mp3 player/language learning + also wmp audio

catalina66

Hi

I’m looking around for a (1gb) mp3 player, specifically for language learning … I want to put 11-45 CDs onto it (away for 8 weeks soon). Am I right in understanding that 1gb = 45 CDs? and, if an mp3 player is advertised as charged via PC, is there always a normal charger provided also, that can be plugged in anywhere? On a really tight budget, so any other bells and whistles aren’t needed.

First mp3 player … can you tell!? :-) Have been looking around a lot, but it’s all getting a bit confusing! Plus I need to be sure that the mp3 player will also play any audio disks created through windows media player, so would welcome advice.

Thanks, Cat

sra

How many fits really depends on how you import your cds

The best thing to do is to try importing a file to see for yourself what quality is acceptable to you. You don't have to wait till you have an mp3 player to create the files

If you look in Windows Media player's options you have the choice of wma and mp3 (under the Rip Music tab). MP3 will work with just about every player while wma will restrict your choice.

Next you have to decide on quality. for music I set the quality to 192 kbps. For speech i have some as low as 32kbps - but the quality is horrible and I imagine to hear the subtleties of language you'll need better quality

A lot of mp3 players use usb to charge - For my Ipod you're supposed to pay an extra £20 to get a usb to socket adapter plug :eek: - so you'd have to make sure it came with a plug-charger, or that you could get an adapter (or it uses rechargeable batteries)

catalina66

sra wrote:

If you look in Windows Media player's options you have the choice of wma and mp3 (under the Rip Music tab). MP3 will work with just about every player while wma will restrict your choice.

Next you have to decide on quality. for music I set the quality to 192 kbps. For speech i have some as low as 32kbps - but the quality is horrible and I imagine to hear the subtleties of language you'll need better quality.

A lot of mp3 players use usb to charge - For my Ipod you're supposed to pay an extra £20 to get a usb to socket adapter plug :eek: - so you'd have to make sure it came with a plug-charger, or that you could get an adapter (or it uses rechargeable batteries)

Thanks sra, great information. Good to know about mp3 rather than wma, plus I hadn't known about being able to set the quality etc. Which mp3 player do you have, or are there any others you'd recommend?

sra

I use a great big 60GB Ipod.

Couldn't recommend a small MP3 player - my last one was a cheapy from ebay - not a well known brand

catalina66

Been hunting around a bit more, and am wondering if anyone has bought Ebuyer's "Deal" Sumvision 1gb mp3 with radio. It's £25.52 and has a number of good reviews on the site.

http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/99158

And can I ask about getting my language audio cd's onto this player. Really am new to this, so apologies if these are really basic questions!

wonderfullife_2

Hi
The only problem I can see with this, and I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong, is, that I don't know if it has "resume" on it.

One of my friends at work, has a cheap and cheerful medion 1gb mp3 player, very similiar to this one, and she can't get resume on it, so that everytime she stops her player, and then starts again, it starts from the beginning of the file, which is no good if your listening to an audio file and its an hour long, which mine sometimes are. Of course if they are short files, say 2-3mins long, then I assume it will be fine, but again I don't know.


I would also say if your going to be ripping your own mp3s for audio, the settings I have found to be acceptable are: 64kbps bitrate, 44100mhz, and mono chanel. I listen to a lot of audiobooks, either downloaded or ripped and have found these setting to be pretty good.

Have a look at this program for ripping your cd's, you can set your own bitrates, freq etc. I think its still freeware
dBpowerAMP Music Converter
http://www.free-codecs.com/download/dBpowerAMP_Music_Converter.htm

Also with these sort of players, using better headphones than the ones supplied really do help improve sound quality.

Hope I've not confused you to much, I'm just not sure about these players, usually the cheaper they are, the less you can do with them.
But hopefully someone else might know a bit more about them.

catalina66

wonderfullife wrote:

Hi
The only problem I can see with this, and I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong, is, that I don't know if it has "resume" on it ... which is no good if your listening to an audio file and its an hour long, which mine sometimes are.

I would also say if your going to be ripping your own mp3s for audio, the settings I have found to be acceptable are: 64kbps bitrate, 44100mhz, and mono chanel. I listen to a lot of audiobooks, either downloaded or ripped and have found these setting to be pretty good.

http://www.free-codecs.com/download/dBpowerAMP_Music_Converter.htm

Also with these sort of players, using better headphones than the ones supplied really do help improve sound quality.

Hope I've not confused you to much, I'm just not sure about these players, usually the cheaper they are, the less you can do with them.
But hopefully someone else might know a bit more about them.

Hi wonderfullife, thanks ... especially for pointing out about 'resume' ... I'd been presuming that mp3 players generally had that feature as standard ... it would definitely be really awkward trying to do language learning without 'resume'! Thanks for the link and settings for ripping too. The converter program looks great. Will definitely make sure only look at players with 'resume' now, so many thanks for pointing it out.

wonderfullife_2

Hi
Yes, I thought it was standard to, and it might be just this one player, or it could be my friend, as she's a bit dozy, very nice, but dozy and she might not have the correct settings on.

I bought one of these cheap and cheerful players off ebay a few years back, and that had resume on it, and it was a great little player.

You could always email the website and ask, they usually answer you.

Have you looked on ebay? again, if you find one you like, you can the seller a question.

catalina66

wonderfullife wrote:

Hi
Yes, I thought it was standard to, and it might be just this one player, or it could be my friend, as she's a bit dozy, very nice, but dozy and she might not have the correct settings on.

I bought one of these cheap and cheerful players off ebay a few years back, and that had resume on it, and it was a great little player.

You could always email the website and ask, they usually answer you.

Have you looked on ebay? again, if you find one you like, you can the seller a question.

Hi, lol :-) Just googled Medion and one or two links mentioned that some had formatted the player and now can't use it ... just wanted to mention that, so your friend doesn't have the same happen! http://www.avforums.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-147068.html

Great that the one you bought on Ebay turned out really well. Many thanks for advice. I'd been going to email Ebuyer direct, but their help page says they don't offer pre-sales advice, and to contact the manufacturer ... I've posted a question on Ebuyer's product review page, but have just managed to find the Sumvision site, surprisingly not via google, but via a review and forum and whatever else! Have asked Sumvision, plus just had a bit of luck looking on Ebay again, as one seller is selling a Sumvision M18 lgb, so have asked them. Saw loads more good reviews while looking about too, so will cross my fingers that the responses say it has the 'resume' function!

wonderfullife_2

Hi
They really look like a nice little player, and I hope you sort it out. And I'll tell my friend about the formatting, although I know what she'll say "whats formatting" and "to technical for me" :rotfl:

I hope you find one soon thats got everything that you need.