My question is generic to all Windows laptops; so system specs are not an issue. I would like to know the pros and cons using of both USB and 1/8" stereo jack inputs to connect an MP3 player to a laptop.
Why? ... I wish to listen to some of the music stored on an MP3 player.
Are there general guidelines for initial volume settings on both the laptop and the MP3 player?
Thanks in advance for your replies.
regards,
caffeine
You didn't mention which model MP3 player you had so don't know if it will even work via USB. Generally speaking, the advantage of using USB vs audio input is the ability to use whatever Windows media player you like for playback of music from your MP3 player. The advantage of using audio input is NO DRIVERS REQUIRED, your laptop is essentially just a pair of external speakers for your MP3 player. You can use Windows' Audio control panel to adjust the levels to your liking.
Some MP3 players don't have a USB mass storage mode, only MTP (media transfer mode) and therefore won't let you play music directly from the player itself, requiring Windows Media Player or in some cases, the manufacturer's provided software to transfer the music files from the MP3 player to your laptop before they can be played.
ClippyBeer,
Thanks for the quick reply.
I am currently helping a friend set up a Sandisk Sansa Fuse version 02.03.33. It supports auto detect, MSC, and MTP.
The reason I asked the question generically is to have enough basic knowledge to help others in the future.
regards,
caffeine
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