KVR Audio

DevonB · Post by **DevonB** » Wed Jun 19, 2013 9:24 pm

I'd like to get an MP3 player that can work off being plugged into a wall outlet (I don't want it to only run on batteries as the idea is not to really be portable anyway.) It must be able to play MP3 files natively off of the device (I don't want to go down the iPod route of having to convert files just to play on the device.) Basically I want something that I can plug into my stereo amp in the living room and not require a lot of power to run (yes, I could stream it off of one of my video game consoles, but that means having to have the console on and possibly the TV, which would both be power hogs.)

Suggestions? 8 gigs at minimum would be great, but if it could use SD memory cards, that would be more ideal. Older models that are more affordable are preferable. I don't mind buying used either. Wonder if just buying an older smart phone might be a good idea that doesn't have service anymore.

Devon

kbaccki · Post by **kbaccki** » Thu Jun 20, 2013 4:12 am

If you opt for an older, say, iPod Touch, I recommend this storefront... http://www.cowboom.com ... you can get barely used stuff for cheap there, if you look hard enough... just look for stuff with rating of minimum "5" and preferably "6"... I think Best Buy uses them as their marketplace supplier, or maybe they're directly related to Best Buy, not sure... I just know I've gotten a couple of items from them at steep discount that were in surprisingly excellent shape... and I mean barely used, or perhaps used by somebody that wore white cotton gloves...

Any particular brand or model you're looking for? Are you anti-apple? Price limit?

BertKoor · Post by **BertKoor** » Thu Jun 20, 2013 9:35 am

How about a 1u rack-mountable unit? That's the same size as most DVD players etc. Most can read SD cards or USB sticks. Here's a list of MP3 recorders (which can do playback also ofcourse) I looked up some weeks ago:

Tascam: SS-R100, SS-R200 and HD-R1
Denon: DN-F450R and DN-F650R
Marantz: PMD580

DevonB · Post by **DevonB** » Thu Jun 20, 2013 12:26 pm

kbaccki wrote: Any particular brand or model you're looking for? Are you anti-apple? Price limit?

That's what I was trying to figure out a good brand/model that plays MP3's native, will take a wall wart to power the unit instead of just batteries only as I want it as a permanent fixure in the living room to play music, and hopefully can have its memory expanded by SD cards of some sort.

I'm anti-iPod (I don't want to convert files from MP3 to get it to work on the device, and I HATE iTunes for music library management. Totally NOT intuitive) but love my iPad which I play games and apps on. Their price on the iPod Touch is tempting but I don't want the headaches of managing my music with it. I have everything in nice, neat directories. I don't need to do it their way and don't like the way they do it.

Price limit? I'd love to be in that $50-$100 range. Your CowBoom site looks like it's totally possible to get there in that range, if not lower at $32.

Devon

chk071 · Post by **chk071** » Thu Jun 20, 2013 12:33 pm

DevonB wrote: I'm anti-iPod (I don't want to convert files from MP3 to get it to work on the device

? iPod's can play MP3's natively...

DevonB wrote: and I HATE iTunes for music library management. Totally NOT intuitive

You don't have to use iTunes. There are loads of players which can handle iPod management too. Foobar2000, Clementine, Winamp, to name a few. You need iTunes only to upgrade your iPod's software.

BertKoor · Post by **BertKoor** » Thu Jun 20, 2013 12:50 pm

I have the analog audio output of my DVD / BlueRay player connected directly to my amp, so it doesn't require switching on the TV.

Point is, it also reads disks with MP3 files or a whole bunch of other formats. A CD-RW can hold up to 10 hours of music, a DVD up to 80 hours. If you listen to that 10 hours a day, that's over a week of music on one single disk. Bye bye 'disk jockey'

Oh, and it also can play from USB: memory sticks, terabyte external drives, SD cards using an adapter, whatever!

kbaccki · Post by **kbaccki** » Thu Jun 20, 2013 2:13 pm

BTW, if you go with a ipod solution, you might want a standalone dock for audio out + power... I actually found this, which also gives you remote control capability... pretty cool...

http://www.staples.com/office/supplies/ ... sc_content

Here's the product page:

http://www.pyleaudio.com/sku/PIDOCK1/Un ... te-control

AnalogGuy1 · Post by **AnalogGuy1** » Thu Jun 20, 2013 3:03 pm

About iPods: I think I know where you're coming from. Yes, many years ago iPods wouldn't play mp3's natively, and could only be used from iTunes. But it hasn't been that way for a long time. I used to use a Tascam audio trainer to play mp3's, but several years ago switched to an iPod. I've loaded it with my mp3 collection that I ripped about a decade ago from CD's, and do all my setlist management using the free MediaMonkey. I don't have iTunes on my computer at all. There's no type of digital rights management required at all, and the number of accessories for the iPod line make it a good choice. It sits in a tiny wall-powered dock for 90% of the time, and occasionally I'll pop it out when I go running.

SODDI · Post by **SODDI** » Thu Jun 20, 2013 8:16 pm

Buy a DVD player, hook it to your stereo. Burn all your favorite .MP3s to a DVD (it will take HUNDREDS of tunes). Press play.

Watch movies, too.

DevonB · Post by **DevonB** » Fri Jun 21, 2013 11:48 am

BertKoor wrote:I have the analog audio output of my DVD / BlueRay player connected directly to my amp, so it doesn't require switching on the TV.

Point is, it also reads disks with MP3 files or a whole bunch of other formats. A CD-RW can hold up to 10 hours of music, a DVD up to 80 hours. If you listen to that 10 hours a day, that's over a week of music on one single disk. Bye bye 'disk jockey'
Oh, and it also can play from USB: memory sticks, terabyte external drives, SD cards using an adapter, whatever!

I totally didn't think of that, thank you. My DVD player is already hooked up directly to my amp, and I have a DVD burner on my computer already. While it wouldn't give me a pretty interface on the device itself, it would be good enough to do what I wanted and not have to spend a penny more for right now. And, if my kids destroyed the disc(s), who cares.

My PS3 is my BluRay player, and just sucks up too much juice to leave on all the time. I know I could stream from it, and it would have a pretty functional interface, but would defeat what I was trying to do which is cut power consuption.

Devon

DevonB · Post by **DevonB** » Fri Jun 21, 2013 11:54 am

chk071 wrote:
DevonB wrote: I'm anti-iPod (I don't want to convert files from MP3 to get it to work on the device
? iPod's can play MP3's natively...

I had an iPod Nano back in 2009. I could not drag and drop a directory of MP3's onto the device and have them work. I had to convert them. I've heard now that the newer versions of the OS do support MP3's at least. Can I simply USB it up to my PC, drop an MP3 folder onto it and it works? I can do that on my wife's Android tablet, I could not get that to work on my iPad just a few weeks ago, but I didn't try that hard either. How do you do it WITHOUT using iTunes or some other program?

DevonB wrote: and I HATE iTunes for music library management. Totally NOT intuitive
You don't have to use iTunes. There are loads of players which can handle iPod management too. Foobar2000, Clementine, Winamp, to name a few. You need iTunes only to upgrade your iPod's software.

The only "management" of my library I want is Windows Explorer. Mine is already managed by folder and name. I don't want or need anything more. That's the main issue.

Devon

Gonga · Post by **Gonga** » Fri Jun 21, 2013 1:08 pm

The old Creative Zens are great. Drag and drop, they have mics for recording, FM radio, the works. The 8GB ones with little screens are cool. Maybe you can find one with more storage.

Also remember an old laptop is great for re-purposing. I have one on our gigabit network for gaming, playing iso movies and Internet stuff on our big TV.

Recommendations for an MP3 player?