3 ms·

My FiiO died about a year ago, i loved it. And the reason it died was getting completely underwater repeatly with an already slightly bent case. Before that it

by herbst 6y ago

My FiiO died about a year ago, i loved it. And the reason it died was getting completely underwater repeatly with an already slightly bent case. Before that it survived things you can't even imagine. Every few months i look up new options, but none of them has actual buttons or are WAY to expensive (ok to pay up to $3-400) I can't use a touch device on a bike. I want F* buttons. Any suggestions?

keyringlight 6y ago
The one I keep coming back to when I go looking for an mp3 player with buttons is the Sandisk Sansa clips, and maybe the few copycats of that style. It'll have a smaller battery just by nature of being physically smaller, but for when you're outside or not in a perfect listening environment I'm sure it's 99% as effective for the core task of playing audio. Most of the range supports Rockbox as well. I'm a bit paranoid that WD (who now own Sandisk) will stop making them, leaving a gap in the market when stock empties out.
- herbst 6y ago
  Maybe its time to give them a go. Do you know if those "Sports Plus" Clips are the "good ones" or does it not matter in terms of audio quality? Going to check the rockbox wiki for specific models i guess :)
  - JansjoFromIkea 6y ago
    From what I know the sport models have more limited processing capabilities to older models so its not feasible to port Rockbox to them. Think it has something to do with the drop in market size for mp3 players in general resulting in the quality of low cost parts declining.
    - herbst 6y ago
      What a shame. I'll check some classifieds then i guess. Thanks
epakai 6y ago
I've been on a cowon J3, and their S9 (but its slider/switches wear out) before that. Both are discontinued. The SanDisk Clip series is alright as a spare device but they just don't have the battery capacity so I consider them high maintenance. Recently I got a used single samsung galaxy bud, and have been using my phone. The touch controls on the earbud work through my fingered gloves. Wind noise is an issue though. I might try something like https://www.cat-ears.com https://www.cat-ears.com to block the wind without making it hot.
m463 6y ago
A few years back I listened to audiobooks/podcasts on my bike with a bluetooth earpiece in one ear only. I bought a bluetooth media button and that helped a lot, except there was something weird about the firmware where it would go to sleep sometimes and had to be woken.

by herbst 6y ago

keyringlight 6y ago

The one I keep coming back to when I go looking for an mp3 player with buttons is the Sandisk Sansa clips, and maybe the few copycats of that style. It'll have a smaller battery just by nature of being physically smaller, but for when you're outside or not in a perfect listening environment I'm sure it's 99% as effective for the core task of playing audio. Most of the range supports Rockbox as well. I'm a bit paranoid that WD (who now own Sandisk) will stop making them, leaving a gap in the market when stock empties out.

herbst 6y ago
Maybe its time to give them a go. Do you know if those "Sports Plus" Clips are the "good ones" or does it not matter in terms of audio quality? Going to check the rockbox wiki for specific models i guess :)
- JansjoFromIkea 6y ago
  From what I know the sport models have more limited processing capabilities to older models so its not feasible to port Rockbox to them. Think it has something to do with the drop in market size for mp3 players in general resulting in the quality of low cost parts declining.
  - herbst 6y ago
    What a shame. I'll check some classifieds then i guess. Thanks

epakai 6y ago

I've been on a cowon J3, and their S9 (but its slider/switches wear out) before that. Both are discontinued. The SanDisk Clip series is alright as a spare device but they just don't have the battery capacity so I consider them high maintenance. Recently I got a used single samsung galaxy bud, and have been using my phone. The touch controls on the earbud work through my fingered gloves. Wind noise is an issue though. I might try something like https://www.cat-ears.com https://www.cat-ears.com to block the wind without making it hot.

m463 6y ago

A few years back I listened to audiobooks/podcasts on my bike with a bluetooth earpiece in one ear only. I bought a bluetooth media button and that helped a lot, except there was something weird about the firmware where it would go to sleep sometimes and had to be woken.