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Home Entertainment Center => Hardware => Topic started by: Chiprocks1 on January 14, 2015, 11:14:56 pm


Title: Portable Music Players
Post by: Chiprocks1 on January 14, 2015, 11:14:56 pm
I was sure we already had a thread geared strictly for iPod players and the like. I do remember Neumatic going into great detail about him wanting to buy some backups and whatnot. Well, might as well start a thread for this now. The reason why I'm inquiring about it now has to do with whether or not you can actually hook up an iPod or any other portable music players directly to your Home Theater Surround Sound System. Most have different display ports: CD, Auxilary, Phone, TV, etc...So, curious if you in fact can hook up an iPod or not. What kind of external ports do they come with?
Title: Re: Portable Music Players
Post by: Neumatic on January 14, 2015, 11:33:15 pm
Well, the iPod has the same output as the old iPhones, so anything you can plug an iPhone into you should be able to do with an iPod.  There's a lot of really awesome little iPod speakers that were out there, and my favourite ones are the ones that mimic that minimalistic design.  I think it'll be a little while before the new iPhone input becomes standardized.  You can even get little speakers that you can plug into there so you can make noise when you're out and about.

The great thing about being ubiquitous is that everyone designs accessories, so you're bound to find some good ones.

But you also have the charging wire, which ends in a USB so you can plug it into your computer.

You can use a headphone-to-speaker cable if you want to.  I have a headphone-to-faux tape adapter thing, I stick that in my car's tape deck and it plays my iPod through the car's speakers.
Title: Re: Portable Music Players
Post by: Chiprocks1 on January 14, 2015, 11:39:29 pm
Okay, so since I'm currently looking for an MP3 player, it doesn't necessarily have to be an iPod. But which should I look at getting. There's too many on the market: Nano, Classic, blah blah blah. Don't really even know where to begin or what each version has in the way of 'Bells and Whistles". Any other brand names that can complete with Apple and won't break the bank while at it?
Title: Re: Portable Music Players
Post by: Neumatic on January 15, 2015, 01:08:51 am
I would have to double-check my research, but I think the Kobo is the closest competitor, it kinda looks like an iPod but heavy duty, there's points on the wheel that make it look like an "X"... it looks like it has the most hard drive capacity of any other non-iPod portable music player.

You know, I found the dude on eBay who upgrades iPods and I missed his recent sale on upgrades, he only does a couple at a time.  I was gonna see if I could get the battery on my old one replaced and add a 400GB hard drive to it.
Title: Re: Portable Music Players
Post by: Chiprocks1 on January 15, 2015, 09:21:15 am
Should I even know what Kobo is? I've never heard of it till now. I'll see what I can find deal-wise with them.
Title: Re: Portable Music Players
Post by: Chiprocks1 on January 15, 2015, 09:36:32 am
All that I'm getting in search for Kobo are eReaders and Tablets. Nothing about it being an MP3 player.
Title: Re: Portable Music Players
Post by: Chiprocks1 on January 16, 2015, 06:01:44 pm
Currently watching a couple of eBay auctions for iPod Classic. What's the average price you would pay for a Used one? Yeah, I can check past sales, but most people tend to over-inflate the price at the last second. Want to know what you (Neumatic) would pay for Used one. Both auctions are for 7th Generation.
Title: Re: Portable Music Players
Post by: Neumatic on January 16, 2015, 06:53:46 pm
I wound up paying Playstation prices for a brand new Classic, but I use one of those every day (more than I think people would use a Playstation) and my current iPod has lasted at least seven years, maybe longer, and I have no idea how long Playstations last.  For ME, that big amount of money was worth it (and about what I'd pay for the hard drive/battery upgrade).

Incidently, I have my eyes on this dude on eBay (http://www.ebay.com/usr/ipod.classic?_trksid=p2047675.l2559) because he does the upgrades, and I think you could probably get a cheaper base unit and a bigger upgrade for less than what an off-the-shelf unit would cost second-hand these days.  Maybe.

BTW, there are a bunch of threads on Reddit (http://www.reddit.com/search?q=ipod+classic) where people discuss alternatives for high-capacity players.  Might be worth a look too.
Title: Re: Portable Music Players
Post by: Chiprocks1 on January 16, 2015, 07:54:17 pm
When you say "cheaper base", are you referring to an earlier generation or a smaller GB size? Also, I know you have sung praises for this guy in the past, but have you dealt with him personally to vouch for his work?
Title: Re: Portable Music Players
Post by: Neumatic on January 17, 2015, 12:08:21 am
I haven't yet.  I've heard of a couple of people who apparently do this, but this is the one I found... and he's got a ton of positive reviews.  Of course, if I didn't have my backup ready in the box, I might be more hesitant about the whole thing.

The thing is, there are instructions online on how to repair and replace components in your iPod yourself (https://www.ifixit.com/Device/iPod_Classic), but getting the d*mn thing open is the trickiest part.  I would not trust myself to do it, especially as the first project like this I'd ever do.  Of course, it may turn out that my current pod might not be upgradable, in which case I'd just be out the 20-30 bucks service charge.

And yeah, by a cheaper base I mean an earlier generation iPod.  The 2nd gen has a lousy screen (no visuals or graphics) but it's apparently much easier to put a compact flash card in there, and those suckers can get real big.
Title: Re: Portable Music Players
Post by: Chiprocks1 on January 17, 2015, 12:43:25 am
The 7th Gen iPod Classic I was tracking today/tonight ended up selling for $260 which is about what the 6th Gen's are going for based on recent sales. I wonder if the 6th Gen is "better" than the 7th as far as functionality. Maybe it has a preferred design that most people liked that was f*cked up in the 7th. You tell me.
Title: Re: Portable Music Players
Post by: Neumatic on January 17, 2015, 01:04:14 am
I can't think of anything particularly different between 6 and 7th gen, and dude, 260 is a freaking FANTASTIC price for one of those now.  Although what's the hard drive space? (I'm obsessive over that, I have a 160gb and I'm using about 130 of it, which is why I'm going so nuts about these things: I want to be able to keep my collection intact as it grows).
Title: Re: Portable Music Players
Post by: Chiprocks1 on January 17, 2015, 01:08:28 am
It was 160 gb, which is what I'm only watching. I want to get the biggest hard drive that is going to accommodate all my sh*t that I intend to put on it. So, question, I believe I ask this a while back, but I can't remember if you gave me an answer. Can I take all the CDs that I've ripped and put onto my computer and do the same onto any portable device? They are all MP3's. Just transfer them from PC to iPod?
Title: Re: Portable Music Players
Post by: Neumatic on January 17, 2015, 01:22:50 am
Okay, then that's an INSANELY good price, better deal than I got.

Yeah, you need iTunes or a program like that (there are some people who don't like iTunes so they use an alternative, but I don't know what it is) but yeah, you can drag MP3s right in there into a playlist and they'll transfer to the iPod.

For all that stuff, you wanna make some playlists so you know where your stuff is.  My iPod is super organized, I can find anything at a moment's notice.  But that's just me.
Title: Re: Portable Music Players
Post by: Chiprocks1 on January 24, 2015, 11:23:26 pm
Anyone here have any experience with CD Carousel's now or in the past? If yes, please tell me any pros or cons they may have. Any issues with mechanical failure? Most have 5-6 Slots, but I'm looking at the 50, 100, 400 and 500 just to get a taste of what's out there. The 500's are pricey as f*ck at $1k and will not be coming home with me any time soon. Most likely would shoot for 50-100 range.
Title: Re: Portable Music Players
Post by: Neumatic on January 25, 2015, 04:05:14 am
500 CDs at once?  Geezus!

Never had a CD carousel, but my dad has a 5-disc DVD player and it's annoying as anything to get the discs in and out because the carousel never spins around to the right place (AND kept moving slowly when it was open, so you gotta grab the disc quick when it appears).
Title: Re: Portable Music Players
Post by: Mac on June 09, 2016, 01:14:06 pm
Sooooooooooooooo, I'm looking into an MP3 player for my walking routine. All I want it to do is play songs or podcasts. So Apple has Shuffle ($49), Nano ($142) and Touch ($189). These 6th and 7th generation iPod's seem incredibly expensive. What do they do for that price. Not sure I need a Nano... except maybe for bluetooth?

Need to find something decent to listen to them. Thinking about something like the Sennheiser PMX685i Sport II.
Title: Re: Portable Music Players
Post by: Chiprocks1 on June 09, 2016, 03:00:38 pm
Can't you put your songs on your Smartphone that you have?
Title: Re: Portable Music Players
Post by: Mac on June 09, 2016, 03:07:52 pm
Oh good lord... No. This thing weighs a ton and just bulky.  I don't carry it around in regular clothes.


I guess I needed to mention, it has to be practically non existent light. Light shorts and T shirt for summer. Thinking I'll strap it to my arm or waist. I'm gonna pay for the convenience of ease, light and quality.
Title: Re: Portable Music Players
Post by: Chiprocks1 on June 09, 2016, 03:10:15 pm
Good point.
Title: Re: Portable Music Players
Post by: Mac on June 10, 2016, 07:12:28 am
So, I've been doing some surfing here and there and I'm slowly funneling my thoughts to this setup.

Ipod Nano (7th generation): It has Bluetooth, so I can be cordless to the headphones. It's tied into iTunes, which I constantly use for music and podcasts. It has a nike app for fitness. It has a radio. 7G because of cheaper costs. I just need to find some ways to carry it. Wrist? Waist/Chest? Pocket?

Bluez 2: Bone Induction Headphones. Every review is very positive for what it can do. I need headphones that will stay on my head. Resist sweat. Wireless. Sits in front of the ears, so I can still hear everything around me while walking... for safety. But most importantly... Not BE IN my ears. I have never ever liked ear buds. In ear headphones of any kind.

(http://techdomino.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/ipodnano-2012-10-12-600-6.jpg)

(https://cdn4.thegrommet.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/473x355/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/l/i/lifestyle_bluez_aftershockz.jpg)
Title: Re: Portable Music Players
Post by: Mac on June 10, 2016, 08:53:41 am
Seriously, the difference between a 7th & 8th generation Nano is color choices?
Title: Re: Portable Music Players
Post by: Mac on June 11, 2016, 03:16:01 pm
I have some Best Buy rewards and gift card. Got a "Out of the Box" Nano (8G). I also ordered the Trekz Titanium. It's a step up from the Bluez 2. They were sold out at Brookstone, but they are having a Dad's Day Sale, got $20 off and free delivery. Saleslady said 3 days delivery. Taking that with a grain of salt.

(http://road.cc/sites/default/files/styles/main_width/public/aftershokz-trekz-titanium-bone-conduction-headphones-worn.jpg?itok=9Zdontta)




Hope this all works out.  :-[
Title: Re: Portable Music Players
Post by: Chiprocks1 on June 11, 2016, 05:11:49 pm
Is that where it rest? Not in the ear?
Title: Re: Portable Music Players
Post by: Mac on June 11, 2016, 07:15:47 pm
Yea, it's bone conductive. It sits on the jaw bone. All reviews say it's weird at first but it works. It's not as good as something directly feeding the ear drum, but I'm not looking for that kind of quality.

For awhile I was looking for something that just sits around the neck.

I just have never liked sticking anything in my ears.

I like this guys reviews. He kinda sold me on them.

https://youtu.be/rCqisXxtego
Title: Re: Portable Music Players
Post by: Chiprocks1 on June 11, 2016, 07:33:17 pm
I subscribe to his channel. He does a lot of reviews for a lot of interesting stuff.
Title: Re: Portable Music Players
Post by: Mac on June 12, 2016, 03:58:38 am
Me too. He does some real cool stuff in his unique way
Title: Re: Portable Music Players
Post by: Neumatic on June 12, 2016, 11:24:40 am
I just started watching these a week or so ago, I like them too.

I'm actually curious now about bone induction, given my hearing loss.  I wonder if that would bypass my broken/missing ear bones or not.
Title: Re: Portable Music Players
Post by: Mac on June 12, 2016, 06:34:48 pm
What? Did not know. Let us know what you find out if you pursue this.
Title: Re: Portable Music Players
Post by: Neumatic on June 12, 2016, 07:11:24 pm
Yep.  American with a disability.  A really sh1tty one, too, because it's just bad enough to make things really annoying.  I've never had the need to read lips or learn sign language, just lean in and ask other people to repeat themselves.
Title: Re: Portable Music Players
Post by: Mac on June 30, 2016, 02:24:01 pm
One of my good buddies/co-worker is 95% deaf in just one ear and I ALWAYS forget to position myself to talk to him correctly. He adjusts, but I'm usually half way through a sentence before I do an ohsh*t.

On another note, I brought in the Aftershokz to show some of my co-workers who use headphones. I was pretty surprised that each and every one didn't leave it on their head for more than a few seconds. Some were just stunned and immediately took them off. I believe it was do to the slight 'buzz' feeling. And that only happens when substantial bass is in the song. They all had that weird look on their face.

I just thought it was an interesting observation, and now kind of an experiment.
Title: Re: Portable Music Players
Post by: Neumatic on July 12, 2016, 08:06:37 am
All right, I just ordered (thanks to a deal on Amazon Prime Day and dwindling stock) an SD card expansion thingie for the iPod, basically what I've been thinking about for a while: open up an iPod and replace the hard drive with a compact flash card with a lot more memory, 256 GB instead of the 160 it came with.  My current iPod is a bit long in the tooth, so in addition to upgrading the hard drive, I might need/want to replace the battery.  And while i found a tutorial on how to do that, I would much rather find someone with manual dexterity to do it for me.  But it's definitely a step in the right direction.  The device itself was six-ten bucks.  The SD card is gonna be a few hundred, so I'll hold off until I'm ready to actually pull the trigger and open the thing up.

I found a local place that can do a battery replacement for my iPod, too.  I would really like it if they would let me put that expander in while they've got it open, but I've got a sneaking suspicion they won't.  I'm thinking I want to do this to my old/current iPod, rather than risk my brand new boxed one that I've got for emergencies ("brand new" even though I've had it for years).
Title: Re: Portable Music Players
Post by: Neumatic on July 29, 2016, 11:42:14 am
The Ringer has an ode to the iPod Classic (https://theringer.com/an-ode-to-the-ipod-classic-629e89681c6e#.qshfddu6i), and what a coincidence, look what I just got back:

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CojXcPwWYAAHnjW.jpg)

Nope, no missing decimal place.  Four hundred sixty seven free gigabytes of space.  Now all I have to worry about is the 50,000 track limit, but it's going to be decades before I hit that.  It's also going to take FOREVER to transfer all my tunes to this thing.

I decided that if I want an iMod (as I call them), I better have one done right so I had one done by a guy on eBay, and as I said, I'll find a cheap sacrifice one at a later date to experiment on.
Title: Re: Portable Music Players
Post by: Mac on July 29, 2016, 04:56:44 pm
Good gawd... And then it will take years to listen to all those tunes
Title: Re: Portable Music Players
Post by: Neumatic on July 29, 2016, 05:20:34 pm
Thankfully I organize stuff as I put it on, I keep my playlists and albums nice and curated... for the most part.

I'm REALLY glad I went for the 512 GB card, seeing as how I lost about 40 gigs to formatting.  Not inconsequential, but nothing I'll REALLY have to worry about.
Title: Re: Portable Music Players
Post by: Neumatic on October 14, 2016, 06:10:45 pm
Okay, months later, I FINALLY loaded all my music onto my new iPod.  It took HOURS, and of course it took some trial and error to make sure everything I wanted was on there (a couple movies still aren't there).  Gave it a little test drive and it's workin' pretty nice.  It's sweet to have a fresh battery and all that free space on there.
Title: Re: Portable Music Players
Post by: Mac on October 15, 2016, 05:13:17 am
How good is the battery for? I'm lucky if mine lasts 4 hours.
Title: Re: Portable Music Players
Post by: Neumatic on October 15, 2016, 11:45:22 am
Well, I've used it for about two non-consecutive hours and the battery indicator hasn't given up a sliver of green.  Big change from my last one, which was starting to show its' age.  Of course, my iMod has a fresh battery (or should I say "unused," outside of when it was charged up whenever it was originally made.... I was worried having it in storage for so long might make it lose some of its luster), an the compact flash card inside apparently requires less energy.

My big concern is the card corrupting or something, I don't know how long those things last, so I'm going to try to limit the number of times I write to it.  And I was GOING to say that at least I don't have to worry about running out of space, but if the thing corrupts or Apple bricks it, I will be back to my old iPod and all those constraints.  Fingers crossed that doesn't happen.
Title: Re: Portable Music Players
Post by: Neumatic on October 27, 2016, 06:29:22 pm
Okay, so I've been using the new iPod for a few weeks, and I love not having to worry about the hard drive or battery.  It's sometimes a little sluggish when I go through the menus, but nothing too bad.  The only real issue I have is that it takes a good while for the damn thing to sync up.... don't know what I can do about that.  But it beats the thing getting bricked, right?

I'm at 333 GB left.. not too shabby!  It should be very hard to fill that up, even with audiobooks and the like.

I did put all my episodes of Blackadder on there, in audio form, and I'm so glad b/c I listened to a couple episodes yesterday while out running errands.  Part of me thought if it would be worth it putting the video versions on there, even though I almost never watch video on that screen, and not that Blackadder is particularly visually impressive (pus I've seen the episodes a thousand times, I know what it looks like), but just because I have the space.
Title: Re: Portable Music Players
Post by: Mac on October 28, 2016, 08:42:36 am
Now you just need the Trekz Titanium's to listen anywhere... without cords.  ;D
Title: Re: Portable Music Players
Post by: Neumatic on October 28, 2016, 11:05:30 am
What I need is a way of listening to it that doesn't conflict with my hearing aid, I'm tired of taking that thing out when I switch from car to headphones.
Title: Re: Portable Music Players
Post by: Chiprocks1 on May 28, 2019, 12:39:00 pm
Apple Is Bringing Back the iPod Touch - IGN News

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khZsYsnVXnU


This should make Neumatic happy.
Title: Re: Portable Music Players
Post by: Neumatic on May 28, 2019, 10:21:39 pm
400 bucks for 256 gigs, that's a bit of a tough pill to swallow, but it's not a bad idea to have an option.  It seems like it's the old iPhone with new software (hence why there's still an audio jack) rather than a new product, but I do like that they're doing this.  It's a great option for parents who don't want their kids to have a phone, since everything else is included.  Apps, games, facetime, not to mention all the movies and music.

Hopefully this will help keep the iPod alive and maybe generate some new demand.