Music player recommendations?

This is actually a good question. Despite the overwhelming popularity of the i-pod if you are looking for a portable music player that achieves good sound quality then the i-pod is definitely not the last word.

My recommendation to you would be one of the higher end Sony Hi-MD Minidisc player/recorders. These machines are very well built and certain models will facilitate the recording of full uncompressed 44.1 PCM which achieves sound quality beyond even the highest bit rate lossless files that an i-pod can accommodate. No they won't do video, and yes you have the unbearable hassle of having to deal with a physical media, the Minidisc, and yes they are a little more bulky, man life is rough, but you do get some things that an i-pod won't give you such as the ability to record from your source component directly to the Minidisc recorder in both digital or analogue and of course the fidelity of uncompressed PCM recording. I have made recordings of my hi-rez DVD-Audio and SACD discs via the analogue outputs of my universal player with stunning results. This is all done with the use of 1GB HI-MD discs that will record 96 minutes of pure uncompressed PCM digital on a single disc. Of course if you prefer you can also record using compressed formats such as Atrac 3 plus, or MP3, and wave files from the PC with the supplied software, that boosts recording time to over 46 hours per disc. Add a set of high quality ear buds and you are set to go.

just sleep

Check out cowon america http://www.cowonamerica.com/. I use the iaudio7 and it is the best sounding player I've heard, far superior to any ipod. And it plays flac. Paired with a good headphone amp and good headphones it's a very decent portable solution for audiophiles.

I use it with a headroom amp and ue triplefi buds and it sounds good.

If you want really good sound, get an iPod Touch or an iPod Classic, and get a pair of good in-ear headphone like the Shure SE310 or SE510; and you will be in heaven.

BTW, don't forget to rip your CDs in Apple Lossless, or at least 320bps MP3 or 320bps AAC.

Below is posted the first review I found (CNET) on the Samsung P2

Pros: Design, touch screen, GUI, performance, and bluetooth.
Cons: A lot of fingerprints and smudges, scratches but not a lot, slow, no Wi-Fi may also be a let down for some.
Summary: Well, this player is available in Canada, but I'm not sure about US. Here is my review (I actually have it).

It really looks nice and was smaller than expected. The GUI looks really nice but won't look good with your own pictures unless they are dark. Sound is pretty good as well as video. The side button are OK but it makes it impossible for one-hand operation, but I'm okay with that. Easy to use especially if you've used touch screens before. Using bluetooth is quite simple, too. It's great that I can answer calls without touching my phone. Most disappointing thing though it that sometimes it lags and is slow, and the GUI can get old a tiresome after a while, no matter how nice it looks. Overall excellent player, highly recommended of you're looking for something that isn't from Apple.

Buyer does not sound disappointed but he's a long way from a rave review. Certainly not anything that would lure me from a Classic iPod, a product that can be bought used (cheap) at Ebay with all the bugs worked out now.