Longtime rockboxxer looking for an upgrade

[ThrashOmen]

What's going on guys, I've used rockbox for what seems like 10 years now. It's just simple and responsive and the the amount of themes and customization just seems endless. I tried a lot of different ones and I loved most of them, but I eventually settled on the "Alien" theme for my SanDisk Clip Zip.



Spooky looking white and red eq bars with a little yellow ufo that scrolls the top which is the track length. This thing outlasted several relationships, thousands of runs and workout sessions and was always there for me. It was perfect and still somewhat still is. The main buttons are cracked and are held together with small pieces of gorilla tape that have drifted about. It pretty much stays in my car these days for fear that it will disintegrate. I bought this from a RadioShack brand new and then soon discovered it was one of the best mp3 players ever made and new ones go for nearly $200. I would gladly pay $200 for another one of these, I think I paid about $40/$50 for it. But I want an upgrade. Everytime I start browsing the newest mp3 players (or DAPs I guess) most people say the OS is slow, buggy or freezes. I never had these problems with my Clip Zip, I'm tired of seeing smartphones disguised as mp3 players, and I figured you guys could point me in the right direction. The ones that seem the most interesting are the HiFi walker, the small square HiDizs h80, the r3 saber pro and other small compact ones that I can't recall the names of. They all seem to have their pros and cons, but one thing I do know is none of the reviews show it with rockbox, which I absolutely love. What can you guys recommend for a music loser like me who just wants something small and simple? Thanks for any responses fellas 👍

[gomezz]

TBH I think the day of the dedicated music player has been and gone given there are so many mobile phone media player apps which offer a mix of features which fits just about any mainstream or niche user requirements you can think of.  I mainly use the Smart Audiobook Player app on my phone now with VLC to hand for its more flexible playlist management.  That said I still pack my old Sansa Clip+ player in my work bag in case I get allocated a van to drive which does not have a radio with Bluetooth connectivity so have to rely on an aux cable or FM transmitter (don't want to leave my phone hooked up in the van unattended while on a drop).  I also prefer to use the Clip+ for when I go running but at my age I am now more of a brisk walker at best so phone and Bluetooth earphones are my weapon on choice for music and podcast listening for that.

[philden]

I think the final iteration of the iPod Classic, 7th generation is hard to beat. There is such great availability of parts and upgrades that it should be possible to keep one running for a long time.

[ThrashOmen]

I think I have one of these but the controls stopped working. Are they pretty inexpensive to have repaired? I will dig it out and post a picture of it

[philden]

Parts are easy to replace yourself, provided you watch some YouTube videos to learn the best opening technique. I have had logic board repairs done reasonably by an Ebay seller.

[Bilgus]

Problem is all those other options do not have the form factor of the clip(s)

the front buttons are easy to replace on the clip zip but the actual flex ribbon switches are a pain in the ass

if your switches work fine why not get a broken one from ebay and use its buttons or even whole shell?

Also while you are there put some clear packing tape over that flex pad to protect it from moisture

use an razor knife to trim out the spots where the buttons clip in
i put one LARGE piece on and use a fine sharpie to trace it all out then transfer it to a piece of paper cut it out and use that to cut a perfect piece

[ThrashOmen]

Honestly I got a deal on a new hifi walker, but I just know I'm gonna buy a new clip zip too. It's just too perfect but I wanted a more modern device as well with some Bluetooth functionality and other bells and whistles. I'm definitely either gonna fix my Clip or buy a new one. I have no idea how no one has cornered this market and all the OS's seem to be utter shit. I appreciate the replies fellas, also would like a better explanation of how you future proofed yours bro 🤔