Cowon D2

[SoCalWR]

How is the sq of this? I've read that Cowon has a "cold" sound.

[Aimless1]

I like the SQ from the D2. I run it with 0 EQ change. That being said, using onboard EQ, different HP or a portable amp will add more warmth, if that is what you want.

[ernieBob]

Before this disease of "what do you think..?" spreads further, could I just say that as an individual what someone else thinks as cold may not be cold to your ears. If you are seriously considering buying a DAP with your hard-earned cash, then there is no better alternative than to have a listen to it yourself and make your decision based on your own judgment. If someone thinks that the D2 has a cold signature, there will always be another individual to counter that opinion.

Back to your original question:
No I do not think that the D2 has a cold signature. However, I do own a range of headphones and it is possible that some of these provide a colder sound in comparison to the others when using the same DAP. Its a matter of individual judgment and choice of headphone.

[Aimless1]

Originally Posted by ernieBob

Before this disease of "what do you think..?" spreads further, could I just say that as an individual what someone else thinks as cold may not be cold to your ears. If you are seriously considering buying a DAP with your hard-earned cash, then there is no better alternative than to have a listen to it yourself and make your decision based on your own judgment. If someone thinks that the D2 has a cold signature, there will always be another individual to counter that opinion.

Back to your original question:
No I do not think that the D2 has a cold signature. However, I do own a range of headphones and it is possible that some of these provide a colder sound in comparison to the others when using the same DAP. Its a matter of individual judgment and choice of headphone.

ErnieBob is right. Nothing like your own ears to decide this for yourself. I do find that if I use my ER-6is on the D2 for anything but classical, I find the music cold. Just the opposite for classic rock with SR-225s. The type of music you play is another variable that will affect how you hear the final outcome.

[Kees]

Clear and strong as opposed to dark and wooly? Depends how you look at it.
I like it. It is also very much dependent on your choice of phones.

[xenochimera]

im pretty sure ill be getting this player as well, so far some good feedbacks

[robojack]

Originally Posted by ernieBob

Before this disease of "what do you think..?" spreads further, could I just say that as an individual what someone else thinks as cold may not be cold to your ears. If you are seriously considering buying a DAP with your hard-earned cash, then there is no better alternative than to have a listen to it yourself and make your decision based on your own judgment. If someone thinks that the D2 has a cold signature, there will always be another individual to counter that opinion.

Back to your original question:
No I do not think that the D2 has a cold signature. However, I do own a range of headphones and it is possible that some of these provide a colder sound in comparison to the others when using the same DAP. Its a matter of individual judgment and choice of headphone.

Kudos to erniebob, for this very balanced and insightful post.

I'm noticing only a few people on this forum who complain of the D2 having a cold sound signature, and I'm pretty sure it's either because of their headphones or their EQ settings. I've use my Super.fi 5 Pro and Atrio M5 with this DAP, and I find none of the characteristics other people have mention. If anything, I find that even without my Tomahawk amp hooked up, the D2 produces decently warm sound (certainly not 'robotic', as others have described it). Of course, with the amp hooked up, the sound is very warm, and lots of fun, while maintaining its detailed characterisitics. The D2 may not have a genuine line-out, but its headphone out is very clean, and works well with an amp, nevertheless.

[bubbagump]

I was happy with the sound signature straight out of the headphone jack into the denons. However when I started listening with the SR125 out of the headphone jack it got even better. The D2 for some reason made me hyper aware of the quality of my recordings and subsequently the digital copies of my music. Bottom line, quality recordings make me very happy with the D2 with any of my headphones.

I just sent back my Denons back to Denon for service (one headphone got blown, was putting out about a quarter loudness of the other), so I'm going to wait for them to get back to me before putting up my ultra review of this DAP and others.

[chesterqw]

the onboard sound effects are fun to play with.

there is one "best" headphone EQ on cowon's site which sounds quite nice for mp3s (not lossless however )

i too like the sound out of the cowon d2 without any eq
but maybe because it really doesn't colour much of your music, that is why it sounds cold.

sounds nice out of my ms-1

[shigzeo]

i don't it necessarily cold but i do find it gives me headache sooner with my atrio than do my other players: sony 615, meizu m6, nano 3g.

it hisses less than the sony and the meizu though which is nice. the sony naturally drives my phones best of all of those. i think d2 with its bass roll off needs those extreme sound tweaks. i never liked it with the m5 very much as for soundstage, it was far too small for trance music.

however, it was fast and gave a good feel to trance otherwise. i felt that the bass bunched up too much in the middle with denon c700 and that could just be the bass roll off combined with a soundstage that just is not like my ipod or sony. it is a great player and certainly in the average to good sounding players out there (where outstanding players are not that much better) so no problems.

if it had rockbox i would probably not have sold it as i cannot stand gaps in my playback. i could get by with the bunched bass if it were just for gapless. but, other than with big high imp phones, i prefer the nano 3g for everything. the d2 was great with my dt880 however. the ipod 5.5 was good, but this was even better. amazing for a portable to drive them with a soundstage.

just... portable low imp phones and it do not do me well at all!