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Best portable audio player for headphone listening?

post #1 of 25
11/1/09 at 3:47am
Thread Starter 
i currently am using an ipod nano through the total airhead headphone amp into either sony 7506 or my ultrasone pro 900 headphones. I have tried using the sendstation line out to improve sound quality with even more distortion. I can hear hiss in the ipod when it is in a certain position next to the airhead....I want to know the best portible audio player for use with my headphones that i can carry on my and walk around with.
are there any all in one players with headphone amps?
please HELP my ears cannot take this...
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post #2 of 25
11/2/09 at 12:20am
HiFiMAN has a built in amp and it can drive full size cans. The problem is it will set you back $650.00.

My Cowon D2 could drive full size cans, and a couple of the new Cowon players can drive full size cans also.

One small problem is your use of the word "Best". Audio and equipment reviews seems to be subjective, so there will be many best players. If you can, see if you can find a store that will let you try out a player before you buy a player.

Good Luck.
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post #3 of 25
11/2/09 at 12:37am
what other portable players have built in amps?

or are capable of driving full size headphones?
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post #4 of 25
11/2/09 at 4:59am
The AMP3 has been getting a lot of positive press around here.
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post #5 of 25
11/2/09 at 10:15am
Hi

Teclast T51 would be nice for you. It has one of the best LO if you want to use it with your amp. If not, it has also an amp in it.

IMO beats cowon and all other other without amp, but it has some firmware issues.
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post #6 of 25
11/2/09 at 12:23pm
I am listening to a Cowon iAudio D2+ 16GB DAB with Rockbox installed and it sounds wonderful with FLAC files.
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post #7 of 25
11/4/09 at 8:02am
Yes the d2 has a great output and powers my ultrasones with ease i use the caffine ultra though as it adds detail and richness to the sound ,but theres no distortion at all .
my daughters have ipods (classic and nano) they sound terrible in comparason
(btw is there any rockbox support for sd cards in d2 yet ,ive only got 2gb plus card)
I am thinking about trying another player but only because the sounds im hearing are so amazing im thinking can i make it even better?
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post #8 of 25
11/4/09 at 9:04am
If you want *extreme portability...
*Sansa Clip/+
*Zen Stone/+
*Those other stone-like players
*iShuffle
And then there are Pods...Zunes...
Samsung, Zen series, Walkmen...all pretty good.
Cowon is usually praised for their SQ and some output power...might be worth a try.
And then there's the aforementioned HiFiMan. Yea...that hole in your pocket.
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post #9 of 25
11/4/09 at 2:31pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Antony L View Post
Yes the d2 has a great output and powers my ultrasones with ease i use the caffine ultra though as it adds detail and richness to the sound ,but theres no distortion at all .
my daughters have ipods (classic and nano) they sound terrible in comparason
(btw is there any rockbox support for sd cards in d2 yet ,ive only got 2gb plus card)
I am thinking about trying another player but only because the sounds im hearing are so amazing im thinking can i make it even better?
Im using a 16GB SDHC card in my Cowon D2+ running Rockbox with no problems whatsoever.
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post #10 of 25
11/4/09 at 7:22pm
The SONY 7506 is 24 Ohms and the ultrasone pro 900 is 40 Ohms. None of these are difficult to drive. An iPod Touch or a SONY player can do that easily. (Probably the bigger Cowons too). You don't really need an amp, especially with the SONY cans. If you try to keep portability, go for a SONY, they are small and sound great. (By the way, this is just an other post pointing out why iPods suck)
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post #11 of 25
11/4/09 at 8:50pm
the amp3, of course. best used with pop pink head band and spiked beach blonde hair.

the hifiman is abit too 90's for my taste.
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post #12 of 25
11/4/09 at 11:56pm
When you want a genuinely portable player, you need one-handed operation. For me, that means something with a clickwheel that fits in your hand snugly, and the Sony NWZ-738 is the best player I've owned from that POV. The Nano, admittedly returned after 24 hours, didnt fit in my hand as neatly (I dropped it a couple of times), but you might find it a better fit. In SQ terms, the Sony is streets ahead of the Nano.
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post #13 of 25
11/5/09 at 1:50pm
One idea for your so-called "best portable audio player" could be:

Teclast T51 line-out --> pure silver 3.5" interconnect --> iQube (V1 or V2) --> your headphone --> a nice smile
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post #14 of 25
11/5/09 at 3:19pm
My personal preferences would be for any of the following, I sure many would disagree:

Cowon D2 or S9
Sansa Clip / Clip+
Sony X Series

In my mind I'd avoid the HiFiMAN or Amp3 on accounts of both are too new and seem to be full of glitches, you only have to read the various threads here to figure that one out - Sure it's got it's champions, but it seems to be the same old people trying to convince us all that they're perfect devices.

I've owned a D2 and can confirm it'll drive most headphones ease, I dropped my and damaged it, I don't have anything negative to say about the D2- It's a very capable great sounding device and worthy of the praise it gets here on Head-Fi.

I've listened to a Sony X Series and was really impressed with the SQ.

As for the Sansa Clip, I've got an 8gb Clip (not Clip+) and I'll never part with it, it's by far the best sounding device I currently own - Even if it does look as if it was build by Fisher-Price - Superb sounding and great value for money.

However I'm currently also using a 4th gen iPod Nano and to be honest I can't really find anything to fault about it. Yeah it'll a little quite due to the EU cap, but sounds great amped.

Bottom line - I think that If I had the money I'd go out an purchase a Sony X Series tomorrow.
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post #15 of 25
11/5/09 at 4:22pm
Surprised Ihp hasn't shown up yet in this thread....
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