Highly Specific Portable Music Player Needed

December 10, 2015 8:34 AM

An older relative with a daily train commute has requested a music player for the holidays - but they don't want anything with extra features, novel menus, or - if it can be helped - a shuffle feature. All they want is the ability to listen to an entire album (from a selection of about 20) with very clear and easy to understand menus and buttons. They were given a Zune for this purpose a few years ago and returned it saying it was confusing and had "too many settings". What should I buy?

Also, I have been told not to "spend too much" so a nod toward budget would be helpful. I've though about getting a MP3 CD discman but they really want to be able to select an album and listen it to all the way without it skipping or shuffling or skipping ahead 20 tracks. I plan on preloading the device before I give it to them, but they have an anicent PC laptop to use with it.

posted by The Whelk to Shopping (4 answers total)

Best answer: Sandisk has the most basic of players which are big hits among the older crowd that I work with. The old Clip model are even simpler than their two current models but they basically Just Play Music.
posted by jessamyn at 8:37 AM on December 10, 2015 [1 favorite]

Adding to jessamyn, yes, Sandisk. Maybe a Sansa Clip+? My old Fuze could be mounted as an MSC external drive, which makes putting music as easy as drag and drop.
posted by lmfsilva at 8:49 AM on December 10, 2015

Would they like a MiniDisc player? It has, like, no settings. (OK, you could muck around with the bass if you were really determined.) Each album has its own little disc. They come in different colours! Sliding them in clicking the case closed is tremendously satisfying. You could put two albums on one disc if you like, and move between them by pressing one button.

(Also, you need to put this Sony tentacle in your bottom. Everything is much better after that.)
posted by obiwanwasabi at 2:45 AM on December 11, 2015

Ipod Shuffle??
posted by fordiebianco at 6:22 AM on December 11, 2015