What was your first portable digital audio player?

[Madspyman]

Just wondering,

Mine was the Diamond Rio PMP300 back in 98,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rio_PMP300

I remember having a difficult time finding new music for it, other than what I ripped from CDs.

[malspa]

Portable CD players were technically portable digital audio players, right?

[Madspyman]

I suppose they are. I probably meant mp3 player, it's late.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_audio_player

That's the last time I listen to Wikipedia (not true).

[malspa]

Yeah, I kinda figured that's what you were really getting at. But the reason I asked is that other than portable CD players, the first portable digital audio player I used was a Sony mini-disk player. And really that was just a step above a portable CD player, even though I could put tons of music on each mini-disk. I still have a couple of those players. I really liked the quality of the sound with the format they used (ATRAC3) but unfortunately it didn't really seem to catch on and .mp3 became more of the standard as far as compressed formats. But still today, the sound from those mini-disk players sounds better to me than any .mp3 player I've owned so far. But then again, so does the sound from CD players.

[Madspyman]

Yeah, I kinda figured that's what you were really getting at. But the reason I asked is that other than portable CD players, the first portable digital audio player I used was a Sony mini-disk player. And really that was just a step above a portable CD player, even though I could put tons of music on each mini-disk. I still have a couple of those players. I really liked the quality of the sound with the format they used (ATRAC3) but unfortunately it didn't really seem to catch on and .mp3 became more of the standard as far as compressed formats. But still today, the sound from those mini-disk players sounds better to me than any .mp3 player I've owned so far. But then again, so does the sound from CD players.

My friend had a mini disc recorder, I can attest to the quality of the sound. Although mini disc was still optical based playback, if we're not counting CD's I don't think mini disc counts either.

[spupy]

Just wondering,

Mine was the Diamond Rio PMP300 back in 98,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rio_PMP300

I remember having a difficult time finding new music for it, other than what I ripped from CDs.

Haha, the one I had looked similar. This one, D'Music:
http://images.anandtech.com/old/sound/pine/dmusic/dmusic.jpg

It had 32MB memory, holding around 8 songs that I get to know perfectly. :)
It connects with a computer through a printer port, but you need to change some settings in the BIOS for it to work.

[micheledm]

I used to have a NOMAD Jukebox Zen Xtra 40GB. Great piece of hardware indeed.

[scouser73]

My first one was a Toshiba Gigabeat F20 (20GB).

[chriswyatt]

My first was a Creative Nomad Muvo 128MB, then after that I got a Sony MZ-NH700 (Hi-MD Player)

[pwnst*r]

Rio 600 (http://goo.gl/Hpdr) ;D 32mb of flash memory, woo!

The sound quality was awesome though, and its form factor was perfect.

[RiceMonster]

Some crappy sony portable cd player. It broke a million times and I fixed it myself. At the end of it's life, I had dropped it and the lid wouldn't stay closed, so I had to use an elastic to keep it shut.

[Onyros]

I had a minidisc player/recorder, if that qualifies.

The first mp3 player, though, was a first-gen iPod (10GB) which I then traded with a very tech-illiterate friend for a Rio Karma (20GB) which is, to this day, my favourite DAP. Ever.

And hey, he just wanted an iPod and I warned him about the differences. I no longer have the Rio Karma, but I'd still love to have one nowadays. It came with a very cool blue glowing dock, which had an ethernet port and everything, and sound quality was unbeatable.

I'd love to get my hands on one of these babies and replace the mechanical HDD with solid state memory. They tended to break, a lot.

[retro89]

My first was a Go Video Rave 256 mb mp3 player

pic: http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=AMP256-R&cat=MP3

It was was bought in Christmas of 2004 for $42 and that got me away from carrying a cd player with me on the bus.It had a sd expandable memory so I could put a max 1 gb sd card in there.It was a tough mp3 player because it dropped out of my pocket in the grass.When I came home after it rained I figured the mp3 player was ruined. To my surprise after it dried it still worked perfectly. It had issues some time taking out the battery and putting it back in was the only way it would turn on.

[LinuxFox]

I suppose they are. I probably meant mp3 player, it's late.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_audio_player

That's the last time I listen to Wikipedia (not true).That's ok, I have the habit of calling them digital audio players too.

Anyway, my first digital audio player, as in MP3 player is a Coby MPC853. A cheap, nothing special audio player. It doesn't even have a display, kind of like the iPod shuffle.

Surprisingly, it still works to this day. Surprises me since my brother had a Coby CD player years ago and it broke.

[kpkeerthi]

Samsung YP-910GS (http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-YP-910GS-Drive-Digital-Player/dp/B0000DK4T7)

[Chronon]

I was late to the game. Other than a Discman, which we are excluding as a DAP, my first player was a 5g iPod.

[Ozor Mox]

Mine was this (http://matteo.canever.it/wp-content/uploads/dap.jpg). It was a bit of a monstrosity and so I didn't take it many places, as it didn't exactly fit comfortably in the pocket! Like all the other Creative players I've owned though, the sound quality was great. These days I just use my phone (HTC Desire) as an MP3 player. I doubt I'll ever get a dedicated MP3 player again.

[PaulW2U]

I'll let you know when I buy one. :lolflag:

[samalex]

Portable CD players were technically portable digital audio players, right?

I'd say yes.. Not counting my old-school Walkman I used to burn all my music to Audio CD for my portable CD Player, then after I found one in the late 90's that would play MP3 I started using Mp3's on a Data CD.

I guess the first non-CD player I used was my HP Jornada 430, which I got I think around 1999 or 2000. I used it while jogging and also in the car, and it was awesome! It worked great as a PDA and MP3 player. After that I went back to the CD Player in the car (could hold more music). honestly I haven't used a portable music device in years because more times than not I listen to NPR or Sirius Radio in the car. There are few bands I just have to listen to when out and about, plus I still carry a small CD collection with me in the car.

At one point I had a MotoQ then a Mono 9QC which worked good as an MP3 player, but I did streaming audio more than anything.

Sam

[malspa]

These days I just use my phone (HTC Desire) as an MP3 player. I doubt I'll ever get a dedicated MP3 player again.

I just use my phone, too. Better than carrying around a phone and an mp3 player.