A Year Later

[Lighter]

I've had my X5L about a year. Still use it about as much as in the first few weeks. However, I've vastly simplified my use. I keep a video in the X5 to show off, but that's about it. Same for photos - one to show off and one blank pure colour for background. I use USB OTG to store photos until I can transfer to a computer.

Mainly, I do music. And I could do without everything else. All that other stuff /was/ an enticement when I chose to buy and X5 and just wasn't sure what I would do with it.

I'm wondering in this age of everything on one hand-held device if perhaps the simple iPod really is a better choice. NO, I have no intention of doing that!

Other long time users: how are you doing with your X5?

[doniago]

I'm still quite attached to mine, still largely using it at work or on long road-trips, still using it largely for music playback and almost not-at-all for anything else.

I've also picked up an A2 which is a lot of fun for movies (used it on a plane-trip) plus as a backup DAP (I keep one playlist there).

[MrMEC]

I'm absolutely LOVING my X5, and I'm using it now more than ever. I'm really into Rockbox and love to design WPS's, but that's really just a fun extra to an already extraordinary device. I'm using my X5 for music, videos, even to read text files. I get a kick out of showing others Pac-Man on Rockbox and seeing the "wow, that's cool" expressions on their faces. But I'm just so HAPPY with my X5. I'm so glad I didn't get an IPod, and don't know what I'll do next since if my X5 breaks I won't want to replace it (since I always want something new), but I don't know what else would make a good substitute.

[Arachnophilia]

not a long-time user, but i'll voice my opinion anyways.

Originally Posted by Lighter

I've had my X5L about a year. Still use it about as much as in the first few weeks. However, I've vastly simplified my use. I keep a video in the X5 to show off, but that's about it. Same for photos - one to show off and one blank pure colour for background. I use USB OTG to store photos until I can transfer to a computer.

Mainly, I do music. And I could do without everything else. All that other stuff /was/ an enticement when I chose to buy and X5 and just wasn't sure what I would do with it.

i'm pretty much the same way. i have one video (which might disappear soon), and a few backgrounds. i thought i'd rip a bunch of videos to the thing, but i'd rather have music, and i'm running out space. plus, converting the damned things is so much of a pain. really, if i wanna watch my dvd's, i'll do it on a tv, thanks. really, i could do without the video, without the color (or any) screen on the body, without pictures. the usb-otg is handy, but i don't personally have much use for it. really, an m3l would have been ideal for me, save for the spare requirement. i got an x5l because they don't MAKE the m3l anymore.

Originally Posted by Lighter

I'm wondering in this age of everything on one hand-held device if perhaps the simple iPod really is a better choice. NO, I have no intention of doing that!

i learned a new phrase last night: "creeping featurism." i don't a need every device to do everything, and everything poorly. just give me the desired functions, and very little else.

"Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away." - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

[u4ik]

I'll be purchasing an iPod once/if Rockbox for it is friendly enough on the battery (100% that of OF or over).

Rest assured, it won't replace my X5L. My X5L will accompany me on all the road trips, vacations, and longer stays that I go to.

The iPod would be used where the increased featureset and battery life of the X5L becomes irrelevant, and the size and discreetness become prime values. It's just getting a little too bulky for what I won't need sometimes, though I'm confident it'll always be my better (and more versatile) audio player.

Then again, I'm looking far ahead. I'm waiting for the next 2 generations of the iPod before I make my purchase (holding out for a comparable product in the meanwhile).

[nocturnalsteve]

Ive had mine for maybe 2 years now and I really want to like it but have had a mixed experience.

Firstly I love the sound quality and the deep bass and the battery life and the fact I can DJ out and record the mix and listen to later at home etc, and not forgetting the FM stereo when travelling to footy - all good points.

BUT the things that bug me are starting to make me consider buying an I-Pod or Zune, firstly I think my XL5 was originally from the US but bought in the UK as it powers through the usb connector in DC and a convertor plug - so I cant get any new firmware or rockbox on
The navigation joystick sucks and so does its response when forwarding through tracks and it can easily go all the way back to the start etc, Also there is no search, no shuffle/random - meaning sometimes u spend more time deciding what to play rather than listening to it.

The usb dongle is a nightmare if you lose it or forget - the biggest problem with this player in my opinion, huge mistake.

Finally the amount of times that my filenames have become corrupt is pretty much everytime I transfer anything across to it, throwing up ~# etc at the start of my track and folder names and then those tracks will skip, hiss, jump and all work fine on other pcs and friends mp3 players.

I really want to stick it out and enjoy the XL5 but I can just see myself buying an I-Pod/Zune with their nice navigation and functionality, more realibility with files and no skips, jumps and file corruptione and they look more stylish and are thinner too. - sorry but the XL5 looks like a fake toy being sold down the market lol.
I know I will be skimping on sound, fm stereo, line out, hard drive like capability but at least I will be able to listen to music without the hassles of the XL5.

Can anyone talk me out of it????

[HiMDforMe]

i've had my x5L for over a year and still love it. i kind of want to get a new device, but there's just no reason to get something new. i kind of like the archos 604/zune/vision:m, but my battery life is still great, rockbox rocks, i can use it on any computer without any software, etc. so i'll probably just keep my x5 and see if cowon ever comes out with a new and improved version of the x5. but really the only improvements i'd want are a bigger/better screen and associated video quality. but then i'd lose rockbox w/ a new device so looks like i'll be with my x5 at least another year. except for screen/video issues its still the best dap in its class, in my opinion. and thats not a big deal.

[whatintheworldisthat]

Originally Posted by nocturnalsteve

...Also there is no search, no shuffle/random...

There is shuffle! Just go to the menu, then settings, play mode and viola. If you want to shuffle only tracks from one folder just press down on the stick when highlighted and select play now. Learned that yesterday

[midnite8791]

Originally Posted by whatintheworldisthat

There is shuffle! Just go to the menu, then settings, play mode and viola. If you want to shuffle only tracks from one folder just press down on the stick when highlighted and select play now. Learned that yesterday

damn this is awesome. I didnt know that either. I thought you had to mess with the boundary or whatever but this makes it damn easy

[supertoad]

i've also had mine for about a year, and i'm still loving it. when i first got it i used it to watch family guy on the bus rides home from uni, but now that i've rockboxed it i'm not gonna be doing that anymore. those new nano's are calling my name though. i think i might switch to an ipod nano+PDA if i can get rockbox on a nano with decent battery life

[goldschlager]

had mine for a year now and still love it! everuything is awesome except battery.

[elconejito]

i've had mine for almost a year. My main purpose is just to listen to music. The same reasons I like it back then are reasons I like it now which are drive letter access, great sound. The reasons i don't like it are the same now as then which is no ID3 browsing. The joystick i've always been on the fence.

Still a great player, I listen to it everywhere and carry all my music with me which is great.

I also use it to transport video files to work from home. I record TV during the day, convert/compress overnight, bring them into the office and watch in a little corner of my screen at the office (big corner if its slow day ). Its not unusual for me to bring 2-3 shows about 3-400mb each.

My only recent addition has been a flash-based player (Sansa e250) to replace my aging Creative Muvo 128mb flash player. I use this for the gym, etc.

[black jesus]

Its a part of me. I use it in the car, gym, as a removable for important documents, and travel (95% of my life). One of, if not my very best purchase ever.

[nocturnalsteve]

well i have absolutely cained my iaudio this week and despite my rants and raves earlier i must say that the BASS ecspecially through a great pair of headphones such as sonys fontopias is amazing, and im not sure the an i-pod could get anywhere near it

[Arachnophilia]

Originally Posted by midnite8791

damn this is awesome. I didnt know that either. I thought you had to mess with the boundary or whatever but this makes it damn easy

nope, just keep it on subfolder all the time, and it will play anything below the folder you select in the file-tree. so if you select "music" it will play everything, or you can just do an artist, or just an album, or just a genre -- the only limitations are how you organized your files.

and even then, that's not a big deal. i make cross-genre and related-genre and mood playlists, and you can put THOSE on shuffle too. by far the best way to listen to the x5.