The best sound quality/MP3 player for your buck

Hey everyone! After having a PSP for a good amount of time, i'm tired of lugging around a giant contraption for 1 GB of music...and i'm finally ready to trade the delicate PoS in for a good MP3 player (the game selection for PSP was crap).

This may be a bit lengthy, but i figured i'd eliminate more options by being more precise.

From everyones experience with MP3 players, i was curious as to what you felt was the best bet for you buck, as there are so many, and there's no way i could try them all out. I've done my research, but i'm still on the fence with a lot of them. I'm open to just about any option...except for the extremely pricey Zune or Ipods (highly overhyped IMO, but they do have excellent earbuds! X-P), or RCA, as my brother had one that crapped out on him within a month (both of my pc's could no longer recognize it via USB); any other brands will do.

Just incase you have problems recommending one over the other, i have prioritized the main things i'm looking for:

1. SOUND QUALITY (perferably an equalizer and/or great bass.)
2. Affordability (perferably, but not limited to, a price range of $50-$200)
3. Memory (perferably flash, at least 4 GB)
4. Unit Size (something that fits comfortably in your pocket)
5. PC/Windows Compatibility (no proprietary USB cables or software [mini USB perferably] plug it in, drag n drop)

i don't care about any FM radio tuner or Line-in recorder, or its ability to show photos; if the player already has it of course, thats fine, but if its cheaper without it, i'd rather have that. I just want it to play music, and play it well =).

Thanks everyone, i know its a lot of stuff...feel free to go into as much detail as you'd like! the more info the better!

 

Sony Walkman 4gb on sale now through the end of dec 109.00 plus tax free shipping @Sony.com.

 

1. SOUND QUALITY (perferably an equalizer and/or great bass.)
2. Affordability (perferably, but not limited to, a price range of $50-$200)
3. Memory (perferably flash, at least 4 GB)
4. Unit Size (something that fits comfortably in your pocket)
5. PC/Windows Compatibility (no proprietary USB cables or software [mini USB perferably] plug it in, drag n drop)

I would recommend the Sony NWZ-S616F Mp3 player http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs...10151&langId=-1&productId=8198552921665227890 . Got one of these not too long ago and, although a bit on the tiny side, it is very durable, the equalizer is nice especially if you want to customize to your sound level/pitch etc. Battery life is great at 33 hours for music, 15 hours for video (plays standard Ipod-MPeg4 video), although most people hate it, it does not offer ATRAC format for music files (I prefer it since the size difference is very substantial) but other wise MP3 sound very nice and crisp. FM Tuner is ok but I rarely use it. Earphones, on the other hand, suck specially since one has a smaller wire than the other. If you are looking for a non-IPod player, this would be a good buy. Good luck finding a cheap case for it though, Sony charges an arm and a leg for their's. I would recommend getting some new earphones as well like some Shures or Bose but if you want an awesome set very cheap, try Skullcandys for 14.95. You should be able to find both a either Best Buy and Target.

 

hi Neph,

you ole rascal you. good to see you. I was looking through the forums and was suprised to see you around again. welcome back. you better be on your best behavior or I will get binkie or one of the other mods onto you

I am currently in the market for a 4gb mp3 player and really don't know where to start with all the different makes and models. sound quality is 1st priority with battery life being 2nd. I really don't want to spend over $100 but would go with a sony if ppl think it is superior. I've got it down to a few choices:

Sony NWZS616FRED 4GB Walkman Video MP3 Player (Red) http://www.amazon.com/Sony-NWZS616F...4?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1199574880&sr=1-4


SanDisk Sansa e260 1.8" Black 4GB MP3 Player http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16855125012

Creative ZEN V Plus 1.5" Black & Blue 4GB MP3 Player http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16855102010

I just ordered some sony mdrex90lp earbuds so I should be in good shape headphone wise. I would greatly appreciate any help or recommendations. thanks in advance.

 

Neph,

that meizu 4mb player looks almost too good to be true. 10 band eq and bass and treble boost all for only $85 shipped after a $20 MIR. I'm going to seriously consider that mp3 player.

it's between the meizu and the sony. I can't find anywhere what type of eq the sony has. whether it's a 7 - 10 band adjustable eq or one of those junk eq's that you select rock, pop, theatre, classical etc. if it doesn't have an adjustable 7 - 10 band eq, the sony is out. thanks for your input. I really appreciate it.

 

The Sony has a few preset EQ selections but there are also two Custom options where you can modify the EQ to your liking, even the bass. For my taste, I got the Sony with a pair of Skull Candy earphones and I have yet to select any EQ functions since the default settings sound good enough with very nice bass output. The EQ is five band and out of the box, other than the earphones (which suck in my opinion), a "dock" thing that apparently has no other use, a cd with WMP11 and an Atrac to MP3 converter, nothing much else comes with it

 

hmmm.........decisions, decisions. I can't make up my mind.

Neph,

would you be so kind as to provide a link or two to a couple of those reviews you read about the meizu mini players? tia.

 

thanks again Neph. I think I'm sold. the only thing I'm a little sceptable about is the user interface but I did say sound quality was priority 1. I can get used to the GUI.

as stated earlier, I've got some sony mdrex90lp earbuds ordered. I did extensive research and reading of reviews comparing these to other makes that sell for around $100 (including shures, seinheissers, bose, ultimate ears and a few others in the same price range). I decided on these because 1) I have some sony mdrex51's (bottom end of the mdrex line at $30) and they sound amazingly good. 2) the 90's have 13.5mm drivers where most buds in the same class only have 9mm drivers. the larger drivers produce better clarity and are more effecient (13.5mm drivers - 106db/mw, 9mm drivers - 100db/mw). 3) the 90's list at $100 but I picked some up brand new for $57 shipped.

edit........ I went ahead and pulled the trigger Neph. hope I made the right choice........otherwise I'll be over there in Arizona looking for ya . seriously, thanks for everything. good chatting with you ole buddy.

 

Neph,

I know but you know me, I've just gotta give ya a hard time. I'm sure I will be very pleased. I'll let you know how I like both of them.

 

I got my earphones today and I'm a little disapointed. they are lacking in the lower frequencies (bass). drums sound fine but I want that rumble from the bass guitar. I want the bass to sound like there is a subwoofer in each ear. these don't have that bottom end. I tried adjusting the eq on my laptop and I could tell very little difference when I moved the 32hz band up or down. these have more of a thud rather than a thump. actually I think my sony mdrex51's sounded better (definately better bass response). too bad I accidently pulled the wires loose on the plug and they quit working.

on a positive note, they are extremely efficient and sound clarity is good. the volume is about 1/4 as high and they are as loud as my other buds.

if anybody has some suggestions on buds with excellent bass, not muddy though and so much that it overwelms the mids and highs, please speak up.

 

I suspect the player has far less to do with the sound quality than the ear buds and the quality of the files. The sound will be as weak as the weakest link. My ipod has suprisingly good sound but I had to buy good ear plugs, use high quality mp3s (320 or VBR extream, lossless is over-kill for me) and stop using itunes that secretly degraded my high quality MP3s to low quality during the sync. When I mean good, they sound as good as a HiFi for about a grand. They are no match for extream systems that can shake the ground. I can hear the difference between 125 BR and the good stuff. I am not so sure about if I can tell 160 BR from a 320. I am sure you can't tell a 320 BR from a losless file. I am sure all the sound chips are fairly standard since they were perfected maybe 20 years ago. It is the rest of the process that is not cut and dry. The HiFi ear buds being the newest of the technologies. Most buyers are more interested in the look and advertising than the actual quality. Less than 1 in 10 manufacturers list the sound range of their product because buyers will buy because of the add. It is the sound range that is the measure of the fidelity.

Check 'my favorite mp3 player' not far from this thread, for more detail.

my favorite mp3 player

 

Great article!!!

I have not seen a review like that. I would have preferred the actual numbers vs. a relative difference. I have a suspicion they are all in a tight grouping, except for frequency responce which is probably still fairly tight. That is an important measurement.

I have heard from a good source not an expert source that the players used relatively comparable sound producing chips. Amplification may differ more but pods do not put out much power. Since the testers liked the Sony Walkman the best but it measured poorer I would tend to believe my source. The difference may not be noticeable. At least it wasn’t to the test group. This is all good food for thought.

It is no surprise the disks hurt the music since you can't play them when a plane takes off. However, I could not hear the difference on the ones I heard.

I have two laws:
1) If you can’t tell the difference don’t pay extra for it
2) Sometimes you acquire taste so you may need to upgrade (that goes double for wine)

I do not trust ‘taste tests’ other than if every one likes the cheap one, buy it. I would trust them more if I knew their qualifications. I would want them as picky as my self.

 

I always like to know the facts before I buy. Sometimes if you know something is there you can hear it/see it if you try.

I suspect I have tinitus as well if that is poor hearing in the higher ranges. I think I had too much of a good thing years ago and now it has crept up on me. Still I can hear the difference between 125 and 300 BR and that is all high end stuff. Persons with normal hearing should do better if they paid attention. I can also hear the difference between apple buds that came with the ipod and much cheaper ones I bought with good specs. Ever try Koss Earplugs? They range 10-20000 hz. We can still hear/feel the base.