OT: Portable MP3 players (non-hard drive)
05-10-2002, 05:18 AM
#1
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OT: Portable MP3 players (non-hard drive)
Looking for some recommendations on portable MP3 players - I'm gonna pipe one into my boat's stereo. I want a small unit - one the operates on flash media (no moving parts). Searched a lot of sites on the 'Net, but that just left me more confused. Want something that has the capacity (via memory slot) to hold a decent amount of music (something like 64-128MB built-in memory, and ability to plug-in a CompactFlash or SmartMedia card as well). Prefer CompactFlash, since I have some cards I use with my digi camera.
thanks,
Mark
thanks,
Mark
05-10-2002, 09:44 AM
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Hey kook,
The stick units are kinda scarce. I looked last season before I upgraded my head unit. It's really a capacity thing for the sticks. 64 - 128 meg is not much space for MP3's. CD quality MP3's are 4 - 5 meg each. That's what, maybe 25 songs on the 128 stick, which isn't cheap like blank cd's. Rockford Fosgate makes one like this that hold multiple sticks to get more capacity, but it was not a cheap unit. I think it held 6 sticks, so basically had the capacity of one MP3 cd. I opted to just go with the mp3 cd. We mostly just listen to the cd's when anchored. It works up to about 1 foot chop without skipping while moving, but that's a rare condition where I boat. I carry 10 Mp3 cd's in the boat, for about 1500 songs. Imo, you're almost better off recording the songs to cassette if you want to listen while moving. It may be old technology, but it works!
Shorty
The stick units are kinda scarce. I looked last season before I upgraded my head unit. It's really a capacity thing for the sticks. 64 - 128 meg is not much space for MP3's. CD quality MP3's are 4 - 5 meg each. That's what, maybe 25 songs on the 128 stick, which isn't cheap like blank cd's. Rockford Fosgate makes one like this that hold multiple sticks to get more capacity, but it was not a cheap unit. I think it held 6 sticks, so basically had the capacity of one MP3 cd. I opted to just go with the mp3 cd. We mostly just listen to the cd's when anchored. It works up to about 1 foot chop without skipping while moving, but that's a rare condition where I boat. I carry 10 Mp3 cd's in the boat, for about 1500 songs. Imo, you're almost better off recording the songs to cassette if you want to listen while moving. It may be old technology, but it works!
Shorty
05-10-2002, 09:57 AM
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Might want to look at a mini-disk unit. Your hang-up will then be getting them from your computer onto the minidisk. And depending on your computer that should be able to be done with a small portable minidisk.
05-10-2002, 11:43 AM
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Here's the Rockford Fosgate stick changer that I looked at. It has come way down in price.
http://www.crutchfield.com/cgi-bin/S...0&I=575RFXMP38
http://www.crutchfield.com/cgi-bin/S...0&I=575RFXMP38
05-11-2002, 09:54 PM
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Oh man, where do I start. I researched the **** out of mp3 players 1-2 years ago and purchased 2 -- not for use in a boat, but for running a marathon. Also have a digital camera -- and none use the same memory cards.
I opted for Sensory Science's Rave MP2200. Mainly b/c at this time, it was one of the only MP3 players with an FM tuner. Has a 64MB built in harddrive, and can expand another 64MB w/ 1 Smart Media card totaling 128MB. This holds approx 2 hrs at cd quality - around 32 songs or so depending on quality and length of songs. A good estimator is about 1 minute per MB. At the time, could get a 64MB Smart card for around $90 on internet. Player was brand new and ran approx. $400-500. Dropped it once and had a couple of problems - since I bought it off the internet had to ship in and wait for return. Player has been running good ever since. I think Sensory Science may have been having problems w/ this Rave model and may have discontinued it so check it out a little if this is one you are going for.
I'm pretty hard on electronics, so I purchased another one, but this time from Best Buy with their return program. Second one was a Rio800 or so. Has 128MB hard drive. Again, this was a year ago -- so memory is steadily increasing. No FM player on this one. Only thing I don't like is it uses it's own memory "backpack" -- not standard cards -- but it does have rechargeable battery -- the Rave uses 1 AA and it goes through it like crazy. No problems with this one.
Let me know if you have any specific questions. Main points to look for are memory, USB connections (transfers songs faster than parallel ports), random play of songs (if this is important to you).
Hope this helps.
I opted for Sensory Science's Rave MP2200. Mainly b/c at this time, it was one of the only MP3 players with an FM tuner. Has a 64MB built in harddrive, and can expand another 64MB w/ 1 Smart Media card totaling 128MB. This holds approx 2 hrs at cd quality - around 32 songs or so depending on quality and length of songs. A good estimator is about 1 minute per MB. At the time, could get a 64MB Smart card for around $90 on internet. Player was brand new and ran approx. $400-500. Dropped it once and had a couple of problems - since I bought it off the internet had to ship in and wait for return. Player has been running good ever since. I think Sensory Science may have been having problems w/ this Rave model and may have discontinued it so check it out a little if this is one you are going for.
I'm pretty hard on electronics, so I purchased another one, but this time from Best Buy with their return program. Second one was a Rio800 or so. Has 128MB hard drive. Again, this was a year ago -- so memory is steadily increasing. No FM player on this one. Only thing I don't like is it uses it's own memory "backpack" -- not standard cards -- but it does have rechargeable battery -- the Rave uses 1 AA and it goes through it like crazy. No problems with this one.
Let me know if you have any specific questions. Main points to look for are memory, USB connections (transfers songs faster than parallel ports), random play of songs (if this is important to you).
Hope this helps.
05-12-2002, 12:53 AM
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Originally posted by gacrew
Second one was a Rio800 or so. Has 128MB hard drive. Again, this was a year ago -- so memory is steadily increasing. No FM player on this one. Only thing I don't like is it uses it's own memory "backpack" -- not standard cards -- but it does have rechargeable battery -- the Rave uses 1 AA and it goes through it like crazy. No problems with this one.
Second one was a Rio800 or so. Has 128MB hard drive. Again, this was a year ago -- so memory is steadily increasing. No FM player on this one. Only thing I don't like is it uses it's own memory "backpack" -- not standard cards -- but it does have rechargeable battery -- the Rave uses 1 AA and it goes through it like crazy. No problems with this one.
05-21-2002, 10:39 AM
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Kook, how's your search going? I saw your post and decided I wanted a non-hard drive player as well.
Here's my story...the Cafe came with the original Blaupunkt tape player and equalizer...I'm not ready to start hacking away at my 1987 "all original" boat, so I did absolutely NO research and wen and bought the ROQ-IT made by D-Link(the network folks) http://www.dlink.com I bought the DMP 220 which comes with 64mb Flash memory for a measly 119 bucks! It is upgradeable to 190mb with the purchase of a Smart Card---it think about 60 bucks more...and it takes a single AA battery which lasts for 8 or so hours(so far---i'm still on the original battery)
I've got 14 songs on the player without the Smart Card and I assume I should be able to get another 28 or so on there with the addition of the card. Not the greatest, but it'll do for now without a large investment...
Oh yeah...I bought that stupid thing that goes in the tape deck from Radio Shack for another 20 bucks and mailed in the 20 dollar rebate from J & R
Total investment---180 bucks for 3 or more hours of playback...not too bad...
Anyone have any other experiences?
Here's my story...the Cafe came with the original Blaupunkt tape player and equalizer...I'm not ready to start hacking away at my 1987 "all original" boat, so I did absolutely NO research and wen and bought the ROQ-IT made by D-Link(the network folks) http://www.dlink.com I bought the DMP 220 which comes with 64mb Flash memory for a measly 119 bucks! It is upgradeable to 190mb with the purchase of a Smart Card---it think about 60 bucks more...and it takes a single AA battery which lasts for 8 or so hours(so far---i'm still on the original battery)
I've got 14 songs on the player without the Smart Card and I assume I should be able to get another 28 or so on there with the addition of the card. Not the greatest, but it'll do for now without a large investment...
Oh yeah...I bought that stupid thing that goes in the tape deck from Radio Shack for another 20 bucks and mailed in the 20 dollar rebate from J & R
Total investment---180 bucks for 3 or more hours of playback...not too bad...
Anyone have any other experiences?
Last edited by Sean; 05-21-2002 at 10:54 AM.
05-21-2002, 12:27 PM
#9
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Narrowed it down to:
Samsung YEP YP-NEU-64
Creative Labs: Nomad IIc
Both have some drawbacks.
Anyone have experience with the newer hard drive MP3 players, as far as skip protection? They're getting pretty small now. Archos has a decent unit. The iPod looks trick............. if someone would come out with 3rd party software to allow you to use it with Windows.
Samsung YEP YP-NEU-64
Creative Labs: Nomad IIc
Both have some drawbacks.
Anyone have experience with the newer hard drive MP3 players, as far as skip protection? They're getting pretty small now. Archos has a decent unit. The iPod looks trick............. if someone would come out with 3rd party software to allow you to use it with Windows.
