Best MP3 Player >40GB?

Soldato
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Hey guys,

Currently have a 40GB Creative Zen Xtra. It's great, but I'll be running out of space in the not-too-distant future.

I would LOVE to have a recharge from USB facility and for it to act as a removeable drive, neither of which the Zen does.

All my collection is VBR MP3 if that makes any difference.

Physical size of device not an issue. Battery life and sound quality would be.

Anything fit the bill?
 
Soldato
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Shouldn't they be bringing out an 80GB MP3 player soon?

Having said that, 60GB should do me for AGES, unless I reencode all my stuff @ higher bitrate, which I don't see myself doing!

I'll look into them (the 60GB ones you mention).
 
Soldato
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Reading around, it seems the iPod is great in terms of ease of use, but mediochre in terms of sound quality and makes massive use of playlists?

Certainly, the sound quaity issue is off-putting. I'd have to try one out with some of my MP3s really.

Do I need to create playlists to load them on to it, as I just have a massive library of MP3s, organised like this:

Artist as directory, Album as directory,

filename is Artist - Album - Track No. - Track Title

File also has ID3V2 tag made from the filename.

Could I just whack them straight on the iPod like that? Works fine for my Creative Zen...
 
Soldato
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I know a few peopel with a ipod video, and it is a nice unit, but i dont find the high ends of the music are not as good as my H10, the mids and lowers are OK though.
 
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Associate
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The 5G (5th Generation) is meant to be pretty for sound quality. All previous versions aren't that great. Cowon X5, iPod 5th Gen and iRiver H140/H340 are all on a par. If anything the Zen would sound slightly better. Creative players having excellent SQ. Of course it depends what earphones/buds you are using. Lots of Debates on the portable forums over on Head Fi over the various DAP's.
 
Soldato
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Cowon X5, iPod 5th Gen and iRiver H140/H340 are all on a par. If anything the Zen would sound slightly better. Creative players having excellent SQ.
I doubt it. The H140 has a far better line out than the iPod 5G or the Cowon x5 (the x5 isn't bad, but the line out is a bit muddy). I'm not so sure about the zen though.
 
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Phnom_Penh said:
I doubt it. The H140 has a far better line out than the iPod 5G or the Cowon x5 (the x5 isn't bad, but the line out is a bit muddy). I'm not so sure about the zen though.

Line outs should all be pretty close really, since theres no EQ or volume to effect the. However I don't own them all. :) So I'm only repeating what I've read about the line out. (mainly on Head Fi TBH :) )I've heard all of them via the earphone out though. The analog line out (via a dock) on all the iPods is reckoned to be very good, on a par if not better than all the other DAPs. The advantage the H140 has is it also has an optical out. The line out on the iRivers is effected by volume control, but it seems this doesn't effect the SQ. The Cowon's is sub par and the Creatives simply don't have it. Though full volume on a creative player into an amp is pretty darn good. Incidentally the previous generations of iPods don't come close the creatives in sound quality.

Personally I don't like the interface of the creatives, or their larger players. However the the difference between the iRivers/Cowon and iPod is primarily one of filetree nav vs itunes/tagging. Thats where the main difference is. If you want radio or other features then its split decision between the iRiver and the Cowon.

Theres also Rockbox mod for both the iRivers and Cowon players. Since the Cowon has a better remote, I think I'd go with the Cowon. Comes down to how you think you'll use it.

Phnom_Penh - could be right and the iRiver sounds better via line out. I've never done a back to back comparision. Probably one might sound better subjectively to different people.
 
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