Best Sounding Mp3 player

http://www.ownta.com/teclast-t51-pmp-audiophile-quality-mp5-player-8gb.html

SEARCH, many, many, many, did I say many topics on this.

The mp3 player isn't what makes the biggest difference in sound quality, it's your headphones.

In any case, some players that seem to get a lot of praise for quality are the Hifiman line (though i'm not sure about the sound neutrality), Cowon players (S9 and J3 being most common, i think), and if you're on a budget, the Sansa Clip+.

Quote:

Originally Posted by andrewberge 

The mp3 player isn't what makes the biggest difference in sound quality, it's your headphones.

 

In any case, some players that seem to get a lot of praise for quality are the Hifiman line (though i'm not sure about the sound neutrality), Cowon players (S9 and J3 being most common, i think), and if you're on a budget, the Sansa Clip+.

x 2. Sansa Fuze it's also a great choice and in terms of SQ Samsung Galaxy S is one of the best IMO.

had the Cowon D2+ , the S9 and the J3.

also had the iphone.

I now have the Colorfly C4.

the colorfly is by far the best player.

the cowon's are all much alike sound wise , maybe the S9 and the J3 slightly better than the D2+.

if i had to rate them compared to each other.

D2+      7

S9 / J3  8-

C4       10

The HM-601 imo is a definite step up over the T51/S:FLO2: smoother mids and much more weighty bass was very apparent. The overall quality of bass and the texture is also better. Detail retrieval also seems to be improved. Mind you - you do have to listen carefully and pay attention. The 601 is only marginally better overall, and it will probably only show if you have high end headphones. The T51/S:FLO2 is a very good player.

I marginally prefer the T51/S:FLO2 over S9, and very slightly over the newest iTouch.

I haven't heard any other players. The HM-801 is a player that is touted as being frequently better than the HM-601, but its sound signature is not identical, and there are cases where the 601 will edge out the 801.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peyotero 

http://www.ownta.com/teclast-t51-pmp-audiophile-quality-mp5-player-8gb.html

Hey I've never seen this before.  Does it have a line out?  Also it only supports another 8gb expansion if I'm reading this right?

You have to read the other threads, plenty of complaints about the top notch players, so you know what you're getting into. Also some will say they aren't worth the price difference.

Yea for some reason all the "hi-fi" players are Chinese brands exclusively. I'd personally stay away from HM-801 and the like. Some dodgy stuff involved in that one.

Cowon is Korean, so that can only be better, right?

I'm not up to date on what countries export quality stuff. It seems like they hardly make anything in Japan, any more.

Koreans make some quality stuff. Countless respectable companies. The Chinese are not up there yet.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Broken Arrow 

had the Cowon D2+ , the S9 and the J3.

also had the iphone.

 

I now have the Colorfly C4.

 

the colorfly is by far the best player.

 

the cowon's are all much alike sound wise , maybe the S9 and the J3 slightly better than the D2+.

 

if i had to rate them compared to each other.

D2+      7

S9 / J3  8-

C4       10

 

For $800 I would hope it is :)

The OP just wants sound quality, he looks like hes willing to sacrifice everything else. But I can compare the players from other standpoints as well:

T51/S:FLO2

-good sound quality, exceptional for its price
-very poor UI. Look up reviews. Its exceptionally slow.

-good build quality. Takes a lot to destroy it.

-average/poor in terms of extra utilities. Has a dictionary (english to Chinese only), is a picture viewer (not great), and a movie player (i had problems with it), some games you won't understand, and no clock function

-slightly heavy, average profile

Cowon S9

-above average sound quality, average for its price.

-good UI, would be very good but imo the iPod is better. Feels a bit slow at times.

-very good build quality, nearly indestructible due to its design

-easily the best in terms of extra utilities; there is also a community around developing software for the S9, which is great.

-very lightweight, slim profile

Hifiman HM-601

-exceptional sound quality, very good for its price

-average UI, substantially worse than iPod or Cowon players. Physical buttons are a plus, though.

-average build quality. The buttons feel a bit flimsy. The design looks like it will not sustain a lot of damage. Be careful to not drop it.

-very poor storage capacity compared to the other players - originally debuted at 2GB flash, though the current model is 8GB.

-it doesn't seem to have any extra utilities at all. all it does is play music

-beta support for rockbox

-slightly heavy, large profile

Recap

SQ: 601 > T51 > S9

UI: S9 > 601 > T51

Build: S9 > T51 > 601

Utilities: S9 > T51 > 601

Ergonomics: S9 > T51 > 601
Reliability: S9 > T51 = 601?

However, even though S9 wins in 5/6 competitions, I'd take T51 over that any day, and the 601 over the T51 any day. Its supposed to be a media player, and the Chinese players are simply better in terms of a media player. Thats what *I* personally want out of a media player - others may prefer the S9 for its attributes, which is a perfectly legitimate reason. I have limited experience with warranty so I can't really comment on it - my S:FLO broke down (after about a year) and MP4 nation repaired it for me just fine, though shipping to China is expensive. My S9 never had issues, for two years. My 601 is new, so I can't really comment on reliability. 

also don't forget about this

http://redwineaudio.com/imod