Sony NW-HD5 or Archos Gmini SX200???
Jun 17, 2005 at 8:03 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 17
gvdv

gvdv

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Hi,
I've decided to upgrade from my 4 year-old Sony Minidisc player/recorder to a hard drive based unit, and have narrowed the choice down to (basically) the Sony NW-HD5 or the Archos Gmini SX200, although I'm open to other suggestions.

I really love the ATRAC compression on the Sony MD I have right now, and anticipate that the updated ATRAC 3 PLUS software on the HD1/HD3/and HD5 will sound even better. The ATRAC software sounds miles better than all of the .MP3's that I've heard, although I've read good things, and not so good things, about the Archos's sound quality.

So, here are my requirements, and my preferences. I'm hoping that people here can help me with suggestions, opinions and recommendations:

REQUIREMENTS
1. Great sound quality - especially if .mp3 only
2. Light weight (140 grams/4.9 oz.)
3. Ability to take a line out to an amp for playing without headphones (e.g., at parties)
4. Ability to use EQ on all audio file formats

PREFERENCES (i.e., things I can do without, but would very much like to have)
4. Remote - also, I like the idea of being able to add a remote that has a radio, and can record from the radio, to the Archos SX200
5. Small form factor
6. Good/easy track manipulation/organization ability (e.g., organizing by song, and artist, and album, and genre or any mixture of these categories)
7. Voice recording capability
8. Removable/replaceable Li-Ion battery
9. Long charge
10. NO PHOTO VIEWER - this unit if for music, and music only; I couldn't care a fig about viewing any kind of file; I just need to be able to read the song/ album/artist display. I have noticed that the HD units with screens meant for viewing photos and the like tend to be heavier in weight, and a light weight is one of my three 'must have' criteria.

I am a little nervous at the prospect of going with an .mp3 only player/recorder, after my experience of the Sony MD ATRAC format being so positive, but would be willing to give it a try.

I look forward to any suggestions that people here might make.

Thanks,

GVDV
 
Jun 17, 2005 at 8:55 PM Post #3 of 17
Hi LFC_SL,
Thanks for your message; I had read that there were remotes available for the HD1/2/3/and 5.

I have also just edited my message to reflect a new 'required' criterion that I have, based on a review that I just read of the HD5 which said that EQ control is only available for ATRAC 3 PLUS files, not for .mp3's on the unit. I must admit that this makes the unit less attractive to me, although it would not necessarily sway me away from the HD5 as I think that I would use the ATRAC compression almost exclusively.

Thanks, once again,

GVDV.
 
Jun 18, 2005 at 2:36 AM Post #5 of 17
Cracking buttons on which of these models? Where? Under what circumstances have people said they've cracked? Do the buttons still perform the function or do the cracks render them unusable?

Please supply more information.
 
Jun 18, 2005 at 6:12 AM Post #6 of 17
go to av forums, i also mentioned about this in the 4th page or so in the hd5 review page in this forum.....

why doesnt anyone in this forum report cracks.....?

i'm getting my black hd5 soon anyway
orphsmile.gif
 
Jun 18, 2005 at 6:33 AM Post #7 of 17
It's happened to all HD5 models available so far. Look closely at the design of the buttons and it's quite obvious how people could get cracks. They should have kept all the buttons seperate. I refuse to spend $300 on something with a poor design, regardless if it happens to me or not.
 
Jun 18, 2005 at 4:36 PM Post #9 of 17
Does anyone here actually have any experience of comparing the HD5 to the Archos Gmini SX200 in terms of sound quality?

That's the reason I started this thread, although I appreciate the other information that has resulted.

Given the problems with the HD5, I'd probably plump for the SX200 if I heard some opinions about that unit's sound quality being comparable to ATRAC or ATRAC 3 PLUS of the HD5.

The issue becomes even more important to me because Sony hasn't yet released the HD3 here in Canada, never mind the HD5, and I would have to import an HD5 if I wanted one (and given some of the problems with the unit, that would make returning for repair/replacement a very big pain).

So, if anyone has any comments on the SX200's sound quality, especially in comparison to the ATRAC software, please post.

GVDV
 
Jun 19, 2005 at 5:47 PM Post #12 of 17
Quote:

Originally Posted by LFC_SL
now I remember...dapreview.net posted info about an upgrade to the gemini, something like SX202. Google for it


Thanks,
Actually found this. It seems that there aren't many differences at all between the 202 and the 200; different colour display, and perhaps - from one site I read - it deals with fewer file types (I know that this doesn't make sense, so I'm not sure how accurate this information is).

Given the (mostly) useful help that I've received here, I think that I've ruled out the HD5 for now as a contender for purchase.

Now, it's down to either the Archos SX200/202 or the Samsung YH925 (because it has some of my preferred-but-not-essential features such as a voice recorder). However, the latter is a little too heavy for me, and I've read some not so good things about the software for it.

I guess what I've learned is that there isn't really one .mp3 player that satisfies my requirements at the moment - the HD5 would be the closest if it worked properly. And there's no player that incorporates my preferred and required features.

Thanks for the help.

GVDV
 
Jun 20, 2005 at 12:16 AM Post #14 of 17
Quote:

Originally Posted by terrymx
does the sx200 share the same remote as the gmini400. because i bought the remote for $30 and never use it. the control isnt very intuitive.


I don't think that it does. I do know that the Gmini Remote, incorporating the FM radio tuner, CANNOT be used with the Gmini SX200 (how clever of Archos to name that remote the 'Gmini', thereby confusing the issue).
 
Jun 20, 2005 at 11:12 AM Post #15 of 17
I could not recognize any significant difference in sound quality between the XS 200 and the HD5 when testing them briefly (to be clear in that respect: it was definitely not an in depth test!).

I prefer the XS 200 GUI over the HD5 though. And since the new XS 202 seems to have an improved battery life (17 hours compared to the XS 200's 8 hours) the main advantage of the HD5 seems to be lost...

Don't know the Samsung but believe the MPIO or the Cowon X5 to be the better competitors...
 
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