Cowon or Sony - Page 6

Quote:

Originally Posted by H20Fidelity 

I think for battery saving using the Samsung an E5 will get you out of trouble. (sorry, one too many coffees here tonight)

Thanks for that info.

I appreciate any Help.

I am already searching for that Fiio E5 on internet.

Cheers

Quote:

Originally Posted by H20Fidelity 

I think for battery saving using the Samsung an E5 will get you out of trouble. (sorry, one too many coffees here tonight)

>> (sorry, one too many coffees here tonight) <<

That is just not possible, said the man who has been writing code for > 60 hours over the last 4 days! (not kidding at all!)

Would anyone consider adapting a higher end Fiio preamp to a Cowon J3? I get that these are poweful devices with amazing EQ controls. This would be using HD 25-II cans.

I just wanted to share my experience that started from "cowon or sony"

I had a Cowon J3 which was stolen a couple of months ago, in the search of replacing it I bought a Sony Walkman A-865 which I sent back, so after that I went for a Cowon Z2 (great sound not that great android device) so I also sent it back... I have been using since then My Phone Samsung Gio S5660 with power-amp, it sounds very good close to any good pmp but no better..  I was advised in this forum that a Fiio amp would help me with the phone since I was using at the top of the volume and the battery wasnt lasting much... but just before buying the amp.. I did a wee research in the phone field. Trying to get a decent sound from a phone, I found out that some devices like Galaxy S (old 1) and the S III and some others come with the wolfson Dac, same brand that is used by cowon on their pmps so I ended buying a used Galaxy S Captivate, I rooted and Installed a Voodoo sound (kernel) that release the real power of the wolfson dac (not sure if Dac is the correct term though) and after installing the voodoo sound I was blown away, just listening to the phone before voodoo was ok, but after voodoo and some bass boost it is just as good as any Cowon like J3 (if not better).

I have not tested very well the battery life yet; the volume is more than enough and for now I won't be getting any pmp any soon.. since this one has exactly the kind of sound I was looking for, it is also cheaper than the 2 pmp I bought before as I bought it used.   I appreciate all the advises from the people here. Hope this could be helpful for someone who is also looking for a great sound plus a versatile device as an android phone.

The volume on Sony Z series is more than enough. Only battery that matters.

I agree with you sir..the volume on the walkman z is enough for me:)

Well I am a Sony man when it comes to TV's and portable audio gear- players or recorders. I read a little about the Cowan and did not find enough positives to sway me away from my past experience with Sony products. Recently got the A series 16G walkman. I'm pretty happy with it. I might get the Z unit too. I might want FLAC for some situations: To be able to play a FLAC download without conversion, and for importing certain cd's. From previous comparisons I noticed On the E and A series walkmans, music from a cd loaded into itunes ACC and content transferred to walkman sounds better than mp3 downloads. I don't know what they do to them but I cant listen to MP3 downloads, so any music I download will be FLAC only.

Obviously I could'nt compare between FLAC and "Lossy" on the A unit because it wont play Flac natively. But playing off the computer using Sony's icluded Media GO software, which has the option to import my cd collection as FLAC, MP3, or AAC (MP4) at 320mps in its preferences box. I found the difference in sound quality between them is small, yet noticable, I preferred ACC 320 to MP3 320, but the FLAC was better I thought. The difference becomes greater depending on how much the recording/mastering is compressed to begin with. On those that already had a fairly high "loudness" level, FLAC was clearly superior. It was as if compressing the recording further with any lossy format pushed things over the edge, and the unpleasant character of such recordings becomes more pronounced, taking them from tolerable to not so tolerable, even at 320mps. On the other hand If the cd I imported was mastered at a reasonable level of compression, the difference is a closer call. Basically if the cd is already a high quality recording that is not over compressed, the AAC 320 is what I'll be using, it seems to be well enough especially for the space conservation it allows, for cd's that veer in any degree to loud n crunchy, I'll be importing with FLAC. That and having a unit that can play the FLAC file as is without converting to a much larger WAV file would be the advantages of FLAC and the Z unit for me.

Quote:

Originally Posted by stereoguy 

Well I am a Sony man when it comes to TV's and portable audio gear- players or recorders. I read a little about the Cowan and did not find enough positives to sway me away from my past experience with Sony products. Recently got the A series 16G walkman. I'm pretty happy with it. I might get the Z unit too. I might want FLAC for some situations: To be able to play a FLAC download without conversion, and for importing certain cd's. From previous comparisons I noticed On the E and A series walkmans, music from a cd loaded into itunes ACC and content transferred to walkman sounds better than mp3 downloads. I don't know what they do to them but I cant listen to MP3 downloads, so any music I download will be FLAC only.

Obviously I could'nt compare between FLAC and "Lossy" on the A unit because it wont play Flac natively. But playing off the computer using Sony's icluded Media GO software, which has the option to import my cd collection as FLAC, MP3, or AAC (MP4) at 320mps in its preferences box. I found the difference in sound quality between them is small, yet noticable, I preferred ACC 320 to MP3 320, but the FLAC was better I thought. The difference becomes greater depending on how much the recording/mastering is compressed to begin with. On those that already had a fairly high "loudness" level, FLAC was clearly superior. It was as if compressing the recording further with any lossy format pushed things over the edge, and the unpleasant character of such recordings becomes more pronounced, taking them from tolerable to not so tolerable, even at 320mps. On the other hand If the cd I imported was mastered at a reasonable level of compression, the difference is a closer call. Basically if the cd is already a high quality recording that is not over compressed, the AAC 320 is what I'll be using, it seems to be well enough especially for the space conservation it allows, for cd's that veer in any degree to loud n crunchy, I'll be importing with FLAC. That and having a unit that can play the FLAC file as is without converting to a much larger WAV file would be the advantages of FLAC and the Z unit for me.

So, you recommend getting a Sony Walkman over a Cowon based on reading up on Cowon players and not finding enough to go purchase one,... So, basically your opinion is useless then. You need to try before wasting people's time,...and this post is a waste.

I have both the Sony A/Z walkman and the Cowon Z2. Both has its perks (same with all mp3 players)

The sound of all 3 are excellent. Sony are more warm and the Cowon is more neutral.

If I connect the Sony XB700, right away the Cowon Z2 becomes my favorite. Why? because the bass is just adequate not to punchy and has that... I dont know the exact word.... but it is pleasant to hear for long periods. Same with Westone 4R.

I dont find any major flaw with either Sonys except the Z needs to properly handled (from falls, scratches etc)

The Cowon Z2 has a major flaw and it is the battery. It sometimes just drains from a half charge. (something that I didn't experience in the first 3 months of purchasing). I think it can be fixed with a firmware update but none has been done so far.

But for daily use, the Cowon Z2 wins just because it can take some abuse and the sound is more to neutral.

Also the Cowon Z2 I load music like Pop, Rock etc and the Sony for Dance, Trance etc.