Best MP3 player

mostly

low end high end, theres a smaller 20 gig for under 200 notes. In the middle take a look at creative or iriver.

tobiaspj

I know you initally said you weren't interested in an iPod but for those who are check out the Apple Refurb and End of Line Shop!!

lcparkinson

Get a Cowon - partner and myself both have iAudios, and most reviews state that iPod to Cowon is like going from cassette to CD in terms of quality. I got both on Ebay for a great price, one is 30gb the other is 60gb (my partner uses hers to carry about 3d architectural animations for work). Both are capable of carrying more movies, pics and mp3s than we could want, along with any other files you might wish to have in your pocket. Computer recognises it as an external hard drive when plugged into USB just like a flash, or you can use the excellent software to move around all your stuff. Extremely user friendly interface via JetAudio, and it doesn't mess up all your mp3 files and limit you to using only one machine with one computer like the fruity software with iPods does. It's got a sturdy aluminium case and I've also dropped mine several times and it's never suffered, whilst several of my friends have managed to break their Creative/iPod/iRiver doing the same. Same size as the new 80gb iPods too.

If you were after something smaller, look at their other ranges of players - the M and A ranges are fantastic too. They are also available from online and retail outlets in the UK - check out their website at

https://www.cowonglobal.com

I almost bought a Creative before I found out about them and owned an Archos machine prior to this which did the job if not stylishly, but nothing comes close to these machines!

fabwitch_2

I have the Archos gmini 400 20gb and its fantastix. It holds all my music plus photos and can store films too. I am really pleased with mine. It is very easy to use and sounds great. The head phones have the volume attached so it is easy to change volume.

jampton

Sony Ericcson W810i phone - comes with ok headphones 512 MB memory card FM radio oh and you can use to make phone calls

C_Ronaldo

i have a flash technik mp3 player from tesco, cost £50, for 2Gb, it depends how much size you want and how big you want the player to be

smallblueplanet

Lots of comments about MP3 players, but very few mention what they sound like.....just what sort of sound quality can be got from these players?

What sort of headphones are recommended too?

stockwellphotography

Right, cue me.
My dad's a musician, playing in West End (London) shows, so he knows his sound.
When I bought a jukebox last summer, I was dead against iPod, and anything Apple.
So, I was going to buy a Creative, but it wasn't a good deal.
Right, so I went to test out the iRivers.... AMAZING!
When I got mine, a 20gb iPod was around £250 - I got my iRiver H320 (20gb) which plays videos, records from the inbuilt mic and also from a line-in source (very important to me) you can drag and drop music on/off the player plus everything else, for £180.
It's the best thing I've bought, and it sounds awesome!

Headphone wise, I use Sony MDR-EX71s, they're decent at a decent price - very similar are the Senheiser CX-300s.

Hope this helps, and don't hesitate to drop me a PM on the subject!

Sam

buglawton

Noticed that the price of big-memory players (with flash drive, no moving parts) has dropped a lot lately - but the battery life is still often quoted as a miserable 7 or 8 hours. And the ones with li-ion batteries are often supplied with no charger, relying on USB, so you can't easily recharge while travelling. I also suspect that a li-ion battery, usually a soldered-in part, will not survive 2-3 years' hard use.

DuncanMiller

my friend got me some shure e2c in ear headphones for my birthday - sound quality is excellent and they block out background noise as well so you need less volume.