I bought a player not very long ago and I'm very happy with what I've chosen. Here's what I did: I listed things I expected from my player (but I was realistic 🙂 ) and then read reviews, there are plenty on the internet. Then I decided which would fit me most.
So I chose Sansa Clip+ because I wanted a player which has good sound quality, a lot of memory and is cheap 🙂

Quote from secretdesires

And what devices do true audiophiles take into consideration?

I wouldn't call myself a "true" audiophile, but for starters;
Stop taking public transport (screw the environment), buy a car and add a decent stereo (Mark Levinson, Linn ..etc). 🤣

Seriously, very few of these cookie-cutter portables cut the mustard nowadays. Sony had this device that was shaped like a thick pen (or small vibrator, if that's easier for you to imagine) some years ago which had better than average quality when hooked up to a pair of decent phones. The only 'portable' mp3 players I own are a couple of Oakley sunglasses (Thump and it's derivatives). They sound pretty decent for what they are, and since the only time I actually need em is when I'm out running or cycling (I drive to work), they serve their purpose pretty well. The earbuds on current Oakley shades-mp3player-hybrids shit all over what comes included with other portable players, imho.

With regards to actual processing;
The key thing with many of this devices is the electronic interference. The lower the better. You might be surprised, but there was a study a couple of years ago comparing an iPod nano to a touch. The nano yielded lower interference levels across the spectrum. When it comes to small devices, it seems the simpler the better. Same reason why a a terminal/cli-based frontend tends to generate better quality than a blingy GUI interface on your computer (assuming both use the same libraries for playback). The less abstraction/layers the better, in most cases.

Point & Squirt

Quote from Cherelle Ashlee

Quote from imp4ever

...does anyone actually use Zunes? Seriously, just get the iPod.

And anyway, I'm not sure why you used Youtube to look for a good comparison. I just googled it for you, and in about ten seconds got a a nice clear chart. Here's the link. And if that's not what you're looking for, I don't really think anyone can help you.

Umm I been looking on the net for those 2 and the chart you gave makes it clear that it's a tie between those two. However i have a friend who told me about if your itunes are on another computer/ laptop you cannot update it on another.

That's because for the most part, it really is as boring as a simple tie. The advantage iPod has over Zune is that you get apps, which I must say is a pretty big advantage. The advantage to getting a Zune is...people look at you funny when they find out.

And about the seperate computers thing, it isn't that big of a deal. Of course, it's been a while since I used an iPod, so don't quote me on it. You can quote these guys instead.

Quote from G-17

Quote from secretdesires

And what devices do true audiophiles take into consideration?

I wouldn't call myself a "true" audiophile, but for starters;
Stop taking public transport (screw the environment), buy a car and add a decent stereo (Mark Levinson, Linn ..etc). 🤣

Seriously, very few of these cookie-cutter portables cut the mustard nowadays. Sony had this device that was shaped like a thick pen (or small vibrator, if that's easier for you to imagine) some years ago which had better than average quality when hooked up to a pair of decent phones. The only 'portable' mp3 players I own are a couple of Oakley sunglasses (Thump and it's derivatives). They sound pretty decent for what they are, and since the only time I actually need em is when I'm out running or cycling (I drive to work), they serve their purpose pretty well. The earbuds on current Oakley shades-mp3player-hybrids shit all over what comes included with other portable players, imho.

With regards to actual processing;
The key thing with many of this devices is the electronic interference. The lower the better. You might be surprised, but there was a study a couple of years ago comparing an iPod nano to a touch. The nano yielded lower interference levels across the spectrum. When it comes to small devices, it seems the simpler the better. Same reason why a a terminal/cli-based frontend tends to generate better quality than a blingy GUI interface on your computer (assuming both use the same libraries for playback). The less abstraction/layers the better, in most cases.

I would trade a lousy car and a stereo for a good computer and a new model iPhone/ iPod anytime. Mind you, I bet not only me will do so. Having a stereo at home for rocking music until the neighbours complain? Fine to me. But not everybody stays at home that much. Loud music inside the car all the time? Remember the driving theory lessons? Hang on, even just by experience, that's a "really cool" driver.

I have no intention of keeping a 1GB iPod nano or a any MP3 that has the capability lower than 16GB. All of the music I have currently has reached 8 GB and to store them all just in the laptop is not really a clever solution, since most people would not carry their laptop with them all day and everywhere. Besides, no Sony software or other music software works with a mac, you may try bootcamp but what's the point of having a mac in the first place.

Man is more ape than many of the apes.

Actually, many audiophiles like the sound of the newer iPods, especially when pared with an amp and good headphones.

For a good indication of what's available, maybe check out a few audiophile sites:

Head-fi is a good one to start with, although it can be a bit overwhelming at first. Still it's a great resource and I've found it very helpful for my audio needs.

Anything But iPod is also a good site, although, as can be seen by the name, biased against the Apple players.

Do some browsing around these two sites and it should hopefully give you a little more info on which to base your decision.

Quote from Geese1

Actually, many audiophiles like the sound of the newer iPods, especially when pared with an amp and good headphones.

For a good indication of what's available, maybe check out a few audiophile sites:

Head-fi is a good one to start with, although it can be a bit overwhelming at first. Still it's a great resource and I've found it very helpful for my audio needs.

Anything But iPod is also a good site, although, as can be seen by the name, biased against the Apple players.

Do some browsing around these two sites and it should hopefully give you a little more info on which to base your decision.

Oh please!! .. the guy who leads Head-Fi lost all credibility the moment he paired the Stax SR-009 + Woo Audio Amp combo with a Macbook + Amara. Anyone who even has a clue about sound quality knows that any laptop chipset doesn't cut the mustard (not even playing lossless) for most high-end headphones, let alone a legendary Stax electrostatic earspeaker. I can get the same or higher quality with OSS4 + libflac running on any decent laptop made today, but hell, I wouldn't even consider a high-end Asus Xonar soundcard + OSS4 + Libflac + insulated desktop chassis a decent enough combo for that headphone-amp combo. Computers just don't cut it compared to dedicated digital-audio players, unless you're talking about custom-built ones that cost more than 20 high-end gaming rigs combined.

Your second site I've not heard of, so I'll reserve judgement.

Sadly, all the decent reviewers are still on print publications with no online equivalent.

Point & Squirt

Quote from G-17

Quote from secretdesires

And what devices do true audiophiles take into consideration?

I wouldn't call myself a "true" audiophile, but for starters;
Stop taking public transport (screw the environment), buy a car and add a decent stereo (Mark Levinson, Linn ..etc). 🤣

Seriously, very few of these cookie-cutter portables cut the mustard nowadays. Sony had this device that was shaped like a thick pen (or small vibrator, if that's easier for you to imagine) some years ago which had better than average quality when hooked up to a pair of decent phones. The only 'portable' mp3 players I own are a couple of Oakley sunglasses (Thump and it's derivatives). They sound pretty decent for what they are, and since the only time I actually need em is when I'm out running or cycling (I drive to work), they serve their purpose pretty well. The earbuds on current Oakley shades-mp3player-hybrids shit all over what comes included with other portable players, imho.
With regards to actual processing;
The key thing with many of this devices is the electronic interference. The lower the better. You might be surprised, but there was a study a couple of years ago comparing an iPod nano to a touch. The nano yielded lower interference levels across the spectrum. When it comes to small devices, it seems the simpler the better. Same reason why a a terminal/cli-based frontend tends to generate better quality than a blingy GUI interface on your computer (assuming both use the same libraries for playback). The less abstraction/layers the better, in most cases.

So my question to you since you seem like a music device savey. Which other device would you recommend (does not matter what brand) that would have great sound quality and pretty useful to everyday life? Based on everyone's opinion, it's seems like a itouch would be a better investment.

[img]http://cdn-tunwalai.obapi.io/files/profile/32170/32170-member.jpg[/img]

But if it makes you happy to win on the internet, have at it.

[color=#FF0000]Screams from the haters, got a nice ring to it. I guess every superhero need her theme music...
[/color]

Quote from Cherelle Ashlee

So my question to you since you seem like a music device savey. Which other device would you recommend (does not matter what brand) that would have great sound quality and pretty useful to everyday life? Based on everyone's opinion, it's seems like a itouch would be a better investment.

Well, "everyone's opinion" does raise a good point in that the iPod Touch can do more than just play music from iTunes. It almost has the same functionality as an iPad, in many respects. Thing is, products like these fall into the "jack of all trades, master of none" category. It does many things, but doesn't excel at any one task particularly. Of course, budget plays a big part in it, and if you feel the touch gives you the best bang for the buck, then get it. Like I said earlier, most porta-players are utilitarian throaways these days. Use it until it dies and get a new one in future. They ain't vinyl decks, that's for sure.

What I can advice you to do is go open, meaning get a player that supports as many formats as possible. iDevices are kinda locked down to iTunes, in many respects, meaning you're mostly limited to m4a and Alac on the audio side (someone correct me if I'm wrong here, since I don't use em). You seem like you want audio quality over all else (that's why you're asking me, right?), so I'd firstly ask you to aim for a player that supports formats like wav, flac, aac, ape, ogg, wmv ...etc in addition to mp3.

If you can afford it, try looking at Hifiman's line-up.
http://hifiman.com/

Some people I know speak quite highly of Cowon, though I do not have any experience with the brand personally. They seem to have products similar to the touch in terms of multi-functionality, with the added benefit of running Android (more open and modular than Apple's closed iOS ecosystem, imho). http://www.cowonglobal.com/

If money is no object, check this out:
http://www.colorfly.eu/product_index.html

Gawd!!. I can't believe I wrote so much about devices I don't really think that highly of 🤣

P.S: Goes without saying but, whatever you use, make sure you have a decent set of headphones or earbuds.

[partly off-topic, but a somewhat relevant rant]
I must disclaim that I have a strong hatred for iWhatevers and I do not claim to be fair, though I do try to be objective as possible with regards to audio quality. Unlike what many sensationalists say, I don't believe that iTunes saved the music industry. I think it made it worse, in fact. Good artists are being sideswiped and greedy record labels seem to have more congress lobbying power than they ever did partly thanks to iTunes' DRM-friendly past practices. Did you notice that "Internet Censorship Today" thread about congress passing some bill backed by all the greedy media moguls and such. I can draw a direct line linking most of what's wrong with it to iTunes.[/rant]

Point & Squirt

Thanks alot actually you help alot because the links you show are things I never seen before actually. However, way to expensive!! but the quality of it (well what I have read) is really good.
Also I want to ask you if you ever heard of the name brand Archos 3 cam vision

http://www.archos.com/products/mp3_players/archos_3cam_vision/index.html?country=ru&lang=en

I read alot about it and many people had good and bad reviews about the quality of the music. Have you heard about that brand before? If so what do you think about it?

Also, the next brand I was researching about the the sony walkman nwz-s754. Its pretty good because its noise cancellation with clear bass and extremely long battery life with a feature called sense me that plays a song depending on your mood.

http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/04/unannounced-sony-walkman-nwz-s754-unearthed-at-ifa/

Can you tell me what you think and thanks alot for your help and opinions.

[img]http://cdn-tunwalai.obapi.io/files/profile/32170/32170-member.jpg[/img]

But if it makes you happy to win on the internet, have at it.

[color=#FF0000]Screams from the haters, got a nice ring to it. I guess every superhero need her theme music...
[/color]

Apologies for replying so late. I had been away for a while and only noticed this just now.

I have heard of Archos, but mainly for their tablets and some other embedded devices. Never used any of their products before, so I can't offer an opinion.

Of the 2 you listed, the Sony seems a better choice, but you'll have to confirm what file/container formats it's capable of playing. The "sense" thing seems like a gimmick though, and I must admit I've boycotted everything Sony due to ethical reasons, but their audio players are usually pretty good. The article you linked claims the device is "unannounced", but I assume you've seen it for sale somewhere?

Point & Squirt

Yes, the article I link you to was very old but I found several sites that sell its actually. There are many people I know who boycott sony as well, I guess people are into the "all in one thing" these days shrugs. However, that is the reason I like this brand because they put more effort into the sound quality then the color resolution or that fact that it can connect to the internet quickly. Any who, regarding the file format it supports:
Video MPG, MPEG, MPEG 2, VOB, DAT, MP4, M4V, TS, RM, RMVB, WMV, ASF, MKV, AVI, 3GP, 3G2, FLV, SWF, MPV, MOD, TOD, QT, MOV, DV, DIF, MJPG, MJPEG
Audio MP3, MP2, AAC, AC3, WAV, WMA, M4A, RM, RAM, OGG, AU, AIF, AIFF, APE, FLAC, NUT
HD Video HD TS, HD MTS, HD M2TS, HD MPG, HD MPEG,HD MP4, HD WMV, QuickTime HD MOV, HD H.264, HD RM

All from the website.....

Also, I just don't see why people look the other way when it comes to sony, they are a pretty good name brand with good sound quality and extremely durable. Some of them are pretty good and to my surprise are more expensive then a itouch
🤢

http://www.techradar.com/reviews/gadgets/ipods-and-portable-audio/ipod-and-mp3-players/sony-walkman-nwz-a845-690116/review <------- this one for example

http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/27/sony-officially-outs-new-a-e-and-s-series-walkmans/ <---- and this one

Really good but really expensive... for some strange reason

😔

[img]http://cdn-tunwalai.obapi.io/files/profile/32170/32170-member.jpg[/img]

But if it makes you happy to win on the internet, have at it.

[color=#FF0000]Screams from the haters, got a nice ring to it. I guess every superhero need her theme music...
[/color]

^My reasons have nothing to do with their products. Like I stated, their audio and video hardware is pretty decent. It's their company practices that I don't agree with, like throwing a dude into prison just because he showed others how to install an alternative OS on a PS3.

Anyways, you should be good as long as it plays MP3, OGG, APE and FLAC.

Regarding price, it's not surprising that their higher-end models demand a premium. Top-of-the-line Vaio laptops are often pricier than equivalent MacBook Pro or ThinkPad models, for example.

Point & Squirt

[quote=G-17]^My reasons have nothing to do with their products. Like I stated, their audio and video hardware is pretty decent. It's their company practices that I don't agree with, like throwing a dude into prison just because he showed others how to install an alternative OS on a PS3.

Wow they really did that!! o_O. I thought they normally fine them but never have I thought it would lead to jail time. shrugs

Any who, Thanks for your help for everything! I already place my order and your a pretty good audiophile!

[img]http://cdn-tunwalai.obapi.io/files/profile/32170/32170-member.jpg[/img]

But if it makes you happy to win on the internet, have at it.

[color=#FF0000]Screams from the haters, got a nice ring to it. I guess every superhero need her theme music...
[/color]