What will replace ipod for quality portable music. ?

[Beef Oven!]

If it's high quality audio you are looking for in a pocket player, the FiiO X5 is well regarded, at a price. There are cheaper FiiOs which also have a good reputation.

Have you used one Bryn?

It looks very tempting. I have an iPod classic 160g which I've had since 2008. I adore it - it's perfect for my needs, but it won't last forever and when it dies, seems there won't be an Apple option. I'll need to look elsewhere.

Edit: Hope I'm not tempting providence.

[teamsaint]

Have you used one Bryn?

It looks very tempting. I have an iPod classic 160g which I've had since 2008. I adore it - it's perfect for my needs, but it won't last forever and when it dies, seems there won't be an Apple option. I'll need to look elsewhere.

Edit: Hope I'm not tempting providence.

Throppers has an X3 and highly recommends it.

it does lots of clever things like too, with DAC and stuff that is all greek to me......I think....

[richardfinegold]

I don't think these devices interfere with hospital equipment at all (except perhaps in a hyperbaric installation, where you could blow yourself and anyone else around you up).

They don't. Medical equipment is deliberately engineered to use frequencies outside the range of wi fi or consumer use.

[richardfinegold]

Regarding quality, I thinks that my current Blu tooth playing MP3 files works well, and I am a picky audiophile. I don't expect it to rival my system at home, but really it isn't bad for vacation or portable listening.
Is the OP asking for one of the uber portable players, like Astell and Kern?

[Dave2002]

I don't think NHS hospitals were ever having us on about this - more like it's an idea that seems to have gotten into the minds of people, and grown legs, so as to speak, and has been running around the place ever since.

Maybe, but I've visited quite a few hospitals over the last decade, and seen lots of signs warning about this. The last time was only a month or so back. Maybe the managers like that idea, as it reduces the noise of people actually using the things.

[Beef Oven!]

Maybe, but I've visited quite a few hospitals over the last decade, and seen lots of signs warning about this. The last time was only a month or so back. Maybe the managers like that idea, as it reduces the noise of people actually using the things.

They also have signs saying that 'you are entering a smoking-free hospital' and that's not true either.

Hospital signs can lie.

[teamsaint]

They also have signs saying that 'you are entering a smoking-free hospital' and that's not true either.

Hospital signs can lie.

as you enter our head office building there is a sign that says

" THis is a smoke free work place".

but I always read it as " This is a work free smoke place".
Not sure why that is, I usually read signs correctly.

[Beef Oven!]

as you enter our head office building there is a sign that says

" THis is a smoke free work place".

but I always read it as " This is a work free smoke place".
Not sure why that is, I usually read signs correctly.

Obviously my dyslexia is preventing me from correctly reading those truthful hospital signs!

[JFLL]

Maybe, but I've visited quite a few hospitals over the last decade, and seen lots of signs warning about this. The last time was only a month or so back. Maybe the managers like that idea, as it reduces the noise of people actually using the things.

Whereas it's OK for patients to be subjected willy-nilly to the noise issuing from the TVs they've thoughtfully installed in the wards?

[Bryn]

Have you used one Bryn?

No, but I keep getting closer to succumbing to temptation.

[Beef Oven!]

No, but I keep getting closer to succumbing to temptation.

HeHe -know the feeling!

Do you know much about the SD cards it takes? Stability, price, capacity etc?

[Dave2002]

Whereas it's OK for patients to be subjected willy-nilly to the noise issuing from the TVs they've thoughtfully installed in the wards?

Hospitals, huh! Ever been in an old people's home?

Actually I'm being unfair - some are fine, but there are some, or parts of some, which have muzak, and rooms with TVs and the sound turned full on - with nobody watching - sad!

[Dave2002]

HeHe -know the feeling!

Do you know much about the SD cards it takes? Stability, price, capacity etc?

The X1 model has the merits of cheapness (relative) though lacks some features of the X3 (possibly) and the more expensive X5 models. As a player it could be fine - http://www.amazon.co.uk/X1-Portable-...ywords=fiio+x1 It even does hi-res audio - 192 kHz/24 bits if anyone wants that, and/or has files at that resolution.

The user manual - http://files.elv.de/Assets/Produkte/...ayer_um_en.pdf - does not say much about the range of resolutions possible, but presumably the device will play most supported formats up to the max sampling rate and bit depth.

Looks as though the X3 may have reached end of line - as currently unavailable - at am.uk at least.

The X5 also offers hi-res reatures, and is much more pricey. http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00I4Q9S3...3WJ3QNWY18KSW7

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/03...r_Guide-EN.pdf - User manual

The X1 only has headphone/line out audio output - via a shared output port. The X5 also has optical output which can be used to drive an external DAC if wanted.

Here are some Micro SD cards - http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_...ctronics%2C141
Currently these seem to range in price from around £5 for 16 Gbyte cards up to £40 or more for 64 Gbyte cards. I would expect 128 GByte cards to be quite expensive, though I have seen one listed at as low a price as around £20. It might not be a good idea to go for really cheap and large cards, as the data loss if they fail would be a pain, and also some of them may be "fakes" or lower quality cards.

[Beef Oven!]

The X1 model has the merits of cheapness (relative) though lacks some features of the X3 (possibly) and the more expensive X5 models. As a player it could be fine - http://www.amazon.co.uk/X1-Portable-...ywords=fiio+x1 It even does hi-res audio - 192 kHz/24 bits if anyone wants that, and/or has files at that resolution.

The user manual - http://files.elv.de/Assets/Produkte/...ayer_um_en.pdf - does not say much about the range of resolutions possible, but presumably the device will play most supported formats up to the max sampling rate and bit depth.

Looks as though the X3 may have reached end of line - as currently unavailable - at am.uk at least.

The X5 also offers hi-res reatures, and is much more pricey. http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00I4Q9S3...3WJ3QNWY18KSW7

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/03...r_Guide-EN.pdf - User manual

The X1 only has headphone/line out audio output - via a shared output port. The X5 also has optical output which can be used to drive an external DAC if wanted.

Here are some Micro SD cards - http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_...ctronics%2C141
Currently these seem to range in price from around £5 for 16 Gbyte cards up to £40 or more for 64 Gbyte cards. I would expect 128 GByte cards to be quite expensive, though I have seen one listed at as low a price as around £20. It might not be a good idea to go for really cheap and large cards, as the data loss if they fail would be a pain, and also some of them may be "fakes" or lower quality cards.

Hi Dave2002

Thank you very much indeed for this information.

I may not need the expensive X5, since my envisaged use is purely for listening to music through in-earphones, on the go. I am assuming that the sound quality of the lesser specced models is similar.

Regarding the SD cards, your advice is spot on, I think. Although more fiddly, several smaller good quality SD cards is the way to go.

I see that one cannot link these devices straight into one's iTunes library. Dragging and dropping into an SD card is fine, and will cause me to be selective, rather than dumping all 400+ gigabytes from my library!

[Nick Armstrong]

I have an iPod classic 160g which I've had since 2008. I adore it - it's perfect for my needs, but it won't last forever and when it dies, seems there won't be an Apple option. I'll need to look elsewhere.

Edit: Hope I'm not tempting providence.

Joint temptation then - not for the first time we are allies in the tech stakes - I too have a much loved 160GB, possibly since then; plus a second since last year permanently plugged into the car.

Likewise wondering what to do when they pack up. And likewise many thanks for post #28 Dave!