Need Help Concerning MP3 Players

[AU Tailgating Rules 0]

My wife travels a great deal and is getting tired of carrying her cd player everywhere she goes. (too big and bulky). She thinks she wants an MP3 player and I know nothing abouth them. This is for her birthday so I would like to get her a nice one.

Does anyone have any thoughts on a good brand, how much memory, price, etc.

Thanks in advence for the help.

[TitanTiger 20,499]

The most popular one on the market is the Apple iPod. They have a 20GB model for $299 and a 40GB model for $399. There is also an iPod Mini which is a good bit smaller, is 4GB and goes for $249. I think the 20GB is the best bang for the buck. It'll hold all but the largest of the large CD collections.

The iPods are popular for their excellent sound quality, unchallenged ease of use, small size and quality. They will play AAC files from the iTunes Music Store as well as standard MP3 files.

You can check them out here: http://www.apple.com/ipod/

But I'd shop around...you might be able to find a better deal online somewhere with free shipping or other extras.

[AU Tailgating Rules 0]

Can she use the many songs she has already downloaded from napster, morpheus, and all of the pay sites(now that the others are "illegal") that she already has in her music library, or will she have to re-download them in a different format?

Do IPODs also have an FM Tuner?

[Guest AuNuma1]

iPod's are definitely the most popular. They're also the most expensive. And I don't think they even make iPod's with FM tuners.

As an alternative to Apple, try Rio. They have some nice stuff. You need to decide if you want a solid state player (flash memory) or a hard drive based player. If you work out or jog you would want a solid state but if it's for trips or something, hard drive is what you want (iPods are hard drive based). They also offer FM tuners with some of their players.

Rio Audio Nice site too!

[Streyeder 0]

iPods play AAC files, i.e. songs from iTunes. I don't believe the iPod has an FM tuner either.

Here's a comparison for small memory mp3 players:

http://www.iwantoneofthose.com/mp3_comparison.aspx

Here you can read reviews of mp3 players by users. They are sorted several different ways so you can go by what is most important:

http://www.epinions.com/MP3_Digital_Audio_Players

MP3 Players Buying Guide by CNet:

http://reviews.cnet.com/Music/4520-7964_7-5134106-1.html

I hope this all helps.

[AUJarhead 70]

I have the Archos Jukebox 20GB. Plugs right into the USB ports on my laptops/desktops. You can even used it as an external harddrive, which is a plus when you're backing up a harddrive.

No FM tuner.

I do like the IPODs, though.

[AU Tailgating Rules 0]

All good info, keep the personal reviews coming. How do people invent this stuff?

[TitanTiger 20,499]

If your wife wants to use the iTunes Music Store (the largest and most popular legal downloading site on the web), only the iPod will work with it. And yes, it will play all the files she downloaded off the old Napster. It doesn't play WMA files (the new Napster). It will play AAC, MP3, AIFF, and WAV (and perhaps a few others).

Rio does have nice smaller players, but on the larger capacity ones (ones that can hold most people's entire CD library), the iPod wins hands down.

[AU Tailgating Rules 0]

Thanks for the help, ya'll are the best!!!!!!!!

[Guest AuNuma1]

Rio does have nice smaller players, but on the larger capacity ones (ones that can hold most people's entire CD library), the iPod wins hands down.

I don't know about that. Rio Karma 20GB @ $299 comes with:

- docking station

- RCA line-out (connect to home stereo)

- ethernet connectivity (assign an IP to it and have it networked)

- 15 hour battery

- OGG and FLAC support

- 5-Band Parametric Equalizer

- Sennheiser Earbuds

iPod doesn't come with ANY of that does it? You're paying more for less features because of the "Mac factor". But yeah, if you need more than 20GB, the Karma obviously won't work...

[AU Tailgating Rules 0]

does the rio karma have an fm receiver?

[TitanTiger 20,499]

Rio does have nice smaller players, but on the larger capacity ones (ones that can hold most people's entire CD library), the iPod wins hands down.

I don't know about that. Rio Karma 20GB @ $299 comes with:

- docking station

- RCA line-out (connect to home stereo)

- ethernet connectivity (assign an IP to it and have it networked)

- 15 hour battery

- OGG and FLAC support

- 5-Band Parametric Equalizer

- Sennheiser Earbuds

iPod doesn't come with ANY of that does it? You're paying more for less features because of the "Mac factor". But yeah, if you need more than 20GB, the Karma obviously won't work...

I don't know about FLAC, but I know that an iPod is capable of OGG support. It doesn't come that way but that capability can be added. I doubt it has ethernet capability, but for most people, that isn't a key feature. And again, largest legal download store is iTunes and only the iPod can play the AAC files that it uses.

The iPod connects via Firewire, which is faster than USB 2.0, but it's USB 2.0 capable as well.

The iPod is fully capable of playing through your home stereo. A $9 cable from Radio Shack (if you don't have one already) will make it happen.

It has 12 hour battery life.

It's a good deal smaller (5.6 cubic inches vs 8.9 for the Rio)

iPod: 2.4" wide, 4.1" tall, .57" thick

Rio: 2.7" wide, 3.0" tall, 1.1" thick

the iPod has a built in EQ with various presets

the 20GB doesn't come with docking station though one is available.

You're probably paying more for the "Mac factor" to some extent...but part of the Mac factor is form and function. And I think if you use both side by side for any length of time, you'll enjoy the intuitiveness of the iPod more.

There are a ton of these players out on the market right now and almost all of them are cheaper in some way than the iPod. But the iPod is still the best seller by far, commanding over 50% of the market.

[Guest AuNuma1]

does the rio karma have an fm receiver?

No, and I'm not sure why. It comes all of that other stuff but no tuner. Maybe it's because of the size of the hard drive, I don't know...would be nice though.

[AU Tailgating Rules 0]

i've got to hace an fm tuner, any suggestions?

[TitanTiger 20,499]

That's going to be a tougher find. And when you do find it, it'll be bulkier than the rest of them because that's just a lot of stuff to cram into a small case.