MP3 virgin

[admin_exported]

I'd really like some help with getting started with an MP3 player. My late husband was really into his sound systems and so I'm used to really good quality sound around the house, however at the moment I've got nothing in the kitchen (that was coming next) my first thought was a mini system of some kind then thought it might be a good idea to get a docking station and mp3 player so i can have more flexibility - (eg get adapter for car) etc. I have about 200 CDs that could be copied to my PC. I don't see myself downloading loads of stuff - maybe an album or so a month. I want something that is really simple to use, I've never been into music video but was wondering if the video players could be plugged into my home cinema set up somehow to use as a monitor - eg to programme sky box without firing up the projector just to find a radio station?

Sound wise I play mainly dance/rock/pop/ across a wide range but very little classical.

Is it a good idea to go for as much storage as possible or more mid price and spend a bit more on the speakers? I liked the idea of having a station with built in DAB and have been looking at the Panasonic SC-EN38DBEB-K on Amazon but tempted by the Klipsch I-groove based on reviews there - but that doesn't have the radio. I do have a PURE Oasis which we brought for use in the garden/bathroom so I do have DAB in the kitchen if I want it - sound isn't great but OK when it's background noise when you're working....

I haven't listened to anything yet - I'm literally just started my search.

Total budget around £300. All suggestions gratefully received - but keep techno speak to a minimum please thanks

 

[manicm]

Hey boogiegirl! Have a look at the Reviews/Hi-Fi/Dock Systems section on this site, it will give you a good idea of what you might like. Admittedly most of them work for an iPod, well why not double-treat yourself

 

[Anonymous]

First thought, if it's only really your own collection of 200 CD's then maybe a sweet sexy little mini system like the Denon DM37 with Monitor Audio BR1 speakers - on sale for £299 at many hifi outlets. Thus leave the mp3 player for the moment - but still use your cd's mainly and start making/using mp3's on your PC by creating a media library.

It will play your cd's from day one, and if you (later on) make compilation cd's (from your pc) with mp3 files (you can fit about 10x more mp3's on a cd than normal audio cd song files) the denon will play those to. Or you can copy mp3 files onto a usb memory stick and plug that into the denon, again with more music or your own compilations. Plus it has a mp3 player input socket on the front of the unit. It has the amplifier and DAB radio built in - you can see them at most Curry's, or better yet an audition at audio-t or sevenoaks who both have keen deals on these.

An MP3 player itself may not be that important from day one, especially if it's only kitchen use, and not the portability of an mp3 player than matter to you.

As your a PC user. I suggest using the free Windows Media Player 11 to start with (whether you have an mp3 player or not). Put your CD's in and within WMP11 select the RIP tab and (with an internet connection, and appropriate firewall and virus security) get the album artwork & song titles (always tdo this first, rather than later, it's much easy done up front) then rip the files onto your hard drive. A set of Creative T20 speakers (£44) plugged into your PC give amazing sound quality with a PC.

I use a quality setting of 256kb for MP3, and this is easily set in the preferences. When an album is first ripped I suggest leaving the star rating at zero or setting to one. When time permits go through and rate your favs at 5 or 4 star, then setup an auto playlist that picks out the 4 or 5 star songs and copies only those onto your mp3 player, this is when the convienience of PC media library's really win through.

If you later want the ultimate quality from your CD's, then use software like dbPowerAmp to RIP them into the PC and to attach album artwork and song titles. dbPoweramp will make better quality copies of your CD's (master originals) as it has a certain level of error detection - which WMP does not, and apple iTunes has a lesser version of (if you turn it on) - and will rip to lossles formats like FLAC (from which you can later batch create MP3/aac files or other). Although if quality matters you might be best using software like dbPowerAmp or EAC from day one rather than re-ripping at a later date . . . but going striaght into WMP is a lot quicker and simpler.

Another upgrade would be hardware like Apples Airport Express or Squeeze Box Duet to steam music from the PC to a amp and speakers.

The MP3 player itself may not actually be needed. But if it is, consider the 16gb Sony 639 with FM radio for £80 or if more space is required the £160 iPod classic with 120gb hard drive. The iPod would plug nicely into a minisystem such as the Onkyo CS325 which comes with speakers and an iPod dock which lets the units remote control the songs.

Beaware the DAB on a hifi is local radio stations, whereas the DAB on a freeview box has national stations (such as Magic).

Also check out the Audio engine 2's as an option - but no radio.

 

[John Duncan]

Hm, lots of convergence going on here, I'm not really sure where to start. Is your prime concern to get good quality music in the kitchen?

I'm thinking along the lines of a pair of powered speakers (Audioengine A2), an Airport Express and an iPod Touch as a remote - you could then burn your CDs to iTunes and have access to those, have lots of radio stations to hand (more - notably BBC - if you add Airfoil for $25), and would still have a player to dock in the car. You can have that lot for just over £300.