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Korean Job Discussion Forums "The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Teachers from Around the World!"
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Louis VI
Joined: 05 Jul 2010 Location: In my Kingdom
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Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2011 7:25 pm Post subject: What's the ideal portable digital music player for me? |
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I'm finally trying to get away from CDs. I don't know squat about technology, having had no success downloading anything ever, just streaming vids and surfing.
I want an EASY TO USE music player that can be bought hassle-free from here on Jeju (local dealer probably, Samsung?), has ENGLISH controls, access to EXTENSIVE SELECTION, huge music libraries of jazz, classical, rock and other genres, and a LONG BATTERY LIFE of at least 12 hours, 15+ desirable. I want the unit to be DURABLE and SMALL, useful for exercising, biking, handling rigorous movement, in the rain, etc, like my ol' Sony walkman tape player could I was thinking of maybe one of those small arm band units, like the mp3s joggers have worn.
What should I get? Brand and model advice please! I read one review (dated a few years ago though) of the Samsung K3, with almost 20 hours battery use according to the reviewer, but that's all I've come across. I'm just starting the process...
I don't care about video function, camera function, I don't care about 3g or anything fancy. Just plug into my computer, load on a ton of music easily and quickly, and go exercising or travelling on the weekends without worrying about it breaking down, running out of battery power or sounding bad. |
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eamo

Joined: 08 Mar 2003 Location: Shepherd's Bush, 1964.
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Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2011 8:19 pm Post subject: |
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You really don't want a smartphone? It will do all you want, and much more probably, in one convenient slim package......
One slim unit does all............since I got the Galaxy S about a year ago my digicam, camcorder, MP3 player, PMP, GPS unit..... .etc.... have all been gathering dust in my drawer. Plus I can fully access the internet. |
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Chokse
Joined: 22 May 2009
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Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2011 9:30 pm Post subject: |
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Eamo:
I thought he made it pretty clear that he doesn't want a smartphone when he said he doesn't care about 3G, cameras, etc. All he wants it to do is hold a lot of music and last for a long time.
Doesn't seem to complicated to understand what he is asking. He wants a modern version or an old style MP3 player.
Louis:
Sorry, but with the advent of smartphones, traditional MP3 players are slowly disappearing, and as far as I know, the only ones out there that are simple and have a long battery life are the ones with small screens and small storage. I think it would be hard to find something with more than 8GB of storage that will meet your other requirements. If 8GB is enough, then I think you can find something by one of the local electronics companies that will fit your needs. |
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eamo

Joined: 08 Mar 2003 Location: Shepherd's Bush, 1964.
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Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2011 9:44 pm Post subject: |
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Yeah, Chokse, I read all his post, which includes the guy admitting that he doesn't know squat about technology........so I thought he might not fully appreciate that a smartphone could cover all his needs. |
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wishfullthinkng
Joined: 05 Mar 2010
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Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2011 9:56 pm Post subject: |
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there are really so many choices. i'd narrow it down to just how big your collection is.
i'm not sure how huge your library is, but if it's one of those epic monster collections just get a classic ipod. cheap, easy to use, durable enough, and can handle exercising even though it's a hdd based unit.
if it's not massive enough to warrant a hdd based unit go with something flash based like a samsung galaxy s player.
if you don't mind changing music on the unit frequently and really are about taking it on strenuous excursions. go with something like an apple nano or shuffle.
cowon and iriver, two korean brands also make excellent units but they are often riddled with poor documentation and sub-par control schemes/user interfaces and tend to be the choice of extreme audiophiles, and those who prefer to listen to music encoded in anything outside of the run of the mill mp3 and aac's. |
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Chokse
Joined: 22 May 2009
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Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2011 10:35 pm Post subject: |
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Eamo, I know you are a technophile, but as shocking as this may sound, not everyone wants a smartphone. I have dozens of friends who absolutely loathe smartphones. I can't say I agree with their opinions, but to each their own.
The simple fact is that there are many out there who don't want to deal with complicated things like smartphones (for reference, look back to your recent post about not being able to watch some flash videos on your phone). Many people don't want to deal with that crap.
And yes, even though the OP might not know much about technology, he clearly said he was not interested in 3G, video functions, etc. All he wants is something small, with good battery life, that can be carried easily.
Sounds like the guy knows exactly what he is and is not looking for, so telling him to get a smartphone is not really constructive advice. |
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eamo

Joined: 08 Mar 2003 Location: Shepherd's Bush, 1964.
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Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2011 11:54 pm Post subject: |
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Chokse wrote: |
Sounds like the guy knows exactly what he is and is not looking for, so telling him to get a smartphone is not really constructive advice. |
I'm not telling him to do anything!! I'm advising him that a smartphone could be better in the long run as it's so much more versatile and he might get a lot of fun out of it.
Plus I don't think smartphones are very complicated. Millions of non-tech people use them happily.
It's like if someone came on here in 2004 and asked us which Minidisc player should he get......wouldn't you tell him that he would be better off getting an MP3 player because MD is on its way out?
Well, I personally believe that a stand-alone MP3 player is a bad investment in 2011........but if Louis is adamant that it's just an MP3 player he wants then I'll shut up about smartphones!  |
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Chokse
Joined: 22 May 2009
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Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2011 12:38 am Post subject: |
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Actually, Eamo, in your first post you basically did tell him to get a smartphone. You gave no other suggestion to him other than a smartphone, so by default you were advising (telling) him to get one.
He made it very clear that he was not interested in a smartphone. He said "easy to use", "long battery life", "durable", and "small". He also clearly stated that he was interested in one of the small units that joggers wear on their arms. Furthermore, he even underlined the part where he said he wasn't interested in "video function, camera function, 3G, or anything fancy."
Which part of the above screamed "smartphone" to you? Smartphones are not easy to use in the way the OP was suggesting, they do not have long battery life, they are not durable, and they are not small (especially not small enough to easily wear on your arm as joggers do). Also, smartphones have video, camera and 3G functions, all of which the OP said he was not interested in.
Hopefully the OP will chime in and tell you he is interested in an MP3 player and not a smartphone, and then you can do as you promised and shut up about smartphones. |
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Chet Wautlands

Joined: 11 Oct 2008
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Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2011 12:40 am Post subject: |
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Eamo! Please stop trying to sell your smartphone to this guy!! |
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Chokse
Joined: 22 May 2009
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Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2011 12:43 am Post subject: |
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Louis:
I know you said you want something local (you used Samsung as an example) but it seems that almost every player made by Korean companies (Samsung, LG, iRiver, etc.) is either very small capacity (under 4GB), or have all the features you don't want (video, short battery life, big size, etc.).
Honestly, the only thing I can think of that meets your criteria is an iPod Nano. You can get it in 8 or 16GB, it can play music for 24 hours on a full charge, it has a simple interface that is in English, and it is very small (small enough to go on your arm, and there are many arm bands available for it).
Sorry I can't be of more help. I looked around on some web sites and it seems like almost all of the very small (arm band size) MP3 players are under 4GB in size. Maybe that's enough for you, but your original post made it seem like you were looking for more space than that.
Anyway, good luck with the search. |
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Adam Carolla
Joined: 26 Feb 2010
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Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2011 12:51 am Post subject: |
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I'll second the notion of getting a Nano. Small, good battery life, extensive accessories if you need them, very easy to use. The one minor caveat is that you'll need iTunes to load music, but honestly, after you use it for a week, you'll probably love it. |
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Louis VI
Joined: 05 Jul 2010 Location: In my Kingdom
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Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2011 7:19 am Post subject: |
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wishfullthinkng wrote: |
there are really so many choices. i'd narrow it down to just how big your collection is. |
Collection? Of what? I have CDs (omg is it easy for me to convert those to digital? i have hundreds of cds). Do you mean a collection of digital music files or MP3s? I have none of that. I'd be starting from scratch, wanting to access my favorite music from many genres ranging from jazz to classical music to rock to motown to whatever.
wishfullthinkng wrote: |
... a classic ipod. cheap, easy to use, durable enough, and can handle exercising even though it's a hdd based unit. |
iPod is the name? or 'Classic'. I guess I should google that. Can I buy one of those in Korea? And can I get a lot of music or am I limited to one company's library or another?
wishfullthinkng wrote: |
if it's not massive enough to warrant a hdd based unit go with something flash based like a samsung galaxy s player. |
wishfullthinkng wrote: |
if you don't mind changing music on the unit frequently and really are about taking it on strenuous excursions. go with something like an apple nano or shuffle. |
Why do I have to chjange music on the unit frequently? Because ther is only room for 100 songs or so? How long, how much of a hassle to put on new songs or take songs off of the unit?
wishfullthinkng wrote: |
... cowon and iriver, two korean brands also make excellent units but they are often riddled with poor documentation and sub-par control schemes/user interfaces and tend to be the choice of extreme audiophiles, and those who prefer to listen to music encoded in anything outside of the run of the mill mp3 and aac's. |
I guess I'm an extreme audiophile as I damn well only care about quality music I can access quickly and easily! I dunno what poor documentation is nor what the heck I need for interface other than some knobs. I really don't want a TOY (gawd do i hate fiddlin' around with anything) or smartphone or fancy display. I want a functional music player that is easier to tote around and much more extensive in selections than my CD player I still use.
Adam Carolla wrote: |
I'll second the notion of getting a Nano. Small, good battery life, extensive accessories if you need them, very easy to use. The one minor caveat is that you'll need iTunes to load music |
Sounds good but I will have to check out itunes. I fear it'll just have contemporary top-40 tunes. Can I get Shirley Horn? Yaz? Charles Mingus? Fanny Mendelssohn? Latin jazz? Martha & the Vandellas?
And, again, can I buy it easily from here on Jeju? I wish I could just walk down to the local electronics store and pick up something, take it home plug it in, read english commands to walk me through it like I was 7 years old (nay, 5 years old - those 7 year olds are too keen for me with tech).
Sigh! Everything is soooooooo simple with my CD player. But to carry something smaller that I can just attach to my clothes or slip smaller into my pocket, that can carry more music and be lighter and make hiking and camping easier and more fun IN TERMS OF LISTENING (again, no fiddlin', or minimum such) than with the cd player. That is what I'm looking for.
I couldn't give two hoots about 'value'. I'd just like technology to work for me for once. Given me the ability to carry hundreds of songs around for a weekend, light and easy and durable. It's like a dream. Hassle free music. Help please if such an easy unit exists that I can buy here easily hgassle free and English compatible. |
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wishfullthinkng
Joined: 05 Mar 2010
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Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2011 8:26 am Post subject: |
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Louis VI wrote: |
Collection? Of what? I have CDs (omg is it easy for me to convert those to digital? i have hundreds of cds). Do you mean a collection of digital music files or MP3s? I have none of that. I'd be starting from scratch, wanting to access my favorite music from many genres ranging from jazz to classical music to rock to motown to whatever. |
yes, by collection i meant the number of digital music files you have. if you have thousands upon thousands of songs then a high capacity player is a good idea. starting from scratch is fine, just know it'll take time to rip each cd. if you get an apple device it's super easy, you just have to do each cd one at a time.
Louis VI wrote: |
iPod is the name? or 'Classic'. I guess I should google that. Can I buy one of those in Korea? And can I get a lot of music or am I limited to one company's library or another? |
ipod classic is the name. and yes you can buy one easily in korea. go to any electronics store and they will have one. if you want to get new music digitally, apple, via their itunes software currently has the biggest library available. sounds like a good match for you.
Louis VI wrote: |
Why do I have to chjange music on the unit frequently? Because ther is only room for 100 songs or so? How long, how much of a hassle to put on new songs or take songs off of the unit? |
all modern players can hold way more than 100 songs. you'd only have to change it frequently if you chose a low capacity player like a nano or shuffle and have a ton of songs on constant rotation. if you rip your music at a low bitrate which from what you are saying of you being an audiophile sounds like it won't happen, you would have to change out music sooner if you want to refresh what you are listening to simply because of the memory limitations of those smaller flash memory based units and the fact that better quality audio takes up more memory space.
Louis VI wrote: |
I guess I'm an extreme audiophile as I damn well only care about quality music I can access quickly and easily! I dunno what poor documentation is nor what the heck I need for interface other than some knobs. I really don't want a TOY (gawd do i hate fiddlin' around with anything) or smartphone or fancy display. I want a functional music player that is easier to tote around and much more extensive in selections than my CD player I still use. |
not to sound like an apple fanboy, but it really sounds like since you aren't a huge techie and that you are an audiophile that apple's infrastructure is the best bet for you. you can rip at their "lossless" level which for the audio limitations of an ipod is at an even match. yes you can rip music off a cd at even better "lossless" levels and formats than what itunes offers, but you have to have the hardware to back it up which apple products just cannot say they have. not that their products are a poor choice as my post has probably alluded to. unless you have a thousand dollar pair of sennheiser cans with an outboard amp you simply won't be able to tell the difference between most players, so i from what you are saying about yourself i can easily recommend an ipod classic for high capacity or a nano for lower on-the-go use.
good luck. |
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Louis VI
Joined: 05 Jul 2010 Location: In my Kingdom
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Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2011 1:03 pm Post subject: |
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wishfullthinkng wrote: |
... unless you have a thousand dollar pair of sennheiser cans with an outboard amp you simply won't be able to tell the difference between most players,... |
My Sennheiser headphones cost only $80 but my Bose headphones over $250. I love high quality music. That's why I stayed with CDs so long is the criticism of digital music quality. Classical music, jazz, any genre actually, I love the full range of sound. I don't want tinny or flat music. I expect that by now digital music quality must be pretty good.
wishfullthinkng wrote: |
...from what you are saying about yourself i can easily recommend an ipod classic for high capacity or a nano for lower on-the-go use. |
Thank you very much! I'll look into those. Which one has the better battery use? And, just to confirm: Korean electronics stores in many parts of the country sell them? (Here on Jeju) And there's no hassle using them in English? I just buy one and follow easy instructions as to how to use and can start putting music on it from iTunes the same day no problem? |
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eamo

Joined: 08 Mar 2003 Location: Shepherd's Bush, 1964.
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Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2011 4:29 pm Post subject: |
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A lot of audiophiles buy Cowon. They have a good rep for sound quality. The CEO of Cowon has the nickname 'Golden Ears' because he personally tweaks the overall sound and presets for their MP3 players.
http://www.cowonglobal.com/
I've been using the Cowon S9 for 2 years and can testify that, with quality IEM's, you can get a great mobile sound. And I'm pretty picky myself.
Of course, the audiophiles I mentioned use portable headphone amps to get the best possible sound.......but that's not for you I think. |
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