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Question

Help MP3 newbie reorganise music.

Dec 18, 2011 11:47AM PST

I have never owned an MP3. MP3s seem to offer the facility to store masses of music in a compact portable way. For this reason I thought of organizing my music so that I can play it through an MP3 player. Before I do so I want to check whether the music stored in the MP3 player can be played through my existing hifi systems which can be described as follows:
(a) I have an old fashioned Sony stereo music centre that I am reluctant to part with (for emotional reasons). The music centre has FM radio, record player, cassette player with dolby, good amplifier and speakers. It also has a L-MIC jack for microphone and a headphone jack. In addition one can connect to this music centre an external tape recorder through RCA connections (L and R both for input and output). I wonder if I can connect an MP3 player with RCA connections or in some other way. Can I play the music stored in the MP3 loud through the amplifier and speakers of the music centre?
(b) I also have a Panasonic CD stereo system with cassette player and DAB radio. It has a music port jack (stereo, 3.5mm) and headphone jack. Can I connect the MP3 player through the music port jack and play it loud through the stereo system?

Can you comment on any disadvantages, relying on a MP3 player for all my music, may present. I expect I should get a hard-drive MP3. What else should I look out for when I choose the MP3 player. My pc runs on Windows XP. Does that mean I am better off getting an MP3 player other than ipod?

Discussion is locked

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Answer
I've seen folk LOSE IT ALL as they
Dec 18, 2011 11:58AM PST

I've seen folk try to store (the key word here is store) their music collection on some BIG MP3 player. What happens next is the contents go corrupt or the player is dropped or just dies taking the collection with it. We all feel sorry for them that they had to learn this lesson first hand. Here, in these forums we (mods and members) warn folk of the issue.

Now that you won't be storing your collection on that but will use it as a player then why not iTunes and then whatever it takes to sync to the player? Example? I can use DoubleTwist to sync to my Android tablet.
Bob

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you won't be storing your collection MP3
Dec 19, 2011 1:07AM PST

Bob, thanks for your advice. I planned to store a backup of the music collection on a hard drive attached to my laptop. So there will be no problem of losing my music.
My primary concern is whether I can play the music stored on my MP3 by simply by connecting it to my old hifi systems (as I described in my question above). I have never tried that, I am not sure if it will play at all, let alone play well.
So assuming the MP3 player is a reasonable one, will I get good sound through my hifi syestems. Do you have any experience or knowledge about that?

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That's a problem.
Dec 19, 2011 2:02AM PST

If you read the forums you find those externals are still not as reliable as the internal drive. So we again have to have a backup to those.

There are also issues with the apps organizing and using media on externals.

As to your last question, while I use my old 20GB iPod HP White with Chrome back on the hifi, you find folk call me a heretic or worse. I think it sounds fine.
Bob