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amp and headphone for clip+?

post #1 of 15
12/31/10 at 6:18pm
Thread Starter 

Hi there everybody!

I have gotten myself a Sansa clip+ and I appreciate that it can play flac, and I can put micro SD music in it on the fly. 

however I think it sounds very weak and flimsy and feeble. 

I am a broke student and my financial situation does not allow a pair of Shure SRH 840s and a fancy amp. 

I want a cleaner, more powerful sound. 

currently I am using Sony MDR-J10 earphones and no amp. 

what do you guys think I should do to get a good sound from my little sansa?!

 

does a Cmoy help?!

Thanks.

Happy New year! :)

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Gear mentioned in this thread:

MDR-J10/LIMEClip-On Style Headphones in Lime
post #2 of 15
1/1/11 at 12:56am

Clip+ and Brainwavz ProAlpha/M1 would be my $48 ($28+$20) goto setup.  Skip the amp considering your gear/conditions.  


Edited by Anaxilus - 1/1/11 at 12:58am
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post #3 of 15
1/1/11 at 6:58am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Anaxilus View Post

Clip+ and Brainwavz ProAlpha/M1 would be my $48 ($28+$20) goto setup.  Skip the amp considering your gear/conditions.  



Thank you but I dont really get it, where is the 28$ and 20$?

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post #4 of 15
1/1/11 at 7:13am

Agree with Anaxilus. You will be better off with a better sounding earphone than an amp.

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post #5 of 15
1/1/11 at 9:45am
Quote:
Originally Posted by danielghofrani View Post



Quote:
Originally Posted by Anaxilus View Post

Clip+ and Brainwavz ProAlpha/M1 would be my $48 ($28+$20) goto setup.  Skip the amp considering your gear/conditions.  



Thank you but I dont really get it, where is the 28$ and 20$?

 

You can buy a Clip+ 2gb for $28.  You can buy an M1/ProAlpha on special for $20.  The promotions come and go.
 

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post #6 of 15
1/1/11 at 11:01am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Anaxilus View Post



Quote:
Originally Posted by danielghofrani View Post



Quote:
Originally Posted by Anaxilus View Post

Clip+ and Brainwavz ProAlpha/M1 would be my $48 ($28+$20) goto setup.  Skip the amp considering your gear/conditions.  



Thank you but I dont really get it, where is the 28$ and 20$?

 

You can buy a Clip+ 2gb for $28.  You can buy an M1/ProAlpha on special for $20.  The promotions come and go.
 

but I have a clip+ already, and I dont really like it. currently I am using Sony MDR-J10. it is OK for classical / opera, but it does not have the bass response that I want for pop trance and techno. 

is an M1 really THAT much better than the sony earbuds? is it going to give me strong and accurate bass?!
 

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post #7 of 15
1/1/11 at 11:10am

I understand you have the Clip+.  Did you want a different player?  Get the Pro Alpha for more bass and better synergy over the M1 w/ the Clip+.  Read Joker's reviews, they compete w/ $100 IEMs.  Otherwise for sources check out the MP4nation N2/Gumstick or Sflo2.  Check out this preorder:

 

http://mp4nation.net/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=36_54&products_id=478

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post #8 of 15
1/1/11 at 11:21am

Anaxilus is right, you're better off finding a pair of headphones that have better synergy with the clip+ (or getting a different player) than getting an amp. I think the clip+ does well with better buds. I use TF10s with mine and electronica (mainly house or drum-n-bass) sounds great. I hooked my clip+ up to my PA2V2 and didn't notice any particular difference.


Edited by rroseperry - 1/1/11 at 11:23am
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post #9 of 15
1/1/11 at 11:37am
Thread Starter 

OK guys, so then that means I should just get a pair of earphones. 

Pro alpha is it?!

 

right now if I listen to classical music, it is not transparent and accurate, the soundstage is way too narrow.

and when I listen to pop hits it sounds so muddy and scratchy, compressed, weak,... ok you get the idea ;)  

for example in "We are who we are" I dont hear a clear and clean and thumping bass. it sounds like crap and if I turn it up it sounds like loud crap!!

 

I am not going to buy Sflo2 because I am suspecting that is it not that crazy good either.

If I have the money, I will go for a Hifiman HM-801, or I will go for a good desktop setup, because I do believe that desktop setups give me a better sound for the money and it is all about the sound for me. 

 

 

 

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post #10 of 15
1/1/11 at 11:46am

What's your budget exactly?

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post #11 of 15
1/1/11 at 12:54pm
Thread Starter 

there is no exact budget, I have just got the clip+ but I am going to get the other things later. 

could be anything from 100$-200$

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post #12 of 15
1/1/11 at 1:41pm

I'm wondering if you could lay out your priorities a little clearer because it seems like you're thinking along several different axes at once. At the very least, it sounds as though you'd be happier with a different player than the clip+.

 

If it's all about the sound and you don't need the portability, you might be better off saving up to get a good DAC/amp and really good neutral headphones. This is completely outside my expertise so you'd be better off exploring the threads that talk about these components. 

 

I have read that people are very happy with the Fiio E7/E9 combo.

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post #13 of 15
1/1/11 at 3:36pm

If you're trying to look for better sound, I suggest going from small to big in terms of changes. Since you're budget-concious, try installing Rockbox on your clip+. Its free and tweaking the EQ might give you the sound you want. If that isnt enough, getting a new pair of phones should be next. There are many choices depending on your budget, look around in the IEM section. If you want cheap, the meelec m6/m9s are great choices for bass. If you're set on an amp, the fiio e5 is decent enough with bass boost and it pairs well with the clip+. Better amps can be had, but most are several times the price of an e5. I would suggest changing the clip+ last, as I find that the choice of headphones influence the music more than the DAP and upgrading it is probably the most expensive given all your available options.

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post #14 of 15
1/1/11 at 3:56pm
Thread Starter 

Thank you very much that makes sense. 

the thing is, I care a lot about my budget , but that does not mean I am not going to purchase pricey things when they are called for. 

I would rather get myself a good pair of headphone than buy 3-5 headphones in under 50$ and 100$ category, because I would eventually want to move forward.

you get my point?! I dont like to spend money on something that will be obsolete in a short amount of time. thats why I dont like to buy sflo2.

the reason I am keeping the Sansa is that I clip it to my shorts and work out, and it does not fall out.

 

some of my friends have Shure SRH840 and ATH AD700 and sony extra bass headphones. 

I am going to try those headphones with the clip+ to see if it makes any difference in the audio quality. 

 

   

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post #15 of 15
12/8/11 at 5:31pm

 

See, I currently have a PA2V2 between my Pro 900 (32 ohms) and Clip+ (Rockboxed). I was concerned about double amping in this situation by either screwing up the frequency response (as far as I know the PA2V2 is flat just as the Clip+ is) or creating distortion and whatnot. 

 

Any thoughts on this matter?

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Gear mentioned in this thread:

MDR-J10/LIMEClip-On Style Headphones in Lime
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