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That's pretty much the exact opposite of what most people say in regard to the iPod vs Zune.

I was really angry that there was no EQ on the Zune 80, but after I got it and listened to it I didn't care. I've yet to really have the urge to mess with an EQ while listening.

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I think that's due to peoples dislike of ipod on this site....I'll be honest I'm not a big fan of ipods either but I could care less about it when I say which dap sounds better...I'm going to tell the truth from experience.

Truth is in this case is purely subjective, and much different from fact. You just say the Zune 30 sucks compared to all the DAPs you've compared it with, but offer no reason, except the company behind the Zune doesn't care about SQ. We have an iPod 5.5g video in our house, a Creative ZVM and a Sony A816, and the Zune 60 really sounds better than them all, using headphone out with the same set of phones (SA6). It's not the truth, nor fact, just my opinion, of course.

Hey, the Zune80 is not perfect for a few reasons, but its SQ is fantastic. No need for EQ, really. But it sounds like you should stay away, since the people who make it don't care about SQ, so why would you find the Zune 80 any different?

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Thanks tstarn06, you've answered my question....guess I won't be buying the Zune 80.


Sorry if my opinion on the Zune 30 hit a nerve. I stick by what I said.

Does the flash version sound as good?

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I don't. I've heard from more than 5 people who actually own the iPod that they didn't buy it for the sound quality, because it's not the best they've heard.

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No nerve hit. But why trash Zune SQ, then say you might buy one? I don't own the Zune30, so I can't comment on it, but my guess is you won't like the 80 either based on your view of Redmond's commitment to good sound. Just saving you the hassle of returning it is all.

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Some people who have heard both say the 80 SQ is superior. Read it here on Head-Fi somewhere, I think.

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Vinnie from RWA seems to think the 6G's sound is pretty good.I agree with him.I didnt love the sound out of the Zune (1st or 2nd gen) But it was the software,and interface/d pad that killed it for me.Of the 6 people I have known that bought one all returned them for Ipods or Sony's,not including myself.

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Ok tstarn06 good to hear...

Actually I'm desperate for a high capacity lossless player, I was hoping maybe the Zune 80 improved in SQ, if not I'd be wasting my money...I'm still waiting for Cowon to put out a successor to the X5.

Redmonds commitment to good sound?? That's the first time I heard that...

You indicated that the people who make the Zune have no commitment to good sound. I just wondered how you knew that for certain, is all. It's all so subjective, which is why truth is very elusive when it comes to this stuff. That's my only point. I like the Zune80 sound quality, as do others here. Others prefer iPods. Still others like the Sony DAPs. Hey, I just picked up a Sansa e270 from Woot! for $54 (6GB), and it sounds pretty good too.

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well the old iriver (not the new ones or any from that period on) had a great headout - that no player except for a very few could match. that only really worked with low imp phones though as it had a rather weak output. but... great push-pull system. the zune, the ipod, no major or any hd player i know has a similar output. the new ipod 6g may have about as good as has been had via hd players in the last 4 or 5 years, but... who knows.

sq has been subdued for low imp phones. all will sound exceedingly good with the likes of 80 to 300 ohm phones though. zune, ipod, even the cowon x5 may

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That was my opinion when I listened to the Zune 30....read my post again...

I listened to the Sansa at Best Buy tonight....nice little player...They didn't have any Zune 80's. But I seen a black Zune 80 at Walmart tonight....very tempting..can't listened to them at Walmart though....although listening at the store doesn't really help much with all the noise and music your not familiar with.

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I have the Zune80 and the Sony A808. I found my 16ohm Denons didn't sound nearly as good with the Zune as the Image and SA6 did (both 50ohms) - but the Denons sound better with the Sony than the other two. It must be something to do with impedance. The Sony can't seem to reproduce the bass as efficiently with the higher impedance earphones, but it does it much better with the Denons.

As for sound quality, I like both of them a lot. The Zune definitely has a bigger soundstage and more detail than the Sony, but the Sony has a fuller sound (which I like.) To be honest, I didn't think I'd like a player as much as my Sony, but the Zune (with the right headphones) has a really nice rich sq. If I'd only been able to test the Zune with the Denons, I wouldn't have been very impressed, and I'd have assumed the player was at 'fault' rather than the headphones I was using.

The Denons made the Zune sound faintly harsh to my ears, especially on songs with a lot of treble detail. But the Image and SA6 eliminated it completely. Higher impedance earphones seemed to bring out the Zune's decent sq a lot more than lower impedance ones.

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I bought the Zune 8 gig flash player at Office Depot and immediately returned it. The treble was too bright even with some older Sennheiser PX 100s. I really love the sound of the Zune 80 and was surprised that the flash version had such a tizzy treble.