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Clip+ good DAP for Klipsch S4??

post #1 of 7
2/11/10 at 9:15pm
Thread Starter 
Help a Newbie out. I am an audiophile at home - had no idea I could be one on the road (scary). For the most part I've only used Ipod shuffles with relatively inexpensive headphones - excercising etc. My new job is causing me to fly much more (and be away from my home audio set-up) and so I invested in a decent pair of iem (Klipsch s4). Mostly to block the sound of the aircraft and listen to music at a decent level. Admittedly my MP3's are relatively small (I will be adressing this issue with new RIPs) - I am aware this is contributing to the less than steller SQ. That being said - I am looking to upgrade my DAP to something with better SQ (than a 2nd G Shuffle).

Since I have the Klipsch and happy with them - I am wondering if there is an entry level, good SQ (no videos, don't like touch pads etc) DAP that "likes" these iems. At this point (maybe later) I am not interested in external amps although I understand the benefits.

Kind of narrowed it down to the Clip+ 4G ($49 BB) or maybe the sony E344 8G ($79 BB). By all accounts the sansa fits the bill and the price is right. Any advise would be greatly appreciated. Great (but dangerous) site - love the info. Paul
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post #2 of 7
2/11/10 at 9:23pm
Thread Starter 
Forgot to add - I did search and found good info on the DAPs I'm considering as well as the S4's but not of them togther. Maybe matching headphones to "amps" isn't as important as it is in the home audio world - if this is the case sorry.
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post #3 of 7
2/11/10 at 9:28pm
I would definitely look into the Clip+. And yea man this site is VERY dangerous lol; I have officially stopped playing video games and now focus all disposable income on my music, which I LOVE haha

But yea.... the new Clip has great SQ (just like the old one), and, like you said, doesn't need an amp to sound great nor does it have any of the "extra" things that you don't want.

There are other players out there that have better overall SQ, but for pure portability and sound quality alone I would definitely say to pick the Clip up. Hell I have some extra money right now and could really blow it on a clip in heart beat when I don't feel like taking the whole rig out somewhere (T51/RSA Tomahawk/Triple.Fi 10)

EDIT: And yea about the amps in the "portable world".... you CAN get a good, solid SQ increase out of them but it is going to be costly and will impact the portability of your setup. I for one, don't mind carrying a portable amp with a LoD on top of my player and IEMs because A) I have big pockets lol, and B) I love the increase in sound I get from them.
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post #4 of 7
2/11/10 at 10:09pm
Clip+ and S4's sound pretty good together. That's my setup I use for camping (RE0's are my main IEMs), and it works out quite well. There's just a tiny little bit of hiss, but it's not really noticeable when there's music going. I keep the EQ on flat/off, and it works out fine for me. Another good thing about this setup is that everything (that's Clip+ and S4's) fits in an Altoids tin. I lined one with part of an old t-shirt, and it works out quite well for a small case.

I haven't heard the Walkman you've mentioned, but I love my Clip+. I'd say get the Clip+ since it has a micro SD slot that can handle cards up to 32GB. Last time I checked, Newegg.com had the 8GB Clip+ for $65, so you might want to check that out too. With a 32GB micro SD card (when they come out), you've got a 40GB flash-based player. With the Walkman, you're stuck with 8GB. If you think you might want video and photos, check out the Sandisk Fuze. I've got one, and it sounds close to my Clip+.
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post #5 of 7
2/12/10 at 3:12am
do you want a dap that can give you the possibility of upgrading to an amp in the future if you decide to? you can get the fuze for something like that. they have the possibility for a line out dock + amp if you wanted to or just use the headphone out. relatively cheap if you go for the refurbished route and would be spending around 50 for 8gb. I don't notice anything where the refurbished could be used or damaged or anything. Mine just came with bare minimum packaging.

Also, just out of curiosity you mentioned BB which I assume is best buy prices. Do you absolutey have to purchase from there or would buying online also work.
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post #6 of 7
2/12/10 at 3:23am
The clip is pretty good with dynamic earphones. If you stay with them, there isn't much a need to buy an amp. And you can amp the headphone out - it isn't a raw deal otherwise.
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post #7 of 7
2/13/10 at 9:33am
Thread Starter 
All - thanks for the replays and sorry about not updating sooner - been trying to get home from DC.

First off - went with the clip+, yes from Best Buy. My wife works there (as a consultant) so we try to support them. I know there are better deals to be had but... Went with the 4G as I already have a 16G sd card so now I have 20G on the clip.

Second - Really not planning to amp this. If/when I go that route I will get a DAP with a dedicated LO.

Third - shigzeo, by your avitar it looks like you are a fellow cyclist. I'm an old beat up cat 3. Not doing many road / crits but I love CX. Good luck to ya!!

Thanks again - appreciate all of the help. Paul
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