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What's the best sounding DAP on the market ????

post #1 of 240
8/1/11 at 1:07am
Thread Starter 

Title says it all. Right now I'm using an iPod 160 gig classic and I also use a iPod touch 3rd gen 64 gig. They don't sound bad I guess but I'm sure there's better sounding out there. The hifi man DAP's are rather pricey and for a lack of a better description ugly. Considering I've talked to fellow headfi members on here who were disappointed with hifiman DAP's I'm iffy laying all that coin down for something that may sound worse or no better then my iPod's. Anyone got any suggestions?

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post #2 of 240
8/1/11 at 1:13am

The obvious answer is get a Sansa Clip+, i've had tons of DAP's over the years and the Clip+ is wonderful in everyway from price to SQ.


Edited by anadin - 8/1/11 at 1:16am
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post #3 of 240
8/1/11 at 1:54am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by anadin View Post

The obvious answer is get a Sansa Clip+, i've had tons of DAP's over the years and the Clip+ is wonderful in everyway from price to SQ.



Thanks for the reply but I was hoping for a little more information as to why you consider the Sansa Clip+ superior. Is the sound quality noticeably head and shoulders above the iPod?

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post #4 of 240
8/1/11 at 2:20am

Ive just posted a review comparing Sansa Fuze to Sony NW-HD1 player

 

Sansa is OK,  but not true high end sound,   the Sony is ,   but newer Sonys are not as good Ive read,   

 

so like you,  I also dont know what the best modern player is,   it seems all the good ones were made a few years ago,  and now they just make them as slim as possible and the SQ suffers

 

Sansas are good,  but no audiophile quality,    see my review

 

http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/565202/sansa-fuze-v-sony-nw-hd1-sony-has-much-better-sound-quality#post_7646715

 

 

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post #5 of 240
8/1/11 at 10:15am

There is no best sounding DAP.

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post #6 of 240
8/1/11 at 10:17am

best sounding iPod is the original shuffle...the white plastic one without the screen...

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post #7 of 240
8/1/11 at 10:22am
I think it's hard to beat a Rockboxed Clip+. Perhaps the original firmware isn't very good, but I think the sound on the rockboxed dap is as good as the iPod nano (3rd gen), Touch (2nd gen), iAudio 9 from Cowon, and nearly as good as the rocknboxed iRiver H1XX . (And yes, I do have all of these daps.)

The main disadvantage is the tiny, tiny screen.
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post #8 of 240
8/1/11 at 10:49am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tronz View Post

There is no best sounding DAP.



Yes, there can be, if it has a sound signature that excels in every part of the spectrum.

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post #9 of 240
8/1/11 at 10:51am

People say Cowons are supposed to be quite good.....J3, D3?

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post #10 of 240
8/1/11 at 10:55am
Quote:
Originally Posted by TheDreamthinker View Post

People say Cowons are supposed to be quite good.....J3, D3?



That's what I have read on all the reviews. I'll need to listen to one to believe all the hype.

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post #11 of 240
8/1/11 at 10:56am

ipod (obviously through line out).

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post #12 of 240
8/1/11 at 10:57am


 

Quote:
Originally Posted by dippyboy_87 View Post

ipod (obviously through line out).



It depends on which iPod model. From what I have heard, some have different DAC's than others. Like the newer Classics have very bad DAC's when compared to other iPod's.

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post #13 of 240
8/1/11 at 11:00am

The line-outs of the recent stock ipods are near identical as they say (considering the wolfsons as well). 

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post #14 of 240
8/1/11 at 11:12am
Quote:
Originally Posted by dippyboy_87 View Post

The line-outs of the recent stock ipods are near identical as they say (considering the wolfsons as well). 



Alright, I'd like to see the official specs of each DAC in each iDevice though.

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post #15 of 240
8/1/11 at 11:25am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tronz View Post

There is no best sounding DAP.


You're the guy who started the thread concerning your disappointment with a hifiman DAP. I have some online friends on audio sites who also were disappointed with their hifiman DAP's and said the exact same thing as you. Good one on you for speaking your mind and my condolences for you having to put up with the buffoonery of a certain hifiman fanboy.

 



Quote:
Originally Posted by TheDreamthinker View Post

People say Cowons are supposed to be quite good.....J3, D3?


I don't know much about Cowan's. Can anyone provide more information maybe some youtube videos showing this DAP in action measurements etc.

 



Quote:
Originally Posted by rroseperry View Post

I think it's hard to beat a Rockboxed Clip+. Perhaps the original firmware isn't very good, but I think the sound on the rockboxed dap is as good as the iPod nano (3rd gen), Touch (2nd gen), iAudio 9 from Cowon, and nearly as good as the rocknboxed iRiver H1XX . (And yes, I do have all of these daps.)

The main disadvantage is the tiny, tiny screen.


Seems like everyone on here is rockboxing everything. I'm not sure rockboxing is for me though. From what I've read a rockboxed iPod is little more then an iPod that allows you to eq. If that's true then I'll just jailbreak my iPod and buy a proper eq app off of Cydia. Out of all the players you own which player sounds the absolute best and why?

 

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