My dear first-generation Neuros is just not cutting it anymore for me, and I can’t wait any longer for the mythical N3. So I’m turning to the lazy web for suggestions for a new portable music player. Here’s what I want:
- Not a massive brick like the old Neuros.
- Plays Ogg Vorbis.
- Works today with Banshee (trunk is fine).
- Holds at least 40GB. This, unfortunately, rules out flash-based players.
Notable non-requirements include video, pictures, PIM, and cell phone capabilities. Suggestions?
I don’t think there’s anything out there that will do what you need. Archos is close with their latest firmware, but it is a brick.
You could just buy a player that Rockbox runs on. I have an iPod video that works great with Rockbox and meets all your other requirements. Plus…its fun to run something open source.
Its at rockbox.org if you’re interested.
Well, an iPod 5G running Rockbox comes to mind. Will play Ogg well, works with anything that supports Mass Storage Protocol, and you can get them in 30GB, 60GB, and 80GB. And you should be able to pick one up pretty cheaply nowadays.
Note: do NOT get an iPod Classic, aka the current line. Rockbox will not work on them.
I would suggest a slightly older-generation iPod running Rockbox (http://www.rockbox.org/ ) or ipodlinux (http://www.ipodlinux.org/ ). Only thing I’m not sure is whether they work with Rhythmbox with the custom firmwares, but I’d be surprised if they don’t.
I’m in more or less the same situation as you (still have a functional Neuros brick, mine with an 80GB hard disk retro-fitted). Every so often I look at the options for a new DAP but eventually I just drop it. Having a separate phone and DAP is too much hassle for me, in the end.
Why rules out flash-based, you can already have 32GB on the Nokia N800 using two SDHC cards, once 32GB cards are available, you’ll be able to have 64GB storage.
Works fine with banshee, does play video, pictures, pimlico works, etc.
iPod with rockbox?
When my Rio Karma started to die a few months ago I asked around and was pointed towards the Toshiba Gigabeat MEG-F40S 40 GB, running Rockbox. My Karma is still kicking, but the Toshiba looks promising.
iPod + Rockbox. Plays oggs, has a decent form factor and enough storage. You can probably pick up an older 60GB 5th gen on ebay for pretty cheap these days. I haven’t tried it with Banshee, but once Rockbox is on there, it just shows up as a plain USB drive, so it shouldn’t be hard to integrate it.
Getting picky. There’s good players out there, but demanding OGG playback limits the field, too much.
But if you want something high quality, with decent disk space, those Sansa View things look awesome. The latest flash models push 32GB, which is remarkable close to your recommendation, with the benefit of flash. Music, Video. And non-Apple too.
Not to mention, you could always try putting RockBox on it if you must have OGG playback.
I’d much rather find something that works with /Theora/, but maybe I just watch too many videos… Well, as soon as VLC gets ported to WM 2003, all will be well in my world, except an inescapable attachment to a version of Windows…
+1 for rockbox.
I’ve been using it for 4 years on my iRiver, and it’s never let me down.
If you don’t mind a little tinkering, you could get a lot more storage out of a cheap used iPod. With rockbox you can simply swap the disk and put your music on.
You don’t actually need ‘support’ for rockbox in rhythmbox etc. because it just shows up as mass storage device. So thats a given! 😉
Have you ever tried what Archos is producing?
I’ve bought one years ago and I can tell you these machines are little jewels:
http://www.archos.com/?country=global&lang=en
You could look at the cowon iaudio range or most samsung players. Double check with the samsungs though.
I think the Sansa View probably comes closest to your requirements, unfortunately the max capacity is only 32 Gbytes, if you wait another 3 months there will probably be a 64 GB version for Christmas.
Forgot to mention the Sansa View while having only 32 GB capacity can be expanded using microSDHC cards.
A name: Cowon
The model Iaudio 7 http://www.cowonglobal.com/product_wide/product_i7_feature.php it’s fantastic (16gb not 40gb!), but the other model too.
bye
P.S. Sorry for my bad english
The Cowon series of players are nice and slick with good sound quality, mass-storage support and plays ogg. Perhaps the iAudio A3 may do it?
iAudio X5 by Cowon!
Take a look at what iRiver and Cowon Audio has to offer. They have excellent players.
You cannot support freedom and choose iPod.
Please stop showing your support, by buying this product. There are plenty of other players out there that are just as good. Have a look at Sansu, and Meizu in particular.
AC, I don’t disagree with you, but are the devices you mention running free software? As far as I know, the only player that ever had a 100% free software firmware out of the box was the Neuros. And unfortunately, it just doesn’t look like it’s coming back any time soon.
To anybody watching these comments, I’m seriously considering the Cowon A3. Damn slick device. Actually has a line-in jack and can record in FLAC, which means it can even replace my old Neuros for recording (which I totally wasn’t expecting to find). And they’ve got an 80GB model.
I have a cowon D7 with 4Gb internal and 8Gb external flash, bought it about 8 months ago.
You can now get one with 16G Gb internal/external. This would get close to your size requierments, on a flash player.
IT plays pretty much everything I have but ACC. battery last long, and the UI, while not the best, if very usable.
Other problems it have is that the ogg support is half-baked. File will play fine, but not all id3 tags are shown. other than that I would definitely recommend it.