I want' to get back into bicycling and a little running after a fifteen year lapse. last time I had music for exersizing it was a Sony Sports Walkman cassette player.
I have never been interested in portable players for any other use, so I just haven't kept up with recent solid state stuff. Guess I'll go online shopping at Newegg but I wonder if anyone would recommend a good solid easy to use and somewhat listenable portable player. Oh, and CHEAP. It's gonna get a little abuse.
Thanks so much.
I have never been interested in portable players for any other use, so I just haven't kept up with recent solid state stuff. Guess I'll go online shopping at Newegg but I wonder if anyone would recommend a good solid easy to use and somewhat listenable portable player. Oh, and CHEAP. It's gonna get a little abuse.
Thanks so much.
svejkovat said:
Well you can follow the sheep and buy an Apple iPod, or you can be a rebel and buy something else
Basically, unless you're an Apple computer user, I generally suggest something other than an iPod if you want cheap and want to avoid Apple's bloated buggy iTunes for Windows software. The otherwise impressive (but expensive) iPod Touch is an expensive paperweight unless you install Apple's bloated take-over-your-PC software, give them your e-mail address and personal information, agree to join the Apple Fanboys Cult, etc.... Sandisk has some cheap Sansa players that are tough, sound decent and are fairly easy to use. But there are lots of others. 4 GB is probably big enough if it's just for exercise use but it depends on what format your music will be in.
Re: Re: Recommend a decent player for exercise?
I don't do Windows... from whet youu describe it sounds like Apple's desicion to follow WIndows programming gidelines gave it a strong family resemblance to Windows. Remember that your PC has already been taken over by Windows.
iTunes sure is slick on a Mac -- i really like my iPod/ You don't need to give Apple any personal information to use iTunes or an iPod. You do to buy music from the iTunes store -- just like you would to buy anything on-line.
I have no use for iTunes the store. I' don't let any comprssed music on my iPod, it all comes off CDs ripped at full rez.
dave
RocketScientist said:Well you can follow the sheep and buy an Apple iPod, or you can be a rebel and buy something else
I don't do Windows... from whet youu describe it sounds like Apple's desicion to follow WIndows programming gidelines gave it a strong family resemblance to Windows. Remember that your PC has already been taken over by Windows.
iTunes sure is slick on a Mac -- i really like my iPod/ You don't need to give Apple any personal information to use iTunes or an iPod. You do to buy music from the iTunes store -- just like you would to buy anything on-line.
I have no use for iTunes the store. I' don't let any comprssed music on my iPod, it all comes off CDs ripped at full rez.
dave
Re: Re: Re: Recommend a decent player for exercise?
The iPod Touch (which runs the same operating system as the iPhone) is unusable until you install iTunes and set up an account with Apple. While that makes sense for a phone, it's a bit frustrating that I can't do whatever I want with a music player that I own outright.
The Touch seriously is a paperweight out of the box. Without hacking (i.e. "jail breaking") it won't talk to anything but iTunes and it won't play even your own music until you set up an account with Apple (unless they've recently changed that requirement). Apple products are vastly more closed and proprietary than just about anything else that competes with them. Some love them and don't mind a bit. Others prefer to have more options with the products they buy.
That said, the Touch and iPhone are amazing sexy well engineered innovative products. Everything is a trade off
planet10 said:
The iPod Touch (which runs the same operating system as the iPhone) is unusable until you install iTunes and set up an account with Apple. While that makes sense for a phone, it's a bit frustrating that I can't do whatever I want with a music player that I own outright.
The Touch seriously is a paperweight out of the box. Without hacking (i.e. "jail breaking") it won't talk to anything but iTunes and it won't play even your own music until you set up an account with Apple (unless they've recently changed that requirement). Apple products are vastly more closed and proprietary than just about anything else that competes with them. Some love them and don't mind a bit. Others prefer to have more options with the products they buy.
That said, the Touch and iPhone are amazing sexy well engineered innovative products. Everything is a trade off
I remembered the time when the iPod was actually a good device (though overpriced for what it did). Unfortunately, the new ones are made junk by whoever wanted to lock down the code.
I actually have a 30GB video iPod because I was able to get it for $5 from a friend because it was broken (will not operate as a USB drive and intermittent charging). I simply carefully reflowed the solder joints on the cradle connector and now it works perfectly. So now I have what was the best iPod ever made (just before they locked them down) for just $5 and a few minutes of work. I would not pay full price for an iPod, especially not for one that is locked down for no good reason.
Just about any cheap MP3 player would be fine. Of course, if you really want something fancy, get a Beagle Board and make it into a complete bike control and entertainment unit. If you like, convert the bike to a hybrid and let the Beagle Board control its operation. (Something similar to the Prius touchscreen but for a bike.)
I actually have a 30GB video iPod because I was able to get it for $5 from a friend because it was broken (will not operate as a USB drive and intermittent charging). I simply carefully reflowed the solder joints on the cradle connector and now it works perfectly. So now I have what was the best iPod ever made (just before they locked them down) for just $5 and a few minutes of work. I would not pay full price for an iPod, especially not for one that is locked down for no good reason.
Just about any cheap MP3 player would be fine. Of course, if you really want something fancy, get a Beagle Board and make it into a complete bike control and entertainment unit. If you like, convert the bike to a hybrid and let the Beagle Board control its operation. (Something similar to the Prius touchscreen but for a bike.)
You could still get the iPod "classic" (hard-drive based ones) last time I checked. I believe the last version had a 120GB drive in it on the high-end (down from 160, but slimmer than the old 160).
I have a few of the cheap Sandisk Sansa players for when I go to the gym. They seem to work fine, and they're dirt cheap. I'd recommend getting one of those if you need something "disposable" that will be abused.
I have a few of the cheap Sandisk Sansa players for when I go to the gym. They seem to work fine, and they're dirt cheap. I'd recommend getting one of those if you need something "disposable" that will be abused.
Ron E said:
Yup, as I said in my original post, the Sansa players are a bargain. The armband I use with mine actually wore out (from sweat and the gym) but the player is still going strong. Even after years of use the battery still lasts for 20+ hours of play which is more than I can say for my iPods.
For another tip, the Sony EX71 and EX7x series headphones are also a bargain. Some versions come with short leads that are idea if you want to wear your player on your arm. They also provide some isolation against outside noise (good inside of a gym or airplane but probably bad for riding a bike!).
Sansa clip....
is a mighty fine piece o'gear.
at anythingbutipod, they love it. The ear buds suck, but easy and quite cheap to upgrade. Just the basics but done quite well.
Not an iPod Classic, not even close, but a nice little player that does work well.
is a mighty fine piece o'gear.
at anythingbutipod, they love it. The ear buds suck, but easy and quite cheap to upgrade. Just the basics but done quite well.
Not an iPod Classic, not even close, but a nice little player that does work well.
Well I guess I done well. I got the 2g Sansa at a local store for 39 bucks the same night I posted this thread. Checked in the next night and it ended up being what y'all recommended for the most part. I've been using it and really do like it. Sound is more than adequate for the type of use it will get, and the FM isn't nearly as iffy as the reviews noted (but the reviews were a few years old and it might have been addressed). Sturdy looking little unit and easy to use.
Thanks.
Thanks.
Now all you need is a pair of nice headphones, the stock are terrible. Get some Yuin Pk2 or perhaps a pair of koss portapro or ksc75 if you like over the ear headphones.
check out some reviews..
at head-fi and headwize.
My wife's Sansa Clip sounds pretty impressive with a cheap pair of Sennheiser MX 160 earbuds (I'm no headphone "geek").
Obviously a lot of headphones out there. anythingbutiPod did comment that the Clip is good enough for headphones upto about $100 without a headphone amp.
Also Sigfried Linkwitz seems to like the Sony MDR-EX71 headphones. http://www.linkwitzlab.com
Skull Candy Titans and FMJs have been well reviewed in Playback magazine. There are other choices.
at head-fi and headwize.
My wife's Sansa Clip sounds pretty impressive with a cheap pair of Sennheiser MX 160 earbuds (I'm no headphone "geek").
Obviously a lot of headphones out there. anythingbutiPod did comment that the Clip is good enough for headphones upto about $100 without a headphone amp.
Also Sigfried Linkwitz seems to like the Sony MDR-EX71 headphones. http://www.linkwitzlab.com
Skull Candy Titans and FMJs have been well reviewed in Playback magazine. There are other choices.
Since this really much more to do with convenience than fidelity, the headphones don't really disappoint me. Just a couple of adjustments were in order. Strangely, although everything else seemed well constructed, when I removed the foam covers on the buds I noticed that the tiny holes beneath the metal mesh were almost obscured by the plastic apertures in the casing. The right bud was fine but the left's holes were almost obscured. Very fortunately the whole plastic casing rotates on the bud (very stiffly, obviously not meant to) and I was able to remedy this.
With the foam removed the buds stay in my ears much better while running. Another little adjustment was to add a tiny (from my electronics junk drawer) alligator clip to the plastic bead/stop that is molded on the line about 12inches from the buds. I can clip this to my shirt and the weight of the cord no longer jiggles the buds out of my ears. This is another "why the hell didn't they think of this" things when you consider how often these will be used for excercise.
Fly tying skills do sometimes come in handy. I mounted the alligator clip to the bead using tightly wrapped non-waxed dental floss and then "filled" the floss with super glue. Hardened in about thirty seconds and then blackened with perm marker. Looks "factory". Super Glue and dental floss is an extremely handy fix-it tool.
With the foam removed the buds stay in my ears much better while running. Another little adjustment was to add a tiny (from my electronics junk drawer) alligator clip to the plastic bead/stop that is molded on the line about 12inches from the buds. I can clip this to my shirt and the weight of the cord no longer jiggles the buds out of my ears. This is another "why the hell didn't they think of this" things when you consider how often these will be used for excercise.
Fly tying skills do sometimes come in handy. I mounted the alligator clip to the bead using tightly wrapped non-waxed dental floss and then "filled" the floss with super glue. Hardened in about thirty seconds and then blackened with perm marker. Looks "factory". Super Glue and dental floss is an extremely handy fix-it tool.
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