MP3 players: Best sound
Best sound
by JungleBeast - 2/15/08 1:07 PMI think its time to change my CD-MP3 player :lol:
I need advice, coz most important for me - quality of sound, I dont even need video (but its OK if sound great). Memory - 4-8 Gb`s is enough, I`m listening such music as Drum`n`Bass and using on-ear headphones (Technics).
So can anybody tell me what player have best sound output (quality+volume level)
P.S. or such a good quality possible only on hard-disk players ?
COWON Iaudio D2
by martinnas0123 - 2/18/08 7:55 AM In reply to: Best sound by JungleBeastCOWON Iaudio D2 is supposed to be very good regarding audio quality and battery life
I never tried them myself, but...
by taemin0808 - 2/20/08 4:59 PM In reply to: COWON Iaudio D2 by martinnas0123the sound quality of the Sony Walkman NWZ-A800 series are awesome. So good that Jasmine France, the mp3 player and headphone senior editor of CNET gave one to her brother as a present.
the clix also got terrific reviews. it is a bit bigger, but i heard really good things about it.
and the cowon iaudio 7 has some great ratings on sound too.
(NT) either a Cowon, Cowon iAudio, or Sony Walkman
by JonTitor - 2/18/08 9:11 AM In reply to: Best sound by JungleBeastSansa e200
by charl114 - 2/20/08 10:47 PM In reply to: Best sound by JungleBeastI have recently acquired a Sandisk Sansa E280 and the sound quaity is excellent, clear with plenty of bass - it also has 2 settings for volume; 'normal' and 'loud'. And expandable memory (up to 8Gb at the moment) via a micro SD card.
Sony NWZ A818!!!
by coolcatcgt87 - 2/20/08 11:15 PM In reply to: Best sound by JungleBeastI recently bought the Sony NWZ A818 (based on it's CNET reviews). My main concern was sound quality and it delivers big-time in that regard. It even comes bundled with some awesome in-bud earphones. I previously owned a Creative Zen which itself is well known for it's sound quality but the sony trumps it hands down. It truly has to be heard to be believed. It also comes in the exact memory sizes that you require (4GB and 8GB). All I can say is give it a listen and then decide.
There's two issues: EQ and sound quality.
by fbbbb - 2/21/08 5:02 PM In reply to: Best sound by JungleBeastPeople have different interpretations about good sound quality, and I notice that for most people it's about the bass. To me, quality and the junk you add to the sound by EQ are separate things, so I look for quality first then processing (a distant) second.
Some players have good sound quality but have basically non-functional / rubbish EQ's. The iPod is a good example of that. Personally for electronica I like a flattish sound which I combine with slightly bassy phones, and I don't have any problems using the iPod for this, which has comparable sound quality to Sony - but you come up against a brick wall when you want to change that sound for any reason, because all the EQ presents suck and you can't use your own.
Fortunately, most other players have working EQ's. Generalising a bit, Sony's sound quality isn't as good as Cowon for example but what Sony does well is simple-to-use EQ's which give really nice results. Cowon have superior quality and a competent EQ section, but the EQ and effects are all a bit too involved in my opinion, with some of the effects having a noticeably negative impact on the sound. Creative also has excellent sound quality to start with, but their EQ has a "graininess" to it which I don't like. Some of Samsung's wares make a good tradeoff between a musically relevant EQ and good sound quality.
But - sound isn't everything. Usability's also a big factor in choosing a machine. A machine which frustrates you isn't going to get used, no matter how good it sounds. And in this regard the iPod pretty much rules supreme. The reason why it's popular (apart from the marketing) is because it's a no-brainer to use. And it is still worth considering for that reason if you're new to MP3 players. And talking about usability, while the Sonys looks and works great these days, they have a quirk that's unique: They're VERY slow to load. We aren't talking a few percent slower, but rather several times slower than the iPods or the Cowons. This can kill the joy of being able to swap out music quickly.
On balance, I'd say if you don't want to give the iPod a try, the best option would probably be the Cowon D2. It has a high quality & slightly lean sound as a default, but the mass of effects means you can tailor the sound pretty much as you like (if you don't OD on all the options). It's MSC and MTP, meaning it's drag & drop on virtually anything and gives you the freedom of being able to drag music directly onto the player, or to use iTunes-style applications for better music organisation (like Mediamonkey or j.River Media Center). It has class-leading battery life, as well as a few niceties which makes it a fun and useful player, and of course it has expandable storage via cost-effective SDHC cards.
doubt regarding the sony player
by amrit_bansal - 2/24/08 1:25 AM In reply to: There's two issues: EQ and sound quality. by fbbbbmy friend. i guess you are not aware of the fact that sony switched to the MSC MTP format with the nwz a800 series. so the problem of usability with respect to slow file transfers is not true.
and on the sound quality front.. you cant forge the fact that the sony does come with a pair of buds which usually cost about 55 bucks on the market. so you get really good sound quality out of the box. you cant get that kind of sound quality from any other player unless you replace the earbuds.
that apart.... the fact that you dont know that this sony player supports MSC MTP begs me to question you... have you actually heard the sound quality of this player ?
Slow file transfer has nothing to do with MTP
by fbbbb - 2/24/08 2:35 AM In reply to: doubt regarding the sony player by amrit_bansalOf course I'm aware it does MTP. Have *you* clocked the Sony's transfer rate against other players?
RE: earphones
by fbbbb - 2/24/08 2:40 AM In reply to: Slow file transfer has nothing to do with MTP by fbbbbThe Sony is undoubtedly good value with the bundled earphones, but we are talking about the performance of the machine, especially since the OP has stated that an existing pair of over-ear headphones - (I'm assuming something along the likes of the RP-DJ1210) will be used.
I could turn your response around and ask if you have in fact, listened to anything but a Sony using anything but the bundled earphones?
Thnx 2 all
by JungleBeast - 3/17/08 11:23 AM In reply to: Best sound by JungleBeastMy choice is Cowon D2
When I have started to use it first thing that amazed me - its loudness and clear sound, but when u use EQ and other "sound improvements" u have to do it very carefully, cause difference in +1 +3 is a huge and quality of sound goes down rapidly.
Cowon have suitable interface so u can normally understand where are all the things are.
And there was one thing that amazed me... its time between first and second charge... It was 5 days, considering that I used on-ear phones and listened music at max volume not lesser than 3-4 hours a day, and I`ve been watching video as well.
So thnx for all of your advices, Im very glad with my choice
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