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!