OT: Finally...A Worthwhile MP3 Player (really long)

EZSnappin · Post by **EZSnappin** » Wed Nov 15, 2006 6:21 pm

wco81 wrote:Hmm I'll have to see if there are reviews which measure the differences between line out and headphone jack. Like I said, maybe more noise so that would show up in S/N. But frequency response should be similar.

If headphone jacks are so bad, there would be no market for expensive earphones like the Bose QC, the expensive Shure and Ultimate Ears, etc.

BTW, good detailed review of the Zune on Engadget.

Headphone jacks are, for the most part, pretty good. However, I have never come across an MP3 player or portable cd player whose onboard circuitry is as good at amplification without distortion as a halfway decent stereo system. I've owned and used my fair share of high end cans and the amplification circuitry is of utmost importance to get the most out of them. If you're dropping that kind of coin on headphones you should probably be running a separate headphone amp anyways.

Its good to see the Zune getting a somewhat decent writeup. I think a lot of people are judging it because of how it doesn't do certain things but aren't fairly talking about what it actually does.

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Wed Nov 15, 2006 6:37 pm

One of the rumors for the future is that with a software update, Zune will be able to stream videos from the MS version of Youtube.

Probably wouldn't be surprised if they streamed to and from the X360 and Media Center at some point.

Might be interesting if they streamed from your computer at home while you're outside the home. Sort of like a portable Sling Box (which of course lets you stream to Windows Mobile devices I think, with plans to support Symbian phones -- Nokia, Sony Ericson).

DivotMaker · Post by **DivotMaker** » Wed Nov 15, 2006 7:01 pm

dbdynsty25 wrote: Don't bother. Horrible highs...nice bass though. I love the tri-port over the ears...but the in ears...just don't like em. They don't sound all that great outside of the bass and they also do not fit in the ear very well. They aren't IN-EARS like the rest of the headphones out there...they kinda sit on the edge of your ear canal. They ALWAYS feel like they are going to fall out. I tried those and the new Sony ex90s...and neither were as good as the Sennheiser CX300s that I got for 60 bucks on Amazon. Go that route...seriously.

Well, based on your comments, I almost passed on the Bose. However, I just had to try them for myself like I did the iPod and I am glad I did. I am not sure if you got a bad pair, but I cannot agree with you about the highs....they sound phenomenal on my ipod. Very nice plugs.

That being said, I can agree with you on the fit and see how some might not like them. I wish the ear canal piece was a bit longer to extend more into the ear canal, but I managed to find a good fit and did not have any trouble with them falling out or even coming close. I also will say that because of my recent arthoscopic surgery on my left knee, I am limited to walking only for the forseeable future per my Orthopaedic surgeon. Having the right knee scoped on Dec 21, so I won't be doing anything but walking for the forseeable future, so these plugs will work just fine for my needs. Three surgeries in 4 months is not something I would wish on anyone....

Diablo25 · Post by **Diablo25** » Wed Nov 15, 2006 7:08 pm

The author of the Engadget review makes some valid points about the Zune but I haven't had one single issue with the software. From install thru syncing it has been a nice experience. Maybe I am lucky but my experience has been great so far. His complaints about the interface and button use are trivial in my opinion. Its a brand new product that is just out of the gate. The software will be updated frequently and many of the bugs will be ironed out. I see lots of potential. Patience.

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Wed Nov 15, 2006 7:44 pm

DivotMaker wrote:
dbdynsty25 wrote: Don't bother. Horrible highs...nice bass though. I love the tri-port over the ears...but the in ears...just don't like em. They don't sound all that great outside of the bass and they also do not fit in the ear very well. They aren't IN-EARS like the rest of the headphones out there...they kinda sit on the edge of your ear canal. They ALWAYS feel like they are going to fall out. I tried those and the new Sony ex90s...and neither were as good as the Sennheiser CX300s that I got for 60 bucks on Amazon. Go that route...seriously.
Well, based on your comments, I almost passed on the Bose. However, I just had to try them for myself like I did the iPod and I am glad I did. I am not sure if you got a bad pair, but I cannot agree with you about the highs....they sound phenomenal on my ipod. Very nice plugs.

Well do me a favor and go pick up a pair of Sennheiser CX300s. They have them at Circuit City for around 70 bucks. Compare em and then return which one you don't like as much. I had to always turn on the Treble Booster EQ on my ipod because they just don't sound natural at all, even somewhat muffled. At least that's how the pair I got sounded.

Maybe you just haven't listened to a pair that has GOOD highs. The Shures were just OK...so what you have to compare it with, may just be clouding your views. But hey, if you are satisfied with the Bose, then more power to ya. I bought them, the CX300's and the new Sony ex90s and the Bose came out on the bottom of the three. But that's just my view. Luckily the one I liked the most, was the cheapest of the three.

Diablo25 · Post by **Diablo25** » Thu Nov 16, 2006 12:36 am

Maybe you guys can help me out here. I have like 40 songs that I bought and downloaded from MSNMusic - Legally. They have DRM protection. With the Zune, if you want to buy/download any music (legally) you must get it from the Zune Marketplace...no problem. However, all of those songs I legally bought/downloaded from MSNMusic over the past year or two are now worthless? It just seems nonsensical. Any ideas?

vader29 · Post by **vader29** » Thu Nov 16, 2006 12:52 am

Diablo25 wrote:Maybe you guys can help me out here. I have like 40 songs that I bought and downloaded from MSNMusic - Legally. They have DRM protection. With the Zune, if you want to buy/download any music (legally) you must get it from the Zune Marketplace...no problem. However, all of those songs I legally bought/downloaded from MSNMusic over the past year or two are now worthless? It just seems nonsensical. Any ideas?

Are you able to burn those songs to a disc as a cd? If so you should be able to then rip the songs from that cd into mp3 files that would be non drm protected.

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Thu Nov 16, 2006 12:58 am

Yeah that's probably your best bet, burn to CD and then rip.

You are going from a lossy source so you may lose something.

But it was well publicized that MS is not supporting the PlaysForSure files from MSN Music, Napster, Urge, etc.

Other possibility is, there may be cracks for the PlaysForSure DRM which might remove the DRM.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Thu Nov 16, 2006 1:53 am

Diablo25 wrote:Maybe you guys can help me out here. I have like 40 songs that I bought and downloaded from MSNMusic - Legally. They have DRM protection. With the Zune, if you want to buy/download any music (legally) you must get it from the Zune Marketplace...no problem. However, all of those songs I legally bought/downloaded from MSNMusic over the past year or two are now worthless? It just seems nonsensical. Any ideas?

BitTorrent.

Sorry, had to be a smartass.

Hope you can get your legal tunes to your new player with no hassles.

Take care,
PK

Diablo25 · Post by **Diablo25** » Thu Nov 16, 2006 8:58 am

pk500 wrote:
Diablo25 wrote:Maybe you guys can help me out here. I have like 40 songs that I bought and downloaded from MSNMusic - Legally. They have DRM protection. With the Zune, if you want to buy/download any music (legally) you must get it from the Zune Marketplace...no problem. However, all of those songs I legally bought/downloaded from MSNMusic over the past year or two are now worthless? It just seems nonsensical. Any ideas?
BitTorrent.

Sorry, had to be a smartass. Hope you can get your legal tunes to your new player with no hassles.

Take care,
PK

If I can't get these files converted/on to my new Zune, damn straight it will be BitTiorrent in the house.

Diablo25 · Post by **Diablo25** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 10:02 am

Well, the Zune has definitely not lost its luster after about a week. I'm loving it. I recorded and uploaded the new show "Day Break" the other night and have been watching it at the gym on the elliptical - awesome. The Zune Marketplace has gotten better everyday since the launch. I love the "Playlist" section. My only beef, still, is the protected/DRM tracks I can't upload to the Zune. I must figure out how to convert them. I don't regret the purchase one bit.

Jimmydeicide · Post by **Jimmydeicide** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 2:17 pm

Okay im getting in on this action. I need anew car stereo for my work truck so im getting one with mp3 player connection and satelite ready so im gonna have access to everything.

I realy like the idea of putting a crap load of songs on an mp3 player and plugging that in instead of carrying all those cd's to the car.
My question is how is the sound quality from the player to the car stereo , is it cd quality ? does it matter what mp3 player you have ?

I dont have anything yet, but was looking at Ipod just for ease of use and albums off itunes.

what do i need ? my main listening will be in the truck thru the in dash cd player.

Diablo25 · Post by **Diablo25** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 6:16 pm

Diablo25 wrote:Well, the Zune has definitely not lost its luster after about a week. I'm loving it. I recorded and uploaded the new show "Day Break" the other night and have been watching it at the gym on the elliptical - awesome. The Zune Marketplace has gotten better everyday since the launch. I love the "Playlist" section. My only beef, still, is the protected/DRM tracks I can't upload to the Zune. I must figure out how to convert them. I don't regret the purchase one bit.

I'm a dumbass

I am now burning then ripping my DRM protected files and it is working. They will be on the Zune soon.

Diablo25 · Post by **Diablo25** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 7:31 pm

Quick question...once I burn the files to strip the protection should I delete the protected version of the file? Reason I am asking is when I rip the files back on to my PC they are unprotected, listed as "Unknown", but as soon as I rename them they get sucked back into their original folder...protected. Does it have something to do with the licenses still being on the PC? Sorry, I''m just confused about this whole damn thing.

Kazuya · Post by **Kazuya** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 8:02 pm

Diablo25 wrote:Quick question...once I burn the files to strip the protection should I delete the protected version of the file? Reason I am asking is when I rip the files back on to my PC they are unprotected, listed as "Unknown", but as soon as I rename them they get sucked back into their original folder...protected. Does it have something to do with the licenses still being on the PC? Sorry, I''m just confused about this whole damn thing.

I wouldn't delete your protected versions because they are still the best quality versions that you have... consider them "masters". As far as the ripped files becoming protected again, what are you ripping them back as, .wmv? Try ripping them as MP3s.

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Sun Nov 19, 2006 1:11 pm

Jimmydeicide wrote:Okay im getting in on this action. I need anew car stereo for my work truck so im getting one with mp3 player connection and satelite ready so im gonna have access to everything.

I realy like the idea of putting a crap load of songs on an mp3 player and plugging that in instead of carrying all those cd's to the car.
My question is how is the sound quality from the player to the car stereo , is it cd quality ? does it matter what mp3 player you have ?

I dont have anything yet, but was looking at Ipod just for ease of use and albums off itunes.

what do i need ? my main listening will be in the truck thru the in dash cd player.

Easiest way is the FM transmitter kits.

But you get interference so some are opting for using Aux In jacks on the front dash of some factory stereos and cheaper after market stereos. Best Buy had some Aiwas for just over $100 with the Aux jack.

Some people rig an Aux jack using the preout in the back of some car stereos.

Then there are kits from premium brands like Alpine which will display song tracks off iPods, which has the most support for car stereo hookups.

An Aux In jack would let you use any player but it won't charge the player and if you want to change the songs while driving, you'd have to do it yourself directly on the player.

If you have a nice expensive hard disk player sitting on your lap or on the seat beside you wnile driving and it's connected by a cable to the Aux In jack, you could have problems if you have to do a hard stop. Then that thing probably flies into your dash or windshield.

A flash player might be more durable, without a hard disk and much lighter. For iPod Nanos, there are some stalks on flexible arms to position it where you want while securing it. It also connects to your lighter to charge it.

vader29 · Post by **vader29** » Sun Nov 19, 2006 9:26 pm

Jimmydeicide wrote:Okay im getting in on this action. I need anew car stereo for my work truck so im getting one with mp3 player connection and satelite ready so im gonna have access to everything.

I realy like the idea of putting a crap load of songs on an mp3 player and plugging that in instead of carrying all those cd's to the car.
My question is how is the sound quality from the player to the car stereo , is it cd quality ? does it matter what mp3 player you have ?

I dont have anything yet, but was looking at Ipod just for ease of use and albums off itunes.

what do i need ? my main listening will be in the truck thru the in dash cd player.

Jimmy, check out a dvd receiver, you can fit 100 hours of mp3s on a dvd disc. I have a cd mp3 receiver in my truck right now but will definitely be upgrading to a dvd receiver come next spring. Crutchfield has some good ones for less than $300.

This one is only $230and looks pretty good. And when you order from crutchfield they give you all the wiring harness adaptors and kits for your vehicle for free, makes installation a breeze.

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Sun Nov 19, 2006 9:42 pm

Or you could be a real man and wire it directly into your car w/ solder and some twist clips instead of using a p*ssy wiring harness.

Leebo33 · Post by **Leebo33** » Sat Nov 25, 2006 12:39 pm

I just picked up the ipod video 80gb. I downloaded some freeware to convert some home videos and it worked flawlessly. The main question I have regards converting DVDs. What is the best and easiest way to get DVDs on the ipod? I don't mind if I have to pay for the program as long as it is user friendly.

DivotMaker · Post by **DivotMaker** » Sat Nov 25, 2006 12:45 pm

dbdynsty25 wrote:
Well do me a favor and go pick up a pair of Sennheiser CX300s. They have them at Circuit City for around 70 bucks. Compare em and then return which one you don't like as much. I had to always turn on the Treble Booster EQ on my ipod because they just don't sound natural at all, even somewhat muffled. At least that's how the pair I got sounded.

Maybe you just haven't listened to a pair that has GOOD highs. The Shures were just OK...so what you have to compare it with, may just be clouding your views. But hey, if you are satisfied with the Bose, then more power to ya. I bought them, the CX300's and the new Sony ex90s and the Bose came out on the bottom of the three. But that's just my view. Luckily the one I liked the most, was the cheapest of the three.

I tried the Sennheisers. Good plugs. Nothing special, IMO. I found that they sounded very comparable to the Bose and I do not notice the issue with the "highs" that you do. I have used studio-quality headphones before, so I am very aware of what good "highs" sound like. I am keeping the Bose because the bass is superior and I am finding the fit of the plugs with the large fittings to be more to my liking. You could not go wrong with either set.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Sat Nov 25, 2006 1:53 pm

Well, my plans to buy an 80 GB iPod are scrapped because I found a way to double the capacity of my 40 GB Creative to 80 GB for only $70.

I found a site on the Web that shows gives step-by-step instructions on how to swap disk drives in Creative Zen Xtras, so I'm buying a compatible 80 GB Hitachi notebook drive at newegg.com for $70 and doing the swap. I swapped the drive in my old Xbox with ease, so I think I can do this. I have all of my songs backed up on CD, so once I get the firmware and drivers on the new 80 GB drive, I'll just move all of the songs over.

This will save me $280, which is mega. I have no problems with my Creative other than it's out of space. I love the player's sound, the size is fine with me, I can live with the ergonomics and firmware, especially with Notmad Explorer.

The video iPod is VERY nice, but I just don't see where I would use the video that much, as I rarely travel. I would much rather watch stuff at home on my 32-inch Sony than a 4-inch iPod screen. iTunes integration means nothing to me, as I don't use iTunes.

Thanks to all of those who offered help with the iPod, though!

Take care,
PK

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Sat Nov 25, 2006 2:20 pm

Leebo33 wrote:I just picked up the ipod video 80gb. I downloaded some freeware to convert some home videos and it worked flawlessly. The main question I have regards converting DVDs. What is the best and easiest way to get DVDs on the ipod? I don't mind if I have to pay for the program as long as it is user friendly.

For Windows, there is Videodora which is freeware.

There are others.

Pretty sure iLounge has tutorials with info. on how to configure these programs. But in a lot of cases, these programs have presets.

There are also forums there if you have specific questions.

The rumors are that Apple will have a bigger screen player after the New Year, along with more downloadable movies. But yeah, I rarely watch videos, because audio is good enough.

Especially some of the podcasts from HBO, MTV and others are little more than talking head videos. So I can just listen to the audio and spare the battery life.

I have some movies ripped to the iPod but haven't watched them yet. Also found some iPod-formatted videos on podtropolis.com.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Sat Nov 25, 2006 5:41 pm

Leebo33 wrote: What is the best and easiest way to get DVDs on the ipod? I don't mind if I have to pay for the program as long as it is user friendly.

I am using Aone software to convert my DVDs to the PSP and they also have a similar one for the ipod. Here's the link:

http://www.aone-soft.com/ipod_movie_converter.htm

dbdynsty25 · Post by **dbdynsty25** » Sat Nov 25, 2006 7:26 pm

DivotMaker wrote:
dbdynsty25 wrote:
Well do me a favor and go pick up a pair of Sennheiser CX300s. They have them at Circuit City for around 70 bucks. Compare em and then return which one you don't like as much. I had to always turn on the Treble Booster EQ on my ipod because they just don't sound natural at all, even somewhat muffled. At least that's how the pair I got sounded.

Maybe you just haven't listened to a pair that has GOOD highs. The Shures were just OK...so what you have to compare it with, may just be clouding your views. But hey, if you are satisfied with the Bose, then more power to ya. I bought them, the CX300's and the new Sony ex90s and the Bose came out on the bottom of the three. But that's just my view. Luckily the one I liked the most, was the cheapest of the three.
I tried the Sennheisers. Good plugs. Nothing special, IMO. I found that they sounded very comparable to the Bose and I do not notice the issue with the "highs" that you do. I have used studio-quality headphones before, so I am very aware of what good "highs" sound like. I am keeping the Bose because the bass is superior and I am finding the fit of the plugs with the large fittings to be more to my liking. You could not go wrong with either set.

That's cool...I'm glad you gave the Senns a try. I find them to fit better...but of course that just depends on each person's ears so it's completely a personal thing. The bass is definitely better on the bose, but the fact I couldn't get them to sit in my ears right with any of the fittings, pretty much eliminated them as much as I wanted to keep them. The Senns are better than most as far as bass reproduction, so it's not like they are even remotely average or below average when compared to other in ear models...it's just that the bose produce so much more bass. As far as the highs go, maybe I got a bad set...I don't know. It's kinda moot at this point though seeing as how they don't fit me very well. I didn't mean to imply that you never tried good earphones...it was a maybe. Hope you didn't think I was just calling you out saying that you didn't know what you were talking about. Anyway...glad you gave the Senns a shot...I really like them...and at 70 bucks or less, they are a bargain if you ask me.

Diablo25 · Post by **Diablo25** » Sat Nov 25, 2006 7:42 pm

What is the best and easiest way to get DVDs on the ipod? I don't mind if I have to pay for the program as long as it is user friendly.

I use DVD Decryptor to rip DVD's to my hard drive. Then I use Pinnacle Mobile Media Converter to tranfer them to my Zune, PSP, iPod. Works rather nice.

http://www.pinnaclesys.com/PublicSite/u ... verter.htm