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Can anyone recommend a quality large-capacity mp3 player? (self.gadgets)

submitted ago* by adm7373

My criteria are:

-not an iPod if possible.

-40+ GB of storage

-Ideally not a "tablet" like the Archos 5. I'm looking for something to last a long time and don't need all the apps and other b.s.

-Reasonable UI?

edit: Thanks for all the input folks! Since so many people have basically said "just get an ipod", I suppose I should give some background. I have had an iPod video for about 7 years, the thing is a brick and I've more than gotten what I hoped to out of it. That said, I disapprove of a lot of Apple's business strategies and have had several experiences with their customer service that left a bitter taste in my mouth, so I've been trying to move away from Apple products (still have an iPhone because my parents bought it for me and pay for the data plan). I'm going to try one last time to revive the old iPod when I get home from work, then I'll report back. Thanks again!

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[–]Low023 58 points59 points ago

SanDisk 4GB Sansa Clip+ with a 32gb microSD. Best bang for the buck if you just want a MP3 player.

[–]JasonCole 19 points20 points ago

I agree, my cake-day friend.

[–]coffeebeans10 4 points5 points ago

Happy cake day to both of you! And I would have to third that motion, I have never had a better MP3 player than the Sansa Clip +, though currently I use the Clip Zip.

[–]rjc34 0 points1 point ago

Yay cake days!

[–]kirkt 6 points7 points ago

Everyone in my family (except the youngest) has a Sansa & loves it. Mt son & I loaded Rockbox for the ultimate in UI customization. We all have the Fuze (much better screen than the clip).

[–]frixionburne 4 points5 points ago

I'm a fan of the older fuze (tactile buttons, not the shitty cap touch that they use now). It has a decent sized screen and can run rockbox.

[–]adm7373[S] 2 points3 points ago

Just glancing at it, it seems to be pretty similar to the Zen Style, which has 16 internal and a microSD slot. I think it will probably just come down to price.

[–]ctoacsn 0 points1 point ago

A newer model, the Clip Zip, is out. It has a larger, color screen. And Rockbox works on it.

[–]prunk 0 points1 point ago

I've got one of those and it's great! Especially since you can drag and drop to add files easily.

[–]rjc34 41 points42 points ago

Zune 120. (Seriously, if you can find one for a decent price)

Or like the other guy said... iPod classic.

[–]3th0s 36 points37 points ago

Does it have to be something no one else has?

[–]a_redditor 5 points6 points ago

Fuck you, I have a Zune 120 and it's awesome.

[–]mysteri0usdrx 4 points5 points ago

My last 2 MP3 players were Zune's and you should lighten up. That was, in my opinion, the only funny thing to come out of the entire "Inception" meme flood.

[–]gramathy 0 points1 point ago

Chuck did it (Chuck vs. Tom Sawyer):

Morgan: "Yeah, I've got (something something I can't remember regarding Rush) on my Zune."

Chuck: "You have a Zune?"

Morgan: "No, man, i"m just messing with you. I'll get my iPod."

[–]CaptainCaaavemaaan 6 points7 points ago

thirding the suggestion of a Zune 120. I love mine.

[–]Listor 7 points8 points ago

seconded

[–]BobbyDash 4 points5 points ago

I have a zune HD and I love it. Never going back to an iDevice.

[–]chambers_ 8 points9 points ago

I have one. Awesome. $180 from Walmart two years ago... or there a bouts. Also, Zune software destroys iTunes.

[–]rjc34 0 points1 point ago

I managed to snag one in perfect condition at a best buy in Canada (strangely enough) for just $100. By open box I mean someone had literally opened the box, decided they didn't want it, and returned it. How it got to Canada I'll never know.

[–]damnwhity 2 points3 points ago

Too bad you have to purchase through other sites and not Zune itself or the stores that used to sell them :(

[–]Corgana 2 points3 points ago

The Zune PC software is honestly really great too. I far prefer it to iTunes.

[–]pezdeath 2 points3 points ago

Do not buy one used. Being that they use hard disks and not SSD's, they are prone to failure.

[–]Leav 4 points5 points ago

I agree with your reasoning regarding HDDs, but I've heard that SSD (as in large capacity, not small flash drives) are VERY prone to failure at the moment.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/ssd-reliability-failure-rate,2923.html

[–]rjc34 0 points1 point ago

That article is for computer SSDs, not the flash storage used in MP3 players.

[–]Leav 0 points1 point ago

as far as i've seen flash storage is capped at 32gb. I don't know why that's the de facto limit, but I haven't seen anything more than that.

thus I thought that 40+gb would require a pc style SSD.

[–]rjc34 0 points1 point ago

Well, seeing as you can buy 128gb SD cards...

And even 64GB micro SD cards!

[–]tanside 0 points1 point ago

Zune software can be a nightmare!! but the device itself is solid.

[–]AuxHero 56 points57 points ago

I'm going to just say it. The iPod classic is a great gadget. It hasn't changed for years now, its decently priced I guess considering the amount of space on it and its not touchscreen BS. I've had mine for 3 years, bought it after my old iPod video was stolen. Its a brick. I don't know why you wouldn't get one if you are simply in the market for a solid only-MP3 player with loads of space.

Granted, itunes sucks, but I think you can get Foobar to work with an iPod.

[–]PCGCentipede 5 points6 points ago

I've dropped my ipod classic several times on various surfaces, still works perfectly fine. As much as I dislike Apple and all their other products, they did this one right.

[–]Triatomichotdog 3 points4 points ago

Along with dropping mine on many different surfaces, I dropped mine in the snow the other day going into my house and didn't realize it. I then found it about 4 hours later, and it was literally encased in ice. I chipped the ice off, didn't even let it dry out completely (probably not the smartest move), and it still worked just fine.

[–]UmberGryphon 14 points15 points ago

If your objection to iPods is their closed proprietary interface, get a pre-6G iPod classic and install Rockbox.

[–]randolama 0 points1 point ago

Is the newest pre-6G iPod Classic the iPod Video? Can you still use iTunes with Rockbox?

[–]UmberGryphon 1 point2 points ago

Yes, the iPod Video is the name most commonly used for the 5th generation iPod.

As far as iTunes goes, if you're booted into Rockbox then iTunes will see a generic MP3 player, not an iPod, so functionality will be limited. If you're booted into the original firmware, it'll work just like it did before, but iTunes might install music that's copy-protected in a way that Rockbox doesn't understand.

[–]shrimants 0 points1 point ago

Ipod 6g and above now work using the popular ml_ipod library/plugin. I have my 7g ipod classic being managed via winamp right now and soon I will try to figure out a nice music player that has ml_ipod support baked in on linux. Also, rockbox on ipod classic IS HAPPENING, its just under heavy development for now. There are a few issues with accessories, some people report bad battery life, some people get a weird left/right channel flop. The most important feature they are working on right now is dual booting using a hacked bootloader. Right now you have to wipe the entire thing and use emCORE, which is not an ideal solution. Once they fix that, they will be working on the minor bugs people are having and it will be ready.

If you have any SVN experience, you can see their progress.

EDIT: also, cowon X7 and any archos product. I hate recommending creative brand mp3 players but they arent too bad. They used to be way better but since they started the crappy X-fi thing they have been going downhill.

Finally, ipod touch 64 gig has some of the best headphone and line output of any players on the market.

[–]cabbeer 0 points1 point ago

This is great news, I have an ipod classic and love it, just wish it could play flac.

[–]shrimants 0 points1 point ago

Yeah. Latest update suggest that they are ironing out the more minor issues first. They got line out working reliably now, they still have no replacement for emCORE, but I think if they fix most of the issues, emCore will be the last thing they work on. Reason being, you can at least USE rockbox and not many people need to switch back and forth between rockbox and ipodOS.

They are still working on ironing out a couple of weird bugs like LR channel switching and a few accessories, along with battery life and such.

[–]ManiacalV 9 points10 points ago

I got the GF a cheapy Sansa that takes micro SD.

They are tiny and you can store a crapload of them easily. You can get Class 1 or Class 2 cards for less than a buck a GB.

So - a Sansa Fuze for $60 and five 32GB cards at $31 a pop would be about $215, about $15 cheaper than an iPod Classic. You could get more storage, though, and the Sansa has an FM tuner and voice recorder built in. You also don't need iTunes (which I hate more than almost any other piece of software in existence) and can drop songs in from any PC and even Android (pop in the phone, download tracks, pop out).

[–]wtfisthisnoise 10 points11 points ago

Yeah, but then you'd have to carry five SD cards around and remember what files are on which disk. Not saying I disagree, but there are definite drawbacks.

[–]ManiacalV 3 points4 points ago

I carry several around for my camera and for moving files and to hold music. It's not crazy just because you don't do it. Since MicroSD has become rather cheap, it's tiny and almost any device uses it, it makes more sense than carrying CDs or DVDs. I can throw a handful of HD movies, some albums and even some games onto two thin cards the size of my pinky nail, put them in a small plastic case and put them in my pocket. Ready to roll.

Get a silver sharpie and just put dots on them like dice - 1 is rock, 2 is electro, 3 is old school gangster rap, 4 is orchestral music re-imagined by Japanese guys with, like, 40 synthesizers on a huge table, etc.

The point is, if you don't mind 'crazily' carrying around a MicroSD or five, you have no limit to the amount you can carry as opposed to a fixed disc system. It grows as large as you want it to be, or as small, cheaply and easily. If your SD fails, it's cheap and easy to replace it, too.

[–]wtfisthisnoise 6 points7 points ago

I'm not the one who downvoted you, but I never said it was "crazy," just mildly inconvenient. I considered the sanza when getting a new player, but opted for an older model ipod and made some modifications (new battery, flash card). The sansas still are a great deal.

[–]ManiacalV 0 points1 point ago

For what they do (voice recorder, FM receiver) and the price and, for those of us who prefer it, the SD compatibility, it's a nice alternative to a more expensive investment.

[–]ltjboy03 -1 points0 points ago

Yeah, I've had my iPod for over 4 years now and it still works just as well as the first day I bought. I've put this thing through the ringer too. It even got submerged in my bag after an energy drink popped open. Let it sit overnight, still work flawlessly.

[–]LiteweightPhenomenal -5 points-4 points ago

I just have to be up front & voice my downvote. I've purchased several Ipod products over the years due to shitty competition & I have to say that EVERY Apple product I've owned was designed to fail to force me to purchase more Apple products. Admittidly, I hated Apple growing up & gave them a break for a few years but now as an adult I hate them more than ever. I'm a linux geek & I've owned quite a few pieces of electronics over the years so I know the level of abuse I put on my hardware as compared to other people. Apple products have a much shittier tolerance than the rest of the market.

[–]chonnes 8 points9 points ago

Your experience is very interesting to me. Since 1992, the only Apple product that I've ever had a problem with was an iPhone. All my iPods and computers have been completely trouble-free.

[–]spenp3 5 points6 points ago

This is my experience. No problem with apple products.

[–]deathkraiser 1 point2 points ago

I had one problem with a classic 160gb ipod when i first bought it, but i returned it to the store and got another one, and it was fine after that.

[–]Gluverty 4 points5 points ago

I'm gonna take your opinion with a giant grain of salt, as you are obviously biased to begin with.

[–]ManiacalV 0 points1 point ago

This is opinion and seemingly relevant to the conversation so it doesn't deserve a downvote -just a dissenting opinion in a comment. The vote buttons aren't 'Like' and 'Dislike'.

Conversely, the reason this post might deserve a downvote is that the OP specifically said "not an Ipod if possible".

I'm not a fan of Apple by a long shot, but I'm not going to argue that they make a highly popular and successful music player. I wouldn't want one because of my deep seated hatred of the company, but that doesn't mean they don't occasionally make a decent piece of hardware.

[–]LiteweightPhenomenal 0 points1 point ago

That in addition to looking for something that won't take a shit on them.

[–]cero 6 points7 points ago

Look for the Cowon J3: http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=cowon+j3&_sacat=See-All-Categories

[–]ba5e 1 point2 points ago

Or the cowon x7 is a great player too.

[–]cero 0 points1 point ago

It's pretty bulky though!

[–]c53x12 12 points13 points ago

Stop recommending old iPods to this guy. He already said he doesn't want one. Older iPods are also stupidly heavy and have poor battery life in their sealed, proprietary batteries.

[–]Lukerules 6 points7 points ago

People were mentioning the classic, which they still make and has amazing battery life. I have a 160gb... I forget the last time I charged it. Weeks ago, maybe months.

It's a really good device. Also, far lighter than it used to be.

[–]DashingLeech 13 points14 points ago

I would look on anythingbutipod. There are a lot of good choices, especially if you combine internal storage with microSD to get over 40 GB.

My Creative Zen X-Fi is still more than enough for me even after 3 years, complete with awesome sound quality, video, and wi-fi uPnP playing and downloading, plus drag-n-drop onto player, plus works with Winamp and MediaMonkey. (I hate our iPod Touch with a passion.) The X-Fi 2 (and now 3) look like good options with fancier graphics.

If you want a more iPod-like experience, Cowon, Samsung, and Sony seem to have some nice ones, but I would most likely try for an MS Zune HD which is, unfortunately, discontinued.

[–]theramennoodle 1 point2 points ago

I have a galaxy player 5.0 and it plays music well, but the galaxy players are more like tabs/smart phone substitutes than good MP3 players. If you arent opposed to apple and space isnt a huge deal the iPod Nano is a great size, great battery, and isnt very expensive. Its UI is simple and its got a radio, but I know a lot of people here dont like apple so Ill leave it at that.

[–]rjc34 0 points1 point ago

I pretty much can't stand the new iPod nano. I'll take a 4th or 5th gen one over it anyday.

[–]theramennoodle 0 points1 point ago

Why?

[–]rjc34 -1 points0 points ago

Too small, uncomfortable to navigate through, tiny screen, etc.

I much prefer the features and form factor of the slightly older models.

[–]theramennoodle 0 points1 point ago

I havent really had that problem but if you have big hands I could see. I like how you can navigate through songs by double tapping the on/off buttton and shuffle by shaking. I could see how the bigger screen and camera on the old modle could be more appealing though.

[–]rjc34 0 points1 point ago

It might just be because I've owned iPod touches for a while now. (Had a first gen a month or two after it came out, and now a 4th gen).

[–]theramennoodle 0 points1 point ago

Its not really an iPod touch replacement. Its only a touch screen to save space. They are just two very different devices.

[–]rjc34 0 points1 point ago

I know, I know. I've used one for a while before. I meant more that I'm used to apple's touch interface on the bigger level, and that the small screen didn't feel intuitive.

[–]theramennoodle 0 points1 point ago

It really isnt compared to the click wheel or larger touch screen but its only for space really. In fact most of the time I dont use it. I just turn the screen on, shake to shuffle, and use the on/off button to change songs. Its kind of like a glorified shuffle.

[–]c53x12 0 points1 point ago

I've got a Creative Zen 4gb that's a few years old and still working great. Cheap, light, sounds great, battery runs for days. And I can load music from just about any OS.

[–]silentmage 1 point2 points ago

Grab yourself a Toshiba Gigabeat then install rockbox on it. I did that 4 or 5 years ago and still use it today. Only spent 30$ on a 40GB mp3 player.

AS a bonus the rockbox software can play movies and DOOM 95 as well

[–]disco_jim 3 points4 points ago

Sony NWZ-A867. -Not a tablet -comes with good headphones - 64GB -awesome sound -drag and drop file management -no apps -pretty good UI

[–]adm7373[S] 0 points1 point ago

Thanks, but it seems a bit pricey for only 64 GB.

[–]revtrot 0 points1 point ago

pricey? you sir deserve the best. Sony NWZ-A867 is awesome. it may cost more but you sir deserve it.

[–]randolama 5 points6 points ago

I have heard that the Zune HD's audio quality is amazing. Does anyone know if the older Zune 120GB quality is just as good? And how does it compare to the iPod Classic's?

[–]damnwhity 3 points4 points ago

I have the 1st, 2nd and the last generation of the bigger GB's of Zune players. All still works perfectly fine.

I recommend Zune against iPod, just because they have failed before.

[–]randolama 1 point2 points ago

That's awesome! Thanks. Now I just need to find one for under 400 bucks.

[–]damnwhity 0 points1 point ago

Find one for you :]

http://compare.ebay.com/like/330675853707?var=lv&ltyp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar&_lwgsi=y&cbt=y

[–]damnwhity 0 points1 point ago

I must add, Microsoft still updates the Zune software quite often; keeping up with apps like e-mails, games, an alarm, etc...you can think of more

[–]jamsy 2 points3 points ago

This is the MP3 player I was going to buy before I got a new mobile (I now use that instead)

It has 16gb internal memory and isn't too costly, you can then add in a 32gb micro sd to make it up to 48gb.

There may be another model that has an internal memory of 32gb but I like the fact that this was small, and it also has bluetooth which was another selling point for me.

[–]adm7373[S] 0 points1 point ago

Hmm. I like this. Thanks jamsy.

[–]NaLaurethSulfate 2 points3 points ago

Cowon J3? They are a bit quirky but have a gorgeous screen, sound phenomenal and great battery life. Better then anything else I've ever heard audio-wise, though I'm certainly no audiophile. Videos are great on that screen as well.

[–]kernelhappy 1 point2 points ago

Not that there's anything wrong with it, but why do you want 40+ GB? I'm not suggesting you're wrong for wanting it, but I thought it would be worth mentioning that over time I've come to realize that the more music I carry with me, the less I enjoy navigating it. Some might say it's because I'm using the wrong player/device/UI but I've come to grips with the fact that sometimes there is such a thing as too much, at least for me.

The other thing I'm curious about is, why 40+? There are lots of 32GB options out there, is that extra 8 GB worth greatly narrowing your choices?

[–]collin482 5 points6 points ago*

I don't know about the OP, but if you have your music in 320 kbps mp3s or god forbid in FLAC you will eat through space very quickly.

[–]answerguru 5 points6 points ago

Why would you put FLAC on a portable listening device? It's not like the DAC on that is sufficient to even do it justice...

[–]collin482 3 points4 points ago

There are actually a few external dacs/amps specifically designed for ipods, but I'll concede their use is uncommon. It would be nice for convenience sake not having to convert your music to mp3 or some other lossy format.

[–]kernelhappy 1 point2 points ago

At 320kb/sec, a 32GB device will still carry about 217 hours of music, not like we're talking about 90 minute cassette tapes.

I'm not going to argue if one can really justify using FLAC on a portable device (I mean if it's portable, chances are you're not sitting in front of a carefully positioned set of electrostats), but even still, if I did the math right, figuring on 30% compression savings figuring on a 44.1khz stereo source, you'd still get just under 72 hours of music on a 32GB device.

I guess I've gotten old, because at some point it became less important to have every possible song i'd like to hear with me at any given time.

I'm not saying that someone SHOULDN'T want to have a lot of music with them, just that before someone compromises on cost, device type, user interface, they should really make sure those compromises are less agreeable than the compromise of only having 13,000 minutes of music with them.

Edit:(I'm aware I probably screwed up my math, so go easy on me if I did).

[–]wtfisthisnoise 2 points3 points ago

That's a pretty good estimate. My 30gb playlist is about 9 days long (so 216 hours) and it's about 65% 320k files and the rest are 256k (2gb left on card).

I was going to upgrade my CF card to a 64gb one and you made me seriously reconsider that choice.

[–]adm7373[S] 2 points3 points ago

The 40+ is pretty much just arbitrary. I'm currently at about 32 GB of music and would rather have capacity to expand than remain in the cycle of purging every time I buy new music (not that all of it was bought).

I have it all fairly well organized, so I don't mind browsing through it. I listen to albums much more than I do playlists or single songs, so I tend to have more albums by fewer artists rather than a bunch of single songs by a lot of different artists.

[–]kernelhappy 0 points1 point ago

My collection is similar in that I have many artists and albums and everything is meticulously arranged. I guess part of my dissatisfaction with trying to carry all my music stems from the fact that on average I only find a handful of albums where more than 10-20% of the content is listenable, let alone with compromising for, I have three copies of my music ; my master library, a backup of it on another drive and then a copy with all the songs I absolutely hate removed (the backup of the modified directory is on the thumb drive in my car and on my phone).

Ultimately, at the end of the day whatever you get has to work for you, nort me. I just wanted to mention my experience of just to get you thinking and to make sure you were making the right compromise for yourself. Good luck finding the right one for you.

[–]theramennoodle 0 points1 point ago

I have an 8GB iPod nano (I know every hates iPods here, I get it) and I find that amount to be perfect. I have several thousand songs but the 8GB really narrows it down to the stuff I actually want to listen to. I completely agree and find that more enjoyable despite the less space. Also the small size makes it nice and it just plays music and has a radio built in so it works well too.

[–]freakygeeky 2 points3 points ago

iPod Classic 160GB

[–]deathkraiser 0 points1 point ago

I hate apple and iPods as much as the next guy, but seriously, if you're looking for a reliable high capacity MP3 player, there's a reason iPods were so successful. The classic ipod 160gb is currently the best high capacity mp3 player out i believe.

[–]Mr_Frog 1 point2 points ago

I know this doesn't meet the requirments that you specified, but if you already have a smartphone with a large data allowance have you considered Google Music?

You get free cloud based storage of up to 20,000 songs that can be purchased / aquired from anywhere, in addition to any songs you buy from Google on top of that.

[–]adm7373[S] 0 points1 point ago

My data plan severely limits my ability to live in the cloud with the rest of the tech elite. Maybe someday though.

[–]toothbucket 0 points1 point ago

oh, that stinks. i was going to make the same suggestion as mr frog.

i have a creative zen x-fi 32gb that i really liked. sounded amazing, and the UI was great. but, mine is an older model that is huge in comparison to what you can get these days. hence, i use my smartphone, tablet, and an ipod nano (also not an apple fanboy, i bought it so i could use it as a touch interface watch).

i have read about someone's rockbox install on another device and always wanted to try that. that's probably your best alternative for taking a device and maximizing its potential.

[–]deliriousmintii 0 points1 point ago

You may want to give it a shot for a month and see. I have Tmobile with a 2gb data limit and when I was using Google Music I never went over. I stopped using the application though because my phone has a small internal storage and I just got rid of Google Music.

[–]Gonzok 0 points1 point ago

If you can find an old iriver in good working order. Get it!

[–]Cxan -1 points0 points ago

Android Phone with Google Music = 9999 song capacity, streaming, and up to 32GB SD storage for local MP3s or video.

[–]TomWaitsJr 0 points1 point ago

I completely agree with you, with regards to why you'd be reluctant to by Apple, I feel the same and was looking for the same thing in an mp3 player a few months back. I ended up settling for a 32gb memory card for my android, I know it's a little less than what you're looking for, but it certainly was the cheaper option for me anyway.

[–]mnlg 0 points1 point ago

Toshiba Gigabeat F40 + Rockbox. Not too new, but works fine to me.

[–]Wojo 0 points1 point ago

If you can find an android phone with a micro sd slot it makes a quality mp3 player. You did say you didn't want a tablet, but you might know someone willing to get rid of last year's phone free/cheap. Also you can just transfer the card if you do need to replace it at some point.

[–]ashhole613 0 points1 point ago

Creative makes great high capacity players that are expandable. Ive had two in the past decade. Or find a Zune on amazon. I have an older 80gig and love it, too.

[–]Fazookus 0 points1 point ago

One thing I wouldn't have thought about but my new car has an Apple standard 30-pin connector wired right in to it and I now have tons of music to listen to while driving.

[–]CedricTheAlarmist 2 points3 points ago

I bought an iPod Classic from this very last generation about two years ago. It was already used and the guy I bought it from just put a new HDD in. It's still going strong. And yes, if you're a Windows user, you can easily avoid iTunes with foobar and a plugin. I got even luckier because I was already using foobar.

By no means am I an Apple fan, but I think the last two generations of the iPod Classic nearly perfected the mp3 player as a thing. Also I would probably be the first guy in line if they made a 7 or 8" iPad, but that's just me.

But I'm not done. My second suggestion: Before the Classic, I used a Cowon X5. I absolutely loved it. The only player I'd replace my Classic with would be Cowon's X7, which has 160 GB, a touchscreen and probably the usual kickass Cowon sound.

[–]Mythrilfan 1 point2 points ago

you can easily avoid iTunes with foobar and a plugin

Or, you know, just Winamp. Which is as awesome as ever.

[–]dt325 -2 points-1 points ago

1) shut up 2) buy an iPod 3) shut up

[–]adm7373[S] 2 points3 points ago

haha thanks dude. i'll mitigate the downvotes with one upvote.

[–]dt325 0 points1 point ago

appreciated... seriously though, the ipod touch is far and away the best mp3 player on the market. Picked one up on the very 1st day they launched and up until the 4s launched (when I finally switched from droid to the iphone) it had not left my side.

As a contractor I was hard as shit on the thing to; carrying it in pockets with tools, nails, screws; sure it had a scratch or two on the screen but up until I dropped it off a roof it had no cracks or real damage (yes the fall from the 2nd story roof on to a wooden deck finally cracked the screen but no problems with the touch screen). Compare that to my moto droid which by 12-18 months was on deaths door and was basically unusable through the headphone jack.

While the 4S is the first iphone I have actually owned I was always surprised when I used others earlier model iphones and how much slower and clunkier it was then my 1st gen touch. I think alot of battery and CPU are wasted powering those older 3G GSM chips. Dont let a poor experience with the iphone sour you on the touch.

[–]adm7373[S] 0 points1 point ago

As I mentioned above, I'm looking for something high-capacity, so the touch is not exactly going to work.

[–]dt325 0 points1 point ago

I had thought >40GB was the number you were looking for... 64gb, $249 - http://store.apple.com/us/product/FC011LL/A

I normally avoid refurb products like the plague but apple refurbs include new battery, storage, screen, and backing... basically the only thing that has been used previously is the processor. Plus still carries one year warranty.

Either way, good luck in your shopping. I hate apple fanboys and their pretentious glowing laptops as much as the next guy but dont completely write them off

[–]heavyJam 0 points1 point ago

As an owner of 5+ MP3 players and subsequently the iPod, do yourself a favor and get an iPod.

Seriously.

The battery life is good, it's extremely usable and you will rarely have any issues other than noticing how beautiful it is in your hand.

I'm not an Apple fanboy, but iPods are fantastic. I'm not crazy about the iPod Touch, but the classic models are to die for.

[–]slartzy -1 points0 points ago

ipod classic

[–]slartzy 0 points1 point ago

i had semi decent use of a cowon d2 just due to the mem slot and battery life being close to 50 hours

[–]SuperiorRobot -2 points-1 points ago

I think you need a smartphone.

[–]adm7373[S] 1 point2 points ago

I have an iPod 3GS, with 8 GB and as I mentioned to Mr_Frog, my data plan blows.

[–]Ankabela -2 points-1 points ago

I'll be honest with you, I have yet to find a single mp3 player I would consider to be of decent quality.

The walkman's I had in the 80's and 90's flew circles around the crap that's available now - in terms of sound quality and volume.

It's pretty damned depressing.

[–]sixincomefigure 1 point2 points ago

You might want to take off those rose-tinted glasses (rose-tinted headphones?). Your walkman might have sounded good to your virgin teenage ears at the time, but if you manage to find one around today, you'll be swiftly reminded that cassette/FM sound like shit, always have, and always will.

[–]Ankabela 0 points1 point ago*

No, my memory is pretty good on this, and as a reference, I'm comparing the same songs as heard back then on tape versus now on CD.

The units I had had deep clear bass, high trebles, and an excess of volume. Compare that with units today that have next to no bass (and what they do have is often muddy), generic trebles that lack clarity, and volume such that they start clipping at about the level you need to drown out a couple of people having a conversation next to you.

Now, I will admit, I tended to buy high end walkmans (i.e. $150-$200 back in the 80's-90's), but they were a far cry better than the crap that exists today. And that's not due to poor memory. And in case you think my estimation of poor volume is due to hearing loss, I can hear flourescent bulbs from 30 feet away easily.

As an additional piece of information, I can easily hear the quality difference between mp3's vs uncompressed music. There are a lot of people who can't hear this, and for them, the current players will all seem fine.

But for me, I've gone through a decent number of players, and I have yet to find a single one that has sound quality I would rate higher than mediocre.

I'm not saying something good doesn't exist, I'm only saying that I haven't found it yet.

[–]sDFBeHYTGFKq0tRBCOG7 0 points1 point ago

Both Cowon devices that I own (X5 i think and the S9) are a lot better than any other mp3 player I tried in the last couple of years. And they play flac files, although that seems to reduce the otherwise 30+ hours you get with mp3s out of one charge drastically.

[–]Ankabela 0 points1 point ago

Admittedly, I have not tried any Cowan players. I'll have to give them a try.

Thanks for the reminder about them!

[–]sirscooter -4 points-3 points ago

I have a Ipod Classic that i have had for about 4 years now, has been giving me grief. An ideas as to what I could do about replacing the OS and getting ride of Itunes? Since I got my new phone, I use google music on that would love to install something like that.

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