Mp3 players headphones etc, Whats your recommendation.

[Bilbo Baggins]

Hi all, trouble with me is once I like a thing I kind of get attached to it, and ten years ago I got a wee Sony MP3 player and a set of those little plug in the ear JVC headphones. It has journeys with me faithfully on 4 Amsterdam trips and numerous family holidays. Only thing I dislike about it really is the associated software which you use to play songs, transfer them to the device, its called '' Sonicstage '' and really not that good.

I know '' I players '' were all the go a few years ago, but I wouldnt mind a few tips as to what you use to listen to your sounds when on the hoof to the Dam etc. and also what headphones, I think I would prefer proper small headphones that go over your head. I hate phones and avoid them like the plague so dont say phones.

Also do you have a kind of '' jukebox '' program which you can use to play tunes on your laptop /PC and maybe transfer songs from this program onto your device.

I should know these things as I'm an electrician, but technology just seems to pass me by, and I feel its time for a change ?

[Willjay]

We have an apple ipod it does everything an iphone does execpt phone, and you can only surf with wifi, no monthley bill

[sensi315]

Well I was using panasonic discman mp3 player for some years several years ago but then I found out this site: http://www.head-fi.org and my life is just not the same as before and my wallet empty lol

but I can recommend sansa clip mp3 players they support flac,mp3,ogg,wav files and they have also microSD slots for up to 32GB you can also rockbox it and get more audio settings out of it its great player cheap and with superb audio quality for that price highly recommended its also mass storage you just connect it to computer and copy files.

For question about headphones to go with check out this thread:
http://www.head-fi.org/a/headphone-buying-guide

[Bilbo Baggins]

Excellent link Sensi and thanks for posting, Itll take me a few hours to trawl through those recommendations but my first glance in there was to home in on the budget Sennheiser range--looks to be some good stuff ty

Willjay ty also--I may go down the I player route although I dont know what is the most modern of those available

[Taylor]

Hi,

You're talking to an Apple Genius here. I know my technology. If you wan't to listen to music on the go then either an iPod or a Sony MP3 player are great deals. If you walk into an Apple store you can have a play around with their iPod's. You can get an iPod Nano which can store a couple thousand songs or an iPod touch if you have a large library. Similarly you can pick up a Sony MP3 player for quite a bit cheaper although they are a somewhat diminished quality. You pay a lot for Apple hardware but you get a lot in return, great customer service (no indian call centres) and a fantastic RMA and return service. All iPod's come with a standard set of Ear Pods which are ok. (IMHO being an audiophile all tiny in ear headphones are shite)

If you wan't something in ear that's decent I'd recommend the 'RHA MA-350'

If you wan't something that looks retro but sounds great and you can wear glasses with I'd recommend the 'Koss PortaPro' headphones

If you wan't something a little bigger but with outstanding sound quality, the 'Sennheiser HD 202's' are a perfect choice.

If you wan't the ultimate in headphones go with the BOSE 'QC-15's', they will cost about the same as the iPod however they are one of the best quality high-end headphones you can buy. They also include a noise cancelling feature, so imagine being on a train or bus or plane or somewhere where it's really noise and not being able to hear any outside noise. Only your music.

I'm only mentioning this incase your loaded, but search for GRADOS for the best best best ever headphones. We're talking £1000+


As for software on a Laptop/Macbook iTunes is great at file management. You can sort all your music by Album, Genre, Song, Artist. You can create playlists on the fly and choose from different sound types through the music style selection. Not to mention iTunes will allow you to backup your iPod and buy music easily. If you get heavily invested in iTunes I recommend iTunes match, which will allow you to download your whole library in copyright free files to transfer to other devices.

Sony MP3 players are good, but as I say for my friends and family and the older generation I sell too. iTunes and iPod's are very easy to use and pickup. Also, bring it into any Apple store after a purchase and they will set it up for you and show you how to use it.

Any more questions? Just ask Love helping people