Just got a new portable MP3 player/recorder/FM radio :)

[PC-Engine]

http://www.jetaudio.com/products/iaudio/cw200/photo.html

This thing is just awesome. I decided to get this one instead of the more feature rich CW300 because this one is a litlle smaller but still has the most important features I use often. I got the 256 MB version.

 

[RussSchultz]

I turn my nose up at it. (Mostly because I don't think its powered by our chip).

Here's my favorite product using our chip:
http://www.mstation.com.au/ms/products/?id=119&show=Intro

It requires no drivers or host application for normal use (download music) and recharges from being connected to USB. The battery life is only 14 hours--but its on a internal rechargable battery.

 

[CosmoKramer]

Could you give a list of products that involve SigmaTel's DACs? Just so that I know which ones to avoid (nothing personal, it's just that SigmaTel DACs suck monkey balls)...

 

[Kristof]

FM radio

Euwh... yesterday's technology 8)

K-

 

[RussSchultz]

Could you give a list of products that involve SigmaTel's DACs? Just so that I know which ones to avoid (nothing personal, it's just that SigmaTel DACs suck monkey balls)...

Really? In what way? And which ones?

I don't work on the AC97 side of the business, but our DACs' performance (particularly on our new stuff) is top notch. Our latest integrated DACs surpass most standalone DACs, and we're used in several big name DVD set top boxes.

Crappy audio on motherboards isn't due to the DACs (generally), as those same dacs are used in add in boards like SBLive, Turtle Beach, etc.

What I do know is our MP3 solution provides THE BEST integrated DAC performance out there, bar none. It rivals the (much more expensive) external DACs used in the high end players like the iPod.

Seriously, let me know in what way our DACs "suck monkey balls". Our marketting and design team would like to know.

 

[PC-Engine]

I turn my nose up at it. (Mostly because I don't think its powered by our chip).

Here's my favorite product using our chip:
http://www.mstation.com.au/ms/products/?id=119&show=Intro

It requires no drivers or host application for normal use (download music) and recharges from being connected to USB. The battery life is only 14 hours--but its on a internal rechargable battery.

Not to rain on your parade, but the i-BEAD cost $300 for the 128 MB version

I got mine for $220 for 256 MB and the CW300 256 MB only cost $240 8)

Edit: Oops I see the 128 MB CW300 costs a little more than the i-BEAD at that website. However, the CW200/CW300 has a S/N of 95 dB and a 6Mb/s USB transfer rate and fully customizable EQ

 

[RussSchultz]

That's $300 australian. Quite a bit less than $300 US.


the iBead download is about 800Kb/s. (Or at least our latest SDK version is, and Exa-Telecom seems to keep up to date w/regards to these things)

w/Regards to the S/N ratio. The 90dB number listed for the iBead player is line-in to line-out, whereas I'm not sure what method is measured for the Cowon/jetaudio player. Our theoretical number for 1khz sine way out is ~102db, our low volume number is ~95db, and high volume is ~93db.

By the way, S/N is interesting, but there's a billion ways to measure it so its very difficult to compare two products based simply on the S/N number. When we provide our engineering package to customers we have test procedures attached so that they can duplicate the measurement on our competitors' products.

I'm sure its a good product (they have a very nice UI from what I remember when we took one apart for competitive analysis), but I'm just a bit partial to the one we put out.

 

[Natoma]

Eddie and I didn't bother with solid state memory MP3 players. We bought 10GB IPODs for ourselves. Only $299 each. And they're soooooooooo tiny.

I honestly don't know why anyone messes with 32MB/64MB/128MB/256MB solid state memory MP3 players anymore anyways when the IPOD is so stylish and cheap. Not to mention the fact that they hold roughly 40x more MP3s than the largest solid state MP3 players. All the IPOD needs now is a built in FM tuner and its set. And there's definitely enough hard drive space to add a voice recorder. But for now I really think it's the best MP3 player on the market.

 

[RussSchultz]

The iPod certainly is the "golden standard". All of our customers are attempting to copy it.

I personally am not too keen on its user interface.

The latest revision would be a great "skiing" MP3 player, but its still too big to jog with, IMHO.

From a manufacturing standpoint, its very expensive to make. The chip set powering it uses a standalone DAC, a standalone USB2.0 chip, a standalone firewire chip, a standalone LCD controller, ....

 

[Malo]

ipod sounds nice but it's far too expensive and the purpose of solid-state mp3 players, IMO is the lack of mechanical moving components (hdd) so you can go jogging with it and not have to worry.

You can get 128Mb SigmaTel based MP3 players from www.auspcmarket.com.au for $200AUS which is what I'm going for.

 

[Natoma]

ipod sounds nice but it's far too expensive and the purpose of solid-state mp3 players, IMO is the lack of mechanical moving components (hdd) so you can go jogging with it and not have to worry.

You can get 128Mb SigmaTel based MP3 players from www.auspcmarket.com.au for $200AUS which is what I'm going for.

The IPOD has a 20 minute buffer. While it's playing one song, it's queuing the next 5 songs into memory. No skipping whatsoever. I use it while jogging at the gym on the treadmill.

 

[RussSchultz]

ipod sounds nice but it's far too expensive and the purpose of solid-state mp3 players, IMO is the lack of mechanical moving components (hdd) so you can go jogging with it and not have to worry.

You can get 128Mb SigmaTel based MP3 players from www.auspcmarket.com.au for $200AUS which is what I'm going for.

Ahh, the "george". Look at a review on dansdata.com

 

[JF_Aidan_Pryde]

I also own the new iPod. I got it mainly due to the dieing of my MD and the 3 year warrentee apple gives to students. I think it's good but not 'fantastic.' Arguably it's the best MP3 player but coming from the MD world, I really need a bloody LCD remote. Yes I know it's already expensive as hell but it makes no sense that you have to pull it out of your pants to change playlists and see what's happening. MDs had a very discrete nature in that respect and is hard to walk away from.

 

[Basic]

Bah!

http://www.myplace.nu/mp3/index2.htm



[Edit] Change to the right link.