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General discussion

Need help deciding(Creative, Apple content)

Jan 7, 2005 9:34PM PST

I'm a guitarist in a band and am pretty much an audiophile......here's the kicker though, I'm a total stickler for sound quality in every way that you can imagine. I'm looking for a really huge, natural, rich, and organic sound out of an MP3 player. I'm your typical money-starved college student and only want to spend $250 max though. Out of the Creatve Zen Micro, the Apple iPOD Mini, the Creative Zen Touch, and the Creative Zen Nomad Xtra, which honestly will have the best sound quality and EQ options? Also, I plan to mostly use KazaaLite and LimeWire besides converting my own CDS...I'm not too high on the iTUNES/pay concept in most situations. Will this be a problem with any of the players that I've listed, and which one will be the easiest for me to use with this in mind?

To be honest, the iPOD Mini and Zen Micro are the most appealing to me....but would it be crazy to go with one of those over the better featured and better priced Zen Touch and Zen Nomads? Is the sound quality of the newer Zen Touch better than that of the older Zen Nomad series? Also, what's the deal with battery replacement. Is it possible for me to replace the internal iPOD Mini battery myself without a problem or would I have to go through the $100 Apple ordeal. Would the Zen Touch also have a way of replacing the battery or would it be reduced to a $200+ paperweight after it's battery dies? Somebody persuade me to go with one of these already, Thanks!

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