How to find MP3 players *without* unneeded fanciness?

[virtualtelegrams]

I have an iPod, but 16GB and a 5-7 hour battery (depending on how often I switch songs around, volume, etc) life isn't the best. Looking online, seems most newer MP3 players all come with Bluetooth, video camera, some even Wi-Fi!
It seems pretty hard to find something with JUST the things you want and not the extra things... IDK why I'm so picky about it lol. Extra features just adds complexity and probably a higher pricetag for something I don't need.
Also, there's always the uncertainty. I don't know if something I get off eBay or wherever else will be what it says, or what battery life it would have. I don't have experience modifying things but I'd be lying if this issue didn't make me want to start.
Oh, yeah, and I can't just use my phone because there's no headphone jack.

I guess I have a few questions here...
- Are there even simple MP3 players out there with a decent battery life?
- What would be the best way to get one if it exists?
- Would it be more worth it to figure out iPod modification? Mainly for storage and battery- I like the iPod interface with the clickwheel.
- Would it be possible to turn something else into a simple media player?
-- Operating system, interface to add/edit tunes on it...... complicated
- Should I have put this thread in the hardware forum section?

I have other questions, but my mind is a bit foggy right now. I might be back later.

[starbreaker]

I've got a Surfans F20 player. It's got Bluetooth, but it also runs around 8-10 hours on a full charge. It's got 2 3.5mm jacks, too. One for headphones, and one to connect to a stereo/home theater system.

[Memory]

There are lots of cheap used models on the market for under 10 Euros here. Like with old digital cameras, go for a thing that uses standard batteries (AA or AAA). Those are usually thick, looking like a fat USB stick, which can make it difficult to mount it to a USB port. Their obsolesence also shows in the capacity, as like 1 GB / 2 GB might be limiting. But even today, they play music as if that's the only thing they have been designed for.

[bythemeadow]

i use a sandisk clipjam and it works really great and is very simple, has a good battery life too :D

[myleszey]

I used to have a FiiO X1 that I loved. Kinda hard to find now, but very good for what it does and takes a microSD card, so no worries about how big the internal storage is. 12 hour battery life is advertised, and I was able to use it for 3 days or so in a row without charging based on my typical usage.

If you can find a second-generation X1 it comes with bluetooth too, but every X-model (and possibly every FiiO portable music player?) has a 3.5mm headphone jack.

[PurpleHello98]

iPod modification would likely be better in my personal opinion, since from what I've seen the modern MP3 player market is a bit of a mess. You could buy parts (or even a whole refurbished iPod with a new/bigger hard drive and battery if you're willing to pay to save time) from this site, which is well-trusted in the iPod community.

[virtualtelegrams]

iPod modification would likely be better in my personal opinion, since from what I've seen the modern MP3 player market is a bit of a mess. You could buy parts (or even a whole refurbished iPod with a new/bigger hard drive and battery if you're willing to pay to save time) from this site, which is well-trusted in the iPod community.

forgive my language but HOLEY TRUCKING SHIFT this is kinda exactly what I was imagining... this is so cool.
WOW - WOW - WOW - WOW - WOW - WOW - WOW - WOW - WOW - WOW - WOW - WOW - WOW - WOW - WOW

[keybladekid6]

i use a sandisk clipjam and it works really great and is very simple, has a good battery life too :D

^^^^ i second this!! sandisk mp3s are really nice, good battery life, cheap, and easy UI. c:

xoxo, lolo =3

[pistachio]

forgive my language but HOLEY TRUCKING SHIFT this is kinda exactly what I was imagining... this is so cool.
WOW - WOW - WOW - WOW - WOW - WOW - WOW - WOW - WOW - WOW - WOW - WOW - WOW - WOW - WOW

You might have actually just saved my life... I use a 2nd gen Nano, and although I love it to bits the battery life isn't magnificent. I'm so glad to know there are other old iPod users/enthusiasts out there... all three of us...

[virtualtelegrams]

Ayyyy my "first" (second) iPod was a 2nd gen Nano! The battery life is pretty decent for what it is, especially considering my mother found it laying atop someone's rubbish with the charge cord!
(for "first" (second) I mean I had one of the first Shuffles, but I didn't have my own computer so someone else would have to load the music onto it. It was old enough that when I borrowed a computer, the mp3 files weren't registered as hidden files and I managed to mess all of them except one up by renaming them, thinking that would make sense. Little did I know the random names were needed.. oopsie!)
No idea where the Shuffle went, though, either I lost it or that person lost it.
Currently I have the 2nd gen Nano (4GB) and a 5th gen nano that's... really on its way out battery-wise.

[grubbyfox]

I bought a Creative Muvo Nomad back when it was "new" (it wasn't the newest model at that point I think, but.) I believe it was in 2005. There's no screen to show what you're playing, and it's only 256mb (but good enough if you're like me and you repeat one song for 7 hours straight, hehe). I still use mine, but not as the default anymore. It's more when I want to go "offline" and chill.

I would say it has a pretty decent battery life (especially since there's literally nothing else to drain battery than actually playing the songs.) It's so small and cute, no fuss, can withstand a bit, and even has that little key chain loop.

Here's a pic of mine:

Creative Muvo <3

[Loebas]

Go for the agptek U3. It has 7 to 10 hours of battery life on a single replacable AAA battery. (it takes rechargable batteries with no problems).

Its controlled with five buttons, and has a clear backlit display.

It has 8 GB of on board storage, and is expandable up to 128GB with a microSD card.
It has a male USB-A connector on it, so it plugs directly into your PC.]

Only disadvantage is that it does not have bluetooth capabillities.

You can get these for about 25 dollars on amazon.

I have one for a year now, and its a great little device to take on long roadtrips.

[Melooon]

from this site, which is well-trusted in the iPod community

I ordered from Elite Obsolete Electronics when I got mine but I had a bit of a mixed experience I wanted to get reliable parts, but I still wanted to do the actual modding myself. I ordered a used white 80gb 5th gen ipod, an iflash, a battery and a new case.

They sent everything, but it was all just chucked in a box and got a bit scratched (I ended up buying another non scratched case from AliExpress). Ontop of that the iPod was not really what I ordered; they sent an ipod in a (VERY used) white case, but it had a 40GB logic-board in it from a black iPod (so it still shows up in iTunes as a black ipod), and they stuck an old 80GB harddrive in it. That matters because the 80GB logic-boards have more RAM and can handle a bigger flash upgrade, that's why I paid extra for one. On top of all that the logic board seems to be faulty and it crashes everytime it tries to play a video. The music works fine, so it does its core job, but overall I was not impressed

[kzuich]

I had really wanted to get a refurbished iPod from EOE...but wound up getting a little Sandisk Clipjam instead! The storage is expandable and it's very affordable- like $30 for one. :D

Plus it's tiny and fits just about anywhere, and it has a good battery life!