It is time to buy a music player...

Yeah I read where a new iPod is coming out but since mine still works I use it. I rotate between that and my phone and I have to say the music from my iPod sounds better than the music from my phone. Not sure why but it could be because my phone has Dolby with equalizers on it and I just haven't got the settings where they should be. I should play around with it some but I prefer the audio from my iPod. I've had that iPod for a while, it's an iPod Touch Gen 4.

I too am considering a new music player and those FiiO's seem to be the way to go...  My iPod is just about full.  I love the idea of the FiiO's and expandable memory and such, though am concerned about how difficult/time-consuming it'd be to transfer my iTunes library into a new library that a FiiO could use.  Has anyone here done that?

I haven't.  I have never bought anything from iTunes.  I get my MP3s from Amazon and CD Baby.  I can plug my current FiiO in to the computer and just drag/drop songs or albums straight in.

Interesting.  Can you automatically sync it when you plug it in or do you have to drag/drop the individual files/folders?  I'm no Apple fan-boy and would love to not be tethered to iTunes but I gotta say: they make it very easy.  You get everything right in your iTunes (song titles, artwork, year, ratings, etc.) and then just plug in your iPod to sync.  Since I work from home, I have my iTunes playing basically all day long and I like having it all neat/correct.  And then it all transfers neatly to my iPod.

kerrick wrote:

Interesting.  Can you automatically sync it when you plug it in or do you have to drag/drop the individual files/folders?  I'm no Apple fan-boy and would love to not be tethered to iTunes but I gotta say: they make it very easy.  You get everything right in your iTunes (song titles, artwork, year, ratings, etc.) and then just plug in your iPod to sync.  Since I work from home, I have my iTunes playing basically all day long and I like having it all neat/correct.  And then it all transfers neatly to my iPod.

From what I could see, it looks like you have to drag and drop the library. No way of syncing it.

With my older X5, dropping and dragging is the only way to load things.  I like that method as I control what is on the machine.  

On the newer models (M6, M7, M9, & M11), there are apps to help with this.  But, I will probably keep things simple and just drag and drop.

I bought the M9 for the record.  You can stream audio on it by connecting to wi-fi.  You can use standard headphones or Bluetooth enabled ones.  You can also buy a balanced amp to push higher powered headphones.  It has an FM tuner built in.  It will accept all sorts of musical file types including WAV, FLAC, AAC, etc.  You can even store video files on these babies.

What is cool is that there is a resurgence of people wanting dedicated music players.  They have learned that prolonged listening on their phones drains the batteries quickly especially if you are using Bluetooth headphones.  Having a dedicated player saves your phone battery for sure.  FiiO is building these, Sony has a newer line of Walkman's that are hi-def music players, and Apple is relaunching the iPod again.  There are other lesser quality players out there now as well.  Perhaps people will again take control of what they listen to and send strong signals to the labels that their BS isn't cutting it.  We want diversity.  We want styles that we actually like.  We don't have to have every band or artist in each genre sound like clones of everyone else.  We aren't asking for everything to be new and innovative.  We are just asking for music that is really good in every style imaginable.

How are you liking your M9 Chris?  I was looking at a couple of their cheaper options and everything sounds pretty perfect though I'm afraid to pull the trigger on one because of a broad spectrum (mostly good but some bad) reviews on Amazon.  The FiiOs really seem like the most bang for the buck and there aren't many alternatives anyways, though now I'm concerned about battery life longevity and customer service...

I am digging the new M9.  The sound is great, and the larger display is wonderful for me.

As for durability, I will have to go with my old X5.  I have had it for 3 years, used it a ton, dropped it many times, and yet it keeps going.  The battery lasts a long time on these as well.

I can't tell you what to do, but I love my FiiOs.  I considered the Sony Walkman player, but I went back with what I know.

Cool, good to hear!  I was looking at the Walkman too, though it's also got mixed reviews...  I'll probably go with a FiiO as well.  Thanks Chris!

If you do go with a FiiO, just be sure to always check for the newest firmware update.  Some of the units come out new and are a little wonky.  People buy them or will review them and let FiiO what needs fixing.  They do listen if you post to their social media or their forums.

Ah, great input.  Thanks again.  Can you plug the USB cable into your car stereo to play/charge while you're driving?  That's the main purpose I use my iPod for which is really quite handy.  I read somewhere that you can't do that with a Walkman.  It's not a total dealbreaker since I could also use the 1/8" audio jack, though I'd need a separate cable to charge it.

So far, I have not been able to figure out how to get the new FiiO to plug into the USB slot to charge and play.  I can charge it that way.  I can use the 1/8" jack.  I can transmit via Bluetooth.  I just haven't figured that out yet.  I imagine that I am simply not seeing everything in the settings that I need to have checked.  If I figure it out, I will let you know.

Cool!  It may not have that capability.  Since my iPod does that, I just assumed that's a typical feature but the iPods might be unique that way.

I did a little more research and it looks like they do indeed have USB out (at least, the models I'm looking at).  I'm thinking the M7 looks like the right player for me.  Chris, was the only reason you went with the M9 over some of the other models the screen size?  The M7 doesn't allow for other apps to be added, nor streaming (i.e. Spotify, etc.) but I don't care about those features so that's just fine with me!

I went with the M9 for screen size, Bluetooth, and size of the card it will read.  It will read ANY size micro SD.  I put a 512 GB card in it.

Cool!  Yeah the M7 maxes out at 512 GB but that'll be more than enough for me for a loooong time.  But being that they're all high-definition players, it's sweet that yours has such a massive capacity so you can store tons of songs without needing to compress them a bunch.

For mobile tunes, I use my Samsung Galaxy Note 9. I've got 128GB on board + an SD card of another 128GB. A billion hours of music + my wireless bluetooth headphones, and I'm jammin' wherever I go.

As for my new car stereo, I have a choice of bluetoothing my phone, playing CDs, radio, or USB. I use the USB 95% of the time. I made several different mixes filling several 15GB USB mini-sticks. I pop one in, hit shuffle and enjoy the music for a couple months, then pop in another one. I plan on making a few more mixes soon.



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Guilty/Forgiven wrote:

blah blah blah...


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QUEENSRYCHE!!!!

(I have nothing more to add)

(I did that JUST for you) 

Guilty/Forgiven wrote:

(I did that JUST for you) 

  I've been listening to the new Queensryche album every day this week and I'm totally loving it.

Does it rank up there with O.M. ?

Guilty/Forgiven wrote:

Does it rank up there with O.M. ?

It's not the magnum opus that is Operation Mindcrime....and I doubt the band will ever top that (or even Empire).  But the new album "The Verdict" is easily better than the last 4 or 5 albums the band did with Geoff Tate.  The heavier tunes are a bit heavier than anything off of OMC....but still melodic and somewhat accessible with a few repeated listens.  The music doesn't have the massive hooks that songs like "Jet City Woman", "I Don't Believe in Love" or "Walk In The Shadows" did....but much of it is still memorable, and makes me want to listen again.
They are running out of original members though.  Scott Rockenfield (drums) is absent from this album (I have no idea why....and either does it seem does the rest of the band).  Eddie and Michael (bass and guitar) are the only original members left, but it still sounds like Queensryche...only a bit more "modern".

It's always a bummer when original members either bail out or die, but yeh, if they can keep their signature sound then it's better than no Queensryche at all

Guilty/Forgiven wrote:

It's always a bummer when original members either bail out or die, but yeh, if they can keep their signature sound then it's better than no Queensryche at all

True dat!  It's not as if there are a ton of bands from the 80's and 90's that are still performing....even fewer that are still performing with all their original members.