Rockbox is dead, no suitable players? List all options

[pinkdog]

So basically there is nothing you can buy to install rockbox on?
New mp3 players don't allow rockbox. Old and used mp3 players will get broken or battery will be done and no replacement battery.
Is that correct? If not, what buy to install rockbox? Or how do you get replacement parts and batteries for old devices?

[pinkdog]

The only new thing I can see is Fiio M3k with some experimental rockbox port
http://forums.rockbox.org/index.php/topic,52952.0.html
That's better than nothing, but is it the only option right now?

We need to list the options and make some simple guide for people who want rockbox mp3 player.

[Milardo]

Hi, you can look at agptek rocker, they can be bought new.

http://forums.rockbox.org/index.php/topic,51653.0.html

[Eyedunno]

Hi, you can look at agptek rocker, they can be bought new.

http://forums.rockbox.org/index.php/topic,51653.0.html

I registered for the forum to say that this post sold me on the AGPTEK Rocker. Well, I just got it today, and boy, is it hot garbage. "Maybe I can actually use the dongle on my headphones to control the volume, unlike my FiiO FX1221," I thought. But haha, no, turns out I can't use the controls on my headphones AT ALL, even to pause or fast forward/rewind, and to control the device, I have to actually pull it out of my pocket like it's 2004. But that's not all! I also can't play while charging, and while Replaygain (the whole reason I bought this thing) seems to work for some stuff, it doesn't work for FLAC/cue files, which is 75% of my music collection. So yeah, caveat emptor.

[gomezz]

I don't think it ever claimed to allow you control playback from the headphones and as far as I know there is no PMP running Rockbox that allows you to do it either (other than perhaps an iPod?).

[failsandwich]

Old MP3 players are just as good as if not better than new ones. Why fix what isn't broken?

[kaisrmaulo5]

So back in probably around 2010 I had one of those Sansa Clip+'s, which, of course, I installed Rockbox on. Now I've lost it, but want to relive that experience, and possibly on more modern hardware. Any recommendations?

[squarefoot]

I too have my second dying Clip Zip, and no intention to purchase anything that can't be reflashed with a decent player firmware like Rockbox; definitely not an easy task.
If I had the skills, I would probably attempt to port the minimum functional subset (playing, equalization, replaygain - no fx, no games etc.) of Rockbox to some cheap architecture, then consider designing a player from scratch. There are tons of cheap Arm based boards out there, many of which support i2s DACs, then there's the ESP32 whose WiFi connectivity would be a plus (playlists/songs sharing, streaming, etc).  I guess those goals should be enough to start a crowfunding campaign.

[darkcity]

The battery on my Sansa Clip+ inflated to twice it's size last week in the hot weather. What alerted me was some of the keys wouldn't press and there was a crack in the side of the case. I couldn't get the SD card out and when I forced the case open the card snapped.

: -(

The battery hasn't held charge for a long time. I was using with the usb power adapter constantly in. I wonder if this expanding of the battery is the next stage after it stops holding charge, or perhaps it was just the heat.

Anyway, the up shot is I've ordered a Benjie T6 to RockBox. I don't care about headphone controls or BlueTooth so we'll see. (Benjie T6 is in the same class as AGPTEK Rocker - CPU Ingenic x1000 MIPS32, DAC Cirrus Logic CS42L51  http://www.startlr.com/review-of-benjie-t6-an-affordable-ticket-to-the-realm-of-hi-fi/)

[Prisoner416]

The Sansa Fuze is perfect thanks to the scroll wheel, I don't know why a modern player doesn't try to clone its design. I might shell out for an modded iPod just because they seem more durable, even if I prefer a physical wheel.

I really really wish an android port was possible, though. Being able to use cabbie enhanced info's ui on a phone would be a godsend.

[musictracer]

Hey everyone!
So, correct me if I am wrong, but basicaly rockbox seems to be dead once and for all, right?
I mean, really, what's the point of keep developing when there are no new ports to flash? I had the luck to have a clip+ rockboxed since 2011 and with a few battery and headphone jack tweeks it served me for years till a couple of years ago when the screen started losing contact. Since then I have been desperately looking for an alternative, but nothing seems to be pleasing really. Mk3 lacks fm receiver, while Rocker has a mono fm receiver and it is quite possible that you don't get a genuine one (I got the chinese -Ruizu- version which turned out to be counterfeit.

Few years ago I remember some guy named LEO in this forum or another , who is an agptec developer willing to collaborate to make more rockbox compatible agptek products. What happpened to him? Ggeneraly I don't understand why companies try to choke the whole rockbox idea, instead of investing in it. They could even benefit from getting rid of the need of software developers, while at the same time making their products more desirable.
Really guys, is there any point in keeping faith for future rockbox-ible ports, or should we just face the bitter truth of rockbox being a long gone dream that will never revive again?

[gomezz]

Basically the whole market for dedicated personal music players collapsed following the mass adoption of the smartphone.  As we dedicated users know there are many advantages to continue using a dedicated player but we few, we happy few, we band of brothers, are in a small minority these days. 

[musictracer]

Basically the whole market for dedicated personal music players collapsed following the mass adoption of the smartphone.  As we dedicated users know there are many advantages to continue using a dedicated player but we few, we happy few, we band of brothers, are in a small minority these days. 

You are right in that turning to smartphones prevents companies in investing much in dedicated players, yet they still make new models. Also afaik the major reason for rendering a port unrockboxable is the lack of adequate ram. So, how hard would it be to add a little more of it in a few models. But it goes even more suspicious when past succesful and fairly cheap models like clip+ and fuze had more ram than newer models that might cost even less. To me it's obvious that companies want the rockbox project eliminated. And then we have the alternative of huge heavy smartphones that we need to carry along with us while joging, at the risk of breaking them in case of an unfortunate fall.

Someone proposed a crowdfunding campaign earlier. I think it would be a wonderful idea! Hope it comes true some day!!!

[darkcity]

Rockbox working well on Benjie T4 T6 for me currently, and the Rockbox project seem reasonably well to me with recent updates https://build.rockbox.org/dev.cgi

[musictracer]

Rockbox working well on Benjie T4 for me currently, and the Rockbox project seem reasonably well to me with recent updates https://build.rockbox.org/dev.cgi

Thank you for your contribution, but it's out of production, so... end of story.
If only there was a rockboxable player one could buy nowadays....