC. Here's a few things that are important to me ..
 
- Dependability. I feel like I'm cursed sometimes and my things break. I need dependability.
- Responsive. I don't want to feel like I'm using an archaic device .. I want fast navigation.
- Simple. If there is something with a full, nice screen with album art and all that, then great. If not, and it's all done on a smaller screen through text and stuff, it really needs to be painless to get through it.
- Expandable storage. I think I'll have around 30GB of music on it at any one time.
- Price Range: Under $350. If what I'm looking for can be found for $100 though, don't recommend me something else!
 
I'd love a few solid recommendations so I could check them out and see what I like. The leg work on this is a little daunting. Thanks!

 

[ninjames]

Bump

 

[dtmhtk]

The Colorfly C3 seemed to be loved by a lot here. I don't own it though but you should definitely check it out.

 

[ninjames]

Where would be the best place to purchase the C3 in the US? Any other recommendations?

 

[dtmhtk]

Since you require flac playback support and expandable storage, you should look at the "audiophile grade" DAPs from companies such as Hifiman, iBasso, Colorfly, and the Fiio X3 (if you are not in a hurry). I think many of them are only available through ebay because they are from China. A cheap and easy solution would be the Sansa Clip+/Clip Zip.

 

[ninjames]

Yeah I'm not going with a Sansa, I admire the players for their usage but I'd rather get something that is better-suited for my flac library

 

[Achmedisdead]

Quote:

Yeah I'm not going with a Sansa, I admire the players for their usage but I'd rather get something that is better-suited for my flac library

 
What exactly do you mean by "better suited for my flac library"? 

 

[davidcotton]

Sansa Clip + (rockboxed) with a 32//64 gig micro sd card job done.  Either that or wait till june and see what the Fiio x3 is like.
 
Cheers

 

[ninjames]

Quote:

Sansa Clip + (rockboxed) with a 32//64 gig micro sd card job done.  Either that or wait till june and see what the Fiio x3 is like.
 
Cheers

I  don't want a Sansa player, though. I'm looking for the next step beyond them. Audiohphile grade, I guess? I mean, if I say I want to buy a laptop but I don't want a budget laptop, I want the best components within X price range, that's what I'm doing here!
 
But thanks for all the recs you guys, regardless. I went out on a limb and bought two HM-601 that may have been a price mistake at $50. If I get them, then woooh! If I don't, then I'll probably look to the Colorfly C3

 

[davidcotton]

In that case you are looking at (and no one apart from a few have heard these as they are not out yet!)Fiio X3, X5, or Ibasso DX50.
 
Cheers