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Before I buy a J3....

post #1 of 6
2/5/12 at 2:48pm
Thread Starter 
Howdo,

Have spent a few hours trawling through this forum (as well as ABI & Headfonia) to research my next MP3 player. I'm relatively new to the 'audiophile' world (not that I consider myself one, more just a massive music fan) and don't have a bottomless budget but am willing to spend a bit if it's going to make my commute more bearable.

I currently have an ipod classic 32gb, JDSLabs Cmoy amp, Klipsch Image X10 & Samson SR850 (tho may upgrade the over ears in due course).

From reading all the opinions, and melting my brain in the process, I've settled on the Cowon J3 as my weapon of choice. Seems a fairly universally loved tool.

However, I'm wondering if this is still the player to buy or are there some hitherto undiscovered gems available OR about to be released?

Also, will the sound enhancements on the Cowon render my JDS amp redundant?

And finally, does anyone have any recommendations as to an ideal OE Headphone to replace the impressively able (for £30!) but limited Samsons that would work well with the above set up?

I have varied music taste. I'm partial to powerful but not overbearing bass and found the treble a little disappointing in both my current headphones.

Any advice on any of these points greatfully received. Cheers smily_headphones1.gif
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post #2 of 6
2/5/12 at 2:53pm
Thread Starter 
I should have also mentioned.....
The video aspect of the J3 is of no interest to me. I'm looking for a music only solution.
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post #3 of 6
2/5/12 at 3:45pm

Looks like we're in similar spots (I just posted my own thread in this forum a little down from yours). From my own perusing I've found that some people recommend amping a Sansa MP3 player, which would certainly be a cheaper option than the J3. I've also seen some recommendations for Sony's and the Samsung P3. However, I've also seen a few posts say that you can make an iPod nearly match the J3 in sound quality just be utilizing a couple apps. So, like you, I'm trying to figure out what the best solution is for purely audio needs. Any reason you're wanting to switch away from the iPod? If you use a Mac for your music, compatibility issues come into play too.

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post #4 of 6
2/5/12 at 3:53pm

Also, for headphones you might look into the Audio Technica ATH-M50. I've never used them personally (I settled on a pair of KRK's since I wanted a more flat response), but when I was doing heavy researching not too long ago the ATH-M50 were a close second/third place for me. The main reason I ruled them out is that some people complained the bass/treble is a little too colored, but if you're not needing a completely flat/monitor response, they may be perfect for you. But another forum I recommend for researching headphones is GearSlutz.com, there's some good discussions there.

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post #5 of 6
2/5/12 at 4:37pm
Thread Starter 
Hi Jwal.
I'm a PC user. As a 39yr old graphic designer I was ALWAYS a Mac man but I'm seriously fed up with their closed attitude. I switched to Android a few years back and am looking to sever all Apple ties. So with that in mind I've dismissed the itouch app solution. Have various Samsung gadgets and am a bit of a fan. But the P3 did little for me, not least due to memory size. The sdcard aspect of the J3 is attractive. Are there superior Samsung models?

Ultimately I think I should maybe get my mp3 player before getting too caught up in cans. I'll end up confusing myself!! I'm part deaf in one ear so the treble colour is attractive to me even though I understand why many wouldn't appreciate it. I think I'll come back to those afterwards.
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post #6 of 6
2/6/12 at 1:49pm

I've owned a J3 for just over a year.

 

It's a great little player with fantastic battery life and very good sound.

 

However, I've recently found that the J3's amp stage is poor at driving Balanced-Armature IEMs (might be due to their relatively low impedance and/or their multiple drivers perhaps representing more of a 'reactive' load). If you're looking to use it only with dynamic drivers, with a middle-of-the-road impedance, or only with a seperate amp, then this should never be an issue. I've had over a year of pleasure from the J3, with universal dynamic-driver IEMs and it's only my recent venture into custom IEMs utilising balanced armature drivers that has rendered my J3 unsatisfactory. In all other respects, it's a damn fine little player and I recommend it wholeheartedly.

 

You'll also find some useful user reviews of the J3 on Amazon (.com and .co.uk), as well as on  amp3.co.uk

 

 


Edited by Mython - 2/6/12 at 1:52pm
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