Reddit mentions: The best mp3 & mp4 players

What everyone else said is awesome advice. Here's my take on all of it:

A few years back I got into great shape swimming, then got a girlfriend, got out of shape. Broke up, then was in below average shape last April. I have consistently gone 1-3 days a week, also with a few weeks missed interspersed in that time due to life being life. After getting back into better shape and the swing of things, if I missed a week, I'd make my second workout of the next week ultra grueling. Now 9 months later, at 31, I'm easily in the best shape I've ever been in, both in cardio and muscle. My workouts have morphed and grown with me and my boredom of swimming laps as my sole form of exercise. (Working as a bartender, it's demanding, but not enough to be a "workout")

1: Everyone's suggestion on this is great. Don't overdue it so you burn out and hate in 2 weeks in. Make it routine, learn to look forward to walking out of the gym feeling like a champion on the days you really wanted to stay in bed.

I feel anything more than 2 days a week is awesome, maybe every other day. Find what works for you. I aim to make my workouts last anywhere from 45min to 60+.

When I started out using swimming as a workout, I was never formally trained or on a swim team, I just like being in water. I used this website: Swimplan.com It helped me learn new strokes, pool equipment and drills. I sprung for the paid version after a few months and loved it when I started going 7 days a week for a little while. Always something new and challenging. The site really helped me dial in my skills, along with youtube-ing anything I was struggling with. For example, because of using the pull buoy, I have a deeper understanding of how my hips should roll during normal freestyle swimming.

Few things to keep in mind during your workout. In the beginning you can be more lenient on yourself, but start paying attention to how long your rests are lasting. The pool I go to has a giant digital lap clock on the edge of the pool. I use that constantly to make sure I am not resting for too long.

2: The Speedo Vanquisher is the goggle I love to use. For the first month or so they stay fog free for me. After that I use the spit technique by licking my finger and wiping the goggle with it and not rinsing.

When I started getting bored of the laps, I bought The Diver MP3 player. I have owned a few underwater mp3 players, so far I like these the most. The earphone part of the kit are a bit weird, but have outlasted the previous brand. My oppionion, if you get an underwater mp3 player, be prepared to be buying replacement headsets, they don't last forever.

3: I think if you keep a weekly routine of swimming, pushing yourself to higher goals when things start getting easy, swimming is one of the best workouts you can get. Hands down. I feel incredible.

Bonus round. Disclaimer, I am a huge nerd

I have recently gotten very bored with swimming laps, I hit my goals of swimming a mile, then started swimming miles every session. Then I figured out how to do the butterfly, set goals to dial the stroke in and swim a 50 meter without stopping. Hit that goal quickly.

I decided to bring dungeons and dragons creativity to the pool with me. After I push off from the wall I imagine I am swimming out into a beautiful tropical bay, the shallow end is transformed to coral reef, aka, no standing, shit hurts. Any rests are done treading water not to exceed 10-30 seconds (depending what activity I am resting up for) Then I pretend, something along the lines of, I am fixing a boat or recovering heavy cargo from the bottom of the bay.

To do this, I use weight belts meant for your arms or legs, clip two together and make a belt from it. I use 2x5lbs for a 10lbs belt and a 2x10lbs for a 20lbs belt and a 10 lbs dive brick. I throw them in the deep end prior to starting. I also will use 3-10 kids dive sticks, toss them in the deep end along with my flippers. If I want a sip of water, this is done while treading water also. I will also do pull-ups out of the water with and without weight belts on. Usually around 3 sets of ten.

I can share what a workout looks like if anyone is interested, they are fantastically difficult and a lot of fun.

I asked an important question - Did you answer it? How many of these - $$$$$$$$$$$$$ - do you have to spend?

The devices I suggested Stream over your local in-home computer Network, in some cases both wired and wireless, but they use a Smart Phone or other Smart Device to browse music, connect to Internet Music Source, and to control the Streaming Device. In a vague sense, a Smart Device or Multiple Smart Devices act as a Remote Control for the Streamer. You use the Smart Device to control the Stream, but the Smart Device doesn't actually do the Streaming. In fact, once the stream is started, you can shut the Smart Device OFF and the Stream will continue.

You said - One with a large storage capacity, the ability to play popular formats (mp3, flac, m4a, alac, etc), and outputs to connect to a home system.

These devices I suggested connect to your home audio system and Stream Music from Local Storage and from the Internet.

However there are devices that have Amps built in. For example, the Sonos Connect:Amp, which requires only speakers. The Bluesound Power Node, which again only requires speakers.

Now these device can be placed in each room you desire, and you can control them with a Smart Devices and control all the room, or only the one room you want.

There are also Sonos and Bluesound devices that are complete systems - Streaming, Amp, and Speakers - all in one unit.

https://www.sonos.com/en-us/shop/play5.html

The FIIO X3 is simply a portable personal music player like an iPod or MP3 Player. It might maybe possibly play music stored on the FIIO X3 to you system via Bluetooth, but bluetooth is not full fidelity sound and it is limited to (pretty much) line of sight.

https://www.amazon.com/X3-II-Resolution-Music-Player-Generation/dp/B00VR5JHVK

The 3rd Generation of the FIIO X3 does have Bluetooth Capability, so if you AV Receiver has Bluetooth Receiver Capability, you would be able to broadcast from the Personal Player to the AV Receiver, but in Bluetooth 4.1.

https://www.amazon.com/X3-Resolution-Music-Player-Generation/dp/B0743DHWK3

There is a world of options for Streaming Devices out there, but you have to be clearer about what you want, what you want to do, and what you are willing to SPEND.

What do you mean by - " a stand-alone unit"?

What do you mean by - "outputs to connect to a home system"?

It seems I gave you what you needed. Now if you simply want an iPod by a different name, there are plenty of MP3/Personal Music Players out there covering a wide range of prices. But these are intended to be personal portable music devices, in other words, variations of an iPod.

I was under the impression that you wanted a Streaming Device for your Home, but the impression I get now is that you want a Personal Portable Music Player.

Direct support in iTunes for music players is quite lacking, for the most part without some extra work with buggy software, there's no workable solution using a non-Apple music player natively in iTunes. There are many players out there that allow drag-and-drop "support," but quality varies drastically between barely functional and audiophile-approved.

The FiiO X series, such as the FiiO X1 are high-resolution media players that are quite robust in their features and hardware, though direct support for iTunes is lacking. Not quite what you asked, I know, but they work with iTunes music and have incredible sound quality. The X1 for $99 (linked) is by far one of the best values in music players out there. The X5 is much more expensive but has what some consider to be a better UI and more features. I don't have experience with any of them except the X1, but that's because after buying an X1, I have not had any need or desire to have anything different.

(Disclaimer: I'm a sound engineer as my 'day' job and while I don't subscribe to a lot of the audiophile hype like $10,000 speaker cables and criticizing the difference between coaxial and optical cables for digital signal, I do find that the gear available for high-res audio does provide a very good experience in music listening. Do I think that with $40 headphones and MP3s that you're gonna hear the best sound? No. I also don't think that using lossless files and $1,000 headphones on the best preamps out there is going to revolutionize your music listening experience over a decent setup of well-researched, affordable components. Most people can hear a difference between average quality MP3 and the best lossless files out there when they know what they're listening for and they are played on a well-tuned pro audio system, but the difference between 256k MP3 and 192-kHz 24-bit lossless for most of us is so minute that the gear needed to experience the difference simply isn't worthwhile.)

Hmm, i did a quick search on your behalf. I found the manual for your TV here, but, i couldn't find anything to help on it, any subtitle sections don't seem to apply to USB media.

I did find a few people complaining about the same thing on similar models with no applicable solutions. Mostly, the only solution found was hardcoding or embedding which we don't want to do, it is a ton of work if you have a big collection, i wouldn't want to either. I was really hoping for a free solution but, looks like we may be out of luck on that front.

You could get a Nexus Player (around $40-50 in the US, depending on sales) and install Kodi on it, it does support external hard drives now, although you would need to buy a USB OTG cable as well (very cheap, like $5). Alternatively, /u/mrdaniellee and /u/OSPFv3 have good ideas but, it may require a good bit more setup.

This seems like it's exactly what you want ($40 in the US): http://www.amazon.com/Micca-Full-HD-Portable-Digital-Player/dp/B008NO9RRM/
However, i've never heard of this thing or even this brand, it may be a giant POS.

There is no one single format the Roku supports. It supports a multitude of formats with various levels of settings within those formats. Here is a complete list of everything they support, along with encoding guidelines for each format.

It sounds like you're having multiple issues.

> I don't want Plex, it was a mess.

First off, if you don't like Plex or don't feel comfortable setting it up initially, I totally understand. From the little information you have provided, I'll not suggest that you go back to Plex. I will point out though, that Plex is one of the most mature and easy to use products in its market, so I'm curious as to why you think it's a mess?

> I even used Handbrake to convert the files to Roku 720p MP4/H.264/X.264. AAC Stereo.


(Handbrake uses presets for configuration, I'll assume you are referring to the official device preset from Handbrake, let me know if it's actually from somewhere else.)

• What are the original file(s) formats and settings?
  
• What operating system are you using? Windows? OSX?
  
• Are you able to play your newly encoded files on your computer? (If not, you have a problem with your Handbrake configuration or may lack the proper codecs to decode/encode whatever formats you're using.)
  
• Are you using a USB drive or MicroSD card? What filesystem is it formatted in?
  
• When they "don't work", can the Roku Media Player see the files, but just doesn't play them, or does it not even list them as playable?
  
  > Are the files maybe too big (1gig each)?
  
  
  Absolutely not. At a high quality bitrate, an x264 encoded HD file will be multiple gigabytes for an hour's worth of video. The only filesize issues you could potentially run into would be at the USB filesystem level, specifically if you have a FAT32 formatted USB drive and tried to load a file larger than 2GB in size (which shouldn't/wouldn't copy to the drive in the first place, so it's only theoretically, but not at all realistically possible).
  
  
  > What am I doing wrong?
  
  > I really wish Roku would be easier to watch with downloaded stuff.
  
  
  Taken from Roku's own How It Works page:
  
  > Who is Roku?
  >
  > Roku is the company that pioneered streaming for the TV.
  >
  > We make Roku® streaming players that connect to your TV as well as Roku TVs™ that have the streaming experience built in. Just connect them to the Internet, set up a Roku account, and start streaming. Roku is a more convenient and cost effective way to watch TV.
  
  As you can see, the Roku is specifically designed around being a streaming media receiver for your TV. The idea being that you no longer need to encode videos, throw them on a thumbdrive, walk it over to the TV, etc. You use it to access streaming services or devices. These services do not need to be "in the Cloud" or subscription-based, as there's built-in DNLA support for local network devices as well as support for HTTP Live Streaming and DASH. That said, Roku didn't want to completely alienate people with portable media, so they included the Roku Media Player and a USB support for basic media playback. It is an accessory feature, not a primary one.
  
  If you are looking for something that can play various types of media formats from a USB drive or SD card, then you might want to look at one of the many, many generic/cheap media players on Amazon.
  
  > Do the new Rokus use newer formats better?
  
  I'm not exactly sure what you would characterize as "better", but newer models can/do support other formats that older/lower-end models do not, especially with regarding 4K. Roku has a page listing all features of all models here.

You might like the Fiio X3. It can play just about all music file types, including the ogg file support you want. Loading files on it are as simple as drag and drop and the interface I have seen is clean and simple. It's a bit of an audiophile player; it has the Wolfson DAC that many music listeners rave about and it uses hardware equalization instead of software equalization resulting in better sounding equalization overall with minimum distortion that software equalization is limited by. I haven't gotten one myself, but do own the the Fiio E17 external DAC/headphone amp that it's frequently compared to that would be equivalent in overall sound quality and equalization quality. The E17 sounds cleaner and has more detail than my built-in laptop DAC and iPod Touch's DAC. So I imagine a portable player with the same audio qualities would be just as great, probably better since it's portable.
The build quality has been compared to the iPod classic by some of the people who happen to have both. I know the external DAC I got from Fiio is like that, but lighter. It has 8 GB of built-in memory which you expand by 64 GB with micro SD.
It's only $200 for all those capabilities. It may be over doing it if you aren't looking for an audiophile-grade player and all you want is something to play back your music on the go with ear-buds or inexpensive headphones.


Here is an early review that has good pictures of the X3.

If you wait a little while the Fiio X5 will be out soon and be even better all around audio quality wise. That's the one I plan to get when I get the money for it.

Sansa Clip+, it's a little MP3 player, 2.5 inch tall,1.5 inch wide, 1 inch thick... I liked the first one I got so I bought 2 extras at 20 dollars a piece to give as gifts but then phones became popular and they sat in a closet and through a couple of moves, now they're worth 200 each https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B002MAPSC6/ref=dp_olp_all_mbc?ie=UTF8&condition=all

Turns out that they're essentially the 'perfect' device for lossless/FLAC enthusiasts, the team that made this particular MP3 player added in: long battery life, microSD card capability, an overbeefed audio driver that delivers something like 10-20% more power through the audio jack than other comparable devices (driving higher quality headphones more better and without hiss during silence), FLAC capability built in, weighs practically nothing, backlit screen, and it's RockBox compatible (open source MP3 player software), also, the team that made this version was let go afterwards apparently because Sansa devices made afterwards lost the extra power. It's been discontinued and MP3 players are a dying breed of devices because of phones so there's no more innovation except at the super high end with blue tooth capability (even those lossless FIIO players are only 150).

I was kinda shocked when I looked up the value. I found the one I used in an old bag, because I finally had enough life/work balance to go back to the gym and my phone is just too big. I sold the 2 and thinking about selling the third because a cheapo player from amazon is like 15 dollars.

The amp is fine with my 598's with the volume approaching about 75%. Both only 50 ohms, the fiio should handle it fine. The sound quality is crisp. The headphones you use are probably the bottleneck to worry about first.

Fiio MAKES DACs. Their portable DACs pretty much rule the budget market. So I'd hope they know a thing or two about making them. I've heard no glaring differences between the X1 and my fiio e10K. There is also an on-board equalizer feature so you can experiment with that if you want to alter the sound.

I think it's great. They have already released at least one new firmware update so there should be constant improvements moving forward. I'm not familiar with a creative zen but after years of my ipod classic there are definitely some little things to be desired with ease of use for the X1. (accelerating click wheel scrolling comes to mind first. Some other menu browsing quirks)

But it gets the job done. Very simple and straightforward. Drag and drop. Artist/genre/album/file etc. Perfect size. There is no other competetion worth noting at $100 I don't think. It will be easy to share with someone since you can easily swap out micro SD cards. Let me know if you have any other questions, I've had one since it dropped.

The other competitor for double the price is the iBasso, although I've never used one it looks awesome.

1. 29" hardtail mountainbike. Riding it is one of the best feelings I can have. This is my undisputed number 1
   
2. FiiO X3. Best source of mobile audio I've had yet. Only plays music but does so like a boss.
   
3. Shure Se425. In-Ear headphones with amazing value. They sound so clear and while listening to music you hear almost no background noise
   
4. Backpack. one of this kind, so you can distribute the weight across your torso
   
5. pen and paper. there's always something to write down.
   
6. Aerobie Pro. It's a lot of fun and I almost always have it with me
   
7. My old-school nokia dumbphone. I stepped back from smartphones, because of the simple fact that all that they offer is unnecessary, especially if you have a good audio source
   
8. my shoes. they are eco-friendly, good for the feet, because healthy sole AND contain no toxic chemicals and they feel amazing when worn without socks
   
9. a good book.
   
10. a glass bottle filled with still water

my 160-gig ipod is still going strong, but if i ever needed a new mp3 player I'd probably go for a sansa clip: http://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-Sansa-Clip-Player-Black/dp/B002MAPSQM/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1345493264&sr=8-3&keywords=sansa+clip

from everything I've heard, it's very reliable and quality for the price, and is a better deal than an ipod shuffle. it also has a microSD card slot, which means you can customize it however you want; get a small card and use it like a shuffle/workout mp3 player, or get bigger ones like 32 or 64 gigs, and if you don't mind swapping them out, you could easily use multiple cards to hold as much music as a full-size ipod.

otherwise though, I agree that the ipod is pretty much the platonic ideal of mp3 players at this piont.

Honestly. I'd strongly consider the Clip+. I considered it to be the best DAP when it came out, and I'd still say that now.

Its the only player I've used for the past ~8 years maybe.

• Super durable, during that time I've only had two, and I lost the first one after owning it for 2-4 years.
  
• Maxes out at 8GB but you can expand it as much as you please with it's SD slot.
  
• Great battery life, I'll generally leave it in my car for a week before needing to recharge.
  
• You can transfer music to it through a media player (MTP) or just transfer it just like you'd transfer files to a flash drive (MSC).
  
• Supports flac, ogg, and a variety of common formats out of the box.
  
• Its touted to have one of the best DAC's on any mp3 player period.
  
• If you like to tinker, there is a rockbox port for it.
  
  The only downside I can see is that the screen is a bit cramped.
  
  Nowadays its likely you're carrying around a phone that’s oversized and has poor battery life. The Clip is sized and priced correctly, it fills a completely different niche than what I use my phone for. My primarily use case is on public transit and in the car.

I also don't know if you are serious, and this sub isn't for real advice, but nonetheless, here's how you can do it.

1. Get one or more of a simple, easy to use mp3 player such as the SanDisk Clip Jam.
   
   
2. Buy a name-brand (such as SanDisk, Samsung, or Kingston) microSDHC card up to 32 GB.
   
   
3. Buy songs/tracks as DRM-free AAC files from iTunes and MP3s from Amazon.com. The tracks/files from those two services do not rely on having an account anywhere after you download them.
   
   
4. Download and save the the tracks/files from iTunes and/or Amazon MP3 somewhere on your computer.
   
   
5. Copy the files to the microSD card.
   
   
6. Insert the microSD card into the player.
   
   
7. Give the player to your parents.
   
   
8. Show them how to use the player. Show how them to insert and remove the microSD card. To give them additional or different songs, exchange microSD cards with them as needed or give them additional microSD cards as needed.
   
   Alternative
   
   
9. Install Chrome on their computer.
   
   
10. Install and configure the Chrome Remote Desktop add-on on their conputer and your own computer.
    
    
11. Test Chrome Remote Desktop to control their computer from your computer. You will use it at the very least to assist them if they have questions/need help.
    
    
12. Show them how to how to use mp3 player and how to connect it to their computer.
    
    
13. Either:
    
    
14. Use Chrome Remote Desktop to connect and control their computer and using an account of your choice, open Amazon MP3 or iTunes, and buy and download the tracks.
    
    
15. Or, teach them how to buy and download the tracks. Amazon and iTunes lets you create sub accounts that you control, so you could create a sub account for your parents and load money into it.
    
    
16. Have them connect the MP3 player to the computer.
    
    
17. Either transfer the tracks over to the player using remote control, or teach your parents how to do that.
    

You'll want a dedicated waterproof mp3 player because the Bluetooth in your phone only has a range of about 10m. If you still want your phone poolside, just get one of these.

I don't know what your budget is, but I've used these and they're pretty great. Snug fit, doesn't come off from water resistance, and audio quality is good.

I must have been a bit unclear in my wording. One of the main reasons for my complaints is that I want a calculator that is faster and has a higher resolution. We both already agree, then, that the EX series is newer, faster, and has a higher resolution screen than the ES series. Anything I wrote on that subject is meant only to confirm those facts with hard evidence and to show more-precisely how much faster the EX series is than the ES series, rather than leaving the answer a vague "faster". It turns out the EX is about 5 times faster than the ES.

As a mathematics and computer science graduate who often tutors students ranging from fifth year elementary maths to linear algebra and number theory, I use almost all of the functions on the 115es plus at different points. I enjoy keeping my maths knowledge intact by doing some calculations or solutions on paper or in my head and using my calculator to confirm my results or tell me I'm wrong, which includes something as simple as finding the prime factorization of a somewhat large integer or finding the product of a series. Those are but two of many (literally hundreds, as mentioned in my post) examples of what the fx-115ES Plus can do that the US fx-991EX can't do at all. I can get around some of those by converting the products to sums but that's a huge extra step on my part and also hardly worth doing since those will take a very long time on the calculator. I like to go to the library on weekends and study "How to Solve It: Modern Heuristics", which covers various areas of maths, and getting through all tedious calculations by using my cheap scientific calculator or confirming the soundness of my more symbolic results by doing a few quick inexact calculations. That's why I would LOVE the fx-991EX to do all that my old fx-115ES Plus can do. I also hate worrying about the battery life of my graphing calculators and having to recharge them. I hardly have to worry if I've been doing tens of hours of calculations on my scientific calculator for weeks on end, but often have to get new batteries for my TI-89 or have to recharge any of the newer ones. I'm honestly really tired of always having to worry about recharging my mobile and other devices as well.

I have a similar philosophy for other devices, like my MP3 player, the SanDisk Clip+. I got it when it was cheap, not $100 as it is now due to scarcity. After I switched its operating system to RockBox, which makes it able to play all sorts of audio files and added tons of functionality like a highly-customizable equalizer, I had a very simple device that could do everything I wanted. I don't care about fancy colors and album art or touchscreens on a simple audio player. All that stuff breaks and uses more power anyway. All I care about is that it's powerful enough to do all the real things I want it to do, not pointless fancy graphical things meant only for marketing purposes that are detrimental overall.

a little late but here's the list, from the upper left to the lower right:

• MacBook Pro 13" Retina 2013 256GB
  with Ubuntu installed and a silver Nifty minidrive with a 64GB microSDXC
  
• Anker® Astro3E 10.000mAh
  
• Philippi Yap Moneyclip
  
• HardGraft Cardholder, in use as primary purse, not sold anymore
  
• HardGraft SKINNY FIT IPHONE CASE / HERITAGE
  
• Nokia Asha 210, in use as a backup / partying whatsapp phone
  
• Casio G-Shock GW-M5610-1ER
  
• Apple Lightning Cable
  
• Apple Earpods (still sealed, used as a backup, since i normally only listen to higher end head-/earphones)
  
• Rockboxed SanDisk Sansa Clip+ 8GB with 64GB microSDXC, bang for the buck, comparable to several hundred dollar players + able to play flac files
  
• Gerber Compact Scout, always in my left rear jeans pocket (very small & barely noticable, even when you're sitting)
  
• CRKT M16-13 SF, in GER not allowed to carry because of the one-handed opening-mechanism
  
• Raidops LJ4M2MD "Little John"
  
• Leatherman Charge TTi
  
• My Keychain: small knife unknown brand, Nite GlowRing Tritium light, Apple Magsafe to Magsafe 2 converter mounted onto a KeyBit(3Dprinted keyring holder), Split Pea backup lighter, tiny USB-Stick with Konboot(nice little tool as an Admin) installed
  
• WD 1TB 2,5" USB 3.0 HDD for user backups @ work
  
• Fieldnotes (mostly with phonenumbers from work, because I'm not allowed to carry my iPhone in Security Areas)
  
• CountyComm EMBASSY PEN
  
• Apple Thunderbold to Ethernet adapter
  
• Aspirin Rapid
  
• Corsair Flash Voyager 128GB USB 3.0 (up to 140 MB/s Read 120 MB/s Write
  
• Stanley flask with some tea in it
  
• Electric Avenues PA2V2 Headphone Amp (higly recommended! support from Gary is just mindblowing)
  
• BIC lighter
  
• GRADO RS1i, with DIY modded Viablue Plug (nearly impossible to get in Germany, bought in Las Vegas, NV, but for me most realistic sound you can get off of headphones)
  
  
  To get the questions about my knives answered,
  I don't carry the CRKT in public because it is illegal here in Germany,
  but I constantly carry the other ones around with me.
  
  The fixed blade Raidops is mounted to my backpack,
  the Gerber rests in my pocket,
  and the Leatherman in my backpack.

In his character image you can see a Sony m-430 without the brand name (for obvious reasons), Nervatel from the Discord spent ages looking at all the details to narrow it down to that specific model. In the trailer you can see a cassette player like you describe. The trailer one is modeled after a (to my knowledge currently unknown, as the animator forgot the model and no longer has the file) cassette player.

At the end of the day we have two models that Jacket has been seen using in promotional materials, the grey one in the trailer obviously being bigger and having enough room for the electronics and the black one being much smaller.

Your communication point is a fair one, however I don't think I'm misinterpreting the fact that you're limited to what is contained on the cassette player you purchased. I'm not suggesting you put every single line out of the hundreds-thousands of lines on cassettes, but you get the specific ones you want, including any communication ones (heck put a "yes" at the start of the cassette and a thank you after it, easy to access) and put them on. Recording them yourself allows you to get all the lines you want on.

But having "well over" 36 lines is a very small amount compared to the amount of varied lines in the game.

However, I do have a little life hack (for about $50) for anyone that wants to get specific lines quickly on the fly that they can consider if they don't want to record on a cassette.

Buy a small mp3 player (like a clip jam) and a mini speaker and conceal them in the inner pocket of the Jacket and have your "yes" line ready to play with "thank you" queued up. This also allows you to have complete controll on what lines are on the device.

At the end of the day it's the buyer's choice if they want to pay $150 or about half that, but in my opinion $150 is an absurd amount

Sound level meter

For switch I am using a FiiO HS2, but they are discontinued and harder to get a hold of. It rocks though because it has 4 I/O by 2 I/O. When I'm not using it for testing, I just leave 4 headphones connected to the same source so I can just use the switch to control which one is getting the input.

There are cheaper switches like the Sescom one.

Also, I think this is a worthy combo for anyone. The switch box is functional to use for hooking up multiple sources or multiple headphones for convenience. And the sound level meter is good to check your normal listening volumes to make sure you are staying in safe levels. Definitely worth having as a hobbyist.

You could try something like a switch. 3.5m M to M cable to the input spot, headphone on A, 3.5m to RCA y adapter from B to your speaker amp. There are some cheap ones, but almost all of them (including this one) have at least a couple bad reviews saying you add noticeable noise. Doesn't control volume, so this gets a little awkward (control volume of headphones in Windows, but control volume of speakers on the amp). This also doesn't handle the mic, so that would still have to plug into the back.

Something like this would increase quality and make volume control easier. It's a separate DAC/headphone amp, along with a preamp that would go out to your speaker amp (again using a 3.5mm to RCA y adapter). Connecting the mic separately to the back of the computer would still be awkward. As you mention, there are separate AMPs that would have similar functionality, but most aren't necessarily cheaper than this.

There are also combo DAC / headphone / speaker amps. Something like this. Not any cheaper, though, and still doesn't have a spot for your mic. Benefit here is only needing one device for both headphone and speaker.

Creative makes a complete solution, but it's crazy expensive. I would honestly buy a USB desktop microphone rather than spend this much.

Hi, I currently have the Shure SRH1440 Headphones

I am christmas shopping and looking to boost my auditory experience. I have found lossless music players like the Fiio X5 High Resolution Music Player. I have read mixed reviews on whether or not I would need an amp, or a DAC converter with my headphones. I have also read about using the VLC app on my iphone and purchasing a converter like this.

My budget is around $350. How can I best spend my money to supplement my headphones, and get the most bang for my buck? Also, I want something portable since I listen to most of my music on long car rides in the passenger seat, and already have a good set up for listening at home. Thanks!

If you care about audio quality and already have great headphones, an Android device isn't going to cut it for sound. Something like the Fiio X5 (or anything in that same line really) is better for good sounding music. But you're right...for portability and if you want something cheap, an Android device might work better.

This thing is awesome and very easy to use. Just plug in your USB cord and play. Simple interface like navigating through a folder in Windows. And what's best of all it plays EVERYTHING.

This might be worth your time. It runs just about any pre-PSone/N64 era console you can think of and it's much cheaper. Alternatively, if you have a smartphone, that will run GBA games and whatever else your heart desires as well. If you're not into virtual touch buttons, you can get a bluetooth gamepad for it, many of which will attach right to your device and turn it into the best handheld gaming device you'll ever own. Also worth looking into is the gameklip and the Phonejoy Play. Happy gaming. Go catch 'em all.

I can definitely recommend the Sansa Clip Zip. Great sound quality, twice the battery life of any smartphone, cheap, and a max of 128+8GB with a 128GB microSD card. Put Rockbox on it and you'll love it. Don't get the Sport version, you can't rockbox it and the software is still a little buggy.

There's an Mp3 player out there with 2 microSD slots, supporting 2x128GB cards right now, and they promised support for 256GB and 512GB cards when they become available. It's an expensive device but it's an "audiophile" product with amazing sound quality.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/FiiO-X5-MP3-Player-DAC-Black/dp/B00I4Q9S32

Also, this exists:

http://www.amazon.com/Manufacture-Sdhc-micro-Reader-Extension-Cable/dp/B0085GGO92/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1407656580&sr=1-2&keywords=sd+to+microsd+adapter

I hope people come around with some good recommendations past the Ipod Classic. I own one, but it'd be nice to know of a nice alternative, due to Apple discontinuing them and the potential, that while I do my best to make mine last for as long as possible, shit still happens.

I found something once, as an alternative. Off hand I don't recall what it was, but I'll go hunting for it and edit in a copy of the name and link. EDIT: Fiio X5II http://www.amazon.ca/Generation-Portable-High-Res-Audio-Player/dp/B00ZWAC25E/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1452195491&sr=8-2&keywords=fiio+x5

Okay! My first swim trip with my new 8Gb SYRYN MP3 player and Swimbuds earphones. It went really well. I had my music loaded up, set to shuffle, and clipped the mp3 player to the back of my goggles. I pressed "play" (easy to do even with the player behind my head) and the first song that came up was the Boccherini section from the end of the movie "Master and Commander" (I'm a big O'Brian fan). Not quite in keeping with the rest of my workout music (more hard rock), but I have a few odd songs on there, and this suited me perfectly. I dove in to the first few strummed bars and took a long deep swim under the glassy surface of the water as the cello started.

Overall, having music with me really helped the time go by, and I did swim further -- i did my first 500 today. That's still kind of big for me.

I had to reseat one of the earbuds once, and I think I will try a spot of petroleum jelly on them as the directions suggest, but overall it was terrific. Honestly, having music with me while I swam on top of or beneath the water was really kind of magical.

I could never figure out how to comfortably run with my phone. I began running with a GPS watch and a small clip on MP3 player and it's a much better solution.

Edit: For anyone interested I use the Sansa clip and it has performed great in lots of running conditions. It looks like mine has been discontinued and they have newer cheaper models now. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002MAPS6W/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_GucOwbJ85YFNY

A couple of things to consider....

• The media that you have, what video and audio codec is it and what container is used? Will an Amazon Fire be able to play the content natively?
  
  
• If the answer to the above question is "no," then you will want your storage to also be able to transcode the media. Plex does this pretty well, but you'll want something a little more powerful than what you're looking at.
  
  
• there are a couple of NAS that are powerful enough to transcode your media, depending on how many devices you want to serve to. QNAP and Synology come to mind, but you're looking at more $$$
  
  Another option is to buy something like this:
  
  amazon.com/gp/product/B008NO9RRM?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage
  
  which can play media off of an external hard drive

I occasionally use this mp3 player. It works pretty well, and I like the earphones that come with it. They sort of double as ear plugs. They're the kind of 'athletic' earphones that have a bit that curves around the back of your ear. Dunno how effective this is at holding them in place----I always wear them under my swim cap, which does a pretty good job of keeping everything where it is.

A Sony Walkman MP3 player that is basically only earbuds.

This is the newer version. I bought a pair but sent them back b/c Sony changed the connecting strap and the newer set wouldn't stay in my ears.

I bought a pair of the older ones on eBay and they're still kicking. Got two years of 4-5/week use out of the first pair; I'm about a year into the second.

MP3 interface works with Windows Media Player & is basically drag-and-drop. I put the music on shuffle so I don't build playlists but I think that can be done.

I hate having anything in my hands or pockets when I'm working out, so these are perfect. I use them to run as well.

Perfection for me would be an updated version of the MotoACTV watch - something with GPS, heart rate monitoring, and about 2GB of storage + bluetooth so I can strap it on my wrist, put in some BT headphones, and go.

Spotify was having a deal recently: 99c for three months of premium. You can save stuff locally (albums and playlists on mobile, playlists only on desktop), or stream. They have a high quality 320kbps streaming option if you are a premium user. I recommend trying it out if the sale's still on.

Alternatively, if you have a couple bucks to spend, you can do what I do. That is, buy a really cheap Sansa Clip (you could probably get a cheaper one, but I didn't search hard), put Rockbox on it, and pop in a 32 GB MicroSD Card. Whole set up will run you about $40 and you will have 40GB of music available to you whenever you want. Best part -- the Sansa Clip can handle FLAC and mp3 (and pretty much anything else you can throw at it).

The Fiio X1 would probably be the best choice, when it comes to file-support, space and price

If you're looking for even more space, a richer sound and a lovely design (imo) i would say the iBasso DX50 is a good choice, a bit more pricey though...

> but I still can't find the motivation for proper exercise like going to the swimmingpool.

Have you thought about buying a water proof mp3 player? I use this one: http://www.amazon.com/Sony-Walkman-NWZW273S-Waterproof-Swimming/dp/B00I05EFO4/ref=sr_1_4?s=mp3&ie=UTF8&qid=1453907199&sr=1-4&keywords=waterproof+mp3

Also try getting other people into going swimming. If you are with people it's much easier to find the motiviation to do sports.

Also playing Alternative Reality games like Ingress, Recources or the mother of all those games: GeoCaching helps a lot to get out and move your body.

From my experience, I love the Sansa's. Such as the Clip+, the Fuze and the one I have bought several times (Because I keep putting it through the washer somehow) the Fuze+.

The Pros:

• Does not require iTunes/Sync software (Can just transfer the files over like a standard storage medium)
  
  
  
• Plays pretty much every format of music
  
  
• Expandable storage via MicroSD
  
  
• I believe most are compatible with Rockbox
  
  The Cons:
  
  
• Feels cheap, really light (Plastics)
  
  
• The Fuze+ has (from my experience anyway) a really frustrating touchpad.
  
  Just for the record, I can't say much about the Clip+ or the Fuze being that I haven't used them, I have just heard really nice things about them.
  
  I hope that this helps!

The Sansa Clip devices are pretty popular.
The storage is accessed in the same way as a USB drive. With Rockbox it can play pretty much any format, log plays to a scrobble file. It's cheap, sturdy and reliable with good battery life.

Do you already have any speakers, or do you just crank your laptop up?

I do two-room audio using one of these amps and two pairs of these speakers--the amp will drive two speakers in parallel on each channel as long as they are 8-ohm speakers. Speaker wire is pretty cheap. I have a server connected to the amp and running Subsonic in jukebox mode for actually playing the music. That way, the server can live out of the way, and I can use the Android app to queue up songs to play.

One thing you could look at is using a wireless audio transmitter or something like the Squeezebox to separate your laptop from the party.

If you actually consider getting the Lepai amp, make sure that you buy it from Parts-Express, because some other sellers don't include the power supply, which is kind of annoying to realize after you receive the amp! Also, if you consider the Dayton speakers I posted, and you listen to electronic or hip-hop music with lots of bass, you'll probably want a separate subwoofer to get enough bass for parties (that is, if your neighbors don't kill you!)

Most new TVs have USB ports built in. Since you said you have a smart tv with ethernet, sounds like it's a newer TV. Look on the back of it. You can probably just plug a flash drive into and play directly on the TV.

If that's not an option there are digital media players like this. I've had things like this in the past. Download all you want to an external hard drive, plug it into this and you can play whatever you want on your TV.

They are pretty cheap and you can probably get one on eBay for next to nothing. Actually the one I have now is a Sony blu-ray player that has a wired internet connection plus the USB port so I can use it for basically any type of media or streaming service plus blu-rays and dvds. Cost me $35 new from eBay.

I have an 80GB iPod 5.5, but I'm really interested in either the Fiio X3 or the X5. The X5 II has 2 sd card slots for up to 256GB at once. I'm not sure, but you can probably just swap out SD cards preloaded with different songs. It also supports FLAC, OGG, and most relevant audio codecs. I'm sure 128GB cards are going to be $20 in a year or so. That would have a pretty decent futureproofing appeal. However, unlike the iPod, I'd be a little concerned about getting replacement batteries when they wear out.

Love my Zune HD, Software automatically picks up from itunes. Has cool web browser, a couple of fun apps. But for cheap good player the Sansa Rocks out well and is cheap, I paid $28.00. http://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-Sansa-Clip-Player-Black/dp/B002MAPSQM/ref=sr_1_22?s=mp3&ie=UTF8&qid=1279398881&sr=1-22

I would probably go for this $30 one since I can see that there is nothing funny going on inside but it's a little expensive for what it is. There are a bunch more on Amazon but they all look pretty chincy. You could certainly try your luck though. ^I've ^not ^used ^any ^of ^these ^products.

This player (or the 8gb version) has served me incredibly well. I've owned two of them over the past four years. They have fantastic audio quality and format compatibility. It also has a micro SD card slot, so I'd recommend getting the 4gb version and adding an SD card. The built-in clip is more useful than you might imagine at first too. The default UI/firmware is definetly alright, but for more features check out Rockbox, which is an open source firmware replacment for a wide variety of music players.

It is just a music player though. It specializes in music, and does that well. For something more like an iPod Touch, there are a few Android music players. I can't give an opinion on any of them though. I went straight from the Clip+ to my Nexus 7.

MP3 players are a dying category and there is less available each year.

If you want something with 32GB of storage or less, the Sansa Clip Jam. Supports FLAC. The Sansa Clip series has been popular for a long time and has seen little change. This is like an MP3 player from 2003.

But if you want a nice MP3 player, Fiio is pretty much the only game in town anymore. The Fiio X1 supports SD cards up to 128GB and is $100. If you're willing to spend more, the X5 supports 2 SD cards (up to 512GB with the new 256GB SD cards. Which cost $250 USD).

Your only other option is a smartphone (Windows Phone or Android) with a 128GB microSD card. Windows Phone is generally preferred because the audio stack in Android is inferior. I'd look at the Lumia 640.

Gonna go a different route and suggest the Walkman earbuds. I have the older, larger version and they are seriously awesome. Weather resist (now actually waterproof), no wires dangling, light weight. Downside is it's shuffle play only, but I've had mine for years and absolutely love them. So much easier than dangling wires, armbands, whatever.

I bought a squeezebox internet radio, and play a 30 min mp3 of ocean sounds (atlantic ocean: florida, ocean moods by natural wonders). It can play all your mp3s, streaming them wirelessly from your server, and can also play internet radio like BBC, etc.

The ocean sound is saved as one of the preset buttons.

I do a lot of running while listening to music. May I suggest any IEM's with comply foam tips.

I would not suggest Klipsch's IEMs as they fall out if sweat gets in your ears (though otherwise I love them).

The foam tips will stay in even if sweaty (admittedly kinda gross).

As far as which IEMs, that is up to you. I run with rather expensive headphones (250$). In your price range I'd probably get something by Shure, which should include the foam tips with the headphones.

Also, on a side note, the Sansa Clip+ is awesome for working out and the cheapest version only runs about 30$. If you plan to keep using your iPhone may I suggest a product by Spibelt. I use one when I can't be without my phone.

I could talk for hours about this. Good luck and feel free to ask questions.

well not sure if its considered the "Best" however it should fulfill your needs. The SanDisk Sansa Clip+ holds a internal storage of up to 8gb plus has a SDHC slot which can add up to 32gb of more storage plus supports MP3, WMA, secure WMA, Ogg Vorbis, FLAC, plus audio books and podcasts. and for a little less than $50 it seems like it could fit the bill for you.

Its also 1/3rd the price of an ipod, comes with a sleek set of headphones and has VERY good sound quality. I bought one for myself and one for each of my parents.

Heres the new version. Looks like it comes with an expandable card slot on top of the 8gb memory.

If you are looking for a good set of headphones I'd recommend the sennheiser CX300.

It all depends on what you would like to spend. At the cheapest you could do it for around $500. This would restrict you to SVGA resolution which is 800x600 IIRC.


The breakdown for this would be:

• ViewSonic PJD5134 SVGA Projector
  
  
• Blackout Cloth
  
  
• Small media player
  
  
• A T-Amp for audio
  
  
• And some paracord, grommet kit, and cheapie garage-sale speakers.
  
  If possible I would invest in a nice mid-range projector like the BenQ W107. It is one of the highest rated projectors in its price range although it is a bit pricy.
  
  EDIT: To answer your questions, I doubt there are any outside safe projectors. Your best bet would be some kind of watertight housing if you are keeping it outside. But if you're investing in a projector you might as well use it inside too and have a 5 meter screen. Screens all depend on the material. You want something that is evenly reflective which makes a big difference in the appearance of the image. The cheapest thing right now that works incredibly well is blackout cloth which is used in window blinds to block out the sun by reflecting it. The cost is so small compared to the difference in image to a white sheet or a board that it is generally recommended.

I've looked around quite a bit myself and I can tell you that you won't find anything of quality for less than about $200. Most anything else will be a Chinese budget piece of junk. You can find very decent touchscreen players for about $180, but they won't have Android OS, so no WiFi etc. Your best bet is either a prepaid Android phone (I'd recommend the 2014 Moto G, although it only has 8GB internal storage, so you might look around a bit) or a small tablet. I know there are others, but the Kindle Fire 6" is the form factor that comes to mind.

I know your situation, too. I've been in the same boat for a while now. If you are at all interested, this is a solid player just on its own even though, once again, it's not running Android.

I purchased an excellent little FLAC player, and here's the link to it. I have had it a couple of years, and it's great. Uses Micro SD, so storage is pretty inexpensive. Also serves as a USB DAC for your computer if you so desire.

Fiio X3, 2nd Gen, ~$160:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00VR5JHVK/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

And, yeah, I have a 4TB and 2 2TB drives full o' dead.

EDIT: Newer generation is available for about $30 more. Integrates Bluetooth and seems to be slightly improved over my 2nd Generation. And this one is in stock for $189.

https://www.amazon.com/Black-Resolution-Music-Player-Generation/dp/B0743CYBH2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1521554875&sr=8-1&keywords=fiio+flac+player

There are plenty from companies like FiiO, Astell&Kern, Onkyo and Sony. The price for a decent DAP ranges from $100 to $400, the crazy ones go far beyond that.

• FiiO X1 is good
  
• FiiO X3 is pretty good
  
• Astell Kern AK Jr. is where the crazy stuff begins.
  
• Onky DP-X1 is already pretty ridiculous
  
• Astell & Kern AK 380 is where the fun ends.
  
  If you are just looking for a quick & dirty solution: FiiO M3

Actually, I spoke too soon... That's the one, and I was excited about my new device, but after using it a while I have to say you don't want it. It had a hard time keeping the SD card's library in memory and kept having to re-scan it. That got annoying today, and I'm sending it back.

There ARE other good players out there if you want to spend more, but I'll retract what I said about the MYMAHDI and lean you toward a FiiO device, or do what I just did today-- I took an old Android TracFone, rooted it, installed a new launcher and PowerAmp, disabled all the other non-music functions, and made it into a dedicated FLAC player. It's a bummer that I have to deal with a touch screen, but it's working for now.

Later, I think I will be grabbing this, though.

The upside of the repurposed Tracfone is that it cost me $10 from Dollar General a few years ago. It's junk as a phone, with a crappy screen and Android 2.3 as the limit, but as a music player with PowerAmp it's actually pretty good for $10.

So, I'm sorry I mislead you. I was really happy with the MYMAHDI at first, but after a couple days of use I found it to be unworthy of my praise.

The SanDisk Sansa was my go to device for a few years. I tend to push mp3 players past their limits because I run daily. Switched over to a Diver mp3 player and it's now my fav player. It's main benefit - waterproof.

I sweat a lot and sometimes run in the rain - this thing is a champ. Plus, it connects to a computer as a USB drive - nice and simple.

If you are looking for something new, Sandisk Sport Clips are great little MP3 players - 50gram, accept microSDs for expanding the storage, great battery life.

I think this is discontinued but Amazon still seems to have stock:

Sansa Jam

UE 4000 is definitely discontinued but fair for price.

The warranty on the MP3 player I believe is going to be 90 days - year, the headphones have a two year warranty but are technically discontinued. Also since they're from a 3rd party Logitech may not honor it.

Together both new is around $75 or so?

Sorry, yeah hard drive not disc drive lol. I'm not exactly techno-savy. But yeah since the iPod Classic got discontinued I don't know of any large mp3 players. If you like the iPod Touch besides the glitches I'd just go for the largest iPod Touch available.

It seems like the trend in tech right now is to do away with separate mp3 players and phones, and that really sucks. Best of luck. If you really really don't want an Apple you could go out and get a [FiiO] (http://www.amazon.com/Fiio-X1-FiiO/dp/B00NS3MRKC/ref=sr_1_11?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1422742729&sr=1-11&keywords=mp3+player#customerReviews) or something. There are some that are just players and you load up SD cards with music and put them on the player

The SanDisk Clip mp3 players are fantastic. They're tiny, have a clip on the back so you can bring them running, will take a microSD card and will play pretty much any audio file you can throw at them. You can pick them up on Amazon quite cheap as well.

I love you and I'm embarrassed that never came up in my searches. That is EXACTLY what I want, even though it's expensive. I found one accepting 3.5mm here by the same company.

Edit: And here's an even more barebones one for only $3. Thank you so much for guiding me with the right keywords!! I know to search for "Audio A/B switch" thanks to you.

Well the Stick does not have a USB input for drives so that rules that out period.

The Box does have a USB input but it does only fat32 (NO NTFS) so it is a max of 2 TB drive and files up to 4GB,that will rule out 720p+ movies.

Without setting your hard drive up as a network share somehow then I would not recommend the AFTV. Someone in another thread suggested this as a plain media player for attached storage:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008NO9RRM?refRID=0JF1G7K7R0QJ6AMWASTB&ref_=pd_ybh_a_16

I switched from WDTVs and have both a stick and box, without a good router the stick will be a little problematic sometimes, I much prefer the hard wired box and works great using Kodi with my NAS. I also will pop some things on a microSD card to play real quick.

Also in another thread, someone recommended this:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HZWOQZ6?refRID=0JF1G7K7R0QJ6AMWASTB&ref_=pd_ybh_a_17

To turn your hard drive into a network share wirelessly.

HTH

I Beg To Differ

Do you know what cost efficiency is? How old is your iPod? How many ToS agreements have you signed in the last year?

You sound like a ripe cunt. The fact is, I payed $250 for an mp3 player in 2006 that was so technologically advanced for its time that in the next two years while iPods were getting radio and wifi options, I was cruising with a shit brown invulnerable brick of portable music, and I've never been convinced any kind of update has been necessary. All you are is bitter. I bet you even have a smart phone.

EDIT: Oh, I just remembered what I meant to say earlier! So, basically, if the Zune is discontinued, does that mean they'll shut off my Zune and not let me use it anymore? I mean, what a stupid argument! It's been the best pocket companion for the last five years of my life, why would it stop being that just because the company decides to stop manufacturing them? The model I own was discontinued in 2007, does that mean I've enjoyed it less since then? No. Like a fine wine, I've learned to appreciate it and its abilities more and more with age. As you Apple slaves line up to take your annual dick slappings at the mall, I'm content with a simple and practically perfect device.

What size do you need? you can get something like The Sansa Clip+ which has a micro SD card slot on it so you can up the space, I did hear rumor that there is a limit on the size of the micro SD card you can put in it (i.e. it will only recognize up to a certain number of songs).

I haven't noticed any issues with one with a 16gb mSD card in. However I run it with Rockbox which may work better then the stock firmware.

I used to be someone who liked to carry around all my music on 100gb+ players then I realized it was ultimately pointless and there were a small number of artists/albums I listened too a lot more when on the move, then when I was at home I listen to a wider range of my 155gb library.

I just got the cheapest highly recommended one on Amazon (here ) I had trouble with them at first but once i realized that it needs to dry thoroughly between uses i've been able to put up with it's idiosyncrasies. As soon as water gets into the ear portion, they're gonna sound like crap. They definitely aren't trouble free but i also don't want to swim without them! It's also MP3 only.

I'd love to hear what others have been using too.

Well people with £1,000, $1,000 or €1,000 headphones aren't usually using their phone for their audio source at all. Most people who spend that much on headphones get dedicated mp3 players with high quality DAC's such as this.

Unless their filthy rich, anyone spending $1000 on headphones has probably already invested in a high quality DAC and Mp3 player that can play lossless file types. I can't imagine anyone drops $1000 on headphones just to use their phone as their source.

I've tried a few different types:

1. Megafeis
   
2. Sony
   
   I no longer recommend the Sony because they have a "proprietary charger" instead of just using a damn micro-usb charger which of course would make too much sense. I've gone through two of the Sony's with the charger breaking but I'm pretty happy with the Megafeis currently.

Fiio X1. Actually made for sound quality as opposed to many players I have seen. They have a whole line of DAP's (Digital Audio Payers) ranging from the entry X1 to the more audiophile grade X5. Great reviews, hands down the best company to go with, imho. Solid aluminum with a warranty and 2 micro sd cards.

X1 $105
X5 $350 ish

I have the Syryn, which comes with a crappy pair of goggles for some reason. It's ok. A lot of the reviews say it can't hold a charge after a few months. I get the problem of one ear not sounding the same as the other. I'd like to get a new pair of buds for them but I think I'd like to try bringing the extra earpieces first and see if they fit better - I just can never remember to bring them to the pool.


But oh man laps are so much better with music!

Wow very cool! Thanks. Have just ordered a similar one which had loads more reviews and 4.5/5;

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008NO9RRM

The Sandisk Sansa Clip+ has good voice recording capabilities and is quite small.

Perfect for these tasks IMHO. It is also possible to install rockbox which might improve the recording capabilities...

Ah okay, thanks for the recs! I won't be buying a new pair of headphones right away so hopefully I'll get to explore more before doing so.

If you care to humor me some more, any thoughts on hifi audio players such as the iBasso DX50?

I have the 1st gen of the Fiio X5 and I am pleased with it. The UI could be better, but the sound is great.

logitech squeezebox
http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-Squeezebox-Player-Discontinued-Manufacturer/dp/B002LARRDK/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1416744227&sr=8-6&keywords=squeezebox

hardware internet radio. great speaker, large homebrew community. but discontinued by logitech. really cool to go from NPR in another city to BBC6 radio to indie 103 in LA to a podcast to sounds of the ocean to help me sleep in just a few button pushes

I have many, many hours on this. It's great to not have to fuck around with a cord, especially while wearing a pack. I think it's 2.5 oz. Comfortable. For some reason it's been super tough. I keep expecting it to break, but it's been years now and it just keeps going, including the battery. Use for hiking, gym, biking, everything. No annoying software, just drag and drop mp3s.

EDIT: Lost for two days. Just now found outside in the snow next to my truck. Survived deep snow and subzero temperatures for two nights. Dried off and started up. Works great. :)

I tried the pi route and the plex route. I recommend one of these, if only for a backup. It plays off USB drives or SD cards. The UI isn't as fancy as Kodi or Plex, but it's rock solid reliable and my wife doesn't get frustrated by it. You can also separate the audio out as analog (3.5 mm aux out) while pushing the video through HDMI, which helps if you want to route the audio to your campers speakers.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008NO9RRM/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Look at the FiiO X1. It's cheap and plays high res audio; much better sound quality:

http://www.cnet.com/news/fiio-x1-finally-a-high-resolution-music-player-that-wont-empty-your-bank-account/

http://www.head-fi.org/products/fiio-x1-ultraportable-hi-res-dap

http://www.amazon.com/Fiio-X1-FiiO/dp/B00NS3MRKC

iRiver audio players sound great.

You can pick one up for a tick over $100 and throw in a 128gb SD Card for $50.

My favorite is the Sandisk Sansa clip. It's super tiny, you can add up to a 32gb Micro SD card, and it plays virtually every file type including FLAC.

It's so tiny and the clip is handy to attach to your clothes.

http://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-Sansa-Clip-Player-Blue/dp/B002MAPSC6

Not OP, but probably these things. I'd never heard of them either, but they look pretty interesting.

You understand correctly. Something like the Cables to Go audio/video selector switch or Recton VS1002 A/V switcher would work well, but have a look at some other options as there may well be something a little more compact or that looks better. Also search for "a/b switch". You could even use this tiny Sescom A/B switch.

He's probably talking about this: http://www.amazon.com/X5-Resolution-Lossless-Music-Player/dp/B00I4Q9S32

There's also this one: http://www.amazon.com/Fiio-X3-Mastering-Quality-Wolfson/dp/B00E9O6C96

I don't think it comes with any onboard memory, but it can hold up to two 128GB SD cards, supports all kind of file formats, and has a much, much better DAC and amp than the iPod. The downside is almost definitely going to be its UI, which has been historically abysmal in the DAP market.

Depending on her preferences of form factor I'd recommend the Fiio X1, Fiio X3 iBasso dx50, and Sony Walkman High-Res.

They are all comparable in audio quality and it all comes down to form factor and buttons really. The Fiio X3 can work as a standalone DAC for your PC as well. The iBasso dx50 has a touchscreen, and replaceable Galaxy S3 battery while the others all just use buttons. The battery life of the iBasso and Fiio are all around 10-15 hours while the Sony claims 30-50 hours depending on Hi-Res audio or MP3s. The Sony comes with 64GB of built in storage while the X3 has 8GB and the X1 and DX50 have no built in memory but all have micro SD slots you could expand storage easily using these. Also the Sony has Bluetooth for connecting to speakers if your sister needs that.

The UIs:

Fiio X1, Fiio X3, and upgraded ui, iBasso DX50, Sony.

I have three Logitech Squeezebox Radios around my house. I want a TRUE surround sound. The app i cannot live without is the Squeeze Commander. This allows to have an amazing amount of control of the those radios.

https://www.amazon.com/X1-Resolution-Digital-Lossless-Player/dp/B00NS3MRKC

this player seems to get good reviews, although I can't personally vouch for its effectiveness. I've been eyeing it, though, as a potential replacement for my trusty iPod classic. It has a microSD card slot, for which you can get 128gb for $40 (maybe less, this is just at first glance). If you do go this route, please share your experience!

I got a Sansa Clip+, it's $35 on amazon or woot has them for ~$18 every once in a while. 4GB, but you can put a microSD card in it to make it 36GB player for ~$70.

Not as pretty, but way better value!

http://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-Sansa-Clip-Player-Blue/dp/B002MAPSC6

Fiio X1(http://www.amazon.com/Fiio-X1-Resolution-Lossless-Player/dp/B00NS3MRKC) to the rescue!

It's good, and supposedly when SDXC cards go above 128gb they'll update the firmware to handle it. Also, no song/directory limits, unlike most other good MP3 players.

I use a Sansa Clip+ supports FLAC, is teeny tiny and cheap, and has really good sound quality (or so I believe, a few of my audio-obsessed friends use them - I don't think I know enough to tell the difference). It hasn't got a massive amount of storage built in, but it has a microSD slot (i believe microSD now goes to 128gb).

It doesn't require any software at all to upload/download songs to it, just acts as any other usb storage device.

The main sticking point with it would be the screen and interface I guess, having as it does a 3-colour, 1 inch display. The size, price, and FLAC support make up for it IMO though.

You should check out the FiiO X5. Amazing sound quality (audiophile DAP), and fantastic storage (up to 256gb).

http://www.amazon.com/iBasso-DX50-Mastering-Authorized-Distributor/dp/B00J6RVQJM

Supports all file types.
Internal memory and expandable memory.
24bit.
192kHz.

Fiio x5 is amazing as well.

I suggest reading some reviews:
http://www.head-fi.org/products/category/digital-audio-flac-mp3-players?sort=rating

I always advocate heavily for the FiiO X5 over the iPod Classic. It has a very similar interface, it's cheaper (now), and it supports lossless audio formats (FLAC etc). Produces much better sound and is in general a better buy.

P.S. In house advertising.

You've got people in your bar, why not advertise to them. If you have MS Office learn power point. Create your slides of what you want to promote (I usually do it the start of every month for the upcoming months bands, food specials ect).

Save as a 720p video. Throw it on a USB stick and plug it into a cheap media player (like this http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008NO9RRM/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_2?pf_rd_p=1535523722&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B006EFQYLY&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0498M8FQW33881ZFBDFJ)

Connect it to a TV in your bar.

I use the Sony Walkman Wireless MP3. It's a great product, never fallen out, super comfortable. Also noise-cancelling and water-proof, so it's immune to those who sweat lots or even for a post-workout shower.

http://www.amazon.com/Sony-Walkman-NWZW273S-Waterproof-Swimming/dp/B00I05EFO4/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1417379555&sr=8-3&keywords=sony+walkman

I've had a Fiio x3 for close to a year now and I really like it. I've been through many over the years, and this is the best so far.

What are my best options for an audio/music player

• <100€/$
  
• to drive the HD598c and
  
• store and play FLAC files?
  
  Edit: what about this one?
  
  FiiO X1 | portabler High Definition Audio Player |192KHz/24Bit | https://www.amazon.de/dp/B00NS3MRKC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_UE-hAbMDAMVN4

How good is the Pi compared to something like the Micca Speck, or other media players like so?

Here is a video link to our setup last year using the AtmosFX singing pumpkins. We also had another projector running in a window above the garage that was ghosts floating by. As far as your question, you get what you pay for on the projectors. I bought a $40 one off ebay and it was a total waste of money. I have had good luck buying projectors via local online auctions, or estate sales.

For media player I use a MICCA Media Player. Works like a champ.

I hid it all in a tombstone I made using a foam board for HomeDepot.

I would like to suggest a cheap FLAC player such as this one http://www.amazon.ca/X1-Portable-Resolution-Lossless-Player/dp/B00NS3MRKC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1452198478&sr=8-1&keywords=flac+player it does not have a better UI than the iPod of course and it is not as user friendly, but reproducing FLAC in a portable player is great

It's a tad pricy for such a simple thing but I have this https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005TE7GP4 mounted under my desk.

I have it after my mixamp so I get the quality boost on both that I couldn't get with a software solution

> 3- If you want to watch the movies or TV shows on your TV, get this - $40 http://www.amazon.com/Micca-Full-HD-Portable-Digital-Player/dp/B008NO9RRM/[4]

Better yet get a Chromecast and a free Plex account.

On 2nd thought I might just go for something like this: http://www.amazon.com/Micca-Full-HD-Portable-Digital-Player/dp/B008NO9RRM

I can easily swap USB drives to put new movies on. Has a super basic interface (pretty much just a file list) and remote. And if somehow something gets messed up, I can just have them unplug it and plug it back in, and we're back to normal.

I just got a Fiio: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00NS3MRKC/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1420571623&sr=8-1&pi=SL75

It's a cheaper hd player and it sounds great in my MDR-7506 phones. Just wanted to share.

https://www.amazon.com/Micca-Full-HD-Portable-Digital-Player/dp/B008NO9RRM

We've got four of these. They work great.
One word of caution the output is exactly 60 fps NOT 59.94.
Your monitor won't care but if you try to feed something that needs 59.94 you are out of luck.

Sure. Check this out, it's the one I use. Really reliable, and fantastic quality for the price.

https://www.amazon.com/Micca-Full-HD-Portable-Digital-Player/dp/B008NO9RRM

This little guy is amazing. You still need the cables but its as easy as your gonna get with a sjnoly media player.

I've heard this sescom is pretty good for such a task.

https://www.amazon.com/Sescom-SES-IPOD-AB-Stereo-MP3-Player/dp/B005TE7GP4/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1479140249&sr=8-8&keywords=sescom

I love my Fiio X1, may be worth a look? - https://www.amazon.co.uk/FiiO-X1-Portable-Resolution-Lossless-x/dp/B00NS3MRKC

1. Watch video
   
2. Delete
   
   
3. Get a proper music player. Sansa Clip is cheap and it probably sounds better than your smartphone.
   
   lol -27? Someone explain why you need a library of movies on your phone's local storage.

if you like the gameboy but want more games. try this. http://www.amazon.com/Dingoo-Digitial-Emulator-Console-silicon/dp/B001UX9XF4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1369807446&sr=8-1&keywords=dingoo

haven't used one yet but i hear good things.

My wife and I each have one of these and they are easy to use and battery lasts quite a while. SanDisk Clip Sport 8GB Plus a microSD slot if you need more room.

She uses hers at work and I use mine working out in the yard. Pretty rugged and have had zero hardly any issues. (aside from an occasional freeze when connected via USB to computer)

Get him something like this, and load it full of emulaters and roms so he can enjoy it. Price may be a bit steep though.

This deal looking better and better - X3 gen2

Check out Sony Walkman waterproof mp3 play works awesome for me no need to bring along phone plus it has external mics that can incorporate outside sounds into your ear buds should be just what your looking for. Just have to tie a short line as a leash to them so you don't loose them on a big Wipeout. https://www.amazon.com/Sony-Walkman-NWZW273S-Waterproof-Swimming/dp/B00I05EFO4

Personally I've been planning on getting something like this when I get fed up with plugging/unplugging my headphones into the front of my case.

But you should be able to plug the speakers in the back, and cans in the front and just use the "Playback Devices" option when you right click on your volume slider to switch back and forth between them. You can do it through the mixer as well (button on the bottom of the volume slider).

> say chrome with Youtube or spotify to play from the speakers while I've got Teamspeak or a game going through my headphones.

If by this you mean doing it all at the same time...I'm not sure if you can do that. There's probably software out there to do it, but I'm not aware of any. All I know for sure is that you can switch outputs for everything via the options above.

ipod shuffle is nice.

I heard that SanDisk makes good ones.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002MAPS6W/ref=s9_hps_bw_g422_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-5&pf_rd_r=0YD819F4XFVDVFFEZVRV&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1605818822&pf_rd_i=1264866011

Something as simple and inexpensive as a Micca Speck might do the job for you. They are relatively versatile, and Amazon sells them in the $40 range - https://smile.amazon.com/Micca-Full-HD-Portable-Digital-Player/dp/B008NO9RRM/

With inexpensive devices like these, though, I recommend getting backup units in case of issues.

I have found that playing video through something like this connected through the rear AV input is so much more reliable. So far I haven't found any codec/format/container that it hasn't been able to play.

It is a little overpriced in Romania. It is actually 200$

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00E9O6C96/ref=s9_simh_gw_p23_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=1QHN8BHNWVAJ8JSX3W2V&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1630083502&pf_rd_i=507846

E17 is good also and kind of on the same level as x3 on sound quality. X3 is nice if you need a portable player too.

See how this looks.
http://www.amazon.com/Sandisk-8GB-Clip-Player-Black/dp/B00VXMY262

My wife had an earlier version called the sansa clip, and it had audio book support and a good battery. This one says it's compatible with Audible too.

What you need is a switch in this circumstance to switch between the PC and the TV, not a splitter. By trying to use this splitter as a combiner, your HDTV audio is being routed to the speakers as well as to the audio OUTPUT of the PC. And vice versa, the PC audio is being routed to the OUTPUT of the HDTV. These outputs are not designed to have audio running into them. Some equipment will run ok using this setup, but you have found a combo that does not seem to work.

Something like the following is what you need:

http://www.amazon.com/Sescom-SES-IPOD-AB-Stereo-MP3-Player/dp/B005TE7GP4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1410639705&sr=8-2&keywords=audio+switch+3.5mm

This is supposedly real good:
Micca Speck 1080p Full-HD Ultra Portable Digital Media Player For USB Drives and SD/SDHC Cards https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008NO9RRM/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_.gKIub04DAP61

For the price he could also either get an Android Stick with full size USB or a refurbished WDTV live.
The Roku 3 supports USB. Also Sony bluray players.

I have the DT770 (80 ohm) and I'm pretty happy powering it off a SanDisk Sansa Clip+. It looks ridiculous though: bulky headphones VS tiny DAP.

The latest version is called the Clip Jam and it is sold on Italian Amazon for under €50.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008NO9RRM/ref=psdc_13447451_t1_B003MVZ60I is a similar setup for 40 bucks, can handle sd cards or usb, so even if you have a smaller drive, it'll do the job too.

Isn't as refined as WD is, but it works well too

what you want is called a digital signage player.

this is a cheapo one that will do what you want, with basic functionality, although some reviews state it dies after 6 months.

http://www.amazon.com/Micca-Full-HD-Portable-Digital-Player/dp/B008NO9RRM/

more professional ones cost more but have way more options and im guessing reliability.

what i have done for businesses generally is set them up with a dedicated pc with multiple video outs in their server room and it gets wired to the TVs with HDMI over ethernet.

I cannot attest to 40 hour battery life (realistically, playback of 40 hours with some power cycles and etc might be unrealistic in general) but I have this mp3 player and it works wonders. Small, easy to use, easy to add/remove songs, and has taken quite the beating from me without failing.

Don't disagree that they dominate - but I know plenty of people who use devices like the Sansa Clip (8500 reviews on Amazon, so it's obviously extremely popular) - especially for sports. I've been using it for years. But these days, most of my music collection is on my phone (128GB SD card on my android phone), so it's kind started to replace a few other devices.

Well, the Yeti (for example) has a headphone port in the mic, so that's an option, but I don't know personally how well that would drive the headphones. It should prevent the buzzing, at least. That's about $90/98£ (just looking at US/UK Amazon, I don't know exactly where you live).

You could also look into some FiiO/Topping amps and dacs, but the Topping especially will start to push your budget.

Thirdly, you could try the speaker output on the back of your computer, instead of the case header headphone port. The header port typically has to run from the front of your case, through your case, onto a header on the motherboard, and it can pickup on all kinds of EMI. If they work out the back of your computer, and you don't want to have to physically plug/unplug each time, you could run a cable from your computer to this ( https://www.amazon.com/Sescom-SES-IPOD-AB-Stereo-Player-Switch/dp/B005TE7GP4/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1543116900&sr=8-7&keywords=3.5mm+switch ), and then plug your headphones AND speakers into it, and switch it back and forth with that. Or just use a plain splitter, and turn your speakers down when you're using your headphones, but that leaves your headphones always "on".

San disk sansa clip or the huge amount of similar newer cheaper devices. Takes micro SD cards:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/SanDisk-SDMX18-008G-E46K-Sansa-Clip-Player/dp/B002NX0ME6


128gb micro SD card:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/SanDisk-microSD-Memory-All-New-tablets/dp/B013TMNYGM/ref=lp_1634766031_1_12?srs=1634766031&ie=UTF8&qid=1452727565&sr=8-12

Or better yet just put the sd card in your phone and carry a powerbank.

I have a Sansa Clip which is nice and small, and has a clip on the back to secure it to my armband.

I highly recommend the clip. It's only $30 on amazon. It probably won't be compatable with your car radios controls for skipping tracks and such, but it will definitely work with just an "aux" jack, a male-male 3.5mm cord will do the trick for under $5.

This guy is what I use. It is cheap, works off of a file system so I can make different folders for playlists, and has physical buttons which are so much easier when running. I don't have to look at the screen. Also, it accepts a micro SD card which is nice.

I use Swimbuds with my waterproof MP3 player and they've held up great for the past six months or so.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B018YKTD1Y

I figured there had to be something that would fix my issue but I didn't know the words for it.

So something like this?

http://www.amazon.com/Sescom-SES-IPOD-AB-Stereo-MP3-Player/dp/B005TE7GP4/ref=pd_sim_23_1?ie=UTF8&dpID=51ilLg6Wh-L&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=0473XY3TR10804DHJ5FM

I'd just get a cheap clip-on MP3 player. The Sandisk Clip is excellent if you want a recommendation: http://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-Sansa-Clip-Player-Black/dp/B002MAPS6W

Hello! I consider myself a switching to dumbphone vet so I'll go ahead and answer some of your questions:

1. As someone said write down the questions or call someone and ask. Just pretend everyone is a lifeline and you are a contestant on who wants to be a millionaire.
   
   
2. Several smartphones can be de-internetted (like my $12 blackberry tour 9630) that have a decent to do list. If that fails, just create reminders on your dumbphone as todos.
   
   
3. Do what they did 20 years ago. Buy a news paper =) If it's not worth 1 dollar to you it's prob not worth knowing.
   
   
4. Do a search here for "guide to smart phones with no wifi" or something like that. You'll find the guide I created. Or just search my name here you'll find a lot of info on that sort of thing. In regards to bluetooth forget about it if you can't find something. Get a decent mp3 player and call it a day. Heres the one I bought a year ago in februrary: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00VR5JHVK/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 It's still rocking hard.
   
   
5. I don't understand this question. Maybe photocopy pages and take them with you?

I use one of these. They are super tiny, and have a micro SD slot. The battery lasts forever, too.

I found this, but it seems a bit pricey. http://www.amazon.com/Sescom-SES-IPOD-AB-Stereo-MP3-Player/dp/B005TE7GP4

I think its fairly easy to DIY though and some googling brought up several results

Plenty of third-party iTunes alternatives out there to avoid the headache.

The iPod shuffle is probably the easiest when it comes to small mp3 players with integrated clips.

There's also this one by Sandisk which has pretty decent reviews and is very affordable.

My wife found this device, the Micca Speck, it has no wireless or general computer functions, it's just an incredibly good media player that sits on top of any USB storage (hard drive, flash, even DVD-ROM) and plays to HDMI.

https://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-Player-Screen-MicroSDHC-SDMX24-008G-G46K/dp/B00HCMZ2SE/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1523446276&sr=8-5&keywords=mp3+player+with+sd+card+slot

This is a well known and reviewed MP3 player. It does have an SD Card slot. And i'm sure you would be able to use an OTG cable to connect it to your android. Assuming your android has a microUSB, this should work for youhttps://www.amazon.com/UGREEN-Adapter-Samsung-Controller-Smartphone/dp/B00LN3LQKQ/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1523446359&sr=1-3&keywords=micro+usb+otg

I've been thinking of selling my iPod and getting a Fiio X1. The iPod interface is great it just bums me out that it doesn't play FLAC.

http://www.amazon.com/Fiio-X1-Resolution-Lossless-Player/dp/B00NS3MRKC/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1451593195&sr=8-3&keywords=fiio

This is what I use, a tiny, 8gb(with expansion slot) flash-based(so crashes dont matter) mp3 player with a clip. i pair it with an old pair of earbuds that i've cut one of the buds of off, and put the bud in my back foot's ear. this thing is seriously like a box of matches, and the clip is super handy. saves my GS5 battery for when I need it.
http://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-Sansa-Clip-Player-Black/dp/B002MAPS6W/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1419287960&sr=8-2&keywords=sandisk+mp3

This is one I saw. Its $350, and takes two SD cards. 128 GB Sd cards are about $100, so all told its about $550. I think its possible to find 128 GB SD cards at $70 so it could be as low $490. A bit out of my price range.

EDIT: plays FLAC. yay!

Sescom SES-IPOD-AB iPod Stereo Audio MP3 FLAC WMA Player A/B Switch 3.5mm (1/8) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005TE7GP4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_1AaOybRRET5PM

Could have made one myself but I couldn't be bothered haha 😂

The Zune HD is still one of the most handsome devices I've ever seen:

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/G/01/electronics/detail-page/B002JPITY8-4.jpg

Get something like this it works both directions. It should allow you to do what you are trying to do.

Pardon my ignorance but why not just buy from Amazon here http://www.amazon.com/Zune-Video-MP3-Player-Platinum/dp/B002JPITY8 is there a different model or something you're looking for? I never really used MP3 players much once my phone became an adequate substitute so not sure what is so speical about the Zune HD

I've heard great things about the Sandisk Clip+ player, especially with the Rockbox custom firmware installed.

Looks like they don't make it anymore and carry some newer versions instead (can't comment on them), but you can still find the clip+ around the internet.

Not for Kodi, but for playback off USB drives in hotel rooms, I use and recommend the Micca Speck G2.

http://www.amazon.com/X5-Resolution-Lossless-Music-Player/dp/B00I4Q9S32

Buy the X5 plus two SD cards and enjoy. Or buy an X3 and one SD card.

My friend is recommending either of these players with the FiiO Q1 isntead:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I4Q9S32/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=

or

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B017I5NONY/ref=s9_dcbhz_bw_g422_i2_sh

Actually these days you can get flash memory based ones - though they maybe a bit smaller than an old cassette tape walkman. Tape may also be familiar to her.

Those devices would also record - so there may be a way to disable recording perhaps on that particular device.

I searched google for: amazon large buttons recorder flash

And got some links like these:

https://www.amazon.com/slp/digital-voice-recorder-with-large-buttons/avtmdx2au6sr6j2

https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Voice-Recorders-Audio-Video/b?ie=UTF8&node=227758

This one has large buttons:
https://www.amazon.com/Olympus-DP-201-Digital-Voice-Recorder/dp/B006ZW4IVE

Again these are mostly for recording, so have large record buttons.

Here's one that's just a player:

Sandisk 8GB Clip Jam MP3 Player (Black)

These are USB memory stick readers with larger speakers - as an example of this type of device:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B007NIKJM6

I'm still impressed at how head of its time it's design was. I'd go as far as saying that the ZuneHD is closer to the Iphone X and Pixel's design than the iphone 3GS.

Here's the 2009 Iphone 3gs, for comparison.

I've been researching the exact same thing for the past couple months, and over and over again I keep running into this player:

Fiio X1 High Resolution Lossless Music Player (Amazon Link)

I don't own one personally, but you may want to take a look at this one as well.

FYI, the 8GB version is cheaper (??), check it out

What's your budget? I use a Schiit SYS but it's kinda pricey, and it has RCA jacks, so you'd need adapters.


Quick amazon search brings up this. Seems decent enough quality

EDIT: And another.

TBH, if you have any familiarity at all with soldering you could make your own for less than 10 bucks probably.

if you are serious about A/Bing, why not just get a switch? There are lots of options, maybe something like [this] (http://www.amazon.com/Sescom-SES-IPOD-AB-Stereo-MP3-Player/dp/B005TE7GP4) -- I'm not recommending this particular model, it was just the top result of my search.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005TE7GP4/ you're welcome. Get some 3.5mm cables.

Honestly we've been using Samsung commercial 55" TVs and either SFF desktops or Micca Speck G2 media players. https://www.amazon.com/Micca-Full-HD-Portable-Digital-Player/dp/B008NO9RRM/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1506630158&sr=8-3&keywords=micca+speck+g2

Well there's the Dingo clone and there's this sexy beast Check them out, I want one personally but don't have the cash to spare for it atm.

I use a SanDisk Sansa on the go, and WinAmp plus good old non-DRM'd MP3s generally everywhere else.

Basically what im looking for is a usb dac that is very simple in design, all im looking for is a volume wheel and a single aux jack output at the least, going to be using this with a simple a/b aux jack switch; https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005TE7GP4/ref=ox_sc_act_title_5?smid=A2LXBKOLL3J3K6&psc=1 and the seinheiser 598s

Does anyone have any good suggestions.

Good for the price and loops video

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B008NO9RRM/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1524029902&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=mica+player&dpPl=1&dpID=41UkivJ7REL&ref=plSrch

I was looking for the exact same thing. Amazon has exactly what you need.


AGPtek

SanDisk


Both are tiny and have clips on the back. The SanDisk not only has the brand name, it also has expandable storage via microSD and the screen, which I imagine helps a lot with the FM tuner that is built into both.

The AGPtek only supports auto-retuning and seeking, manual tuning is not an option. I haven't recieved the SanDisk yet to comment on it's FM performance but it will be here on Wednesday.