Who uses handhelds as their music players?

[fastbilly1]

I use my Galaxy Nexus.

Btw, the Archos 5 sucks. Trust me

I used one for a couple years with no big issue. If you only use it for music it is not a bad device.

[Key-Glyph]

I carry around my Tandy cassette deck. Takes 4 C batteries.

The batteries part killed me.

I had something similar riding around in the back of my car for a while, and when a friend hopped in and saw it, he yelled, "WOAH! Sweet sound system!! Did you install it yourself?!!"

I still use a walkman or discman for my portable music need (which doesn't crop up very often anymore, to be honest), but I do sometimes kick around the idea of getting an MP3 player just to load every video game chiptune known to man on it.

[Krejlooc]

I got my GP32 at launch. back then, MP3 playback on ANYTHING, period, was pretty mind blowing. That GP32 became my MP3 player for years to come, 128 mb at a time.

Amazing handheld. I got so much use out of that korean MP3 app. I think I even paid for it.

these days I use my phone, like most people. I have a Galaxy Note 2.

[fastbilly1]

The GP32 was just too cool of a handheld. Good NES emulation in your pocket was just awesome. It was the first way I beat Final Fantasy 3. The actual titles for it were not bad either - Astonishia Story, Dungeon & Guarder, Rally Pop, and Bloody Cross in particular.

[Krejlooc]

The GP32 was just too cool of a handheld. Good NES emulation in your pocket was just awesome. It was the first way I beat Final Fantasy 3. The actual titles for it were not bad either - Astonishia Story, Dungeon & Guarder, Rally Pop, and Bloody Cross in particular.

Yeah, I have Dungeon & Guarder, Tomak! Save the Earth Again, Astonisa Story R, and Bloody Cross. I used to have this beat 'em up game too that looked kinda like river city ransom, but I haven't seen the card in years now.

Portable NES didn't particularly impress me, because I had portable SMS in 1991 and portable TG16 as well, but it was still damn cool. Plus it was much smaller than those options. I really got my use out of the thing.

But, bringing it back around - that MP3 player was perfect. Very bare bones by todays standards, but in 2003-ish that shit was lightyears beyond anything else for that price.

[CRTGAMER]

I carry around my Tandy cassette deck. Takes 4 C batteries.

The batteries part killed me.

I had something similar riding around in the back of my car for a while, and when a friend hopped in and saw it, he yelled, "WOAH! Sweet sound system!! Did you install it yourself?!!"

I still use a walkman or discman for my portable music need (which doesn't crop up very often anymore, to be honest), but I do sometimes kick around the idea of getting an MP3 player just to load every video game chiptune known to man on it.

That deck in the car maybe passed for a custom system? When I was a poor high schooler I used something simiar as my first car stereo, at least an upgrade over the AM radio in my 62. Sadly both the AM original radio and that cassette "portable" are gone, but I did keep the car.

I waiting for someone to post a giant "Portable" Boom Box, popular in the 80s.

I use my GBA not as a music player, but for killing time watching various animation that came out on GBA carts. The Fairley Odd Parents though a kids show is hilarious. Watched the computer episode where crocker exclaims his Online is slow because the just bought last week computer is already out of date.

[gtmtnbiker]

The batteries part killed me.

Recently, I was helping a friend clean out his basement. He had a couple of storage containers full of gag type stuff like Billy Bass wall plaque, the Time Machine clock, fart extinguisher, desk puzzles, etc. I took most of them to work and left them in the kitchen for people to take home.

I wanted to keep the Billy Bass wall plaque:



and the Time Machine clock:



but then I discovered that they required 2 or 4 C batteries. I said screw it and put them out in the "free" pile at work. I didn't want to deal with batteries that weren't AA or AAA which is what we stock at work.

[Valkyrie-Favor]

If I used one it'd probably be the Vita, but it's so big. I use my iPhone 5.

I have TRIED using a DS before, but the sound quality is awful.

Maybe a standard DS with a flash cart sucks, but my DSi XL sounds about the same as my PC or PSP with the same file - this coming from someone who can tell you the bitrate of an MP3 just by listening to it.

[Anapan]

IMO the battery life, capacity and sound quality are not good enough. I have used the PSP slim for it before (sound quality is pretty decent), but as a media player I've never been that impressed with any of the portable gaming systems.
I've owned tons of MP3 players - Most that can run Rockbox are OK by me except I hate IPOD devices. Currently running an iriver H10 (multiple batteries bought for next-to-nothing), and an iriver H340 with a 240GB harddrive upgrade - both with custom Winamp inspired skins. Being able to play most videogame rip formats and FLAC is essential.
You don't need to spend much to get better quality and abilities. I set my mom up a Sansa Clip+ bought refurb from newegg for $20 with a 32gig card for all her audiobooks and FM radio. There's a lot better ways to listen to music better on the cheap. Small players are easy to find, and upgrading to Rockbox gives you way more control than any other player I've tried.
My smartphone is great, but I'd rather spend the limited battery life on other tasks (games). External batteries make everything good on road trips, but for an EDC a good MP3 player with 6+ hours on it's own battery is essential for me.

...But I use a Headstage Arrow Amp and Technics so I might be an audiophile

[samsonlonghair]

...But I use a Headstage Arrow Amp and Technics so I might be an audiophile

Nah, using quality name brand stereo components does not make you an audiophile; it just make you an informed consumer.

this coming from someone who can tell you the bitrate of an MP3 just by listening to it.

This kind of statement, however strikes me as distinctly audiophile. Every audiophile I ever met claimed to have super sophisticated hearing.

This thread reminds me of the Sony Walkman. This was a truly revolutionary product for its time.