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  • #2259582

    I need advice on buying an mp3 player for audiobooks

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    by beth blakely ·

    Since TR members were so helpful when I was about to purchase a laptop, I thought I’d ask your advice again before pulling the trigger on an mp3 player.

    I have an iPod Shuffle that I’ve been pretty happy with (especially since I won it in a contest at work and didn’t have to pay for it). However, I am an audiobook fan and am constantly listening to one during my commute, in line, while working ’round the house, etc.

    My Shuffle is compact and easy to use, but it’s not compatible with my public library’s downloadable (free) audiobook files. I’d really like to take advantage of this great service, plus I’d like an mp3 player that’s more suited for audiobooks.

    The most important features to me are:

    **Stop and start in the same place (bookmarking) (it stinks to be halfway through a chapter and have to ffwd to find where you were)

    **Good sound quality. It’s important that the player provide good volume as some audiobooks are tough to hear, especially with competing noise.

    **Charge via USB (I don’t want to be constantly changing out AA or AAA batteries, or plugging in rechargeables. It’s important to me that I can charge my mp3 player easily from home or work)

    **Ability to see what’s playing (my Shuffle does not have this feature and I really miss it)

    **Storage of AT LEAST 256 MB

    **Compact, easy to use

    **Cheap (preferably in the $100 range, but I’ll pay up to $200)

    Any advice is welcome! I have been zeroing in on the Creative Zen and MuVo varieties but I’m open to anything.

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    • #3278816

      One of the overlooked parts

      by jdclyde ·

      In reply to I need advice on buying an mp3 player for audiobooks

      Don’t use the headphones that come with it, as most are crap.

      I would plan to drop about $40 on a decent set of headphones. For background noise, I would stay away from the “earbuds”. this is your trade-off for being compact. They do make some midrange that fold up though.

      I don’t listen to the free audio books, and didn’t even know they had them available at the library. So I never looked for the bookmark feature.

      Ipod Shuffle, I got mine at a VOIP seminar as a door prize! I like it and use it all the time, but I would never buy one.

      • #3278803

        Headphones are an issue…

        by beth blakely ·

        In reply to One of the overlooked parts

        Thanks for bringing that up, jd. I don’t find my Shuffle earbuds comfortable but they’re better than a big band over my head, especially when I listen while lying in bed.

        I kinda figured earbuds were the best I could do when I’m on the go. I’ll try to find some that are good quality and that fold up and go in my purse. Then I’ll need a case for it all, too. This is getting expensive! 😉

        I use my Shuffle in the car a lot, as well, so headphones aren’t a problem in there. I just use an adapter and let it play through the car speakers. I would imagine that my adapter would fit most other mp3 players, since it fits in the standard headphone jack.

    • #3278809

      Try Phillips SA178…

      by x-marcap ·

      In reply to I need advice on buying an mp3 player for audiobooks

      USB powered,radio,MP3 player, voice recorder, and Pen drive for $99.00 at Sam’s club.

    • #3278345

      Praise for Creative Nomad Zen

      by curlergirl ·

      In reply to I need advice on buying an mp3 player for audiobooks

      I’m an audiobook junkie – I rent so many books from Recorded Books (best quality readers in the land) that I’m on their “most popular customers” list (…really! 😉

      I have for the past several years used a Creative Nomad Zen Xtra 40GB MP3 player (256MB you say? I say “ppfffbzzzzt” to that!). Most of the recordings I get come on CDs, so I have to rip them from the CDs to the Zen Xtra myself. It can be a pain, but once I have them ripped, they are mine for life, stored on my computer HD as well as on the MP3 player. I record each book as “playlist” which makes it very easy to play the entire book from start to finish without losing your place or missing anything. The 40GB drive holds oodles of books (I think I have about 25 on there right now and its only about 70% full).

      It’s bigger and heavier than the iPod, of course, but I’ve found the sound quality to be great. I only have to turn it up really high when I’m at the gym because of all the ambient noise (they play music through the loudspeakers sometimes). Headphones are important – I wouldn’t try to use the single-ear type headphones that come with most MP3 players – I bought a relatively cheap ($20 or so) pair of Sony stereo headphones (the over-the-head, both ears types) and have been very happy with them. (Edit – I just read your post about the earphones. I don’t listen in bed, I read actual printed books when lying down, so it’s not an
      issue for me.)

      Creative provides a relatively easy to use utility for ripping the CDs, too, if you go that way on renting books or taking them out of your local library. Quality of the ripped files is generally good, although I’ve had a few problems in the past. I think the initial CD quality has a lot to do with that.

      The playback is great – it’s easy to track where you are on the “Now Playing” display and playback starts at the point where it stopped. The bookmarking capabilities, however, are not good – you can only bookmark something within a track, not within a playlist, so it’s not much help. However, moving back and forward within a track or within the playlist (book) is easy. You can rewind (just like a tape) within a track, or move backward or forward track by track. Plus since it starts up at the same point where you stopped, you really don’t need the bookmarks.

      I’ve found the controls to be fairly easy to use. The only complaint I have is that the on/off button (which is on the side) is sort of recessed, and you have to press it in for several seconds to activate it, so it’s a little hard to turn the thing off and on. But it goes off automatically after a preset idle time (I think about 2-3 minutes), so you don’t have to actually turn it off yourself. And you don’t run the risk of it being turned off (or worse, on) by being just pressed up against something in your pocket or purse.

      It will recharge through a USB connection, but I’ve found that it recharges MUCH more quickly if you use the actual plug-in recharger. I’ve found that to be true with other devices, too, such as PDA’s, etc., so I think that’s just a characteristic of the USB technology. One full charge seems to play for at least 6-8 hours, so I almost never run it down completely. I just plug it in to recharge every 3-4 days or so. There’s a battery strength indicator on the screen, so you can easily see when it needs recharging.

      Another tip – I use an FM transmitter in the car (plugged into the cigarette lighter outlet) to listen through my car radio speakers, too!

      As you can see, I love my Zen Xtra. If he could only cook, I’d marry him 😉

      • #3207927

        Love my Nomad

        by gsg ·

        In reply to Praise for Creative Nomad Zen

        My beloved Nomad has a 30gb drive. I currently have 6 rather large books on it, along with a good size chunk of my music collection (the stuff that’s worth listening to anyway), and still have 12gb free. It charges quickly, and has a long life on it’s charge. I take it to the fitness center, and never have any issues with skipping. I take it to work, and hook it to my speakers, use it at home, and basically, don’t know what I did without it.

        • #3207820

          This is starting to sound like a contender

          by beth blakely ·

          In reply to Love my Nomad

          I’ll take a serious look at what Nomads have to offer.

          Thanks to you both!

      • #3207543

        Zen Sleek

        by crabbyabby86 ·

        In reply to Praise for Creative Nomad Zen

        I think they discontinued the Nomad Zen Xtra… but I haven’t looked since last Christmas, when I got the Creative Zen Sleek, which was, at the time, about the same little machine as the Xtra anyway..

        The Sleek is a beast. Huge, compared to others, but powerful, with an easy interface of five large buttons and a touch scroll. The software is pretty easy to use too. All the features you described and much more. They promised me up to 18 hours of battery life, and I’ve actually gotten around 15, which is spectacular, as far as I’m concerned. She charges through USB fairly quickly, and that’s what I do most of the time, but like curlergirl said, much faster plugged into a real power outlet.

        She’s a little pricey, last I knew, a bit over the 200 dollar mark you mentioned.

        And if you want to take your player running, or working out, I can pretty much say ditch this idea. The Sleek is not designed to take a bumpy ride for long. I mean, I’ve dropped her down a flight of stairs no problem, but when the manual says more than once she’s not designed to take a beating, I’m inclined not to purposely test it.

        Otherwise, great player. Mine’s 20 GB btw (“ppfffbzzzzt” is about right curlergirl), and the screen is nice and big, easy to read, backlit blue with fully customizable menus and such. Playlists, bookmarking, the Now Playing feature curlergirl described.

        • #3207506

          Zen Sleek Photo works for books on CD

          by bopparobbie ·

          In reply to Zen Sleek

          I have had the Zen Sleek Photo 20gb player for about 3 weeks. I primarily use it for hearing books on CD that I get from the library. Works like a charm; I can rip them to both my hard drive and the player in one operation.

          Headphones: I got a set of Maxell folding headphones at Walgreens for $9.99. They go around the back of the head and clip over the ears so they stay in place. I listen in bed, and the earpieces are smaller and more comfortable than the over the head type.

          There is now a 39gb version and the 20gb players were on sale at Amazon for $185. There may be rebates also. Search for them.

          I haven’t used an Ipod so can’t compare.

        • #3207059

          Mine works out with me…

          by curlergirl ·

          In reply to Zen Sleek

          I don’t know about the Sleek and other newer models, but my Zen Xtra is a glutton for abuse. I’ve dropped it numerous times, no problem. I use it when walking and on the cross trainer, treadmills, and weight machines, and have never had a problem there either. I’ve caught the headphone cable on something so that it got jerked out of my hand and flung onto the floor, with me screaming “Noooooo” and flinching all the way, and it still keeps working. I guess we could call it the “Energizer Nomad” – it just keeps playing and playing…. 🙂

        • #3207035

          Nomads are great, but discontinued…

          by crabbyabby86 ·

          In reply to Mine works out with me…

          Yeah, my boyfriend has had two mp3 players from the Nomad line, and they were definitely built to take punishment. His Nomad Jukebox lasted forever, until it finally bit the dust after a drop down four flights of cement stairs. Even then, she really wanted to work. Pressing the power button caused a faint whirring, but the menu would not display. It was a sad, sad day. 😛

          However, as much as old Creative fans are going to hate it, Creative has discontinued the Nomad line, including the Nomad Zen Xtra. There might still be some retailers than haven’t sold the last of their stock, and it looks like there are quite a few Xtras at eBay, but I also know some people whose personal preferences turn them away from buying electronics from a discontinued line.

          BTW. I found Amazon’s retail price of $179.99 for the Sleek Photo, and then also a $20 rebate. The plain Sleek, amazingly enough, is slightly more expensive, $189.99 at Amazon, but it also has a slightly higher customer review rating, even with ‘get a free iPod’ spam reviews.

          There are also some scary-looking reviews about faulty hardware and terrible customer service. The only person I know personally who has ever had to call Creative customer service was immediately asked to send in his faulty Sleek for a replacement. It was quick, no fees, no problems after that.

          One thing I’m kind of surprised I don’t see in more of those reviews is this plain and simple fact: The Sleek is SEXY. Shiny Silvery Sleeky Sexy. I’m not sure how much that matters to anyone else, but I’m not entirely sure how long I stared at mine, after first pulling it out of the box and holding it in my hand. I was just thinking how lucky I was that the perfect player for the functions I needed was also dead sexy. You just can’t beat functional AND sexy.

          Hmm.. That’s all I can think would be helpful for now. I’ll stop drooling on my electronics and move on, I guess.

    • #3278227

      Evaluation!

      by gadgetgirl ·

      In reply to I need advice on buying an mp3 player for audiobooks

      Beth, you have to work to a plan to evaluate whichever machine you get so that it suits your purpose.

      I may no abso-flamin’-lutely nothing about MP3 players, but hearing and deafness is another of my soapboxes.

      I have a good reason for this; I have family who were born deaf, deaf/blind, deaf and dumb, hard of hearing, a grandmother who lost ALL hearing by 55, a mother with tinnitus and a father with industrial deafness. (That’s apart from my OWN little hearing niggles!!!)

      So. You need a testing scheme for whichever units you decide to take a look at.

      From the specs you require, choose around four that fit – or almost fit – the bill.

      Next: Go to your library with the free audio books, and hire out at least two, preferably four. What you need to do here is not buy something you really want to listen to, but preferably ones that you have already heard. These will be for comparison purposes. You need two female readers and two male. Try to aim for particular readers who either talk fairly softly, or can do both soft and hard talking.

      e.g. Think of Clint Eastwood in Dirty Harry. The phrase “are you feeling lucky, punk?” is said threateningly but in a [i] soft tone[/i]. Obviously, in the rest of the film, sorry, movie to you Yanks!, he has a harder tone of voice. It is this range of intonation you’re looking for when hiring books for this purpose.

      Next, you need to find a dealer. No, Beth, not to make the purchase, but to do the evaluation. Reputable dealers in audio kit will have either a quite room or a soundproofed room specifically for this purpose. (Over here, it is the larger, most well known department stores which have these) You don’t need to purchase your new kit there, but it’s far easier to evaluate kit like this in a quiet area.

      Try all four books in each player. You need to set the volume BEFORE YOU BEGIN to the VERY MIDDLE SETTING. You need to be able to hear soft tones, but not exactly whispers, at the medium setting. (This ensures no hearing damage) At the same time, try increasing and decreasing the volume. If the maximum level causes any problems or pain, that’s not the player you want – an accidental push on the volume could cause physical damage not to the drum itself, but to the fine hairs surrounding the audio canal.

      Make sure you have time to do this properly. You need to play the same portion of each book in each player at least once. Evaluate on your personal preference as to tone, bass etc., again bringing in the volume level, too.

      Right. Next. Headphones. Be careful. Be very careful. There are some things that some people don’t just take notice of, and the instructions on headphones are one of ’em.

      You don’t want anything that means you’re actually poking a part of the earphone into the canal. You want something lightweight, so there is no pressure anywhere on the ear. You also need to define whether you want the ones that have the replaceable or sponge earbud covers, or the plain plastic. In any case, you need to be aware that either sort need cleaning and/or replacing. Once a week if in constant use; in weather like we’ve just had over here, I’d recommend an antiseptic cleaning wipe on the plastic ones on a daily basis. (Bearing in mind that sweat follows gravity: downwards!) If you go for the sponge bud types, make sure you can get replacement sponges before you buy the headphones.

      oh – and remember that little disclaimer on all headphone packs! Don’t have the volume so loud that you can’t hear traffic around you!

      Hope this helps, Beth – any questions, let me know

      GG

      Edit: Can’t reach keyboard properly from height of soap box…..

      • #3278101

        Thanks, GG!

        by beth blakely ·

        In reply to Evaluation!

        There’s a lot of hearing loss in my family, as well. Believe me, I keep the headphone volume as low as I possibly can! I use my car speakers most of the time to avoid using headphones at all.

        I don’t know of anywhere that I can actually try-before-I-buy here. Maybe I’m wrong, though. I’ll ask around. The Eastwood reference was brilliant. It really illustrates what you mean.

        Good reminder on the headphones. I have the plastic variety now and don’t clean them as often as I should.

        I would never put anything in my ear canal. Yikes. I get shivers just thinking about it. You should see what a big baby I am when I have to put in my after-swimming ear drops!

        Thanks for all your help. I truly appreciate it.

    • #3278396

      An alternate view: BookPort

      by oromis ·

      In reply to I need advice on buying an mp3 player for audiobooks

      http://www.aph.org/products/bp_bro.html

      My blind roommates use this Daisy and Audiobooks compatible reader. Memory up to 2GB via CF cards, tactile (NO DISPLAY PANEL) controls, use any headset or external speaker, the newer models power from USB2, batteries are standard AA (use the Rayovac rechargeables), and excellent compatibility.

      • #3279412

        Audible.com’s OTIS mp3 player!

        by lawrencespeece9 ·

        In reply to An alternate view: BookPort

        I have been a member of Audible.com for a number of years, and find the service to be excellent. Their original mp3 player for the audiobook format was called the Otis. Although that item is no longer available through Audible.com, eBay is an excellent site for that particular unit.

        Alternatively, Audible.com’s site currently describes those mp3 players that are compatible with their content that is downloaded in four types of files. I think this may be an excellent resource for you to explore.

        Hope this helps!

        Lar

        • #3110534

          I’ve been so close to becoming an Audible member…

          by beth blakely ·

          In reply to Audible.com’s OTIS mp3 player!

          Lar,

          I’ve been so close to becoming an Audible.com member in the past, but while there’s so much free material available through my library I haven’t felt any pressure. It would be nice to get new books quickly. I’ll put it back on the “think about it” list.

          I’ll use the Audible.com list as part of my include/exclude process before purchase, since I may want to join at some point.

          Thanks!

        • #3207643

          Audible Otis

          by tracey.myers ·

          In reply to I’ve been so close to becoming an Audible member…

          Beth,
          I have been a member of Audible since they started up years ago, and I love it! But, before you join up let me tell you that I have personally been through 3 of the Audible Otis players. They last for about a year and then they just stop working for no apparent reason.
          Last year I got an iPod Shuffle for my birthday to replace yet another Audible Otis that had stopped working. I have been pretty happy with it, but, it too has stopped working. I haven’t had time to really look into why it’s not working, but I do have some of the same issues with mine that you talk about here – no video display for one thing.
          I just started looking into getting another book player in case I can’t get the Shuffle working again and I would like all the same things upi have on your list, so I am anxiously waiting to see which one you pick!

          Tracey

    • #3110591

      Player for Audiobooks

      by edtrimm ·

      In reply to I need advice on buying an mp3 player for audiobooks

      If you can still get it, I use my Tungsten Palm E2 with a 1 GB upgrade chip/card whatever the correct terminology is. I use Audible.com as my audio book manager. I open my PDA, touch Audible and voila, there are all the audiobooks. I am able to pause where I need to and pick up right where I left off. It has the ability to rewind and fast forward. The joy of my E2 is that I have EVERYthing on it, contacts, calendar, e-books, audio books, you name it, it’s on my PDA. Good luck

    • #3207690

      Have you thought of converting?

      by turnier ·

      In reply to I need advice on buying an mp3 player for audiobooks

      Convert the files if you want to try using the Shuffle while on the hunt for a better player (for me, the lack of display is its biggest drawback). Without researching too deeply, a quick Googling yeilds a couple items…

      A $20 (shareware) converter: http://www.sharewareplaza.com/iPod-AudioBook-download_40278.html

      Or, for the Mac-centic hacker:
      http://www.ipodhacks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=917

    • #3206690

      How does this happen to me?

      by beth blakely ·

      In reply to I need advice on buying an mp3 player for audiobooks

      Every time I start off thinking that I want to “go cheap” I inch my way up to a much larger price range. That’s exactly what’s happening in my quest for a new mp3 player.

      I’m now considering a video iPod:
      http://www.apple.com/ipod/ipod.html

      or a Gigabeat:
      http://www.gigabeat.com/

      Both are about $300, plus accessories.

      I think it’d be great to be able to carry pictures, etc. with me. And with the Gigabeat, I’d be able to upload tv shows/movies, etc. from my laptop’s Media Center. This sounds very appealing.

      As for being able to listen to free audiobooks from the library… well… I may have figured out a workaround for that. And if not, I’ve survived this long without the ability.

      I’ll just keep ripping CDs that I borrow. (And yes, I do delete them when I’m done. After I’ve listened to a book once, I’m not likely at all to listen again.)

      Unless one of you can talk me out of this craziness…

      • #3207582

        Outline needs

        by the56thjunker ·

        In reply to How does this happen to me?

        Well, Beth, I think the thing you really, really need to do is sit down and make an outline — or if that word sends you shrieking out the door as it does me — at least make a list of what you seriously want to do. For instance, I don’t even watch TV so I have no download TV shows requirement. Once you have a workable list of what you REALLY and REASONABLY want to be able to do, THEN you can start looking at hardware.

    • #3208657

      MP3 reviews…

      by gadgetgirl ·

      In reply to I need advice on buying an mp3 player for audiobooks

      here –

      http://www.t3.co.uk/reviews/entertainment/mp3_player

      just happened to find that in a gadget section today, though it may come in useful for you.

      GG

      • #3208205

        Great link…

        by beth blakely ·

        In reply to MP3 reviews…

        Thanks, GG! I’ll use these (along with CNET’s reviews) to help me decide. 😉

    • #3206091

      Headphones for bedtime book listening

      by bopparobbie ·

      In reply to I need advice on buying an mp3 player for audiobooks

      Just got a new set of ‘phones. Made by Phillips, they have a cloth covered band which rests behind the head, and the phones clip over the ears.

      These are flexible enough so the phone receivers form to fit the ears, and the whole thing is small enough that you don’t find it a bother when lying on a pillow with them on. Much better than the Maxell phones I mentioned earlier.

      No model number. I bought at Walgreen’s for $14.99.

    • #3206005

      .

      by ontheropes ·

      In reply to I need advice on buying an mp3 player for audiobooks

      .

      • #3205877

        Truckstops…

        by beth blakely ·

        In reply to .

        Nope, I don’t spend much time in truckstops. I know what you’re talking about, though, because Cracker Barrel restaurants offer the same type of service. Choose a book, rent it, and return it to any Cracker Barrel on your journey. Pretty neat!

    • #3206324

      Well… I bought something

      by beth blakely ·

      In reply to I need advice on buying an mp3 player for audiobooks

      I bought today’s Woot, a SanDisk 256 MB MP3/WMA Player with FM Tuner and Voice Recorder for $14.99+ $5 shipping.
      http://www.woot.com/default.aspx

      sMoRTy tipped me off about it’s ridiculously low price. I figure I wasted over 20 bucks just goofin’ off this weekend. What do I have to lose?

      I figure I’ll mess around with it and if I like it I’ll pass the iPod off to my husband. If I don’t… well… I can give him the “new” one.

      Eventually, I’ll buy something bigger and we can pass one down to my five year old!

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