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Best MP3 Player for the gym????

post #1 of 33
12/3/08 at 5:13pm
Thread Starter 
I have my Ipod Classic 80GB that I use for my home music collection but I am looking for a new gym mp3 player... any suggestions? I was thinking maybe an Ipod nano or maybe a shuffle. I am not really familar with other brands but I am going to head to Bestbuy to see some in person, I also recall an article in a recent GQ, Details, or Esquire talking about gym MP3 players but I forget which mag...
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post #2 of 33
12/3/08 at 5:26pm
Well if sound quality is an issue for you, I'd suggest iRiver. They're known to have among the best sound quality. About 6-7 years ago, they had the best DAP (digital audio player), according to audiophiles, which were the H120, H140, H320 and H340. It may have been big (in terms of physical size), but the padding combined with the great hardware made it the most durable DAP and best sounding. To this day, audiophiles still consider them to be the best players available. Since the H20's, iRiver hasn't been in the jukebox market. They release smaller items in the US. In Korea, where they are stationed, they release a bunch of different gadgets. Anyway, all their players now are flash based; perfect for the gym. Another added bonus is they support flac files. Cowon is another brand that comes to mind. Since iRiver no longer made the Hxy0 series, audiophiles looked to the Cowon iAudio as a replacement. The biggest feature that attracted us was the flac support. Not sure why the Cowon iAudio's weren't considered the best since the Hxy0 were no longer made. Anyway, I believe Cowon also has a large collection of flash-based players.
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post #3 of 33
12/3/08 at 5:34pm
I used a $45 Sansa Express 1gb for the gym. Its perfect for my uses. Small enough to be carrying in the pocket when I run or lift, and cheap one for me to treat it like shit and not feel bad about it.
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post #4 of 33
12/3/08 at 6:11pm
Ipod shuffle. It's really small and you can clip it anywhere.
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post #5 of 33
12/3/08 at 6:18pm
I like Cowon players, myself, but you won't find them at Best Buy. I say check out the Sansa Clip. It's tiny, has a screen and supposedly has good sound quality.
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post #6 of 33
12/3/08 at 7:39pm
there are a ton of small, cheap shuffle-like players out there. You really can't go wrong, they don't have too many features to mess up. just go get one.
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post #7 of 33
12/3/08 at 8:38pm
They're all made in China so pretty much any of them should do the job. Any mp3 player except the Apple iPod because you don't want to be that guy at the gym.
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post #8 of 33
12/3/08 at 10:00pm
This is the one you want.

I have a Cowon D2 and love it. Had to order it. A bit bulky for the gym though. Ideally, you only need a 1 or 2gb player. If you drop it, sweat all over it, break it, etc, no biggie, they're cheap, go get another. If 1 or 2gb is too little music, you're in the gym waaaay too long. I'm a fan of disposable for things like this.

Honestly, as others have said, just pick something cheap and durable. I don't know about you, but I go to the gym to sweat, grunt, and destroy myself and don't care in the least about being stylish. :P

Ideal mp3 player would be:
1-2 gigs with SD card slot of some sort (easy change playlists)
minimum 5 hours battery life (not a problem with modern players from what I've seen, my cowon gets something like 50 hours. I've never come close.)
Lightweight
Bluetooth would be awesome (no cables to work around)
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post #9 of 33
12/3/08 at 10:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by CharlieAngel View Post
Bluetooth would be awesome (no cables to work around)
That's a good suggestion. Honestly never thought about that rather than running my headphones up the inside of my shirt. Of course, it now adds in the requirement for bluetooth headphones.
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post #10 of 33
12/3/08 at 10:31pm
sansa clip, you can clip it anywhere!
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post #11 of 33
12/4/08 at 12:54am
if sound quality is an issue, you're not training hard enough.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Berticus View Post
Well if sound quality is an issue for you, I'd suggest iRiver. They're known to have among the best sound quality. About 6-7 years ago, they had the best DAP (digital audio player), according to audiophiles, which were the H120, H140, H320 and H340. It may have been big (in terms of physical size), but the padding combined with the great hardware made it the most durable DAP and best sounding. To this day, audiophiles still consider them to be the best players available.

Since the H20's, iRiver hasn't been in the jukebox market. They release smaller items in the US. In Korea, where they are stationed, they release a bunch of different gadgets. Anyway, all their players now are flash based; perfect for the gym. Another added bonus is they support flac files.

Cowon is another brand that comes to mind. Since iRiver no longer made the Hxy0 series, audiophiles looked to the Cowon iAudio as a replacement. The biggest feature that attracted us was the flac support. Not sure why the Cowon iAudio's weren't considered the best since the Hxy0 were no longer made. Anyway, I believe Cowon also has a large collection of flash-based players.
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post #12 of 33
12/4/08 at 1:07am
if its between ipod nano and shuffle, get the nano. better because u can create different playlists and that sort of thing. dont know about other people but i like to change up my music when i go to the gym.

also you can get the nike+ thing for it which is sweet
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post #13 of 33
12/4/08 at 2:42am
I use the Sansa Clip 4gb version. It's light, so you can clip it anywhere. The sound is better than its Apple counterpart, IMO. Best of all, it's cheap. You can get it for under $60 from Amazon. Oh, it also has a radio built in.
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post #14 of 33
12/4/08 at 2:53am
For the gym there is no question - iPod Shuffle. You have no display to see the tracks etc but program your play list before you go.
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post #15 of 33
12/4/08 at 4:19am
Quote:
Originally Posted by thekunk07 View Post
if sound quality is an issue, you're not training hard enough.

No, that's not it. Some people just notice/appreciate sound more than others. I'll spend $600-$700 on some shure e500 or se530 and an iRiver clix or iRiver LPlayer to bring to the gym. I mean once some people turn on the music, they'll notice it right away, and it'll bug them the whole time.
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