[jfindon]

Well, turns out my Zune 80 doesn't cope well with my workout anger when the stupid ass thing freezes playing music.  Now it's stuck in player recovery mode.
 
So, I need a new player.  I was thinking one of those new Cowons but now I don't remember what the newest versions are.  I don't want anything Apple, I need something with a nice screen, and sound quality is the most important.  Ideas?

 

[Hero Kid]

The newer Cowon J3.the older Cowon S9, maybe the s:flo2 but I'm not sure if it'd be for you. I'd say your best bet is a J3.

 

[jfindon]

I think the J3 was the one I was thinking of.  You can expland the memory in those right?  Has anyone here heard one?

 

[slaters70]

I have both the J3 and the Zune80 (still working), and the J3 is the preferred player. It has a card slot, so a 32GB model can be a 48GB model for an added $37 (16GB card). I use my Zune mainly with two docks on my two home stereo systems, but not much with phones any more. The J3 is a great size, weight, nice screen, and can play many formats. And there is no EQ system, other than Rockbox perhaps, that is more extensive than the J3. To me, it's a winner.

 

[jfindon]

Thanks for your input.  Right now I think that's my top choice.  How far can the 16GB be expanded?

 

[slaters70]

?
 
The 16GB player can go to 32, the 32GB model to 48 (or so. There is always stuff on the player that takes up some of the space).
 
But for $60 more at $299, the 32GB is the better value.

 

[Hero Kid]

I'm pretty sure if you're a rich kid and can afford a 32gb microSD card those things will work in both the 16gb and 32gb versions of the J3.

 

[jfindon]

How is the UI, I read one review saying it took them 15 minutes to get back to the artist from the "Now Playing" screen.  It can't be rocket science...

 

[4DThinker]

There are several sort options for music on the J3, and the layers can get 3 or 4 deep if you let them. How quick it is to get back to a sort list is a function of how deep down your folder structure is. 15 minutes is either an extreme exaggeration or a new user who didn't know which icons to tap.

 

[stevenswall]

Using different UCI's also helps... some of them let you hold the back button to go to the top level of the browser menu... a useful feature if you are in too deep to find your way out of a 5 level file system. By the way, if you have things in folders on your computers desktop, that's about 5 levels deep, and most seem to manage it.

 

[kmhaynes]

Don't want to be rude or nosey, but will the new $250 Cowon J3 be going to the gym/workout with you?  (Based on 1st post!)
 
Maybe a Clip+ for working out would be a good idea -- save the J3 for nice quiet home listening!

 

[tenjintuned]

zune HD... just bought one... and SUPRISINGLY, i prefer it over the cowon D2... i might be even be willing to part with it if i get a good offer...

 

[jfindon]

Quote:

Don't want to be rude or nosey, but will the new $250 Cowon J3 be going to the gym/workout with you?  (Based on 1st post!)
 
Maybe a Clip+ for working out would be a good idea -- save the J3 for nice quiet home listening!

 
 
Actually I was literally just thinking that earlier today.  In a pinch right now I am using my Palm TX for my workout music (sounds like crap through the speakers), but I just saw that a Clip+ is only $55.  I figured I'd get that right now and use it for my workouts, then when I see the need for a quality player like the J3 I'll get that.  I rarely used the Zune for anything other than workouts, and it always got a mess because of the chalk, and I couldn't see myself getting a nice new J3 all chalky (especially since it's touch sensitive).  I did enjoy using my amp and just listening to it from time to time though. 
 
I'll finish out the week with the Palm, order a Clip+ over the weekend, and maybe wait for a deal on the J3.  I may not be able to hold out, I don't know.  I'm anxious to see how it will sound compared to my Zune.
 
 
tenjintuned, what makes you prefer the ZuneHD over the D2?
 

 

[stevenswall]

 
Quote:

zune HD... just bought one... and SUPRISINGLY, i prefer it over the cowon D2... i might be even be willing to part with it if i get a good offer...

 
You prefer a Zune HD to a Cowon product? REALLY?
I have used friends Zune HD's with most of my headphones... I find the sound quallity, EQ, lack of pocket friendly playback controls, and closed ecosystem totally unacceptable... I have an S9 By the Way.
 
Is this your reasoning against the Cowon D2?
(I agree with the first three reasons By The Way!)
1.OLED vs LCD
2.Capacitive vs Resistive
3.Metal vs Plastic
4.Zunepass vs Everything Else
 
Could you explain what you like better about the Zune HD? Have they updated it, or have you jailbroken it?

 

[jfindon]

Thought of a question about the Clip+, can you pick an artist and have it shuffle through all their songs?  I've been doing that lately and really miss it now that I have to use my PDA.  Probably a dumb question but I don't know.