I've been looking for a good mp3 player to run with outside. Right now, I'm using a discman that has a strap for my hand, is waterproof and NEVER skips, no matter what. It would be ideal, but it doesn't play MP3s.

Does anyone have an mp3 player they can recommend for running outside with in rainy weather? I wouldn't even mind shelling out for solid state, but I really don't think there are any water resistant models.

As an aside, has anyone seen a portable DVD mp3 player yet? 4.5 gigs of mp3s on a $2cad disc would be slick. I'm really starting to wonder why no one has tried to market this yet.

I use a 20gb iPod. I use it everyday (at the gym, outside running, transit, travelling, etc). It's super durable (.. I'm a very clumbsy person) and .... generally awesome. The new iPod minis are pretty awesome too, ideal for jogging/exercising outside (imo).

http://www.apple.com/ipod

I use a 20gb iPod. I use it everyday (at the gym, outside running, transit, travelling, etc). It's super durable (.. I'm a very clumbsy person) and .... generally awesome. The new iPod minis are pretty awesome too, ideal for jogging/exercising outside (imo).

http://www.apple.com/ipod

Yeah, but I live in British Columbia, so I have to factor in water resistance. :) I'm of the understanding that I can get water resistant shells for the Ipod.

There are so many different iPod accessories.. http://thinkdifferentstore.com/index.php?cPath=21_65 has a bunch of the cases, some are waterproof, some aren't.

I use a 20gb iPod. I use it everyday (at the gym, outside running, transit, travelling, etc). It's super durable (.. I'm a very clumbsy person) and .... generally awesome. The new iPod minis are pretty awesome too, ideal for jogging/exercising outside (imo).

http://www.apple.com/ipod

Bump on the iPod. Apart from their supposed battery probs they are excellent. :tucool:

I have an iPod but I never use it when during cardio because of its size (it's not huge like a CD player, but certainly noticeable). I have a TINY Samsung Yepp mp3 player for that.

I would personally recommend if you want one for when you're working out, get something like the iRiver 128MB MP3 players like the http://www.iriveramerica.com/products/ifp-380t.asp and an arm strap.

Now if you have your heart set on a HDD based MP3 player, I don't know that I can even recommend the iPod anymore. Yes, it's the sleekest and most attractive MP3 player on the market, but it is overpriced and lacks many features its competitors have. However, if this is a non-issue, then I can say that mine has been great for the past 9 months (3rd gen, 15GB). If it's mainly for exercising, you may also want to consider this, it suits your needs perfectly in physical size and memory size:

The iPod Mini
http://www.apple.com/ipodmini/

and then you can get this armstrap for it. (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0001AU6XU/qid=1080479363/sr=1-3/ref=sr_1_3_etk-electronics/102-7138671-5644124?v=glance&s=electronics&n=172282)

Any HDD device is not made to take the jarring that running will induce. All HDD devices use a memory buffer to store information so that the disk drive is not always running unlike a desktop pc. There have been cases where people have been running and jus tat the right microsecond when the hard drive begins to spin they have damaged the head---> no more ipod.

You best bet is to go with an mp3 player that uses ram to store your music. There are no moving parts to damage. I use a Rio 500 that I bought 5-6 years ago when they first came out. It stores about an hour worth of music and a single AA battery will get you about 10 hours of playtime. I know that ipods have rechargable batteries, but that is another story when an ipod battery goes bad (and they will, and then you HAVE to send it to Apple to replace for $150).

Any HDD device is not made to take the jarring that running will induce. All HDD devices use a memory buffer to store information so that the disk drive is not always running unlike a desktop pc. There have been cases where people have been running and jus tat the right microsecond when the hard drive begins to spin they have damaged the head---> no more ipod.



I didnt know that, its a bit concerning :confused: I mainly use mine when I'm on the bike so it doesnt get knocked around that much. Its rather annoying discovering all of these faults, however I havent had any probs so far (knock on wood).

Marcus

Banditfit is correct, however the chances of it are very slim. That is another reason i don't use my iPod for exercise unless it can sit in the cup holder. It does have I think a 20 minute buffer, so skipping is almost impossible, but there is a slight risk of damage. However, they do sell armbands and cases that are supposed to absorb the shock and make it much safer.

I've been using my iPod at the gym and for outside jogging ever since I got it back in December. It has never skipped, nor have I damanged it in anyway. At the gym I usually clip it onto my pocket or waistband and then go nuts. Although they may look fragile, they are quite durable.. It would have to be to survive a few months with me.

Just my personal experience though ;) Banditfist and karatetricker do have good points. The best thing to do is to think of 3-4 products, find information on them and compare them (features/prices/reviews/etc). There are tons of websites and articles that have been written about MP3 players, it shouldn't be hard to track down some info. That's what I did when I was looking for an MP3 player and for me, the iPod was the best choice.

:spaz:

an iPod should be fine for running assuming it's not strapped to your ankle. in an armband on your upper arm the shock risk is negligble. mine is an older 10GB model (2nd gen) that's been dropped on concrete at least five times and it's still fine. at the gym it is either in the cupholder on cardio machines or in a pocket as I dislike waist clips. I've been thinking of getting an armband. battery life is still 8-10 hours. it has been left in the car getting either frozen or baked depending on the season. probably not the best treatment but it has been a tough lil thing.

I had to return the first one (5GB 1st gen) because the mechanical wheel kept popping off and eventually the battery only lasted an hour, so with the CompUSA warranty they replaced it with the 2nd gen 10GB as it was the same price. that was when you could buy their extended warranty for like $25 as they considered it to be a plain hard disk drive. now it's more like $75 because I guess a lot of people were "breaking" their older ones and getting a new one for nothing.

the new mini model should be even better for wearing on your arm (much lighter and smaller) if you can find one as they're pretty much sold out for the next six months.

I ended up buying a Panasonic Shockwave discman. 700mb of storage for 50cent discs, 35 hours of battery life, waterproof and the Panasonic Shockwave brand is good in rain. I'm fairly confident in the non-skip features, because my current discman is a 5 year old Shockwave model and it NEVER skips. This discman came recommended for runners.

And the price is right... $100cad.

http://www.etronics.com/product.asp?stk_code=panslsw960v

I use a Rio Sport 256MB. It is water resistant, small and is made for athletes. I am a fan of the Ipod however I wanted something a little smaller, plus I have no need for 20GB of space. This model also has a FM tuner, which I rarely use. I give it 2 thumbs up and have not had any problems.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1056281016474&skuId=5720071&type=product&productCategoryId=pcmcat10200050002

I use a Rio Sport 256MB. It is water resistant, small and is made for athletes.
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1056281016474&skuId=5720071&type=product&productCategoryId=pcmcat10200050002

Hmm, the URL you give there says that it's NOT water resistant.

I have a Creative Labs Muvo NX, and I love it. It's all solid-state, so I don't have to worry about bouncing it around, so I can take it with me on outdoor runs. It has the basic playback features (shuffle, reverse, etc.). It also doubles as a USB flash drive, which comes in handy. It comes with two 'battery bases', headphones (earbud style), a belt clip, and an arm strap. The arm strap is pretty worthless for jogging, since it doesn't have a pocket for the player, so it falls out. The strap might be okay for walking. I don't walk, so I use the belt clip or put it in a pocket for jogging. The included headphones are good quality, but the earbuds are too heavy, and so they tend to fall out during jogging. I already had another pair of earbuds that were much lighter and worked well for jogging.

http://www.creative.com/products/product.asp?prodid=4884

The Muvo TX came out recently: same features, but USB 2.0 and 512MB of storage. If this one had been available when I was in the market for an MP3 player, I would have bought it to get the extra storage space (the faster transfer speed would be nice, but transferring MP3s at USB 1.1 speeds isn't so bad).

http://www.creative.com/products/product.asp?prodid=9672

I think this (http://www.firebox.com/index.html?dir=firebox&action=product&pid=585)
might be the solution, it's my mate who breakes everything including his jukebox zen last month was very impresed with how much of a beeting it could take, i know it's only 64meg but that should be enough for a sesh of your favorite cardio.

Here's a brand new review of the Creative Muvo TX (comes in 128, 256 and 512mb flavors)

http://www.tomshardware.com/mobile/20040330/index.html

I have the RCA RD10714 Lyra and i love it. It has a good arm strap for running and it is also real small so you can put it your pocket if you'd like. The earphones that come with it are very good also. it has 128mb which is enough for 30 something HQ songs. I found it under 100$ @ www.jandr.com

Jens-Of-Sweden JOS-110 just rules, it is tiny, looks really nice. 128/256MB ram with FM-receiver.

http://www.jensofsweden.com/

:gl:

Wow, I just figured out how to use the strap on my Muvo from that review Taxcheat posted. Never mind what I said about the strap; I wasn't using it correctly (i.e., with the belt clip). :o

I still rock my 64mg rio like it's going out of style. I'm not really planning on changing either because it still works, and Ipods are too damn expensive for something I'd only use for 30min per day.

heh. once you have an iPod you use it a hell of a lot more than 30min a day. mine goes 8-10 hours a day (plugged in most of that time of course): in the car, in my office, at the gym. now I'm used to the notion of having a nice chunk of music with me at all times, so I listen to it that much just because I can. when they come out with a 100GB model then I can have all of it with me.

last night I snagged the headphone cord with my gym towel while I was on the treadmill and the iPod went bouncing off the belt and ended up being flung about 3-4 feet to the floor. never skipped a beat.

Ipod sounds good, but I don't want to shell out too much dough. I'll have to see what circuit city has instock today. thanks

Update


I went to circuit city today after work and got an mp3 player. Its the Rio Cali MP3 Player. It comes standard with 128MB of flash and its upgradeable to 768MB. Its super tiny and comes with a really comfortable arm band. The sound is great and the buttons couldn't be placed more perfectly. The backlit screen is also a nice feature.

I've been wanting an mp3 player for quite some time and I had been contemplating the iPod. I just couldn't justify the price for it though. I wanted a player that could withstand my cardio sessions, and I also wanted something really small. I know the iPods are tough but I read on several different occasions where the drive could get damaged if it took a nice jarring.

The Cali holds about 32 songs for me on its 128MB cars (plenty long for my cardio sessions) I'll be definitely picking up the 768MB flash upgrade. I forgot to mention that is has a really long battery life even though its on a triple A batter. I payed $125 for it at circuit city and its worth every penny :thumbup:
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0000AQIFW.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

Last weekend I bought a Phillips PSA that I'm really pleased with. It's solid state, 256mb storage, water-resistant, with an armband included. I use a pair of earbuds-style headphones that I previously had (Sony, can't remember the model).

I'm impressed, thusfar, with the ease of use, the quality of construction, and the sound quality. Only complaint is I wish it organized playlists, like an iPOD. Everything you download to it is one big playlist. It remembers the order, but you can't switch between playlists.

So far, it gets an enthusiastic :tucool:

I love my ipod mini. I have several different straps that I use depending on what I'm doing. It reads text files, which is cool. It holds 4GB so I use it to transfer files from home to work all the time.

How much did the ipod mini run you?

It was $260 because I also got the optional shoulder strap. If you or someone you know is in school or teaches, you can usually get a discount from apple.com.

Update


I went to circuit city today after work and got an mp3 player. Its the Rio Cali MP3 Player. It comes standard with 128MB of flash and its upgradeable to 768MB. Its super tiny and comes with a really comfortable arm band. The sound is great and the buttons couldn't be placed more perfectly. The backlit screen is also a nice feature.
...
I payed $125 for it at circuit city and its worth every penny :thumbup:
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0000AQIFW.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg
Bump on this for inurb. after your recommendation (and doing my due diligence on cnet), I picked one up last week as well. Exactly what I was looking for in features, size and prize. Thanks again! :tu:

My 64MB Samsung Yepp just wasn't cutting it anymore so I just bought the iRiver iFP-390T (http://tinyurl.com/wxrt). iRiver is leagues above all other mp3 player manufacturers IMO. Many players are good, but anything by iRiver is perfect.

I was thinking about getting an Mp3 player...anyone have a Philips Nike Sport 128MB Digital Audio Player? Is it any good, it seems like it would be good for cardio. http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1056280971393&skuId=5715853&type=product&productCategoryId=pcmcat10200050002

I was thinking about getting an Mp3 player...anyone have a Philips Nike Sport 128MB Digital Audio Player? Is it any good, it seems like it would be good for cardio. http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1056280971393&skuId=5715853&type=product&productCategoryId=pcmcat10200050002

There are several MUCH better players on the market.

There are several MUCH better players on the market.

Did you get your iriver from bestbuy or direct from iriver?

Did you get your iriver from bestbuy or direct from iriver?

I got mine from Best Buy because they offer a $20 rebate, so it comes to $160 after rebate. That's the 256MB version though, if you only need 128MB, that version is like $120. Just know that the 128MB version doesn't include the arm strap, so you'd have to order one from iRiver if you wanted to wear it on your arm or belt.

iRiver is the king of MP3 players, but there are several other decent ones out there. The Rio Cali isn't half bad and I like many of the ones from Samsung and the MPIO line. I just have read many bad things about that Nike PSA.

I got mine from Best Buy because they offer a $20 rebate, so it comes to $160 after rebate. That's the 256MB version though, if you only need 128MB, that version is like $120. Just know that the 128MB version doesn't include the arm strap, so you'd have to order one from iRiver if you wanted to wear it on your arm or belt.

iRiver is the king of MP3 players, but there are several other decent ones out there. The Rio Cali isn't half bad and I like many of the ones from Samsung and the MPIO line. I just have read many bad things about that Nike PSA.

Kool....thanks for the heads up on the Nike PSA :tu: ....I'm going to bestbuy tomorrow to get an mp3 player...I'll probably pick up an iriver. Is the software pretty simple to use? I download music from Kaaza, can I use these mp3 files with the iriver or would I have to use the software that comes with iriver to download music?

I was thinking about getting an Mp3 player...anyone have a Philips Nike Sport 128MB Digital Audio Player? Is it any good, it seems like it would be good for cardio. http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1056280971393&skuId=5715853&type=product&productCategoryId=pcmcat10200050002

I continue to be very pleased with mine, FWIW.

I have the 256mb version.

:tucool:

Kool....thanks for the heads up on the Nike PSA :tu: ....I'm going to bestbuy tomorrow to get an mp3 player...I'll probably pick up an iriver. Is the software pretty simple to use? I download music from Kaaza, can I use these mp3 files with the iriver or would I have to use the software that comes with iriver to download music?

Transferring files is cake. I have 3 MP3 players, iPod 3rd Gen, Samsung Yepp and iRiver iFP-390T. They are all very easy to transfer files.

You can put music on from wherever you get it. iRiver doesn't even have a music downloader. If you get the iRiver, let me know through PM or something and I'll tell you how to update the firmware and get started if you need some help.

The MPIO FY200 is around the same price and looks great too. I couldn't find many reviews, only 1 detailed one, and it said the cosmetics are awesome, but it lacks bass and the armband is annoying. I opted for the iRiver because of the quality of their products. Just make sure you know that the 128MB iRiver does NOT include any way to wear it other than a neckstrap. The armband/belt clip is $15 online or you can get the 256MB version for $40 more, but it comes with the armband (not belt clip). Well worth the extra $25 for 128MB more IMO. The Rio Cali like I said is also a nice sports player, I've heard mostly good and some bad. It wouldn't be a bad choice either. And I can't swear by the newer models, but my old Samsung Yepp has treated me incredible over the past 3 years. The YV-55 (I think is the model name) is their 256MB player out now. Looks like it might be pretty decent as well.

The Nike PSA will get the job done, no doubt. Just IMO, why pay the same or more for less (features, quality, etc)?

My 64MB Samsung Yepp just wasn't cutting it anymore so I just bought the iRiver iFP-390T (http://tinyurl.com/wxrt). iRiver is leagues above all other mp3 player manufacturers IMO. Many players are good, but anything by iRiver is perfect. Nice. That was the other one I was considering. In the end I just liked fit/shape of the Rio better, but that rebate on your iRiver 256 makes that a great deal. I hear nothing but good things about iRiver's mp3 products.

Transferring files is cake. I have 3 MP3 players, iPod 3rd Gen, Samsung Yepp and iRiver iFP-390T. They are all very easy to transfer files.

You can put music on from wherever you get it. iRiver doesn't even have a music downloader. If you get the iRiver, let me know through PM or something and I'll tell you how to update the firmware and get started if you need some help.

The MPIO FY200 is around the same price and looks great too. I couldn't find many reviews, only 1 detailed one, and it said the cosmetics are awesome, but it lacks bass and the armband is annoying. I opted for the iRiver because of the quality of their products. Just make sure you know that the 128MB iRiver does NOT include any way to wear it other than a neckstrap. The armband/belt clip is $15 online or you can get the 256MB version for $40 more, but it comes with the armband (not belt clip). Well worth the extra $25 for 128MB more IMO. The Rio Cali like I said is also a nice sports player, I've heard mostly good and some bad. It wouldn't be a bad choice either. And I can't swear by the newer models, but my old Samsung Yepp has treated me incredible over the past 3 years. The YV-55 (I think is the model name) is their 256MB player out now. Looks like it might be pretty decent as well.

The Nike PSA will get the job done, no doubt. Just IMO, why pay the same or more for less (features, quality, etc)?

Kool....you have been extremely helpful, I'm off to bestbuy to get my Mp3 player I'll let you know what I end up getting...most likely it will be an Iriver :D

Bump on this for inurb. after your recommendation (and doing my due diligence on cnet), I picked one up last week as well. Exactly what I was looking for in features, size and prize. Thanks again! :tu:
Glad you enjoyed it. It's compact size and price made it a winner in my eyes. :tucool:

I have a Iriver IHP 120 and Dell Dj. Both are fantastic and store 20gb of music. The DJ is half the cost of the Ipod!

I really dont like Ipods at all,Imo they are way overpriced for the minimal features and the sound is one of the worst on any high end mp3 player (read the reviews). It crushes every other mp3 player in looks though.

I have a sony NetMD Mini disc player/recorder and it is real nice for running and at the gym. if you buy the armband case to go with it its even better for running. one disc can hold up to 5 hours of music and the player takes only one AA batery, that lasts me a long time in playback mode. however recording uses the battery up faster.
I transfier my mp3's to it and go.
the discs are not to expesive and are rewriteable. since they are cheaper then menory cards it no big deal if you loose a disc like if you loose a memory card.

you can find a player like mine at Target or circuit city, prices start at 99 bucks for the player/recorder and 14.99 for the armband case at Target.