What would you pick? 20Gb Ipod vs Archos AV320

[BoGMan1a]

Okay, looking for a Hdd based MP3 player, and I came across the Archos AV320 on clearance for $315 which is only $15 more than the 20 GB Ipod. Does anyone here have any experience with this player? I have been doing some research and found that I could upgrade the HDD with a standard 2.5" quite easily, and that the video portion is pretty good, but I would prefer some input from more like-minded individuals as myself (you know, Geeks) . Any thoughts are welcome!

[Justin42]

I can't speak for the Archos, but I am one of the freaks who really think the iPod is a waste of money-- the interface is cute, but IMHO the sound quality is horrible compared to pretty much any MP3 unit I've tried (Iriver, Sony, Creative). You can't use the equalizer or else stuff gets a bit distorted.

So, speaking as a sound geek, I wouldn't get an iPod again (yes, I own a 3G, and I got a major deal for it, and still hate it! ) just because the sound quality isn't there.

The Archos may or may not be better (don't know much about it) but I would go for it.

[BoGMan1a]

I impulse bought and got the Archos. I went back in Sunday and the price had dropped another 40+ dollars to $273 and I snatched it up. It is a little picky with the MPEG4 as it has to be recoded to a certain standard before it will play it. Also you have to convert MPEG1 to their AVI standard too. Still, I am able hook up my portable DVD player to it and record my DVDs to it in real time MPEG4 so I am just doing that. The audio portion is pretty strong and works as a nice photo wallet. I plan to buy the card reader module to use it as a peripheral for my digital cameras too.

[hoxlund]

good decision

just sold my archos FM Recorder 20gb on ebay

bought a Creative Labs Muvo Slim 256mb

for those new songs in my car when i don't wanna burn a new cd everytime mp3s come out

[BoGMan1a]

Thanks, I am pretty excited and am already looking at upgrading the HDD to either a 60 or 80 Gb model. Not that I need it yet, but because it can be done . I may wait for the warranty to expire first and also give time for the HDD's to drop a little in price too, but it will be a test of my willpower I tell you! I do need to find a way to encode compatible but higher quality DIVX because the output of its translator is like 350x240 or something like that and when I hook it up to a TV it looks like VHS or even worse. Still, I am excited with this new toy!