D2 vs Fuze..

[Spadge]

Hi there,

I think I have narrowed my search for my new DAP down to two contenders...

Cowon D2
Sansa Fuze

I have ruled out the ipod + LOD + amp as I feel it would be too much to cart around.

I will be using Artio M8's (32ohm) straight out of the headphone jack of the player I choose. Listening to Rock and Metal MP3's

I thought I was set on getting a D2 until I started to read about the bass rolloff. Is the Fuze any better in this regard?

Also, I've read negative thing about the soundstage of the D2 (some describing the sound as almost 'mono')... That bothers me. Is the Fuze any better in this department?

Are there any other players I should be looking at getting? I would really like 16GB capacity or more and a flash based player.

Thanks for any help
Paul

[shigzeo]

ive not heard the fuze but ive heard several players that use a similar dac soc setup.

i had the d2 and the atrio. both are good. the atrio is and likely will remain one of my favourite iems of all time. it is deep, has a large driver and presents a smooth, easy and warm presentation, all of which complement the d2 well.

the d2 is suited for larger phones so that its relatively small stage does not suck out on iems. its bass roll off is similar to most portables, but a bit more than say ipod nano or touch. but stage however combined with roll off creates sound that bunches more in the middle. it is no where near mono but it isdefinately smaller than any other portable of similar price i have heard.

the atrio are heavy on bass but the roll off does not let the low notes and deep rumbles get through as much as the boom of higher bass so the combo is a bit boomy. you may love it though: i know others here do.

some of do not like the d2 much and some love. if i only listened to my koss ksc or beyers straight from it, i could probably have gotten over non gapless or shyte support for popular codecs like aac and hec264.

[robojack]

Only a few people here (and it's always the same people, if you've noticed) have complained about the D2's bass roll-off and soundstage issues. I personally have not found any issues with either, but I find that while already great by itself, it truly shines when paired with a portable amp. Its clean headphone out makes for some great amping!

[Zephyron]

Your point being?

Anyways, this is what I have on the D2 and Fuze, more or less summarized.

Advantages of the Fuze over the D2:
- Sonic frequency balance
- Better extended lows and highs
- More life like mid-range
- Vastly superior perceived soundstage width and height

Fuze's most obvious sonic property when compared to the D2: Sounds more laid back, and relaxed compared to the D2.

Advantages of the D2 over the Fuze:
- Cold sound sig makes for micro-details standing out better
- Snappier bass
- Further percieved soundstage depth
- Better battery life
- IMO, better UI

D2's's most obvious sonic property when compared to the Fuze: Extremely aggressive compared to the Fuze, has a more upfront presentation.

Both players are on par with one another. In the end of the day, its like asking whether Sennheiser or Grado is better.

Answer: Pointless, as to different people, we have different strokes.

Just decide what kind of sound sig out of a player you want.

Don't let the fanboys misguide you.

[Aevum]

my D2 would make my atrios shine and sound so sweet, its a combination that i feel everyone should try,
my D2 makes my triple.fi 10 pro sound like a funeral, its a cold player, and the triple.fi dont help it much, i guess its just a bad combination of a pair of smooth accurate IEM´s combined with a player thats slightly mechanical and analitic,

[robojack]

Aevum, LOL that's an amusing analogy ('like a funeral'). You should try using an amp with the D2, it would really improve the SQ.

[Spadge]

Thanks guys for the input.

I think I will go with the D2. If I don't like it... well there is always the FS forums!

Paul

[Daemos]

Zephyron: How would you rate the EQ on the Fuze? I'm currently comparing the Fuze and the Iaudio U5...I do like to customize my EQ if needed, but I haven't had any confirmation if the EQs on the Fuze distort or not.

[MrBigglesworth]

Originally Posted by Aevum

my D2 would make my atrios shine and sound so sweet, its a combination that i feel everyone should try

I demo'd the D2 and the ZA729 with my Atrios and the D2 sounded good, but the Sony hit like a freight train.

[Zephyron]

I'm afraid that asking me about EQ won't yield in much of a result, as I maintain a 'no EQ' stance on all my players, but I'll give it a shot.

To me, I'd like to believe the EQ on the Fuze doesn't distort, but unlike EQ on other players I've used before, the EQ on the Fuze functions in a way that it actually cuts down the volume for the entire frequency spectrum prior to boosting the desired frequency that the user selects.

As a result, the usage of EQ will definitely result in a volume output reduction.

It should also be noted that the Fuze has 2 volume output settings
-Normal: Acts as a limiter to prevent the volume of the player from reaching its peak.
- High: Allows the player to perform at maximum volume.

Considering the peak limits of volume for any player, I'd tend to believe that the usage of EQ, should the user choose to do so, should be limited to the 'Normal' settings of the Fuze.

Though I personally have yet to try it in fear of going deaf, there exists the possibility that EQing at High volume output @ Maximum volume output would make the final volume output exceed the player's intended THD+N specs, which in turn will result in a very undesirable amount of distortion.

... ...

Before I get carried away though... Yeah, I think the Fuze's EQ if useable if you limit yourself to healthy listening levels.

[nywytboy68]

The Fuze is a "naturalists" player - it sounds best without the EQ engaged. The D2 is a EQ "fetishists" player, sounds best with all the fixens'. I have a clip and a D2 - same scenario. The clip & Fuze = the same SQ. The iAudio players (mostly) = similar SQ. Some say the U5 sounds better, and almost ALL say the discontinued X5 was better, but not by THAT much (no bass roll off?).

[shigzeo]

x5 has huge bass roll off, more so than the d2. it was unable to drive much of low ohm phones at all. it was however a player with more harmonic distortion so it sounded warmer.

[Szat]

You might also want to consider, if you're going to use an amp, that Fuze has real line out throgh its proprietary dock.
It's supposed to get FLAC playback soon and I've heard rumours about gapless as well (what cowon players probably will never have...). That would make it a killer IMHO.

[Zephyron]

Proprietary dock?

A mobile version no different from the iPod LODs I presume?

I've never heard of this one before.

[Szat]

Originally Posted by Zephyron

Proprietary dock?

A mobile version no different from the iPod LODs I presume?

I've never heard of this one before.

Proprietary dock = non-standard usb port, even though the pins are the same as
the Ipod's (as far as I know) they seem to have different distribution according to this:

More line-out disappointment - Sansa Fuze - Welcome to SanDisk's Sansa Community

I don't know if it can be used with a LOD cable to use it with amps. But I hope...

With Flac & gapless support (these supposed to come with firmware updates) plus the line-out, and if the SQ (DAC) is realy as good as you can read it here, the Fuze would be an extremely good and affordable player.