Recommendation wanted: MP3 player

[Skybird]

Two questions for the sound professionals.

I am a bit confused on how to collect music best. I read in a forum that the device I have chosen, via firmware can be updated to run .ogg-files, too. I also read different recommendations for how much compression should be used in order to have a good sound quality. First I read 128Kbit/s would be enough, then it was rtecommended to go to 198 Kbit/s, and more.

I believe I understood that ogg-files are at least as good in quality than MP3. Since I use Audiograbber to rip the CDs I want, and that thing is quickest and easiest when allowed to produce ogg-files. I would like to stay with that format. Speaks anything against that?

I have decided to use 256 Kbit/s, to be on the safe side of things. Is that too much - or should I even use 320, if I have sufficient memory?

[XabbaRus]

Well are you burning CDs and converting to MP3?

I just have almost all my albums on my HD at default bit rate.

Sounds fine to me.

[DarkFish]

You could also use Windows Media Player for ripping CD's. Easy as hell, and can produce mp3 files.

For mp3s, I generally use either 128 or 192 kbps.
What is good enough depends on both you and the music you listen to. If you're an absolute listener you'll need a higher bitrate. If you've got "normal" ears you can do with a lower one. If you listen to slow, calm music, a lower bitrate will do. If the music you listen to is fast and dynamic you need a higher one.

There's no way of really knowing what will be enough for you, besides testing. I'd recommend to start at 128kbps and move up from there (testing can be done at your PC)

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by XabbaRus

Well are you burning CDs and converting to MP3?

Burning CDs happens rarely here. I did some experiments this night, though.

First, i learned from reading some more info that kbit/s in MP3 and OGG Vorbis do not compare, the OGG files reach a higher sound quality with lower sampling rates, so when you use lets say 256 for MP3, you do not need a setting for OGG that matches that value, but you can use a much lower sampling rate to acchieve the same quality result, usually they recommend settings between 5 and 7 on the OGG slider for reaching a transparency that can no longer be differentiated by most listeners from life CD. I have adopted to a setting of 6, which is around 200 kbit/s, when I tested with samples in the range of settings between 3 and 8. In MP3, I can realise the difference from 128 to 196. Going even higher to 256 is where it looses me. I tested that with burnt tracks from CD in my HiFi, via headphone (a good headphone, I mean).

And if 8Gb is not enough to save my wanted CD collection, which will be a mixture of Jazz, Classic, Pop and some moderate Rock, I almost missed the option to put another micro SD card in and have more CDs as well. so memory should not become a problem at all.

I also decided to invest into a slightly more expensive inear set than I originally planned. I found a reasonable deal for the Philips SH9850, which got very good reviews especially for it's sound characteristics. With 65 euros it is in the middle segment of prices. Spending up to 250 euros for such things was not within my financial reach.

I'm really enjoying the perspective of spending some hours in the green or by the river in the coming days and hopefully: weeks, - in past weeks I have repeatedly thought when being there and reading a book that it would be nice now to have this or that CD available.

Just the organisation of tracks and readying them for synchronisation via demanded Media Player 10/11 drove me crazy a bit. That software simply does not arrange the tracks the way I want it, copies them in doublettes although they are correctly tagged, and so on. The audiograbber arranges the grabbed tracks in in album-related folders which do not seem to get recognised by WMP. And WinAmp -I'm a burnt child, two or three years ago I tried it, and it ended with a seriously damaged installation and my firewall running amok - I reinstalled short time later. Maybe I picked a monday download, but the memory is still haunting me.

[NeonSamurai]

I have the Sandisk Sansa clip + (4gb) myself. Its a pretty good player, and nice and small too.

Personally I use the inbuilt playlist function for playing my music. I found it easier to work with then sorting by album, or artist, etc. Folder also works too though I did have some trouble when I had lots of sub folders 3 deep or more. The advantage with playlists is that you can add any track from any folder, and you don't need to make sure all your music is properly labeled (which is slow and annoying to do).

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by NeonSamurai

I have the Sandisk Sansa clip + (4gb) myself. Its a pretty good player, and nice and small too.

Personally I use the inbuilt playlist function for playing my music. I found it easier to work with then sorting by album, or artist, etc. Folder also works too though I did have some trouble when I had lots of sub folders 3 deep or more. The advantage with playlists is that you can add any track from any folder, and you don't need to make sure all your music is properly labeled (which is slow and annoying to do).

I read that transferring music to the player, or deleting songs on the players, takes MUCH more time if you just move content via drag-and-drop - instead of using the synchronisation feature of the WMP...!? i would love to just drag and drop the music organised in folders per artist and sub-folders per album and skip any player software on the PC alltogether, but I believed I understood that this has huge disadvantages, time-wise?!

[Skybird]

Got it, and I am stunned - sound quality is far beyond what I expected. Easy handling, firmware up-to-date, fast data transfer, very good equalizer, .ogg and folders gets handled without problems. Wonderful! Much better than what I expected. If tuning the equalizer to the earplugs correctly (tried the default, a new one, and an old one I had), then I cannot tel the difference to a CD running in my HiFi and using headphones there.

I hope this device has some reasonable longevity. and right for the uncertainty of this, I would not spend more money on a player, than I did spend on this. But why should one invest more, if for that price you already get such superb sound...?

[Zachstar]

I have a Sansa and I love it! Because it just works and the contrast is very good and it feels light but secure.

Glad you had a good experience as well.