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Cowon D2 vs Sony A818 - Page 2

post #16 of 232
11/30/07 at 6:39am
i prefer cowon because of flac too
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post #17 of 232
11/30/07 at 10:53am
i don't have the sony unit but i own the d2. it is muddy with complicated music like fast trance where the bass and low mids seem to chum up and shake hands. if you are a trance or electronic listener, i would suggest to stay away. as well, there is a huge problem with battery life on the d2. some people get the specified 52 hours of battery life, but i and many others have never seen better than 30 hours on it.

in fact, i have never seen better than 24 in a long while. my ipod touch lasts about as long and is not nearly as muddy in complicated music.
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post #18 of 232
11/30/07 at 11:26am
I used to have the D2 and I agree about the mid-bass muddiness with trance. I have the sony a818 and it handles complex multi- layered music really good. All my "head" music sounds brilliant This sony seems to be more "sharp" not as soft as the previous units, but still with great warmth and body.
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post #19 of 232
11/30/07 at 3:52pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by shigzeo View Post
i don't have the sony unit but i own the d2. it is muddy with complicated music like fast trance where the bass and low mids seem to chum up and shake hands.
I'd be curious to know which phones you use and audio format you are using.

That is, I sometimes hear a bit of what you're saying on my HD555s, and a little on my PX100s (i.e., mid-bass hump in the phones), but I don't hear that on my UM2s.

Quote:
Originally Posted by shigzeo View Post
. . . there is a huge problem with battery life on the d2. some people get the specified 52 hours of battery life, but i and many others have never seen better than 30 hours on it.
Do you use a SDHC card? Driving the card takes away from the battery. As does keeping the screen active much of the time.

If there was a huge problem with battery life, I just haven't read about it except in some isolated cases, honestly.

EDIT: I should add that file types and EQ/effects can also impact battery life somewhat. And, I don't know many who get exactly the same as rated hours, but 30 seems too short. My questions above are not challenges, just trying to figure out what's impacting the battery's useful charge, besides a potential hardware issue.

- wader
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post #20 of 232
11/30/07 at 8:08pm
Sorry to go on a tangent, but how does this Sony compare with a Samsung K3? I just got a K3 a few weeks ago and thinking about trading it in for the Sony now... My hunch is that it's no contest...

Also, the A810 is same as A818?
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post #21 of 232
11/30/07 at 8:25pm
I guess the difference in volume is mainly the eq wader is using. I btw would recommend the d2 to no1...
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post #22 of 232
11/30/07 at 8:30pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by StevenBrouwer View Post
I guess the difference in volume is mainly the eq wader is using. I btw would recommend the d2 to no1...
why? i was interested in getting one
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post #23 of 232
11/30/07 at 9:25pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by viggen View Post
Also, the A810 is same as A818?
Yes. It's exactly the same unit, identical hardware in every way. Only difference is the software. A few months after the A8xx series was launched, Sony decided to launch a new ZA8xx series complete with drag and drop. They ditched SonicStage and pissed off a few A8xx owners as it was clear they must have known well in advance they were droppping it, so if we'd known beforehand - a lot of us would have held off buying the A8xx and waited for the ZA8xx.

There was rumour of a firmware upgrade for the A8xx to make it drag and drop compatible, but it turned out to be just that. . . rumour.

As it happens, I've got used to SS and I like the ability to make on-the-fly playlists, and above all. . . gapless. I couldn't live without it. So I didn't bother to get the ZA8xx because of the features I'd have lost.
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post #24 of 232
11/30/07 at 9:45pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by StevenBrouwer View Post
I guess the difference in volume is mainly the eq wader is using.
I tend to use flat or an inverted curve slightly less than the "Pop" preset. No effects. My observations (personally and on the boards) have usually been that the D2 is not lacking for power.

But, I mentioned various other factors to consider here in my prior post. It would be interesting to explore some, perhaps.

Quote:
Originally Posted by StevenBrouwer View Post
I btw would recommend the d2 to no1...
Context would really do wonders, here. I tend to notice that those with a black/white feeling on a device had a singularly bad experience.

I'm not a huge iPod fan in general, but I recommended a model to one of my friends - over my favored D2 - for reasons primarily having to do with fitting better into their needs. Doesn't mean I didn't show them the D2 and get a neat, "wow!" reaction, though .

This has been an interesting thread - after reading Dominic's assessment, I'm going to mosey down to a local retail shop and give the A818 a listen with my PX100s.

- wader
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post #25 of 232
11/30/07 at 10:32pm
Thread Starter 
LOL in the end guys i ended up getting a Sony S616 8gb...its exactly like the A818 except its screen is 1.8'' instead of 2.0'' and no "premium" headphones. I bought it because it was 159.99 and it included radio! btw I'm listening to the device right now and the sound is very good, much better than any player I have had. The radio is even good, it certainly beats the D2 in Radio clarity. Thank you all for helping me choose !
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post #26 of 232
12/1/07 at 12:19am
Quote:
Originally Posted by wader View Post
...I'm not a huge iPod fan in general, but I recommended a model to one of my friends - over my favored D2 - for reasons primarily having to do with fitting better into their needs...
- wader
I agree with Wader. The overall usefulness of a player is more important than sound quality, because just about everything on the market sounds pretty good. If you're older, think back to your first portable unit, possibly a casette player, or perhaps just a radio. The sound quality you can get with almost all players these days, especially with a good set of headphones, is far superior to anything available a couple decades ago.

So I too recommend Ipod/Itunes to my friends that are already happy with Itunes. I prefer drag-and-drop file management within Windows, but it's not for everyone.
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post #27 of 232
12/1/07 at 12:34am
Quote:
Originally Posted by howl View Post
LOL in the end guys i ended up getting a Sony S616 8gb...its exactly like the A818 except its screen is 1.8'' instead of 2.0'' and no "premium" headphones. I bought it because it was 159.99 and it included radio! btw I'm listening to the device right now and the sound is very good, much better than any player I have had. The radio is even good, it certainly beats the D2 in Radio clarity. Thank you all for helping me choose !
Honestly, I get my favorite Jazz station from ~40 miles away without much problem - different headphones give me different reception capabilities, admittedly. Because they and their cords become the antenna.

But, if the Sony is working better for you, that's great - have fun!

- wader
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post #28 of 232
12/1/07 at 12:40am
Thread Starter 
thanks wader! i saw you posting in the Cowon forums lol. BTW i wanted to get the Q5 but I honestly don't need wifi and bluetooth...i can't wait for the A3 though!! god i want that so bad. I just hope they release it sometime soon. That is one Cowon player that I definately will buy without hesitation.
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post #29 of 232
12/1/07 at 1:08am
I own the iAudio 7 and absolutely love the SQ over other players I’ve owned and ones i don't, I can’t believe that anyone would compare a sony to the D2…heh

btw the A3 is due to arrive in the US early December >> Look here.
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post #30 of 232
12/1/07 at 1:50am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by WalkGood View Post
I own the iAudio 7 and absolutely love the SQ over other players I’ve owned and ones i don't, I can’t believe that anyone would compare a sony to the D2…heh

btw the A3 is due to arrive in the US early December >> Look here.
Ummm have you heard the new Sony players?. I heard them both recently and as much as I love Cowon the new Sony Walkman players (S616 and A818) sound significantly better. Don't take my word for it though you should listen yourself.

Lets hope so lol, the A3 was delayed so many times, but I for some reason think its worth it.
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