If not the Cowon D2, then what???

[shigzeo]

i have one. the bass roll off is not terrible but it is about as much as an ipod 5.5 if i remember correctly. i can retest in about one month as i will have it back. 5.5 is actually really well performing for bass roll off so, not too bad but it does roll off. that is cool as 95% of all players do - but it is not nice as that loses definition to the bass so that what is generally left is more of a boom than a rumble. but meizu still manage it to sound pretty good

edit: the new sl version is supposed to hiss much less. i have the tp or whatever the 2nd version is called. it remains one of my favourites but... i am waiting for rockbox port to if it will ever: finish - i want gapless and aac support. the other stuff can be remedied by an impedence cable

[ILikeMusic]

Originally Posted by HipHopScribe

I'd throw the Zen out of the comparison entirely, the only real reason to get it instead of the D2 is if you want something cheaper, but the cheapness shows, the D2 is superior in nearly every way

Unless, of course, you value a flat frequency response.

Top Selling Mp3 Players Audio Analysis

[bubbagump]

Originally Posted by shigzeo

problems with sony
firmware rarely updated
no gapless unless you use atrac
hiss

d2
features taken out then written back hastily
stage is for heavy bass music intolerably small
no gapless
bass roll off

ipod nano
not very loud when using impedence adapter
bass roll off

meizu
no gapless
hiss
not the best firmware updates
bass roll off

shigzeo's assessments are pretty accurate. Check out the Teclast T39 as well.

Meizu v D2: Meizu looks better, has worse video playback and no flash expansion.
D2 v Nano: two great products with alot of differences.
Sony v Meizu: If just for SQ I'd pikc the Sony based on the positive reviews on its sq here. it lacks FM and recording and flash expansion.

[shigzeo]

my sony records: but i have the japanese version of both the 615 and 828. i love them but... they do hiss. meizu has my fav of all eq. d2 definately the cleanest output at full volume. nano: brilliant except for volume and it has almost as bad of bass roll off as d2 (just about normal though)

[malkekoen]

THANKS A LOT FOR ALL YOUR INPUTS!

Actually - I'm wiser, but..... still as confused as when I started this thread. The D2, Sony A8XX, Meizu... Really can't make up my mind. But flash expansion really seems the way to go, lossless, etc. taken into consideration.

[aegid]

D2's flash expansion is quite handy and with recent deals on 16GB cards means you can add quite a lot of space to your player for a relatively cheap price. If you're one of those people who like having a lot of things available to listen to then it's a godsend.

[shigzeo]

lossless is not yet pie on the d2 though. it has many id3 tag problems and does not read all flac formats. just do everything perfectly and it will work well enough

[Styrbjorn]

shigzeo, since you have these players, could you compare SQ between Meizu and Sony? Which one is better for iem's? (hiss usually don't bother me). Does Sony have enough power to drive KSC75?

[shigzeo]

yes it does. the sony has a more aggressive sound: i like that as i listen to trance, electronic and some rap: so a nice edge is great. obviously rap needs some soft edges, but it still sounds good. today i tried listening to rock and to my ears it sounds very nice but i am not a rocker so... i might have a different way of hearing.

both are favourites of mine. the hiss is not bad with earbuds but with iems (non er4 series), they are really terrible. i don't have my meizu with me, it is in canada. but... i loved it. it is a bit warmer. it has its problems but... at elast i can drag and drop. the sony is lighter and is sleek and beautiful but annoying with sonicstage (i guess russian version will not have that trouble). i like them so much. all i rmember with my um2 after hissing too much with every player: from nano to meizu to d2 is that i had to sell them. i prefer the player to the faulty phone that hisses with external amps even.

i like them the same. the meizu has extra sex appeal as it looks like an ipod: but it is not: it just has a statement. both are excellent.

[aliquis]

Originally Posted by malkekoen

THANKS A LOT FOR ALL YOUR INPUTS!

Actually - I'm wiser, but..... still as confused as when I started this thread. The D2, Sony A8XX, Meizu... Really can't make up my mind. But flash expansion really seems the way to go, lossless, etc. taken into consideration.

If you won't be doing video maybe the Fuze is the best alternative? Supposedly good music quality, upgradable and cheap?

Or wait for the Spinn and decide if that or D2 are the best one.

I'd prefer not to buy a Sony and I will never buy an iPod due to iTunes lockin. Sure my computer is a Macbook Pro running Leopard anyway but ... uhm, no

[RedSky0]

Oh by the way, sad news:

» iRiver SPINN: Release Update - PMP Today

That the SPINN will use an AMOLED screen is cofirmed good news, but the lack of memory extension whether it’s miniSD or microSD is a real downer. It will be thicker than the mock up shown to the public. Even bigger disappointments: non-removable battery with less capacity, very expensive.

Goodbye iRiver!

[nywytboy68]

Just go with a sony or get the Fuze - less probs and GREAT SQ - the bass is clean and really present. The A829, with the service menu adjustments, sounds FANTASTIC. I highly recommend it as the player of choice if going ampless (hope I get a little backing on this) & I don't expect too many to disagree!!! It's great.

[HipHopScribe]

Originally Posted by ILikeMusic

Unless, of course, you value a flat frequency response.

Top Selling Mp3 Players Audio Analysis

Haven't we been over this already? The Zen doesn't have a flat frequency response with just earphones connected
RightMark Audio Analyzer test: comparison

And CNET's D2 test was clearly done when the player was already EQ'd (it comes out of the box that way). The D2 isn't flat either, bass roll off as mentioned, but at the very least has more tweakability than the Zen.

[nywytboy68]

I had the Zen and even if it's "supposed" to be flat the volume alone (or lack there of) stinks(only type of HP's it can really use are SENSITIVE IEM's). If you ever decide that you WANT to use the EQ it's horrible, the bass boost is disgusting (muddy's the sound), the lack of sd integration is SHIZZLE. The player is a cheap excuse to just have some tune's. Also, the tests that cnet performed were UNLOADED - w/load the tests are totally different in the results dept (also, turning off the EQ on the D2 would help also).

[Random Access]

I tried the Sony and compared it to a D2. The Sony had a more thumping fun sound. The D2 was really aggresive and bright so it actually made my SE530 not sound rolled off in the highs! lol But I did find myself missing some sub bass.

No hiss from the Sony at all.
Hiss with the D2 with my SE530 if I passed 35 on the volume control. But at that volume I would get permanent hearing damage quite quickly. However I FEEL that I am perceving some hiss during playback during quiet passages. I will have to look into that a bit further by listening to something with quiet passages.

I wasn't able to test the Sony for long but I do prefer the interface and controls compared to the D2. Even sitting at home the D2 is a bit of a pain in the ass. A d-pad or some more hardware buttons would hit the spot with the D2.