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Is it worth it moving from D2+ to S9?

post #1 of 18
2/21/10 at 11:23pm
Thread Starter 
I currently have a Cowon D2 flashed to D2+ and i am wondering if there is a sound quality improvement moving from D2+ to S9. I am also currently using UE TF10 IEM.

Thanks.
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post #2 of 18
2/22/10 at 12:04am
S9 advantages over D2:
- bbe viva
- widget
- UCI
- bigger screen
- AMOLED

D2:
- memory card
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post #3 of 18
2/22/10 at 12:19am
Well, the audio improvements are the BBE+ settings and gapless playback. Never having the D2, I can't tell you if it sounds any better though. Besides that, there's a whole bunch of stuff good for videos, like AMOLED and drag and drop videos.

I'm personally not a fan of Cowon's sound or their EQ (or EQs in general), but many of their UCIs did look pretty. Unless gapless or AMOLED videos are a must, I don't think it's worth buying the S9 for.
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post #4 of 18
2/22/10 at 12:38am
I had a D2 (which I added the D2+ firmware at one point) and also had purchased the S9 to compare them (Yuin PK1's and a Sennheiser HD600).

The S9 edges out the D2/D2+ in sound quality, imo. However, I mainly upgraded to the S9 for the AMOLED screen and the Xvid support for video playback - for just audio playback, I probably would have stuck with my D2/D2+.
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post #5 of 18
2/22/10 at 1:32am
Thread Starter 
So in the end the S9 has better sound quality then D2+?
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post #6 of 18
2/22/10 at 2:11am
there are number of people who prefer D2/D2+ and the other prefer S9, i can say fifty fifty


the fact are:
- D2 use a better DAC than S9
- D2 has more power output than S9
- S9 use a new bbe viva
- S9 is a newer player, more chance to give a better technology


for myself, i prefer S9 with bbe viva 2 on than D2/D2+ , its make the high smoother and less fatigue
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post #7 of 18
2/22/10 at 2:12am
Thread Starter 
Would you describe the sound of D2/D2+ as slightly bright and S9 slightly warm?
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post #8 of 18
2/22/10 at 2:19am
i didnt have a chance to do a comparison side by side, but i am sure that the S9 with bbe viva 2 is warmer than D2 and it is my favourite setting from more than 30 preset
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post #9 of 18
2/22/10 at 12:12pm
i find the S9 a bit sharper, but the D2 is a much more open player, you can feel the differance in soundstage between both devices,

i have a D2, an S9 and a Clip
the clip is the most fun of the 3 players, the S9 is the better sounding of the 3, but i still like to use the D2 once in a while thanks to its versatility,

one thing, the Clip sounds good, but after a week using the D2, i went back to it, and it sounded bloated and muddy, i dont know, maybe its not all its cracked out to be,
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post #10 of 18
2/22/10 at 11:25pm
Thread Starter 
Is the difference in soundstage small or large?

If no EQ was used for S9 and D2 would S9 still beat D2 in SQ?
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post #11 of 18
2/23/10 at 12:29am

HANDS DOWN D2

S9... Always fighting with UI, with EQ, with Volume, with Batt Life (it hates flac -8 files) only eeks out 4 hours...

I want another D2. for a COWON. Plus you can rockbox it now.

atm i have an s:flo2.

Tho I really miss the D2. It was a fun little cupcake. The O2 was fun, and sounds much better than the S9 in my opinion. The S9 i cant say I liked in any way.
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post #12 of 18
2/23/10 at 1:04am
Quote:
Originally Posted by FLACvest View Post
S9... Always fighting with UI, with EQ, with Volume, with Batt Life (it hates flac -8 files) only eeks out 4 hours...
Do you even own a S9? I got hoards of hours of battery life from my S9 using flac -8. I only have to recharge like once a week. And there's a lot of worse things you can say about D2's UI than S9's, although of course you can rockbox the D2 so that's not an issue. Your ears must have problem if the S9 isn't loud enough for you, it's FAR louder than the Fuze, that's for sure.

To the TC: just get the S9. The D2's sound quality has always been lacking, with poor soundstage and far too bright sound. The S9 is a massive improvement from it.
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post #13 of 18
2/23/10 at 3:55am
Thread Starter 
1 person says D2 has better soundstage and another says the opposite. Now i am confused.
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post #14 of 18
3/1/10 at 7:47am
Quote:
Originally Posted by phandrew View Post
1 person says D2 has better soundstage and another says the opposite. Now i am confused.
Cowon D2 has a small soundstage, to my ears.
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post #15 of 18
3/1/10 at 7:51am
It come down to personal choice I feel, sound wise they would not be much different, the D2+'s got a more powerful amp.
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