Sony MP3 new/used good-better-best? - Page 2

If sony keeps improving its DAPs SQ like that, i think i'm going to refrain for any DAP purchase for a long time (and count on swapping 16-32gb microsdhc cards on my fuze) until i get some money to afford this baby
Sony’s Gorgeous New A-Series Walkman Features OLED, Up To 64GB Capacity | Sony Insider
I think this will probably be the best choice for those who dont care about videos and just want a DAP (the X is a little too big for just a nomad DAP) and wont cry about having to listen to 320kbps MP3 vs FLAC.

EDIT: yeah, and i forgot one advantage of the fuze vs the sony (edited my post): RATINGS. I think that this is something missing on sony's DAPs. It really seems like sony wont make any improvement to its firmwares anytime soon, they keep using the exact same recipe again and again even when stepping up a class. This really sucks especially since those are basic features that possess a LOT of much lesser, cheaper DAPs.

Good lord i thought i was the only one!! This is really frustrating and really imcomprehensible. I cant figure out why sony would allow videos but not song to be deleted from the player.

About the "Clear stereo" effect : sincerely, i tried (not too hard) to hear the difference but honestly havent been able to detect any with my px100-II and hippo VBs. Probably those phones arent resolving enough, or i'm blessed with forgiving ears.

Hi Orange1...

I have moved your thread over to the portable source forum

I will give you a word of caution, if you're looking to use the new player with the HJE900, in my humble opinion, the X is NOT a good partner to them, the overall sound is just a bit syrupy (which is why the FX500 with their keener treble work so well with the X, they cancel out the syrupy mix!!)...

Hope it helps

Maybe it's some sort of stereo widening?
3D audio effect - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

do you guys consider Sony NWZ-S545/B as a good Dap in terms of SQ?

I have currently an s545 and an s745. I've had several other players over the years but only have one working one to compare them to - a samsung yp-p2. Both sony players sound nearly identical regarding sq, but the 745 has a couple more 'magic equalizers' (vpt surround, dsee), and noise cancellation that only works with Sony's headphones. Both sony players have background hiss with sensitive headphones. The s745 is considerably worse (macbook headphone jack worse) when the noise cancellation feature is enabled though it is not enough to notice during playback.

Headphones used for comparison: s745 noise canceling headphones, Senn PX100s, SRH840, and Westone UM-2. I haven't given the stock headphones much chance to break-in, so I won't comment on them other than to say the nc functions as advertised.

When compared to the p2, the sony player has slightly more detail, and feels brighter to my ear, regardless which headphone I used. Background hiss is observable (even at 0 volume) with all headphones but only a nuissance with the UM-2, and only when idle. It doesn't affect music playback like other players I have had in the past.

The basic eq options are somewhat limited (heavy, pop, jazz, unique, and two custom modes - clear bass is here, clear stereo is found in settings), but generally sound nice for what they do. I don't really use them as I listen to a wide variety of genres and don't want to have to play with the eq constantly. vpt and dnse are similar between players (unavailable on the s545), providing a variety of canned surround effects. The eq is part of dnse on the p2, where the functionality is completely separate on the s745 which gives the s745 the potential for a wider variety of effects. Dnse has per play list effects which is a step up from having no automatic control over eq.

On the downside, the sony players aren't as good at driving headphones when compared to the p2. The p2 has stronger, tighter bass than the sony player. This is possibly due to the power output difference - the samsung isn't officially rated in the document specs, but several review sites put it at 22mW+22mW compared to the 5mW+5mW of the Sony player. Using the 840s with the sony, the bass can be a little flabby depending on the song / genre. Clear Bass somewhat masks it, but I am not really an eq guy.

A small note on construction. The s545 feels more solid in the hand and has slightly better buttons on it compared to the (much smaller) s745. I'm returning the s545 and keeping the s745. It is smaller, has a few more features that will get used on occasion, and none extra that won't (internal speakers). I might have picked up a samsung yp-p3 if it were more readily available in Canada, and they had proper tag support for aac.

@stigweard

thank you so much for the mini-review, very informative! i also like the sony A's but they
are not available in my place, so far only the X , S and E are available here.. i think i rather
save more for the sony X 16gb.. i also like the cowons but also not available here

Just buy a Cowon S9 online...Buying from stores these days is laughable Twice the price of online. Anyway, just like to share my thoughts about the X1060 with my Westone UM3X. I do not like the combo. Maybe it is because I am using the stock short complys? I need to try those Shure olives ASAP. I find the sound too laid back, bassy and warm. There is too much missing detail compared to my 3rd gen Touch. I dislike the sound with my UM3X, maybe because they are already bassy to begin with and I listen to metal. The Touch with a portable amp is great, but I couldn't justfy the money I paid for it so I sold it. I amprobably going to sell both the X and the Touch, I have no idea on what other player to get though