Do All mp3 Players Sound Alike?

[Stevenator65]

I have read much on this forum, though I haven't posted much. I have learned alot from these forums and have grown to appreciate high end audio, even if I'm not a full blown audiophile. However, I just read an article on a well known blog called Gear Diary where the author reviewed the new Sony Walkman. In the article he states:

"I have received some criticism in the past for not discussing how music sounds on a particular player. The truth is, this was no accident. The chosen player has a great deal to do with how you access your music, but very little to do with how it sounds...But the truth is, the more important factors relate to the format of your music, how it was recorded onto your device, the quality of your headphones…and a whole host of other factors."

This has taken me by surprise. I have read on this forum that people have upgraded their iPods with Red Wine Audio to improve quality. Because apparantly not all amp circuitry is the same.

Many people have bought cmoy amps, or even high end portable amps, to help improve the sound of their mp3 players.

I even noticed a new poll here on Head-Fi asking if people can hear the difference b/t mp3 players.

Please tell me your opinions. Do all mp3 players sound alike, or are there true, measurable differences that even the average user can appreciate? If a reviewer made a mix tape of high quality music and tested it with the same good headphones on several players, would they not notice a difference?
Thanks,
Steve

[krmathis]

No, there are different grades of performance (audio quality) among portable audio players. Just as there are with any other kind on audio device.

They are built using different parts, design, etc. and hence sound different as well.

[faichiu]

different players have different sound

[chimpanZ]

You won't notice until you get into high quality headphones.

[hypersoar]

Many players are very similar (for example, I believe the Zune 80 and iPod Classic use the same audio circuitry), but they're not all the same. The soundstage is much, much wider on my Zune 80 than it is on my old Zen Vision: M.

[bigshot]

I haven't compared other portables, but the iPod 3G, 4G photo, 5.5G and Classic all sound exactly the same through the line out. The headphone out varies depending on the impedance of the cans.

See ya
Steve

[Stevenator65]

Great input so far. Thanks for the help.

[HipHopScribe]

No, sometimes the difference can be subtle, you'd need fairly good quality earphones and you'd have to pay close attention. Other times, even with medium quality equipment, difference in sound is immediately apparent.

[Nocturnal310]

If u hear music with iPod earbuds then all MP3 players will sound same & lame.

But get a decent pair of headphones & u ll start noticing differences even in different models of same brand.

[hatethatgiraffe]

All music players sound the same
All headphones sound the same
All biscuits taste the same and there is no difference whatsoever in particular brands of burger!
I am the voice of reason sent to save you thousands of dollars/pounds before you get dragged down like everyone else here spending more and more just to notice subtle changes between headphones/ amps / sources!!
get out while you can!
Seriously though sometimes the difference is huge other times barely recognisable.
Most of my apple products sound similiar but subtly different much the same as headphones will change not the music but the parts you actually hear!

[bigshot]

Different brands and models of headphones make a huge difference on the sound. The same goes for speakers. Electronics much less so, particularly of the same brand where they may use many of the exact same parts.

See ya
Steve

[Bambu]

I have 5 different players by different brands and they all sound different. I've just done a comparison between a Sony 818 and a Meizu M6. Both sound excellent but still have a somewhat different signature sound.

Two of my other players, a Creative MuVo and an iRiver T10, while good can't compare sq-wise to either Sony or Meizu.

[thornygravy]

Originally Posted by faichiu

different players have different sound

what he said

[Jelle Schrijver]

Well... Going against my other postings so far...

There are differences between even iPod models. But, i am beginning to think that the brain adapts to what it is hearing. Meaning, that after a period, the brain "corrects" the sound so it can hear the things you want to hear in your music. So if you are focusing on f.e. the bassline and your setup lacks bass. the brain filters the sound to make you hear.

I have recently borrowed an iQube of a buddy of mine. (It's summer here and he does not where a jacket so no space to store it) And trying it out on all kind of sources and headphones. In a flash of inspiration (read madness) i have started to play around with my old sennheiser HD525 i have for almost 8 years (so yes, there are certainly burned in) I never really liked the sound of them, thin in bass and lacking punch. i have no taken off the cushion rings off (foam inside was already removed a few weeks ago) and just taped a 1 cm piece of tempur foam inside the cups. At first it sounded much more lively, but still lacking bass. But now the strange part. As i just start to concentrate to listen to the music, i "forget" that it lacks bass. Better yet, i start to "hear" the kickdrum and the fundamental tones of the bassguitar. Pretty soon, the whole headphone seems to disappear and the music has left. As soon as i focus on the headphones again, the sound changes.

[bigshot]

Originally Posted by Jelle Schrijver

There are differences between even iPod models.

Try doing a line level matched A/B comparison of iPod models and I think you'll be surprised. The main difference between iPods is the size of the hard drive and the headphone out circuitry.

See ya
Steve