365 lines
16 KiB
HTML
365 lines
16 KiB
HTML
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<!DOCTYPE html>
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<html>
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<head>
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<meta charset="utf-8">
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<meta name="generator" content="pandoc">
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<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0, user-scalable=yes">
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<title></title>
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<style type="text/css">code{white-space: pre;}</style>
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<!--[if lt IE 9]>
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<script src="http://html5shim.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/html5.js"></script>
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<![endif]-->
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</head>
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<body>
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<h1 id="my-audio-player-collection">My Audio Player Collection</h1>
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<h2 id="introduction">Introduction</h2>
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<p>I got broadband installed in my house in 2005 after I'd bought my first PC. I'd owned a lot of PCs before that, but they had all been cast-offs from the university I was working at, and I accessed the Internet via dial-up to my work.</p>
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<p>This was around the time I got sick of listening to the radio and first discovered podcasts, and so I decided I wanted a portable audio player (or <em>MP3 Player</em> as they tended to be called back then).</p>
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<p>Since then I have been listening to podcasts pretty much all of the time and have worked my way through a number of players. I thought it might be interesting if I chronicled the devices I have owned in the past 9-10 years.</p>
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<h2 id="players">Players</h2>
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<h3 id="iriver-ifp-899">iRiver iFP-899</h3>
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<table>
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<tbody>
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<tr class="odd">
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<td style="text-align: left;">When purchased</td>
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<td style="text-align: left;">2005-03-12</td>
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</tr>
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<tr class="even">
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<td style="text-align: left;">Vendor</td>
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<td style="text-align: left;">Amazon UK</td>
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</tr>
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<tr class="odd">
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<td style="text-align: left;">Capacity</td>
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<td style="text-align: left;">1GB</td>
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</tr>
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<tr class="even">
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<td style="text-align: left;">Cost</td>
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<td style="text-align: left;">£119.99</td>
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</tr>
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<tr class="odd">
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<td style="text-align: left;">FM Tuner</td>
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<td style="text-align: left;">Yes</td>
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</tr>
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<tr class="even">
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<td style="text-align: left;">Microphone?</td>
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<td style="text-align: left;">Yes</td>
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</tr>
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<tr class="odd">
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<td style="text-align: left;">Rockbox capable?</td>
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<td style="text-align: left;">No</td>
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</tr>
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</tbody>
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</table>
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<p>My first player was the iRiver iFP-899. This was a neat little device with a small monochrome screen and a joystick. It could record through an in-built microphone and played MP3 and WMA. It took a single AA battery and looked like a simple USB storage device when connected to a PC. It had a dedicated lock switch to disable the buttons, and came with a protective cover.</p>
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<p>It was quite expensive at £120 but came highly recommended. I remember it being discussed on TLLTS which I had started listening to at that time, as well as being Adam (Podfather) Curry's device of choice.</p>
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<p>Sadly it didn't last more than about a year and a half. The joystick accumulated dust and pocket lint and stopped working. I didn't have the skills to strip it apart and clean it out, so it went into storage (a.k.a. the junk box).</p>
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<p><strong>Pictures </strong>: iRiver iFP-899 front and back<br /><img src="hpr1656_iRiver_iFP-899_1.png" alt="iRiver iFP-899 front" /> <img src="hpr1656_iRiver_iFP-899_2.png" alt="iRiver iFP-899 back" /></p>
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<h3 id="samsung-yp-z5a">Samsung YP-Z5A</h3>
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<table>
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<tbody>
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<tr class="odd">
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<td style="text-align: left;">When purchased</td>
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<td style="text-align: left;">2006-09-24</td>
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</tr>
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<tr class="even">
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<td style="text-align: left;">Vendor</td>
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<td style="text-align: left;">Amazon UK</td>
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</tr>
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<tr class="odd">
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<td style="text-align: left;">Capacity</td>
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<td style="text-align: left;">4GB</td>
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</tr>
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<tr class="even">
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<td style="text-align: left;">Cost</td>
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<td style="text-align: left;">£99.99</td>
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</tr>
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<tr class="odd">
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<td style="text-align: left;">FM Tuner</td>
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<td style="text-align: left;">No</td>
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</tr>
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<tr class="even">
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<td style="text-align: left;">Microphone?</td>
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<td style="text-align: left;">No</td>
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</tr>
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<tr class="odd">
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<td style="text-align: left;">Rockbox capable?</td>
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<td style="text-align: left;">No</td>
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</tr>
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</tbody>
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</table>
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<p>The replacement for the iRiver was the Samsung YP-Z5A. This has a much larger capacity, is a neater shape for the pocket and plays OGG. The lack of a radio and microphone is a disadvantage but the capacity was huge in comparison to the iRiver.</p>
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<p>I liked the controls on this device, and particularly the existence of a goo solid locking switch.</p>
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<p>This device has developed a few problems but is still working and is still used occasionally. There has been talk of a Rockbox version but nothing seems to have come of it.</p>
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<p><strong>Pictures</strong>: Samsung YP-Z5A front and back<br /><img src="hpr1656_Samsung_YP-Z5A_1.png" alt="Samsung YP-Z5A front" /> <img src="hpr1656_Samsung_YP-Z5A_2.png" alt="Samsung YP-Z5A back" /></p>
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<h3 id="samsung-yp-q1">Samsung YP-Q1</h3>
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<table>
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<tbody>
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<tr class="odd">
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<td style="text-align: left;">When purchased</td>
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<td style="text-align: left;">2008?</td>
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</tr>
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<tr class="even">
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<td style="text-align: left;">Vendor</td>
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<td style="text-align: left;">Amazon UK</td>
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</tr>
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<tr class="odd">
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<td style="text-align: left;">Capacity</td>
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<td style="text-align: left;">16GB</td>
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</tr>
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<tr class="even">
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<td style="text-align: left;">Cost</td>
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<td style="text-align: left;">around £100</td>
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</tr>
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<tr class="odd">
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<td style="text-align: left;">FM Tuner</td>
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<td style="text-align: left;">Yes</td>
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</tr>
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<tr class="even">
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<td style="text-align: left;">Microphone?</td>
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<td style="text-align: left;">Yes</td>
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</tr>
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<tr class="odd">
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<td style="text-align: left;">Rockbox capable?</td>
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<td style="text-align: left;">No</td>
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</tr>
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</tbody>
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</table>
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<p>Although this device got some good reviews it proved to be a bad buy. Firstly the controls are extremely sensitive and very difficult to use. Secondly, many of the features are only available if you connect it to the Windows <em>EmoDio</em> software, and third, the only way of accessing it through USB is via MTP.</p>
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<p>The radio is good and the sound quality is great, and the device can handle MP3, OGG and FLAC. However, all in all this is not a player I would recommend.</p>
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<p>Interestingly, Amazon lost my purchase details from their database for this period, so I don't have exact details. This bothers me more than it should!</p>
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<p><strong>Picture</strong>: Samsung YP-Q1<br /><img src="hpr1656_Samsung_YP-01.png" alt="Samsung YP-Q1" /></p>
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<h3 id="sandisk-sansa-fuze">SanDisk Sansa Fuze</h3>
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<table>
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<tbody>
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<tr class="odd">
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<td style="text-align: left;">When purchased</td>
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<td style="text-align: left;">2009-07-02</td>
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</tr>
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<tr class="even">
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<td style="text-align: left;">Vendor</td>
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<td style="text-align: left;">Amazon UK</td>
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</tr>
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<tr class="odd">
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<td style="text-align: left;">Capacity</td>
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<td style="text-align: left;">4GB</td>
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</tr>
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<tr class="even">
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<td style="text-align: left;">Cost</td>
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<td style="text-align: left;">£66.75</td>
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</tr>
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<tr class="odd">
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<td style="text-align: left;">FM Tuner</td>
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<td style="text-align: left;">Yes</td>
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</tr>
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<tr class="even">
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<td style="text-align: left;">Microphone?</td>
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<td style="text-align: left;">Yes</td>
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</tr>
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<tr class="odd">
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<td style="text-align: left;">Rockbox capable?</td>
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<td style="text-align: left;">Yes</td>
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</tr>
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</tbody>
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</table>
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<p>This is a fantastic player. I bought a hard case for it which has protected it very well. It has a great colour display and the controls are excellent. The only down-side for me is the awkwardness of the locking function - sliding the rather tiny and inaccessible power switch in reverse.</p>
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<p>I was not too pleased with the native software so this was the first player on which I installed <em>Rockbox</em>. This of course turns it into an even better device capable of playing an amazingly wide range of formats.</p>
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<p>The 4GB size can be extended with an SDHC card making this a large capacity player. The playlist capabilities of Rockbox make the Fuze even better.</p>
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<p>The later version of the Fuze (the Fuze+) is apparently not as usable as this one, though I don't have experience of it. The Fuze model can sell for almost the same price as the original on eBay.</p>
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<p><strong>Picture</strong>: Sandisk Sansa Fuze<br /><img src="hpr1656_Sansa_Fuze.png" alt="Sandisk Sansa Fuze" /></p>
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<h3 id="sandisk-sansa-clip">SanDisk Sansa Clip+</h3>
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<table>
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<tbody>
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<tr class="odd">
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<td style="text-align: left;">When purchased</td>
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<td style="text-align: left;">2010-11-30</td>
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</tr>
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<tr class="even">
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<td style="text-align: left;">Vendor</td>
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<td style="text-align: left;">Amazon UK</td>
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</tr>
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<tr class="odd">
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<td style="text-align: left;">Capacity</td>
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<td style="text-align: left;">8GB</td>
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</tr>
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<tr class="even">
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<td style="text-align: left;">Cost</td>
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<td style="text-align: left;">£38.99</td>
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</tr>
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<tr class="odd">
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<td style="text-align: left;">FM Tuner</td>
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<td style="text-align: left;">Yes</td>
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</tr>
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<tr class="even">
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<td style="text-align: left;">Microphone?</td>
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<td style="text-align: left;">Yes</td>
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</tr>
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<tr class="odd">
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<td style="text-align: left;">Rockbox capable?</td>
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<td style="text-align: left;">Yes</td>
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</tr>
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</tbody>
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</table>
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<p>This is another excellent device which I originally bought to use at the gym. The screen is small and without colour but I don't see that as a problem. The controls are great, easy to use and robust. The only issue I have had with it is the fragility of the clip at the back, which broke off after only a few months.</p>
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<p>The 8GB size can be extended with an SDHC card, similarly to the Fuze.</p>
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<p>Rockbox can be installed on this device also, and I did this quite soon after buying it. I wish it had a dedicated locking switch, but the device can be locked under Rockbox by pressing <strong>Home</strong> and <strong>Select</strong>.</p>
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<p>I have used this player for recording part of one show for HPR, and I know that Ken Fallon always uses the Clip+ as a backup recording device.</p>
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<p><strong>Picture</strong>: SanDisk Sansa Clip+<br /><img src="hpr1656_Sansa_Clip+.png" alt="SanDisk Sansa Clip+" /></p>
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<h3 id="iriver-h10-5gb">iRiver H10 5GB</h3>
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<table>
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<tbody>
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<tr class="odd">
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<td style="text-align: left;">When purchased</td>
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<td style="text-align: left;">2013-05-28</td>
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</tr>
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<tr class="even">
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<td style="text-align: left;">Vendor</td>
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<td style="text-align: left;">eBay UK</td>
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</tr>
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<tr class="odd">
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<td style="text-align: left;">Capacity</td>
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<td style="text-align: left;">5GB</td>
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</tr>
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<tr class="even">
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<td style="text-align: left;">Cost</td>
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<td style="text-align: left;">£17.25</td>
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</tr>
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<tr class="odd">
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<td style="text-align: left;">FM Tuner</td>
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<td style="text-align: left;">Yes</td>
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</tr>
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<tr class="even">
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<td style="text-align: left;">Microphone?</td>
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<td style="text-align: left;">Yes</td>
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</tr>
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<tr class="odd">
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<td style="text-align: left;">Rockbox capable?</td>
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<td style="text-align: left;">Yes</td>
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</tr>
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</tbody>
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</table>
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<p>I noticed that the audio players were becoming less popular and more scarce as people used their smartphones for this job, so I wanted to have several players in reserve. I looked at the Rockbox site for compatible players and started hunting for examples of them on eBay.</p>
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<p>This iRiver was my first find. It is an interesting machine. Quite heavy and fairly large, with a hard disk. It has a removable battery, a colour screen and a locking switch.</p>
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<p>The one I have emits a faint high-pitched noise when running, so I tend not to use it.</p>
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<p><strong>Picture</strong>: iRiver H10 5GB<br /><img src="hpr1656_iRiver_H10.png" alt="iRiver H10 5GB" /></p>
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<h3 id="sandisk-sansa-clip-1">SanDisk Sansa Clip+</h3>
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<table>
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<tbody>
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<tr class="odd">
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<td style="text-align: left;">When purchased</td>
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<td style="text-align: left;">2013-06-02</td>
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</tr>
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<tr class="even">
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<td style="text-align: left;">Vendor</td>
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<td style="text-align: left;">eBay UK</td>
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</tr>
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<tr class="odd">
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<td style="text-align: left;">Capacity</td>
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<td style="text-align: left;">4GB</td>
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</tr>
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<tr class="even">
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<td style="text-align: left;">Cost</td>
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<td style="text-align: left;">£17.28</td>
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</tr>
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<tr class="odd">
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<td style="text-align: left;">FM Tuner</td>
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<td style="text-align: left;">Yes</td>
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</tr>
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<tr class="even">
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<td style="text-align: left;">Microphone?</td>
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<td style="text-align: left;">Yes</td>
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</tr>
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<tr class="odd">
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<td style="text-align: left;">Rockbox capable?</td>
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<td style="text-align: left;">Yes</td>
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</tr>
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</tbody>
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</table>
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<p>Having had good experiences with the Clip+ before, and noticing their availability on eBay, I bought another one. This has been a great device, well worth the price, even though it is not new.</p>
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<h3 id="apple-ipod-mini-2nd-generation">Apple iPod mini 2nd Generation</h3>
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<table>
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<tbody>
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<tr class="odd">
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<td style="text-align: left;">When purchased</td>
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<td style="text-align: left;">2013-06-03</td>
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</tr>
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<tr class="even">
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<td style="text-align: left;">Vendor</td>
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<td style="text-align: left;">eBay UK</td>
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</tr>
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|
<tr class="odd">
|
||
|
|
<td style="text-align: left;">Capacity</td>
|
||
|
|
<td style="text-align: left;">4GB</td>
|
||
|
|
</tr>
|
||
|
|
<tr class="even">
|
||
|
|
<td style="text-align: left;">Cost</td>
|
||
|
|
<td style="text-align: left;">£16.46</td>
|
||
|
|
</tr>
|
||
|
|
<tr class="odd">
|
||
|
|
<td style="text-align: left;">FM Tuner</td>
|
||
|
|
<td style="text-align: left;">Yes</td>
|
||
|
|
</tr>
|
||
|
|
<tr class="even">
|
||
|
|
<td style="text-align: left;">Microphone?</td>
|
||
|
|
<td style="text-align: left;">Yes</td>
|
||
|
|
</tr>
|
||
|
|
<tr class="odd">
|
||
|
|
<td style="text-align: left;">Rockbox capable?</td>
|
||
|
|
<td style="text-align: left;">Yes</td>
|
||
|
|
</tr>
|
||
|
|
</tbody>
|
||
|
|
</table>
|
||
|
|
<p>I wanted to see what this model iPod was like, but having acquired it I find I really dislike this device for reasons I'm not entirely sure about. Rockbox improves it to some degree, but the hardware seems poor in comparison to the Sansa Fuze for example. I would not recommend this player given the availability of the alternatives.</p>
|
||
|
|
<p><strong>Picture</strong>: Apple iPod mini 2nd Generation<br /><img src="hpr1656_iPod_mini.png" alt="Apple iPod mini 2nd Generation" /></p>
|
||
|
|
<h3 id="iriver-h10-6gb">iRiver H10 6GB</h3>
|
||
|
|
<table>
|
||
|
|
<tbody>
|
||
|
|
<tr class="odd">
|
||
|
|
<td style="text-align: left;">When purchased</td>
|
||
|
|
<td style="text-align: left;">2013-06-15</td>
|
||
|
|
</tr>
|
||
|
|
<tr class="even">
|
||
|
|
<td style="text-align: left;">Vendor</td>
|
||
|
|
<td style="text-align: left;">eBay UK</td>
|
||
|
|
</tr>
|
||
|
|
<tr class="odd">
|
||
|
|
<td style="text-align: left;">Capacity</td>
|
||
|
|
<td style="text-align: left;">6GB</td>
|
||
|
|
</tr>
|
||
|
|
<tr class="even">
|
||
|
|
<td style="text-align: left;">Cost</td>
|
||
|
|
<td style="text-align: left;">£11.37</td>
|
||
|
|
</tr>
|
||
|
|
<tr class="odd">
|
||
|
|
<td style="text-align: left;">FM Tuner</td>
|
||
|
|
<td style="text-align: left;">Yes</td>
|
||
|
|
</tr>
|
||
|
|
<tr class="even">
|
||
|
|
<td style="text-align: left;">Microphone?</td>
|
||
|
|
<td style="text-align: left;">Yes</td>
|
||
|
|
</tr>
|
||
|
|
<tr class="odd">
|
||
|
|
<td style="text-align: left;">Rockbox capable?</td>
|
||
|
|
<td style="text-align: left;">Perhaps</td>
|
||
|
|
</tr>
|
||
|
|
</tbody>
|
||
|
|
</table>
|
||
|
|
<p>This device seems identical to the 5GB model. However, on trying to install Rockbox I could not get it to run.</p>
|
||
|
|
<p>Researching this model (rather too late) I found that other people had also had issues with it and Rockbox, so I suspect there may be an issue with this particular configuration.</p>
|
||
|
|
<h3 id="other-purchases">Other purchases</h3>
|
||
|
|
<p>Having had such great experiences with the Sansa Fuze and Clip+ I decided to collect a few more as backup devices should the others fail. I bought three Sansa Fuze players and one Sansa Clip+.</p>
|
||
|
|
<p>This turned out to be a bit of a mixed experience. The Clip+ was purchased from Play.com as a manufacturer refurbished player, and has been absolutely superb. However, two of the three Fuze players gave problems. They were all bought from eBay, but I think that two were version 1 hardware and were running firmware versions which begin with '01'. These players seem unreliable and randomly dismount themselves when plugged in to a PC downloading media. The third Fuze seems good, and seems to be a version 2 device with '02' version firmware.</p>
|
||
|
|
<p>I am very glad to have these players. I have an Android smartphone, a fairly recent purchase, but it's too big and heavy for a shirt pocket, and is a lot less convenient than a Sansa Fuze or Clip+. Your mileage may vary of course!</p>
|
||
|
|
<h2 id="links">Links</h2>
|
||
|
|
<ul>
|
||
|
|
<li>Rockbox <a href="http://www.rockbox.org/">http://www.rockbox.org/</a></li>
|
||
|
|
<li>SanDisk Sansa range <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SanDisk_Sansa">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SanDisk_Sansa</a></li>
|
||
|
|
<li>iRiver H10 series <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iriver_H10_series">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iriver_H10_series</a></li>
|
||
|
|
<li>Apple iPod mini <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPod_Mini">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPod_Mini</a></li>
|
||
|
|
</ul>
|
||
|
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