Need Help Choosing an MP3 player

3-23-06 | redheadtoo

[redheadtoo]

Help, I have promised my niece an MP3 player for her graduation and have found the selection available completely overwhelming.

A friend has recommended the Zen by Creative Labs but a quick check of their sight revealed that there are dozens of Zen and MuVo models to choose from. I have found that I do not like the i-pod because once the battery recharger fails you have to send your unit back to Apple and recieve a refurbished unit as a replacement.

I want something that produces a good quality sound, has a long life, can be repaired without sending the unit back to the manufacturer, and is durable.

My niece is getting a new computer from Grandpa so she will have all the up to date hardware and software. But I want to know if I will need to purchase other equipment, such as a cable, for her to download music. I want to know how much memory I should buy and what music sites are safe and which ones should be avoided.

If you know something you think I should consider but have not mentioned please share it with me. Finally, since this is a gift for a teenage girl any knowledge of a products coolness factor will also be useful.

[redheadtoo]

I am thinking of spending about $200.00 but can go up or down from there. I certainly will not turn my nose up at a bargain.

[HAL9000]

http://www.creative.com/corporate/investor/releases.asp?pid=12396

SINGAPORE - April 5, 2006 - Creative Technology Ltd. (NASDAQ: CREAF), a worldwide leader in digital entertainment products, today announced that it is projecting an operating loss of approximately $55 million to $65 million on revenues of approximately $220 million to $230 million for the third quarter of its 2006 fiscal year, ended March 31, 2006. These results are in addition to the previously announced non-cash impairment charge of $25 million and the restructuring charge of $9 million associated with the refocus of the Company's graphics business in the period. The operating loss is primarily attributable to a drop in flash memory prices in the quarter, with a particularly drastic drop in flash memory prices at the end of the quarter. The sharp drop in memory prices had a significant negative impact on sales in March and resulted in lower revenues and gross margins and inventory write-downs in the period.

[redheadtoo]

HAL, thanks for the info. From what you have posted I will not be buying any stock in Creative Labs. However, do you have any information about their products?

[NittanyLion]

I want something that produces a good quality sound, has a long life, can be repaired without sending the unit back to the manufacturer, and is durable.

I would suggest a few different characteristics to consider:

1. Memory. How many songs would you like for her to be able to save on it? You're somewhat limited in that price range, but you could probably get a model that allows her to save a couple hundred songs. Personally, I think the more memory the better.
2. Display. Some models have a display on it so she can see what's playing; others do not. Which would she prefer?
3. Flash memory v. hard drive. If she has an active lifestyle, get flash memory because bouncing around won't impact it.

(also, you can forget about repairing it - if it breaks it'll be cheaper to buy a new one.)

[redheadtoo]

Thanks, I never even thought about display. One more thing to worry about. You mentioned the advantage of a flash memory over a hard drive, is there any advantage of a hard drive over a flash memory?

[big'ol_freeper]

You're wrong if you don't go with an iPod...nothing comes close.

Don't know where you got the info on the battery, but over time every battery will have to be replaced. If something is wrong with the battery within the warranty period Apple replaces the entire unit, not just the battery.

After the warranty period there are many vendors who will install a replacement battery for you when the batteries life has expired. That is true for any MP3 player you might purchase.

[NittanyLion]

Yes - with a hard drive you get more memory at a cheaper price.

Also, regarding your question about buying connectors...if you get one with a USB 2.0 port (most come standard) a USB cable is readily available in any store that sells PC devices. It may very well come with the MP3.

[redheadtoo]

Thanks again for the info. I will e-mail my niece and ask if memory or ruggedness is more important for her. I also appreciate the cable info.

[martin_fierro]

MP3 players not to get

[redheadtoo]

LOL at your tag line. My niece is smart, pretty, and a great student. The site you recommended looks very helpful. Thanks

[NittanyLion]

You're welcome. Good luck!

[bluesagewoman]

Don't get an MP3 player that looks like it could even remotely be an oven timer. Our oven timer broke a few weeks ago and one evening I was needing to bake a couple of batches of brownies. They have to be cooked exactly 27 minutes. I dug through all the cabinets and drawers in the kitchen looking for the new timer my husband said he had picked up. I finally found a nice, little electronic gadget under a towel on the counter near the oven. I picked it up and fiddled and fiddled with it, but couldn't seem to be able to figure it out. Getting exasperated I shouted at my husband to come downstairs and set this blamed timer for 27 minutes. You can guess his reaction.

[redheadtoo]

LOL, I guess your advice falls under the category of coolness factor, or lack thereof.

[CarrotAndStick]

Since easy battery access/replacement is your requirement, here's a picture of two of them.

The one on the top is a Creative Zen Sleek, and the ones shown below is the Sony Network Walkman, NW-HD5.

Both have easy-to-access battery doors, but better re-check this for the Creative model, because it undergone updates.

[redheadtoo]

Thanks, by the way how come you have photos of MP3 players ready for download?

[CarrotAndStick]

Just searched for them. Pretty simple in most search engines.

[InvisibleChurch]

i just bought a Sandisk w/1GB the other day ... it's not an ipod but it holds 1 gig (several hundred songs) and comes with everything she would need (cable, battery, instructions) It has 20 fm stations, is as light as a feather and sounds very good... I'm hearing words in lyrics i've never heard before... it also doesn't get THAT loud either so it's unlikely she'd blow her ears out ... windows media/rhapsody/realplayer (and i'm sure others) are set to transfer onto mp3 players ... the instructions aren't the greatest, but once you figure it out (and it won't take very long) it is very easy to add or delete songs on the device ...new technology looks daunting but they make these things so that even I can make it work ... i don't care for the earbuds(headphones) but i can make them work... probably there are better buds out there

regarding music sites, she can find Christian music sites from which to download, but even if she chooses rhapsody, etal it's really up to her not to download inappropriate tunes ... most music will cost anywhere from 49cents to 99 cents per tune ... hope she can copy friends' cds and then transfer to her device...

have fun .... ps - you're a good uncle ... or is that aunt?

[redheadtoo]

or is that aunt?

I'm her aunt. Thanks for your help.

[CarrotAndStick]

Creative also has this Zen Vision, and this beats out most other MP3/ Video players, even on the battery access feature. And this particular player has one of the highest signal-to-noise ratios (97 dB, higher than most others, including iPod's and Sony's equivalents)

But its price ranges from US$ 350-400.

You could also check out the Creative Zen Vision M, pictured below:

[Peace Is Coming]

bttt