Ask Engadget: What's your favorite media player these days?

After many long, lonely months on hiatus, Ask Engadget is back! That is to say, we're expecting good work from you folks -- since, like always, you'll be doing the answering to the questions that you're also sending in. How it works is you hit us up at ask at engadget dawt com, and then let your fellow Engadget readers sort it out in the comments. Last time we had Joey looking for some Moto Q tips and tricks (that old thing?), and now we're going to kick off a whole week of Ask Engadget with a question from one of our own:

"So, a lot's changed in the last coupla years. What's your favorite portable media player these days? And don't say iPod, I know."

Hopefully that'll get the ball rolling, be sure to hit us up with your own questions, if the answer isn't yes or no you may just see it up on Engadget. So, what say you?

[Kaegan @ Apr 27th 2007 4:55PM]

iPhone!

[Jarhead111 @ Apr 27th 2007 4:56PM]

I've got an older one, the Olympus M:Robe 500. I need a replacement really bad!

[Ricardo @ Apr 27th 2007 4:57PM]

My current Zune !

[und3rf0rce @ Apr 27th 2007 5:00PM]

I think - 1st and 2nd gen iriver clix :)

[Anonymous @ Apr 27th 2007 5:01PM]

iPhone, no question about it. If not that, then my 60 GB iPod.

[Afsheen @ Apr 27th 2007 5:01PM]

PSP

[Leo @ Apr 27th 2007 5:03PM]

I'm enjoying my Creative Zen Vision W a lot.

[marty @ Apr 27th 2007 5:04PM]

CLIX 2 by a longshot. Just add some wifi and about 92 more GB's of space, and it'll be everyones favorite!!

[SuMtOnE @ Apr 27th 2007 5:04PM]

PSP

[Kameron @ Apr 27th 2007 5:05PM]

I really do enjoy the Zune. I got it to try something different...and I have ended up using it in all facets of my life.

Except of course for exercise, that still belongs to my iPod nano.

[SuMtOnE @ Apr 27th 2007 5:05PM]

and also my car deck when i go to places =)

[rafa @ Apr 27th 2007 5:08PM]

Sony W810i. Not the best player UI, but it's always with me and has pretty good sound.

[Sporkinum @ Apr 27th 2007 5:09PM]

Hard to say. I have a piece of crap Entempo Spirit that is pushing 4 years old. It just won't die and the batteries still last forever.

[michael @ Apr 27th 2007 5:10PM]

Now I know many iPod fanatics are going to low rank me, but I really love my Zune. I got a black one in December and just love it. You want to know why? Here are some good reasons why I love my Zune:
1. bigger screen
2. scratch-resistant, durable
3. feels nice in the palm of your hand, really
4. has a nice UI design (way better than ipod)
5. has wi-fi feature so you can send songs & pics to other Zunes
6. has built-in FM tuner
7. you can change the background picture for the whole menu system
8. Zune software has a subscription feature so you can download a lot for 1 flat price
9. can integrate with the Xbox 360
10. you can view videos and some pics in landscape mode (on it’s side) so you just turn it on it’s left side (makes it great for watching videos)
11. you can get 14 day free-trial for Zune Marketplace
12. has the newest and latest technology

There's probaly more, but those are my main reasons. Excuse the long post, but that's like my favorite media player these days. I traded in my old black ipod for some neat accesories, and I'm not regretting it.

[Geoffrey Sperl @ Apr 27th 2007 10:53PM]

You read like an MS shill - "you can get 14 day free-trial for Zune Marketplace." Come on, man.

If anything, you are digging a hole for the Zune when you write things like that... not that the Zune can get any deeper in a hole. But I'm sure MS will continue to throw good money at a crappy product, just as they did with the original Xbox, in order to buy themselves enough customers to convince the shareholders that a software company belongs in the gadget and hardware sector...

[Taz @ Apr 27th 2007 5:10PM]

4Gb iPod NANO when I'm at the gym
60Gb iPod Video when I'm travelling (but only for music)
COWON A2 for when I'm travelling (for video)
Sony Ericsson K800i when I've forgotten to bring my other media players

[Travis @ Apr 27th 2007 5:10PM]

Torn between an 80GB 5.5 Ipod + Sansa Connect.

BRING ON THE IPHONE!

[TrueDis @ Apr 27th 2007 5:12PM]

Archos Jukebox 6000 (modded with a 20gb drive)! I've had it for over 6 years now.

[sentient.exe @ Apr 27th 2007 5:13PM]

Samsung YP-T9

[TrueDis @ Apr 27th 2007 5:13PM]

I forgot to mention with RockBox firmware, of course!

[michael @ Apr 27th 2007 5:13PM]

What's with the iPhone comments? I'm sure it will be a good phone when it comes out, but the question is asking "What's your favorite media player these days?" and notice that it says "these days" not in the future. I'm not trying to bash anything here. It's just that I think it's ridiculous to throw in a gadget that hasn't even been sold yet. I just had to put that in.

[Travis @ Apr 27th 2007 5:15PM]

I listed my current favorites....and then made the IPHONE remark. Why? I'm excited and are among people that appreciate or can understand about truly being stoked about a gadget coming out. Just a way to share my excitement.

Travis

[eric cumbee @ Apr 27th 2007 5:15PM]

i quiet enjoy my zune

[Eric @ Apr 27th 2007 5:15PM]

Zune, hands down.
Like it better than my iPod and my iRiver.

[Muu @ Apr 27th 2007 5:16PM]

my 700m works great as a media player. Why bother with a 5inch widescreen when you can have a light PC that can do all that and more with a 12.1" screen on it?

on planes I bring a ipod Nano, a pair of Ety isolation earphones and a paperback.

[Anthony @ Apr 27th 2007 5:16PM]

8g Nano. Nokia E70.

I don't need to watch video (I have a television & computer for that). Portability & battery life (24 hrs) are paramount for me.

& for you "Anything but ipod" folks: this means you have an irrational desire. I try to base my decisions on functionality rather than "I don't want to be part of the crowd".

iTunes software's still the slickest. Luckily if you also want to use it to sync w/ other devices (Nokia) there are options- sync my portable, for example.

[LarsonEthan @ Apr 27th 2007 5:20PM]

My Brown Zune. Everyone keeps saying that the Zune sucks. It appears that that is only true in the eyes of non-owners. Current Zune owners seem to be quite happy with them.

[ryan @ Apr 27th 2007 5:25PM]

I love my Sony NW-S705. The noise canceling is awesome on the public bus, it's tiny and the sound is great. I don't need a big ass screen, and turns out I don't watch a lot of video on the go. That is why I have a TV.

[mobilelawyer @ Apr 27th 2007 5:25PM]

Toshiba Gigabeat S 30MB
Samsung Blackjack

[barnz2k @ Apr 27th 2007 10:58PM]

Yes! I got Gigabeat S60 :)
Have you found any hacks or tricks for it? Changing the BG would be nice like you can on da zune. ever tried a zune hack for it? their basically the same product!

[KC @ Apr 27th 2007 5:27PM]

I would say the PSP... the ability to wirelessly pull down RSS content, and play content from the PS3 remotely is awesome.

[Jonathan Keim @ Apr 27th 2007 5:28PM]

iPod nano

[B-Rad @ Apr 27th 2007 5:28PM]

My Poop Brown Zune!

[anonymouspimp @ Apr 27th 2007 5:31PM]

Here are my favorites in order (and yes, I own them all, I own like 30 mp3 players and PMPs, its part of my job):

1. Zune (I think its all around a great device, wish the WiFi was better)
2. Sirius S50 (Non-stop usage in my car, don't have the Stiletto, might be even better)
3. Clix gen 2 (Just picked this up, obviously, but man, what a nice little player!)
4. Gigabeat (A not as cool Zune)
5. Sansa e260R (I really like the Rhapsody channels... its a nice feature... but doesn't touch the Clix 2... no idea why iRiver disappeared from the shelves)
6. iPod (It's a solid player, but for the love of god, get an FM tuner and a bigger screen! Plus the clickwheel annoys me after a while.)
7. Insignia NS-DV2G (Can't argue with the price! Decent video. Small. All around "OK")
8. iPod nano (See #6)
9. PSP (music not so great... but video is sweet and of course... it plays games.)
10. Philips GoGear SA9100 (It's a decent player, plus its kinda pretty.)

That's just the top 10... i am not going to keep going as the rest are pretty average. I don't own a Creative Labs Vision:M yet, or an Archos, or any Samsung players... But I assume that if I did have a Vision:M or an Archos 504/604/704 it would rank in my top 10.

[brendan Sheehan jnr @ Apr 27th 2007 5:31PM]

iPod Shuffle; cheap, simple, cool, handy, easy-to-use, small and of course the built-in clip.

[rip @ Apr 27th 2007 5:32PM]

I love all the Microsoft Zune product team employees that post on here. And how they have nothing better to do than repeatedly click and refresh so that zune-positive posts are highest ranked.

Keep on keepin' on with that viral marketing.

[michael @ Apr 27th 2007 5:40PM]

@rip:

I hate to burst your bubble here, but I'm definitely not with the Zune team if that's what you're assuming. I happen to like my Zune, just because I do, not because I'm paid to or any nonsense reason. Why can't you just take the fact that there are many people out there that like other devices besides ipods? I like the ipod too, but there are also other PMP's out there besides it, and many of them have a pretty good reason for being slightly better than the ipod. So please stop being a Apple fanboy (I've read many of your comments before) and mind your own business and let people say what they want. No need to go "I'm pretty sure Microsoft paid you to say that" Like I would ever sell my dignity to just promote a product.

[anonymouspimp @ Apr 27th 2007 5:46PM]

@rip

"I love all the Microsoft Zune product team employees that post on here. And how they have nothing better to do than repeatedly click and refresh so that zune-positive posts are highest ranked."

Ever stop to think that we all just might know something that you don't? Stop blindly hating the Zune, and go to the store and play with one. You won't be disappointed. Especially if you like your iPod. You may not buy it because you are satisfied with your current product, but at least you will "get it."

[rip @ Apr 27th 2007 6:09PM]

I don't recall specifically referring to your post. I don't even know what you posted. However, I do find it interesting that, like I said, zune-positive posts consistently get highest ranking. Either a lot of zune owners (like all of them) are clicking away or some marketing arm is clicking away.

As for fanboy-ism, yes I happen to like Apple products. At least some of them. I don't think much of Apple TV, the mini, iTunes, or the iMac. I do like their notebooks, towers, and osx. It seems to me that when I make a pro-Apple comment, it is to debunk absurd claims by Microsoft fanboys. However, and I might be wrong here, I don't think I've ever commented specifically on the Zune's quality, features, etc. Or compared it to the iPod. Frankly, I think the Zune isn't worth commenting on. afaik, it's a rebadged and slightly modified toshiba with minimal marketshare. In other words, completely unjustified in all the attention it seems to garner on here.

I also happen to think Sansa makes some decent alternatives to the iPod if your hell-bent on getting something besides an iPod. But forget I said that. Cause you know, it would blow a hole in that fanboy idea of yours.

[Peter Chapman @ Apr 27th 2007 5:33PM]

I've gone through a number of generations of iPods in addition to many other devices, but I've never been as satisfied as I am with my Zune. It has some limitations, such as the inability to do more with the wifi, but the iPod doesn't have wifi to begin with and it's more expensive. So, it's a not an issue.

Conclusion: I love my Zune

[webtshirt.co.uk @ Apr 27th 2007 5:34PM]

My Nokia 6300 - the audio quality is so good I've had to re-encode all my mp3's at 320khz!

I just wish it had a normal headphone adapter 2.5mm or even 3.5mm!

[Jayayess1190 @ Apr 27th 2007 5:36PM]

Archos 404

[mjp @ Apr 27th 2007 5:38PM]

I just bought a Sansa Connect, and am trying out the Yahoo music subscription service. So far, I think it's got my old iPod (admittedly 3G) beat. There are some things bugging me, for instance that you can't just search for artists wirelessly, you basically have to set it up on the computer or search a station until you find that artist. But the wireless flickr, internet radio, and a decent built in speaker are nice touches.

[Deezee @ Apr 27th 2007 5:41PM]

Sansa e260. Its been very good to me.

[AG @ Apr 27th 2007 5:45PM]

HAHA, I still have a Sony HMP-A1 and its such a great toy. Sure it can be slimmed down a bit. But its so cool, cus no one else has em (Imported from Japan)
You know, it was the 'ipod' killer that Sony released a few years back. Its a shame they never came out with something to replace it

Im also considering purchasing a PSP cus of the larger screen. But, I can hold off

[rip @ Apr 27th 2007 6:12PM]

Does the Zune work with OSX? I thought not.

[thumbs @ Apr 27th 2007 5:49PM]

my orange ipod shuffle, its so darn convenient my regular ipod has been relagated to transfereing files to and from work.

[dave @ Apr 27th 2007 5:49PM]

COWON D2- It's small, plays Divx, and battery life is unbelievable. best secret in PMP's for sure!

[bill @ Apr 27th 2007 5:49PM]

For all-purpose use, I enjoy my Zune (white), though I'll be happy to see a version that weighs slightly less and opens the wi-fi feature a little more.

I also own and occasionally use a Rio Cali - a great old player for carrying around a lighter music load without sacrificing FM radio.

[Jeremy K. @ Apr 27th 2007 5:50PM]

Cowon A2 all the way, baby! Best PMP around...