About to take the plunge . . .

So I just got an unexpected bonus, and I’d like to get my wife a Karma for Christmas (she’s been dying to have one and she’ll absolutely freak if I pull this off because she doesn’t know how big the bonus is). I still need to keep it to a budget (~$300) and I need it delivered by Christmas. Any ideas of where to look?

check your PM...

Provantage has it for $294. There is also a $20 rebate on it. Amazon seems to have jacked-up the price.

Well, it's ordered! Now I hope she likes it as much as she's been talking about.

Make sure you update the firmware right away !

Of course. I'd like to think I learned something after all these years of playing video games!

I'd like to get my girlfriend a portable player for Christmas as well, but I can't justify the Karma, even if it was made by a team whose technical an creative skills I really admire. At least not right now. Of course it's not only the price.

I appreciate everything the Karma has to offer because I'm the type of person who also really appreciates the uniqueness of the empeg. However much my GF thinks the empeg is cool however, I think she would be happier with something a little more mainstream like an iPod, if only for simplicity. But I have a problem with their price and that whole servicing fiasco.

The Karma, as has been pointed out numerous times, should have come with a case. Not a bag and not even a cheap throw-away case, but a good case. The iPods (the top models anyway) come with a decent slip case. Even the Nomad Zen comes with a very nice case that has a belt strap thing on it.

The Karma has an excellent shape for the hand, but I don't believe that to be of significant importance as most listening would be done with it resting elsewhere. Its shape doesn't seem very convenient for mounting or resting on another surface.

Then of course there are accessories... You can get a CD-changer interface for the iPod. I'd have to set my GF up with car-access to any player I got her. This is less involved than requiring AUX input with the added bonus of easy control through existing head unit buttons. Plus it's infinitely better sound quality (and installation cleanliness) than using a tape or FM adapter - yuck.

Anyway, didn't mean to rant, just thought I was in a similar boat, but at the point where I'm unsure what to get. I'd get a Nomad Zen 20GB if they were back in stock at an online Canadian retailer for $279 (CAD) like they were last week. And I'd get an iPod if I could get one for 50% off retail. A Karma I'd buy if I as looking for a unit for myself. As long as the storage went up to 40GB (or preferably more - like 60 or 80GB).

Bruno

Well I couldn't sleep well buying a product competing with Cambridge, so there really isn't an option. And actually I'd refuse to buy an IPod on the principle that they don't allow anyone else to play their DRM protected files (note that I am a hyporcite as I do run an MS OS from time to time). Still I have confidence that whatever the state of the Karma now, it has a solid development team behind it who want to make a great product, not just make a buck. Pride in one's work is an invaluable asset, and I feel it from the guys in blue.

Has anyone purchased a Karma for a significant other yet, espeically non tech-savvy ones? What has your experience been with them? My one concern is that the Karma is so feature rich that it might overwhelm her. Still she's figured out how to do whatever she wants on my empeg, she just doesn't use all the features.

I purchased one for my wife who never had any type of .mp3 player (other than the empeg in my car). I quickly showed her how to send tunes to it in RMM and let her go. She picked out tunes she likes from my collection & has been happy as a clam. I gave her a brief rundown on the basic controls and how to switch between track & list mode, and she hasn't asked me a thing since. She uses it daily & loves it. HTH!

-Zeke

You can get a CD-changer interface for the iPod.

Please explain? I play the Karma through a CD-changer interface on my wife's car. What specifically does the iPod have that's special in this area?

What I'd like to see? The Karma have a "car player cage" accessory.

Course, I've already got an empeg, so I'm not dying for it. Yet.

-brendan

What I'd like to see? The Karma have a "car player cage" accessory.

I have it. It's called a 1/8" minijack cable, plugs right in...

Everyone's a comedian. I'm thinking he's referring to something more along the lines of a very nice display (read: much better than trying to view the karma display in transit) that allows you to flip it down and push in the Karma as a music source. That'd be the killer for me too.

Tony, I'm talking about a CD-changer interface similar to what's used with the Phatbox, not just a BUS-to-Line-Level(AUX) adapter.

Using the interface allows you to control the iPod with your stock (or some aftermarket) head units, including steering-mounted controls if your car is so equipped.

This way you can obviously have the portable player docked somewhere visible, but never have to touch it to do most tasks.

I think I'm screwed though... There isn't much time left for gift-buying so if it's MP3 I want to do, I'd have to go an just buy something available off the shelf here. Uuugh. I'm giving myself until Saturday to figure out what I'm going to do. Fall-back will be jewelry and anything else (smaller) I can think of while shopping for it.

Bruno

I'm talking about a CD-changer interface similar to what's used with the Phatbox, not just a BUS-to-Line-Level(AUX) adapter.

Using the interface allows you to control the iPod with your stock (or some aftermarket) head units, including steering-mounted controls if your car is so equipped.

That sounds pretty cool ! I had no idea such a device existed ! I've looked on the iPod accessories page but wasn't able to find a device like that. Could you provide me with a link please?

Thanks!

Tony, I'm talking about a CD-changer interface similar to what's used with the Phatbox

Oh, gotcha. Cool, I didn't know they had one of those.

It's called the ICE-Link and it's made by Dension (the same guys who make their own in-car MP3 deck which has been previously discussed here).

http://densionusa.com/icelink/

They'll be at Macworld in January (in San Francisco) so I plan to check it out in person.

Bruno

>Everyone's a comedian. I'm thinking he's referring to something more
> along the lines of a very nice display (read: much better than trying to view the karma display in transit) that allows
> you to flip it down and push in the Karma as a music source.

'zactly!

-brendan