iPod Alternatives (Long, 56K Beware)

Being as excited as an elementary school girl due to the fact that I would EVENTUALLY receive an iPod, I quickly sought out [positive] reviews for the 4th Generation iPod to feed my never ending obsession with iPods. After some time, I found that practically everyone who got an iPod was ecstatic with it. It was getting at least 90% approval by everyone who purchased one.

I knew three people in school who actually had one of these beautiful things. A sophomore who won a 3rd Generation 15 GB iPod and two fellow band students who both had a 4th Generation 20 GB. Of course, I had to try them out. At first I listened to the 3rd gen. I wasn't very impressed with the audio quality. It was flat and lifeless, but that's probably because the earbuds didn't fit very well in my ears, and he probably had it on a low bitrate. I listened to both of the others also. I tried several songs on all three and came the conclusion that either they all had their songs on crappy bit rates, the ear buds suck, or the iPod just doesn't give a good sound... I decided to bring my own headphones to school one day (purchased from radio shack for $30) so I could get a good idea of how they REALLY sounded. I tried it on the 3rd gen., it sounded a bit better, but still not good to me personally. Since physical size was not a big issue, I looked for some good alternatives that were within the same price range.


iRiver H320


http//images10.newegg.com/productimage/55-150-033-03.JPG[" alt=""/imga1e42908d2]

MP3Players4Free offers them. But since I'm far along on freeipods, I'll just exchange it at BestBuy.

Pros (from what I can gather)
-Reviews all say that it has great sound.
-Supports MP3, ASF, OGG Vorbis, WMA
-Plug and Play. Recognized as a separate hard drive.
-256K bright color screen, better screen than iPod Photo.
-16 hours of playback.
-Radio (I hate radio, but some may like it)
-Unusually exceptional voice recording capabilities. Good for class lectures.
-Comes with a case.

Cons
-Like the iPod, battery has an "Unreplaceable battery", but you can change it.
-Manual usually needs to be read.
-A bit heavy (boo hoo... build some muscle on those nerdy biceps)
-Overall, it's bigger than the iPod.
-No metal casing.
-Scrolling will take longer.

Creative Zen Touch

[img="a1e42908d2]http//images10.newegg.com/productimage/55-102-204-05.JPG[" alt=""/imga1e42908d2]

Pros
-Creative has had more than enough experience in sound quality. They seem to be the winner here.
-Insane 24 hour battery life.
-Touch sensitive scrolling feature.
-Cheap.

Cons
-Lack of features found in previous models
-Heavy and big (a little too big...)


MORE WILL BE ADDED. I must be going now.

mmmkay....

I think you might want to listen to these very same files on these two players before exchanging your iPod. roll

One that I have been looking at is the creative zen micro. Similar to a mini ipod, but it can hold 5gb and also has voice recording and radio built in. Plus it comes in some pretty sweet colors. The only real downside I have read of is that the volume can't be changed easily. I think it is being released on the 5th.

[quote6bb539113e]creative zen micro[/quote6bb539113e]

removable battery [b6bb539113e]is[/b6bb539113e] cool.

Yeah, I forgot to mention that.

lol...i dont have any "quality" issues with my ipod...

The second one is sleek, I like the iPod though...

http//i12.ebayimg.com/01/i/02/cb/ee/23_1.JPG[" alt=""/img6a27297e3f]




[img="6a27297e3f]http//images.amazon.com/images/P/B00067TTZY.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg[" alt=""/img6a27297e3f]

I would have put the Micro up, but I was mostly leaning towards 20 GB players. I'm going to go test out a Polaroid MP3 player right now, I'll be back later with results.

I have a first gen iPod, and the original ear buds. The thing sounds great, and its hard to use other people's CD players and such cuz they sound sooooo crappy. Just thought I'd put in my 2 cents.

[quotedf13906cad="LedFloyd"]I decided to bring my own headphones to school one day (purchased from radio shack for $30) so I could get a good idea of how they REALLY sounded. I tried it on the 3rd gen., it sounded a bit better, but still not good to me personally. [/quotedf13906cad]

http//www.sonystyle.com/intershoproot/eCS/Store/en/imagesProducts/250x250/MDREX71SLWK.jpg[" alt=""/imgdf13906cad]

spend 20 more to get these headphones and your ipod will sound GOLDEN.

I've been looking at those SONY headphones. How's the size on those? I can't use the ipod earbuds because they're way too big

[quote7604f35542="Oldfashionedhussy"]I've been looking at those SONY headphones. How's the size on those? I can't use the ipod earbuds because they're way too big[/quote7604f35542]

they come w/ different earbuds... i think three different sizes... the grey part pops off

the ipod ones are too big for my ears too....

i havent gotten these yet but i'll be getting them for chirstmas.

my boyfriend swears by them.

This isn't a review website...stupid head

what's the model number for these?

[quote8547e95a95="l0th"]what's the model number for these?[/quote8547e95a95]

if you were talking about the headphones... which i'm not sure if you were or not...

MDR-EX71SL/WK

im thinkin bout trading in the ipod(when it ever comes) and getting the iriver, cause i mean it does have a color screen plus radio

has anyone heard anything about the sony 20gb?

[quote283e423ed2]im thinkin bout trading in the ipod(when it ever comes) and getting the iriver, cause i mean it does have a color screen plus radio[/quote283e423ed2]

my advice to you compare some online reviews before you receive your iPod.

Then when you've got your iPod, try it a little, then go to some store and check how the iRiver feels like.

My own personal opinion color + radio don't make the iRiver better than the iPod it's still too bulky and at the same time too fragile in comparison to the iPod. Now, the iRiver has a lot of other features the iPod doesn't have and if you're interested in these as well, maybe trading would make sense, but if it's only for color and radio....

^good advice

[quote1e6b4ebe17="imetazoa"][quote1e6b4ebe17="LedFloyd"]I decided to bring my own headphones to school one day (purchased from radio shack for $30) so I could get a good idea of how they REALLY sounded. I tried it on the 3rd gen., it sounded a bit better, but still not good to me personally. [/quote1e6b4ebe17]

http//www.sonystyle.com/intershoproot/eCS/Store/en/imagesProducts/250x250/MDREX71SLWK.jpg[" alt=""/img1e6b4ebe17]

spend 20 more to get these headphones and your ipod will sound GOLDEN.[/quote1e6b4ebe17]

Cosigning these.. I use these with my ipod. I haven't even opened the package to the stock earbuds... Lovely I must say. They come with 3 different size earbud ends so you can pick and choose the ones that fit you best. Quality is great. They're like $50 (that's not how much I paid) but if you were to go to like a Best Buy or something they'll be about that. it'll be worth it though.

[quotee99646c546="l0th"]my advice to you compare some online reviews before you receive your iPod.[/quotee99646c546]

I've done plenty of that already. The more reviews I find, the more evidence I find that the iRiver DOES actually sound better than the iPod. I found two people that own a 4th gen and an iRiver, one says the iRiver sounds better and likes the fact that it's more customizable, and the other says he/she doesn't notice much of a difference. And I find the OGG support very tempting.

[quotee99646c546]Then when you've got your iPod, try it a little, then go to some store and check how the iRiver feels like.[/quotee99646c546]

With Christmas rolling around and return policies being stretched, why the heck not? I just might try it, but what store should I use?

[quotee99646c546]My own personal opinion color + radio don't make the iRiver better than the iPod it's still too bulky and at the same time too fragile in comparison to the iPod. Now, the iRiver has a lot of other features the iPod doesn't have and if you're interested in these as well, maybe trading would make sense, but if it's only for color and radio....[/quotee99646c546]

That might be the case for others, but as I research it more, that plays a very small role in determination for me personally. I never use radio because of the horrid sound quality. Size is not really an issue for me, I've had a thick Sony Mini-Disc player and I was just fine with it. The iRiver is about .2 inches thicker (deeper) than an iPod, every other dimension is the same. That doesn't bother me much, because it's still going to fit in my blue jeans. Maybe not in my back pocket for everyone to see, and I won't have those easily spotted white ear buds... I'll be fine though.

Fragile? I've heard quite a bit of cases on this forum of people dropping their iPods and from what I can gather, it can screw them up quite easily. If it's the fact that the iRiver is made of plastic... Yeah, that hurts. But what else is fragile about it?

Wow... You're not talking to me are you? It looks like over read Anon's post P... Oh well...

[quotee99646c546="imetazoa"]has anyone heard anything about the sony 20gb?[/quotee99646c546]

I have. And I have also seen the $400 price tag which is out of bounds. It's smaller than the iPod, it looks awesome, has a better battery life... But Sony decided to go on with it's ATRAC3 rampage (my brother has an ATRAC3 Plus CD/MP3 player, I hate it) and shaft support of MP3 and WMA. So it's good if you're willing to convert and spend some extra moneys.

I think people might have overlooked my previous question what's the model number/reference for these sony earphones?

[quotef368f130a4="l0th"]my advice to you compare some online reviews before you receive your iPod.[/quotef368f130a4]

I've done plenty of that already. The more reviews I find, the more evidence I find that the iRiver DOES actually sound better than the iPod. I found two people that own a 4th gen and an iRiver, one says the iRiver sounds better and likes the fact that it's more customizable, and the other says he/she doesn't notice much of a difference. And I find the OGG support very tempting.

[quotef368f130a4]Then when you've got your iPod, try it a little, then go to some store and check how the iRiver feels like.[/quotef368f130a4]

With Christmas rolling around and return policies being stretched, why the heck not? I just might try it, but what store should I use?

[quotef368f130a4]My own personal opinion color + radio don't make the iRiver better than the iPod it's still too bulky and at the same time too fragile in comparison to the iPod. Now, the iRiver has a lot of other features the iPod doesn't have and if you're interested in these as well, maybe trading would make sense, but if it's only for color and radio....[/quotef368f130a4]

That might be the case for others, but as I research it more, that plays a very small role in determination for me personally. I never use radio because of the horrid sound quality. Size is not really an issue for me, I've had a thick Sony Mini-Disc player and I was just fine with it. The iRiver is about .2 inches thicker (deeper) than an iPod, every other dimension is the same. That doesn't bother me much, because it's still going to fit in my blue jeans. Maybe not in my back pocket for everyone to see, and I won't have those easily spotted white ear buds... I'll be fine though.

Fragile? I've heard quite a bit of cases on this forum of people dropping their iPods and from what I can gather, it can screw them up quite easily. If it's the fact that the iRiver is made of plastic... Yeah, that hurts. But what else is fragile about it?

Wow... You're not talking to me are you? It looks like over read Anon's post P... Oh well...

[quotef368f130a4="imetazoa"]has anyone heard anything about the sony 20gb?[/quotef368f130a4]

I have. And I have also seen the $400 price tag which is out of bounds. It's smaller than the iPod, it looks awesome, has a better battery life... But Sony decided to go on with it's ATRAC3 rampage (my brother has an ATRAC3 Plus CD/MP3 player, I hate it) and shaft support of MP3 and WMA. So it's good if you're willing to convert and spend some extra moneys.

[quotef368f130a4="grant38402"]This isn't a review website...stupid head[/quotef368f130a4]

Boo freakin' Hoo!

The reason I made this thread is so people would realize that there are actually better (personal opinion, by one who isn't consumed by a fashion trend) alternatives. The reason I didn't put this in the Off-Topic section is that so it would receive more feedback. Remember This thread is called "iPod Alternatives", from now on, I want you to avoid it!

lilideletedlili

except i dont know how to delete a post... i dont see an option here. sorry!

[quoted9a5c1d83e="l0th"]I think people might have overlooked my previous question what's the model number/reference for these sony earphones?[/quoted9a5c1d83e]

[quoted9a5c1d83e="imetazoa"][quoted9a5c1d83e="l0th"]what's the model number for these?[/quoted9a5c1d83e]

if you were talking about the headphones... which i'm not sure if you were or not...

MDR-EX71SL/WK[/quoted9a5c1d83e]

i think someone may have overlooked my answer )

I really like this video... it's a video of an iRiver playing the video of the iPod playing the trailer to the new Star Wars (yes I know...)

http//www.haku.co.uk/video/video_h340_playing_ipod.wmv

PWND..

[quote5b1f336420="LedFloyd"]
With Christmas rolling around and return policies being stretched, why the heck not? I just might try it, but what store should I use?
[/quote5b1f336420]


Best Buy for sure... i took my ipod there and said it was a gift and they gave me 317.99 in store credit, if anybody would have any other mp3 player you were looking for it would be them.

Hmm I don't know now. The Ipod is a lot lighter though.

Yes that's true... weight really isn't an issue for me though.

New update USBOTG (USB On The Go) is reportedly now working in the US models due to a firmware upgrade. So I can take music from people's iPods, download images from the camera, etc.

Man I love these things...

the sony 40gb is a real beauty

Yeah I know, but the price tag isn't. This iRiver is about $5 more than the iPod. And there comes a point when the MP3 Player, HDD MP3 players, what have you, becomes too small and has the easy ability to get lost in the depths of your couch like remote controls.

You can't go wrong with one of these.

THE SONY CAN'T PLAY MP3S!!!!! Sony had to insist on stupid ATRAC3, which is no better than OGG or AAC or WMV.

But back on topic The iPod has a very neutral sound signature, which is actually what audiophiles usually want. You can actually fix this by playing with the EQ settings. I would recommend the Jazz or Classical settings for most music as it adds just a little bit of bass and doesn't seem to distort the sound any. The iRiver does this by default, which is bad IMO because then there's no way to turn it off, but to most people, it doesn't matter since they'd probably like it better that way anyways. The only player that actually does sound better than the iPod is the Rio Karma. The sound signature is neutral like the ipod's but it has a very nice 5-band EQ
(so you can color the sound any way you want to) and a higher S/N ratio.

If you guys are gonna upgrade headphones, skip the Apple canalphones completely. For the money there are just much better options out there. This link pretty much covers it

http//playlistmag.com/features/2004/11/headphones/index.php

I've actually heard that iRiver sounds better than the Rio Karma and Creative Zen. We all hear differently, and have our own tastes. I listened to a friend's 3rd gen iPod again, this time the bit rate was higher than he normally put it (I don't know what the number was though), and it sounded just fine to my ears. It could have been better, but that's probably because I was using those uncomfortable buds. The iRiver has an SRS dynamic equalizer. I don't know what it is, but that's what it has. It also comes with this WOW and TruBass function.

I didn't see the Etymotic ER-6i's on that page. It's the iPod-white version of their popular ER-6's with a slightly different sound built for portable players. That's what's on my Christmas list. With those, any portable player will sound insanely good. The Shure E3's are better for highs (apparently there's a lack of low range), the Etymotic's are better for low range and apparently sound even gets better than it's normal state with a headphone amp.

Oh yes... I forgot that fact about the Sony player. Agreed, ATRAC3 is the devil.

EDIT ER6i's are on that page. You can find them for $120 from buy.com and the Shure E3C's from eBay for $5 more.