My mp3 player collection since 2008. From left to right:
SanDisk Sansa E280. 8GB internal memory and MicroSD slot. I used Rockbox on it for a while but didn't really like interface. The scroll wheel eventually started to go.
SanDisk Sansa 8GB. A work horse with 12 hours of battery life and great ergonomics (attaching clip). I've had about a half dozen of this little things. Wish I had a bunch more.
Microsoft 30GB Zune (first gen). Ambitious. Clunky. Famous for software bug that caused it to brick due to some leap year glitch.
FiiO X-1. No internal memory. Takes MicroSD card up to 128GB. Simple IU. Worried the scroll wheel is the weak link. Just set it up today.
Previous to 2008, my wife had a Sony MP3 "stick" that held about a hours worth of music and was powered by an AA battery! Then she upgraded to the Creative Zen M30, which was probably the starting point for the Microsoft designers of the original Zune.
Pass on the FiiO X1. It's the least intuitive IU I have ever used on any gadget in the past 10 years. You practically have to be a programmer to load playlists onto it. I think this DAC may be returned.
I bought the Sony A26HN and am very impressed. The bundled earphones sound great on my iPod but on the Sony are just so much better, confirmed with headphones, earphones, earbuds, and IEMs.
Buying any headwear from an unauthorized dealer is a risk and should be avoided. I have heard a lot about Beats, Shure, and even Xiaomi being copied. The bundled earphones on this are very good, I would guess a trader could swap them with a copy to earn an extra couple hundred, no return policy of course.
Sent from my iPhone using GeoClicks