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Topic: MP3-CD players (Read 6303 times) previous topic - next topic
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MP3-CD players

Hi there!

I'd like your opinion on portable MP3 CD players such as the SONY DNE-1, very slick-looking and appealing . I think that despite the lack of compatiblity with formats like OGG or MPC, these smart little machines represent a good compromise between versatily, capacity and quality.

As a matter of fact, most portable MP3 players offer too limited a capacity (except the iPod-like players with over 10 GB) IMHO, compared to the 700 MB available on a CD-R.

As well as that, since I already a couple of MP3 CDs and loads of music CDs, it spares the inconvenience of swapping a standard CD player and a MP3 player...

And eventually, you can get the DNE-1 on Amazon.com for something like USD 175, which sounds OK compared to iPods for instance..

Well, what's it to you?! Let me hear your feedback!! Cheeeers...  B)

MP3-CD players

Reply #1 –
Some years ago I got myself a Philips Expanium 101 MP3-CD player and it's still working perfectly. No problems on any data cds and at the moment I'm feeding it APS encoded mp3s. I'm going to visit my parents this week and the nearly 4 hour bus trip won't feel that bad at all because I have 2 CD-RWs filled with mp3 music with me. Granted that the battery life is not that long in Expanium 101 but most likely this has been improved concerning the newer models. Anyway, I recommend checking the Philips Expanium models.

Edit: typos
Team musepack (MPC) & REX

MP3-CD players

Reply #2 –
Old hardware players were often not compatible with 320 kbps MP3s, or VBR MP3s.

MP3-CD players

Reply #3 –
I have a Sony D-NE710 that goes for ~$100 and it works marvelously. Never tried the ATRAC3plus features (since transcoding mp3 files into another format was very unappealing and the included burning software doesn't support ogg or mpc), but it reads and plays mp3s fine. Insane battery life. My biggest gripe is that while it supports id3v2 tags, it doesn't use tag information in its file browser, so if you burn a cd with "Heavy Vegetable - 27 - Radio.mp3" (for example) in a folder with other songs by said artist, you will see a list like "Heavy V..., Heavy V..., Heavy V...
It also doesn't read the information for track number. If you want to burn an album, I recommend formatting it "27-Radio.mp3" instead.

MP3-CD players

Reply #4 –
The Phillips Expanium 101 handles 320 kpbs and VBR mp3's just fine. I think it was one of the first models to support VBR flawlessly.
I wish the battery life was better and that it supported ID3 tags (or better yet, APEv2  ), but for a raw mp3 playing machine they are respectably good.
Newer models from Sony, iRiver and Phillips address this shortcomings though.

MP3-CD players

Reply #5 –
I haven't come across a portable mp3 player which "remembers" which track you were up to when you turn it off, then back on later. Considering the number of tracks you might have to skip past that makes them unusable AFAIC, not to mention the fact that I'll never remember myself. My car CD/mp3 player remembers, as does my DVD player.
Cheers,
Alan

MP3-CD players

Reply #6 –
Heh, my good ol' Expanium 101 does with the resume setting.

~Dologan

MP3-CD players

Reply #7 –
Quote
I haven't come across a portable mp3 player which "remembers" which track you were up to when you turn it off, then back on later. Considering the number of tracks you might have to skip past that makes them unusable AFAIC, not to mention the fact that I'll never remember myself. My car CD/mp3 player remembers, as does my DVD player.

My RioVolt SP-90 with the latest iRiver IMP-100 firmware (via the firmware hack) supports this.
iTunes 10 - Mac OS X 10.6
256kbps AAC VBR
iPhone 4 32GB

MP3-CD players

Reply #8 –
Quote
I haven't come across a portable mp3 player which "remembers" which track you were up to when you turn it off, then back on later. Considering the number of tracks you might have to skip past that makes them unusable AFAIC, not to mention the fact that I'll never remember myself. My car CD/mp3 player remembers, as does my DVD player.

The Sony D-CJ501 my Dad bought on the spur of the moment a few months ago will start you off at, not only the track, but the exact secound where you turned it off.  Personally I F***ING HATE that feature, but anyway.
gentoo ~amd64 + layman | ncmpcpp/mpd | wavpack + vorbis + lame

MP3-CD players

Reply #9 –
Quote
...[remembers]. ..not only the track, but the exact secound where you turned it off.

So do all iRiver players. It can be changed to begin of last played track or turned off as well.

MP3-CD players

Reply #10 –
And what about gaps between tracks?

-ec

MP3-CD players

Reply #11 –
Quote
And what about gaps between tracks?

My IMP-250 plays CDDA gapless just like it should. It does not play gapless mp3, but that's no surprise, because of the limitations in the mpeg layer3 specs. Search the HA forums to learn more.

MP3-CD players

Reply #12 –
I recently got my girlfriend a Sony Sports Discman with MP3 / CD / AM/FM radio. 

One night before I had purchased her a KOSS mp3 player at Costco.  It worked OK, and it had a decent LCD display, showing lots of song info.  It also scanned through MP3s very fast, and got the song info fast.  But it was pretty cheap, the circuit board for the LCD was open on the inside of the lid, not much protection at all.  Sound volume was pretty low... fault of the supplied headphones or output I don't know.

Anyways next day I was in the Sony store and saw the new line of cd/mp3 players, at a fraction of the price of the old line.  Ended up getting her the Sports model because its much better made, very durable and strong, and she tends to not always care for things the way she should, like carrying it in the bottom of a bag with no padding, etc. 

The sound quality is better than the Koss unit, mind you it did cost more.  I got her some of the Sony recharghable AA batteries but it eats through them much faster than the cheap Costco / Kirkland alkalines I pulled out of my freezer and gave her, so I'm not certain if recharghable is that good a deal. 

It doesn't get the song info as quick nor does it scan through the MP3s as fast but it's workable.  Creating playlists also isn't quite as easy, but again, it's workable.  Having the am/fm is a bonus for her.  Personally, I haven't listened to the radio in years. 

I'm looking to get a MP3 / CD player for my car... still deciding what amp / speakers to get first.

I also got a DVD player the same day, Sony DVP-NS725P.  It's MP3 player menu isn't bad at all but I don't think it shows ID3, at least not that I remember.

MP3-CD players

Reply #13 –
Quote
The Phillips Expanium 101 handles 320 kpbs and VBR mp3's just fine. I think it was one of the first models to support VBR flawlessly.
I wish the battery life was better and that it supported ID3 tags (or better yet, APEv2  ), but for a raw mp3 playing machine they are respectably good.
Newer models from Sony, iRiver and Phillips address this shortcomings though.

Dologan and Markusk, thank you for remembering the Philips Expanium 101.  I haven't used mine in years (replaced it with the Iriver IMP-350 when it came out, and just replaced the 350 with the Iriver IMP-550 on Friday), but I did an early review on the 101 for IGN when it first came out.  It is my emergency backup player (350 just died), and I still am fond of it.  It tickles me pink to see people still remember and use it!  Thanks for reminding me that people did like it!

Kimberly

http://gear.ign.com/articles/306/306578p1.html
Kimberly aka
Baroness Sylvia von Zurich (the only Goldwater Conservative) endorses the Meadow Party's Bill and Opus for the 2004 Presidential election!  A sometimes dead cat and an overweight penguin who looks like a puffin couldn't possibly do any worse than a Shrub.

MP3-CD players

Reply #14 –
Quote
(350 just died)

What happened to your 350? How long did you own it before it became defective?

MP3-CD players

Reply #15 –
I dropped the 350 one time too many.  Now the CD laser doesn't move on its own, so the display keeps reloading when I try to play a CD (radio is fine).  Took it apart, rechecked all connections, manually moved the laser carriage, and still no luck.

It lasted for 20 months of heavy use (bought December 2001), so I have no regrets.  I can still use it to charge its original gumstick batteries to use in the 550.
Kimberly aka
Baroness Sylvia von Zurich (the only Goldwater Conservative) endorses the Meadow Party's Bill and Opus for the 2004 Presidential election!  A sometimes dead cat and an overweight penguin who looks like a puffin couldn't possibly do any worse than a Shrub.
 

MP3-CD players

Reply #16 –
 

I'll keep that in mind...I've dropped mine on the concrete once from over 3 feet....and it's taken several much lighter falls since then, but is still working like new. I've had mine since approximately August 2002, so it will hopefully get me thru at least April of next year.