Head-Fi.org › Forums › Equipment Forums › Portable Source Gear › Dads Birthday Debate
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Dads Birthday Debate

post #1 of 19
2/3/10 at 10:54am
Thread Starter 
Ok, my Dad is having his B'day this coming Fri and there's been a small argument between myself and I my brother on what MP3 player to get him. I am wanting to get him a Cowon D2+, but my brother is arguing the fact and wants to get him an Ipod

I live in Perth, Australia and currently there is a place in Australia having Cowon specials on:

https://www.haldexdirect.com.au/inde...5994c1015c0e6a

He (my brother wants to go for the Ipod ) due to the followng reasons:

1. If he gets the Ipod, and it breaks down (prob will) at least it can be returned
back to the shop here in Perth, where as the Cowon will need to be sent to Brisbane Australia.

2. My brother is not an audiophile or sound conneseur but the Ipod will
suffice and be good enough (ohhh pls give me a break )

So if you were to get somone to buy you an MP3 player for your B'day which one would it be ?
Reply
post #2 of 19
2/3/10 at 10:59am
I say ipod, for one reason only, speaking as a grown man I cba with bits of loose stylus swinging from string.

Now if the cowon is able to use fingertips for control then that might be ok.

On the other hand, I am presuming you are opting for an ipod with greater storage? If so get that.

Of course though, these are my preferences and may not translate to the things your dad cares about etc.

Whichever one you get him, you can be sure he will love it.
Reply
post #3 of 19
2/3/10 at 11:15am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by dazzer1975 View Post
I say ipod, for one reason only, speaking as a grown man I cba with bits of loose stylus swinging from string.

Now if the cowon is able to use fingertips for control then that might be ok.

On the other hand, I am presuming you are opting for an ipod with greater storage? If so get that.

Of course though, these are my preferences and may not translate to the things your dad cares about etc.

Whichever one you get him, you can be sure he will love it.
Sorry what do you mean by CBA?
Reply
post #4 of 19
2/3/10 at 11:35am
Two things you might want to consider:

1) Is your dad a music freak? (does he care about subtle differences in sound quality, does he have high quality audio files on his comp which might require better sound quality devices, etc.)

2) How technically skilled is your dad?


You are without a doubt right that the Cowon player is better regarding sound quality.

But you also have to take the practical part into consideration. Older generations are often not as technically wizard-ish and find practicality very important. The iPod is extremely easy to use, very user friendly, and the comfort of being able to have it repaired closeby, is definitely a luxury. My dad has an iPod and wouldn't want to change it for the world, even though he knows the sound quality might not be optimal. He's busy with his job and wants to be able to use it fast, easy and have it repaired easy and quickly if necessary.
Reply
post #5 of 19
2/3/10 at 11:42am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by manu View Post
Two things you might want to consider:

1) Is your dad a music freak? (does he care about subtle differences in sound quality, does he have high quality audio files on his comp which might require better sound quality devices, etc.)

2) How technically skilled is your dad?


You are without a doubt right that the Cowon player is better regarding sound quality.

But you also have to take the practical part into consideration. Older generations are often not as technically wizard-ish and find practicality very important. The iPod is extremely easy to use, very user friendly, and the comfort of being able to have it repaired closeby, is definitely a luxury. My dad has an iPod and wouldn't want to change it for the world, even though he knows the sound quality might not be optimal. He's busy with his job and wants to be able to use it fast, easy and have it repaired easy and quickly if necessary.
To answer your question:

1. NO, No, he's no way an audiophile like me.

2. Not tech savvy at all, infact the total opposite.

3. Yes I am aware the Cowon is a superior SQ player over Ipod, this is why
I choose it.

4. True, like I said he's not a tech geek or audiophile like me, and he will need
something different and easy to use for sure.

Plus to be honset I dont think he could tell the difference between an Ipod or D2+

Thanks
Reply
post #6 of 19
2/3/10 at 12:03pm
Good to know that helped a little

I'd buy him an iPod nano. Considering your dad is not an audiofreak, 8 or 16 GB is probably more than enough for your dad's music library. The guy of the Apple store also told me that the iPod nano and iPod touch have different technology than the Classic, which makes them more shock resistant (they're the kind of mp3 players you can take on holidays or to the gym without a problem). So that reduces your chances of having to have it repaired. My dad has an 8 GB Nano and adores it *he even feels a little personally attacked if I tell him the sound quality is not that good * On top of that it's not even filled more than 20%

Good luck, I bet your dad will be over the moon with his iPod
Reply
post #7 of 19
2/3/10 at 6:04pm
cba means cant be arsed lol
Reply
post #8 of 19
2/3/10 at 8:08pm
I would say, get him an iPod touch if your budget stretches that far. If he is not tech savvy, then the iPod touch will be the easiest to use - basically because you just use your fingers to go for exactly what you want. (Fooling around with the clickwheel seems like a nightmare.) Plus he will probably appreciate all the games and apps etc.

I've often been in the position of wanting to press good audio quality on friends, but generally, people just want something to work easily.
Reply
post #9 of 19
2/3/10 at 9:12pm
As a gift I would recommend the 8 or 16GB Nano. It's compact, looks great, you can get it custom engraved (Apple store online). The new Nano is also a video camera which is fun. It is simple to operate and the controls are tactile enough. Based on your description of your Dad it seems like the Cowon and ipod touch would be overkill. The Nano is flash memory based which is more shock resistant than the drive based classic. Battery life is pretty good on the Nano. I think the click wheel is more intuitive than an ipod touch as after you get used to it you don't really need to look at the screen as much as on the ipod touch, Cowon and such.

If your dad was an audiophile (yet not a technical person) I would still recommend the Nano but with the added benefits of a mini headphones amp like Ray Samuel's Shadow. I listened to a combo like that (with lossless files) at the OC Head-Fi meet last Saturday and all of his amps are amazing. Maybe next birthday ;-)

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated to Apple (I wish) nor do I get commission from Ray Samuel's. I just have respect for his work.
Reply
post #10 of 19
2/3/10 at 9:18pm
For simplicity sake I say get the iPod. They are great, they may not have that amazing sound but I think it is good enough. They are easy to use, look good/stylish, and have pretty great battery life.
Reply
post #11 of 19
2/3/10 at 9:51pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by manu View Post
The guy of the Apple store also told me that the iPod nano and iPod touch have different technology than the Classic, which makes them more shock resistant (they're the kind of mp3 players you can take on holidays or to the gym without a problem). So that reduces your chances of having to have it repaired. p
The kind Apple man is telling you that the Nano and Touch use flash memory, whereas the Classic uses a hard disk. The hard disk can be damaged by jarring shock.
Reply
post #12 of 19
2/3/10 at 10:23pm
I think no matter your father is experienced to tell the sound difference between IPOD and Cowon, if you feel Cowon is better in term of sound quality, you should pick Cowon.

Because the elder man need the perfect sound quality, they can benifits from the decent sound quality even though he can't tell what is the merits of the hifi. but he can enjoy it.

What I want to say is the elder man prefer the peaceful sound signature, the inbalance or distortion sound will disturb them.
Reply
post #13 of 19
2/3/10 at 10:33pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by logwed View Post
The kind Apple man is telling you that the Nano and Touch use flash memory, whereas the Classic uses a hard disk. The hard disk can be damaged by jarring shock.
I knew he'd told me the technical details, but couldn't remember them

Question you might be able to help me out with: exactly how weak is the Classic? If you go jogging with it, can it get irrepairably damaged? Or do you have to drop it on the floor to get it totally broken? I'm not the overactive person, but can be 'normally clumsy' ... Is it really a no-go then? Or should I still consider buying it? I love the space on the Classic too much not to consider it
Reply
post #14 of 19
2/4/10 at 1:11am
As much as I would like to tell you to get a Cowon I'd also have to recommend an iPod of some description. The better sound quality of the Cowon would be wasted along with the user friendliness of the iPod line. The main reasons (in my eyes) people opt for some alternate player to iPod is to get some sense of freedom back, your Dad doesn't seem to mind so it wouldn't bother him.
The next question is what iPod to get? But I'm sure you can figure that much out for yourself.
Can I ask how old you are? As a 17 year old Aussie it's nice to see other younger Australians using these forums.
Reply
post #15 of 19
2/4/10 at 10:54am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hero Kid View Post
As much as I would like to tell you to get a Cowon I'd also have to recommend an iPod of some description. The better sound quality of the Cowon would be wasted along with the user friendliness of the iPod line. The main reasons (in my eyes) people opt for some alternate player to iPod is to get some sense of freedom back, your Dad doesn't seem to mind so it wouldn't bother him.
The next question is what iPod to get? But I'm sure you can figure that much out for yourself.
Can I ask how old you are? As a 17 year old Aussie it's nice to see other younger Australians using these forums.
Hi thanks alot for your feedback, btw I am 43
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Portable Source Gear
Head-Fi.org › Forums › Equipment Forums › Portable Source Gear › Dads Birthday Debate