The perfect portable mp3/ogg player?

[alecwh]

Hello Ubuntuers!

So, over the last couple of weeks, I have been wanting an mp3 player. I take the bus daily, and I use my laptop to play music/videos to ease the ride. Trouble is, it's a pain to get it out, get it started, launch Totem, drag in my music, etc etc.

So, I'm on the market for an mp3/ogg player for around $140. Of course, it must be compatible with Ubuntu (I don't want to use any software, just drag and drop into a drive).

These are features I must have:

plays mp3
works in ubuntu
long battery life
durable (I break small things easily)
rechargeable battery


nice to have:

plays divx (avi)
large screen
ogg support
recording feature


NO apple or microsoft. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Edit: I've checked out the iRiver Clix 2, but I can't find any online store that sells the 8gig version for a reasonable price...

[UbuWu]

I would recommend the Sansa Clip. Has everything you mention, except for a large screen and video support.

[Dixon Bainbridge]

Anything by Cowon.

[helliewm]

Another one for Cowon

[zmjjmz]

I know you said "no Apple", but if you find an iPod Video 5.5G or lower on eBay or something you can install Rockbox (http://rockbox.org) and play a bunch of different formats.

[alecwh]

I checked out the Cowon players, and only one sticks out at me (the most expensive one, out of range...). The other ones (apple and sansa) are also not jumping out at me.

Any other suggestions? I'm losing hope here. =(

[SuperSonic4]

What about this Creative (http://www.amazon.com/Creative-Portable-Media-Player-Black/dp/B000UVBDRS/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1223155714&sr=1-4)?

It has everything you want and would like except ogg support (although large screen is subjective). As far as I know Creative are good for plug and play although I've never tested it on ubuntu but windows saw my old creative as a "generic usb device" (different model mind). It is $160 from Amazon though, not sure if you can go that far

[alecwh]

What about this Creative (http://www.amazon.com/Creative-Portable-Media-Player-Black/dp/B000UVBDRS/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1223155714&sr=1-4)?

It has everything you want and would like except ogg support (although large screen is subjective). As far as I know Creative are good for plug and play although I've never tested it on ubuntu but windows saw my old creative as a "generic usb device" (different model mind). It is $160 from Amazon though, not sure if you can go that far

Thanks a lot! That thing looks fantastic, and plays videos! I searched about compatibilitiy with Linux, and, being a linux novice, I can't discern if it works easily. Does dragging files into a mount work with this player?

[SuperSonic4]

It did on windows but I've never tried it on ubuntu and I had the older model (The Zen: Vision M) I'll test that model and get back to you

[aysiu]

One against Cowon. The iAudio 7 I got was a dud and had controls that were too sensitive (even after adjusting the settings). Also, when the screen broke (not my fault), Cowon said it wasn't covered by the warranty. I have to say, though, that the battery life was phenomenal--about 60 hours on one charge.

A lot of people here seem to really enjoy Cowon players, but I thought I'd just throw out a dissenting opinion based on the $130 brick I bought.

My Sansa Clip is awesome, though, and does everything you want except the divx and large screen. I'd highly recommend it.

[UbuWu]

Sansa just posted a new firmware which adds flac support for the clip and fuze as well! (and for the fuze ogg as well, the clip already had that). So the Sansa Fuze could be another one to consider.

[KillerSponge]

I can confirm that the Creative players work like a charm on Ubuntu, using gnomad :)

[SuperSonic4]

It's not appearing in system:/media but in Mandriva, I'd take the advice of the above poster

[alecwh]

I can confirm that the Creative players work like a charm on Ubuntu, using gnomad :)

Hey,

Can you describe what you have to do to put music on the player? Does the player act like an external harddrive, where you can just click and drag files to the nautilus browser?

[Biochem]

Hey,

Can you describe what you have to do to put music on the player? Does the player act like an external harddrive, where you can just click and drag files to the nautilus browser?

I own a Creative vision M and it works very well with gnomad. it is not however recognized as an external HD (use the MTP protocol not mass storage device). gnomed is in the repo and is very easy to navigate with a file manager feeling so it's almost drag and drop.

[ErwinC]

Amarok does it for me. It works fine with Zen Touch, Zen V, and Zen Vision.
I tried it on Kubuntu, Ubuntu, Mandriva and Opensuse.

[Luke has no name]

Apparently, the Sansa Fuze (which DOES work in Linux for audio (video sucks) supports both OGG and FLAC audio through a firmware update. I'm updating it through Vista because that's what I happen to be on, but I think they have a linux firmware updater too.

The firmware update to look for is 1.01.15.

Sweet!!! I can finally rip CDs to ogg now.

EDIT: LINK:
http://forums.sandisk.com/sansa/board/message?board.id=sansafuse&thread.id=4880

[fjf]

The cowon D2 does it all.

[dedmonds]

I have the Creative V Plus. It works great with Gnomad. No ogg support though.

[davidw89]

The cowon D2 does it all.

I highly recommend this player. It does everything on your list + more.

I've had it for about half a year now.

[plb]

If you can hold out a few months, cowon is supposed to be coming out with the successor to the d2 before years end. There's also another great player coming out by cowon with the next month or so though the name slips my mind.

[jockson]

Yes, really Sansa clip is very.

It has almost all features what you want.
Just look at that one.

[Polygon]

i might get the sansa fuze, since it supports ogg now and my cowon is currently in for repair.

i hope the d2's successor is a bit....cheaper

[Ioky]

cowon ++

however, if you are looking for a smaller and good look (to me) and getting good support of OGG, and relatively cheap

Go for the ScanDisk Clip

[TBOL3]

I love my sansa e260 (v1, not v2). With rockbox on it, it's an amazing player (w/o rockbox it's horrible).

Also, if space is an issue, you could buy the e280, with 8 GB of storage. And then buy (up to) a 16 GB Micro SDHC card. Or, it would probably be cheaper to buy 2, 8 GB ones.

[elmer_42]

i hope the d2's successor is a bit....cheaper
$143 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16855228007) for a back 4GB. Then, if you ever need more space, you can get SDHC cards to put into the D2's SD slot.

I own a Creative vision M and it works very well with gnomad.
I own a Creative Vision: M and it does not work with gNmomad. Sad face.

[majorhabib]

I much recommend Creative Zen series of players. They all have very good sound quality and relatively lower price.
I have a Creative Zen Stone Plus player. It's small and very practical.

[_sAm_]

I am a big fan of Cowon, but just ordered a SanDisk Sansa Fuze.
I didn't have the money for the Cowon D2 with max storage(as I wanted), but still are looking forward to get the Sansa Fuze.

Have been reading lots of reviews and what I liked to hear;
- good price
- support for both ogg and flac(all my music is in flac and mp3).
- better radio then cowon D2(dont understand why not more people care about radio.
- has very good sound quality
- can change songs without looking at it(I am also gonna use it while running so this is important. Cowon D2 is harder to use since it has touch screen).
- don't need video, so waist of money to pay for it(I mean the good quality that comes with D2, the quality on Fuze sucks when it comes to video).
- support both MSC and MTP. Hope MSC works ok in Ubuntu(?).
- do support Micro SDHC witch soon comes in 16 and 32 Gig :-D
- ok build quality
- light and small
- ok battery(more then good enough for my use).
- hope to get Rockbox for it in the future.

What I don't like about it is the special cable you need to use, they should offer normal usb or mini usb.

[Tristam Green]

What about this Creative (http://www.amazon.com/Creative-Portable-Media-Player-Black/dp/B000UVBDRS/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1223155714&sr=1-4)?

It has everything you want and would like except ogg support (although large screen is subjective). As far as I know Creative are good for plug and play although I've never tested it on ubuntu but windows saw my old creative as a "generic usb device" (different model mind). It is $160 from Amazon though, not sure if you can go that far

I second the Creative Zen. I have an 8gb, it works perfectly in Amarok, and it is a slick little player.

[Polygon]

my cowon x5l just died recently, and i sent it in for RMA

they told me it would take 140 dollars to fix.....yeah....so I just ordered a cowon d2 with a carrying case for 160 dollars =)

[aysiu]

my cowon x5l just died recently, and i sent it in for RMA

they told me it would take 140 dollars to fix.....yeah....so I just ordered a cowon d2 with a carrying case for 160 dollars =)
When my Cowon iAudio 7 died (less than three months after purchase), they told me it'd cost $57 to replace the screen. That's almost half the cost of the original player. Instead, I ditched Cowon altogether and went back to reliable Sandisk and got a full player (not just a screen) for $60.

[SlickRick]

Might I suggest a PSP. I use it every day for listening to mp3 on the bus to and from college.
It has a big screen because it's quite big but still fits in my jeans' pocket. Rechargable and can last for 6 hours of constant game-play with the stock 1200 watt battery. Works with ubuntu. Plays mp4 videos but there are homebrew apps that play other codecs. Anyway, it's not just for games.
I have the 'slim and light' one but the new one - the psp 'brite' should be released this month.

[Polygon]

When my Cowon iAudio 7 died (less than three months after purchase), they told me it'd cost $57 to replace the screen. That's almost half the cost of the original player. Instead, I ditched Cowon altogether and went back to reliable Sandisk and got a full player (not just a screen) for $60.

my player lasted 2 years, and although i am kinda shocked on how it died (it died overnight sitting on my dresser...) it was still a very good player, adn i can still use it as a hard drive.

and -1 for psps. although they are nice, they use a VERY EXPENSIVE card format, so a 4 gig card is like 50 dollars

[aysiu]

my player lasted 2 years, and although i am kinda shocked on how it died (it died overnight sitting on my dresser...) it was still a very good player, adn i can still use it as a hard drive.

and -1 for psps. although they are nice, they use a VERY EXPENSIVE card format, so a 4 gig card is like 50 dollars
I'm not saying my experience was typical, but that's pretty terrible customer service. I'm 100% sure it's not my fault, and it was only 3 months. I basically just threw $130 away on Cowon. And they'll never get my money again. If they'd repaired the screen under warranty as they should have, they might have won a lifelong customer. They can keep my $130 because they're never getting another cent from me. Sandisk all the way here.

[Polygon]

did you give htem proof of purchase with the date on it and all that? i had to pay cuase mine is like 2 years old, but if you specified in both the RMA form and had a reciept (like from amazon) then they should of repaired it under warranty.

[aysiu]

did you give htem proof of purchase with the date on it and all that? i had to pay cuase mine is like 2 years old, but if you specified in both the RMA form and had a reciept (like from amazon) then they should of repaired it under warranty.
Yes. I did everything I was supposed to. They didn't care and insisted it was not covered under warranty.

It wasn't in issue for them of when it was purchased. In their imaginations, it was my fault the screen broke.

[Polygon]

eh, whatever. i dont judge a company by its tech support, especially since this is a korean company, and you can tell from their ads (even on the american website) its obviously some korean guy who learned english.

i try to buy players that at least outlast the warranty =P but i got the cowon over the sansa fuze cuase its bigger , i get a free case (saving 30 dollars right there) and i think sdhc cards are less expensive then microsd, not to mention id like teh ability to watch videos since my psp is crippled by its proprietary card format.

[SlickRick]

i try to buy players that at least outlast the warranty =P but i got the cowon over the sansa fuze cuase its bigger , i get a free case (saving 30 dollars right there) and i think sdhc cards are less expensive then microsd, not to mention id like teh ability to watch videos since my psp is crippled by its proprietary card format.

I payed 20 pounds for a 2GB card which i guess is quite expensive, but you don't really need more than 2GB.
As for the proprietary format, ever heard of a pandora battery?

[Tristam Green]

eh, whatever. i dont judge a company by its tech support, especially since this is a korean company, and you can tell from their ads (even on the american website) its obviously some korean guy who learned english.

i try to buy players that at least outlast the warranty =P but i got the cowon over the sansa fuze cuase its bigger , i get a free case (saving 30 dollars right there) and i think sdhc cards are less expensive then microsd, not to mention id like teh ability to watch videos since my psp is crippled by its proprietary card format.

Oh, I would definitely judge a company by its tech support, especially one that sells tech product lol. To me, that determines more than anything if I am to become a repeat customer.

I try to buy players that outlast the (limited in most cases) warranties too :D I still have a 100% functioning Creative Zen Xtra 30gb HDD-based model from around 2002-2003 :)

[aysiu]

eh, whatever. i dont judge a company by its tech support, especially since this is a korean company, and you can tell from their ads (even on the american website) its obviously some korean guy who learned english. Actually, the Cowon representative I corresponded with seemed to have quite good English skills.


i try to buy players that at least outlast the warranty =P but i got the cowon over the sansa fuze cuase its bigger I don't know if you're understanding what my situation was. The warranty hadn't expired yet. They were saying it wasn't covered under warranty (meaning they thought the damage was my fault, not theirs).

[YoungQuiz]

Archos

[Exakun]

I bought a Creative Zen Vision:M 60GB back when they first came out. It's a great if brittle player and would be great for some but I've had nothing but problems with it.

First, the screen hairline-cracked of its own accord (never dropped/sat on/etc) about a month after I got it. Creative wanted about $120 to fix it, and I'm not happy enough with it where I'd want to spend a third of the price on it again. All I can really do now is poorly navigate the menus by memory (and repeatedly use the "Album of the Day" feature until I find what I want).

Second, the over-sized case made it impossible to fit into any Zen case I've found in the last two years. Finally, any time I've tried to connect it to a computer running any variant of Linux it freezes the system completely until I disconnect it, at which time the system will either crash or resume as if I had temporarily halted the clock. The MTP protocol means when you synchronize it (in Windows, anyway) you literally have to copy the whole file back over which makes for longer synchs, and you can't play files straight from the device (WMP11 seems to kludge it by copying the file to a temp folder and playing it from there, though).

I really want a PMP that has at least an 80GB HDD, plays at least MP3 and FLAC, doesn't require black market kidney sales to fund the purchase, and works properly within Linux (I'm sick of proprietary transfer protocols!). I could care less about video, I never watch flicks on the go; I hate how every decent player out there is focused on video. Decent sound would be a must though, there's no reason to support FLAC if it sounds awful anyway. No Apple, I hate their company and their shoddy break-monthly iPods.