But how long does it take to convert CDs to MP3 files - and how about making a custom playlists (and don't you have to keep REmaking new lists?) - and what software do you prefer - and do you have any suggestions for players... whew!!! You can see I'm getting into hi-tech-overload here. Any help would be appreciated.

I do have a simple Sony Discman though, and no matter how much you drop it and beat it, the CDs don't skip. The player was low-priced, so I think skipping shouldn't be a problem anymore with current players.

I'd never have to take a CD into my car again.

and yes depending on your 'puter it can take awhile to convert to mp3s. On my stupid little machine, I have to rkip the WAV files, convert them, & then edit them how I want..and then convert to mp3. Took quite awhile to do that.

I just bought a MP3 player for my neph. I got the one from Iomega. Although it was rather expensive, it had the advanctage of using disks that store 40 mega bytes at a time and each disk only costs $10 bucks. Considering the stick kinds cost often over $100, this was the more sensible route to go. He can store anywhere from 30-45 min of music on one disk. But the disks are so small, that he can carry like five of them in one pocket.

He loves it. All he has to do is attach the player to his computer, download the songs he wants, switch disks, download some more until he has what he wants. The palyer itself is unbeliveably small, so he can carry it around anywhere, even in his pocket. He loves the thing, and it was the right decision to buy this kind. Expensive? Yes. But in the longrun, with $10 disks, I save a whole lot of money. BTW, naturally the disks are erasable.

Having researched and watched MP3 players for nearly 3 years now, I've decided I'll probably be getting an MP3 CD Player. There's the AVC Soul Player and the Diamond Rio Volt. I'm in the process of converting all 800+ of my collection to MP3 format, which I'm able to fit anywhere between 7 and 14 albums per cd. Why am I doing this? Don't wanna lug my CDs to Los Angeles when I move. The great thing about this player, is that it recognizes directory structures and allows you to navigate the cd as if you were actually sitting at a computer. If you want capacity and the ability to play CDs and MP3 CDs/CD-RWs with one unit, this is definitely the route to go. If you are looking for a tiny beeper-sized thing that can only hold around 64mb, then I'd look at what Scott is referring to (the Iomega HipZ)... or check out the Diamond Rio, Samsung Yepp, Creative Nomad, or Sony Network Walkman.

64mb versus 650-700mb... to me, the choice is clear. In comparing features and prices, I hope you are able to make a good decision!

Jeron

One final note: Regarding beeper-sized players, there IS an awesome looking version of the Diamond Rio, called the Rio 800 Extreme - it holds up to 384mb of data... but the cost is gargantuan. $600 bucks. I still say the CD route is the way to go... and it's cheap (comes with a car kit, too).

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Originally posted by JJH:
On my stupid little machine, I have to rkip the WAV files, convert them, & then edit them how I want..and then convert to mp3. Took quite awhile to do that.

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Try a tool like "Audiocatalyst", it can copy your CDs directly into mp3 files.

I don't think there's any point in REPLACING your CDs by MP3s. On my desktop speakers, MP3 files need to have at least 192kbps bitrate to sound more or less like the CD. On a good system, I'm sure the bitrate has to be much higher. As I said, certainly great for portable players, but although my HIFI CD player can play MP3 CDs, I've never used that feature.

As far as there "not being any point to replacing cds with mp3s," well, you try being a 19 year old who has invested thousands of dollars into a CD collection as large as mine. Then, think about how safe your collection is in the care of your parents home, as opposed to a dorm room in Los Angeles where you're not even there long enough to keep an eye on them.

But it's true, CDs can take up an awful lot of space. Although I still prefer to insert the discs manually instead of simply pushing a button.

I encode using LAME and 160kbps ABR (Average Bit Rate) files. ABR is similar to VBR (Variable Bit Rate), where the encoder adjusts the size of the frames as the sound becomes more complex to compress. Individual frames can range from 32kbps to 320kbps while the encoder does its best to keep compression artifacts to a minimum.

And no, they're not on Napster!

Marian: Pine Technology makes a model with a 50 second anti-skip. The MamboX has a 45 second anti-skip.

NP: Lilies of the Field

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Originally posted by jonathan_little:
Marian: Pine Technology makes a model with a 50 second anti-skip. The MamboX has a 45 second anti-skip.

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+AVC Soul Player
+Diamond Rio Volt

And regarding your previous posts, I think it's safe to say that we all listen to and enjoy our music differently. What works for you doesn't necessarily work for the rest of the world. ::shrugs::

I'm sold... I'm buying that Rio thingy as soon as I my friends repay me!

Most of my albums are less than an hour long, so the idea of putting in an entire collection spanning 2-3 discs is really appealing.

Ah, but due to our lousy exchange rates, I'm going to have to wait until I head out to LA, or San Jose in a few months

Jeron: just FYI, if you think dragging a CD collection to college poses a problem, when I went off to college, many, many years ago, I had a soundtrack collection of several hundred LP RECORDS. They weigh more than lead. So I transferred everything to reel-to-reel tape. How things have changed. And haven't. I think the MP3 route is a very good idea for college. But you'll love going home just to revisit your REAL collection.

My interest in MP3 is mainly for walking-around listening, which means interchangeable music, which sounds like a CD player with MP3 capability is the way to go.

Thanks again, all who commented.

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Originally posted by Gae:
mind you I think my collection was pretty safe as no-one was interested in film-music anyway except me!

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Timmer knows better!

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Originally posted by soundtrackman:
But you'll love going home just to revisit your REAL collection.

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You've got that right.