SanDisk Sansa Clip+ compared to Samsung Galaxy S2

Rockboxed clip plus sounds noticeably better than the gs2. The difference might not be that evident through your phones. But its a definite downgrade. No doubt about it.

Edit: Just noticed you have studios. The clip+ does bass very well IMO, higher treble too. Sounds better than my laptops out which sounds better than the gs2.
Edited by killmurer - 2/6/12 at 6:05pm

I don't know about the warranty and honestly never cared cause I got my Clip+ refurb for 18$. But I waited too long to rockbox it, which was a mistake cause rockbox improves the player in every way. It has a VERY powerful EQ, crossfeed, crossfade and a host of other options. Even better it improves the battery life too. 

 

However take care of you Clip+ headphone out socket. My left channel died after a few months of use. It seems to be a very common problem. Be sure not to strain the headphone out too much.

 

It's amazing how much these phone makers skimp on audio. Gotta respect apple for that. Apart from audio GS2 is great. Hopefully with android 4.0+ we'll get audio bit stream via USB, which'll let us portable DAC/AMPs like the FiiO E17. That's my only hope 

As much as I've tried, I just can't get my RockBox'd Sansa Clip+ to sound better than my (T-Mobile version) SGSII.

 

I can get the Clip+ to sound louder. I can get the bass punchier and the treble to painfully high levels (more piercing than the SGSII) using my new Headstage Arrow 12HE 4G amp (between the Clip and Sennheiser HD595s). I have to nearly max-out the volume on the SGSII to get it to drive the 595s alone (but it does) and it just sounds better.

 

I've tweaked/tuned/EQed and turned every setting in RockBox to get the Clip sound balance as close as possible to the SGSII (with PowerAMP no EQ) and it's still not as good. It's like trying to get a black-and-white image to look better than a color photo.

 

Edited by truckdriver - 2/12/12 at 5:12pm

As long as you keep your ears happy, everything's fine I guess  Lots of people don't like the clip+ sound signature.

 

I liked the bass better on Clip+. The treble seemed to be more extended and better defined. It sounded remarkably flat, but also slightly harsh at times. To me the highs were more exciting but also more fatiguing in a way. I'm not sure if its better extension or better definition. But my hd-25s bring it out clearly. The highs on SGS2 seemed less sharp. Maybe that kind of signature pairs well with the hd 595. Besides I listen to everything flat. No EQ on sgs2 or clip+. Sometimes I actually cut the treble on the Clip+. But I think that's more of the headphones than the player.

 

I mostly listen to rock and metal, so far I 'm happy with the hd 25 - clip+ combo 

 

Another annoying thing with the sgs2 (EPIC Touch 4G) was that I could hear interference with the internals when using sensitive IEMs like S4. 

 

 

Actually, the Sennheiser HD595s need to be amplified like the Clip+/Arrow combo does (though it sounds a bit small compared to the home system headphone out jack). The SGSII sounds even tinier on the HD595s, but they do indeed sound more accurate than the Clip/Arrow combo. It's akin to more depth of tone with instruments and voices seeming more realistic.

 

I'd say (and have said) that my SGSII is a great match with my Shure SE535 IEMs. I love the crisp (cute) cymbals and bells sounds. I can (almost) feel cymbals being struck (or tapped) by something (rather than overly sparkly and piercing yet unrealistic and thin). Despite the bad press the SGSII gets around here, I actually think it is an evolutionary step in the right direction in cellphone stereo sound (noise issues notwithstanding).

 

The SGSII is the only portable source (I own) where I can really hear a distinct different between my Shure E5c and my SE535 (which are essentially the same flagship model with extra driver for the newer 535s). It is uncanny how the sound-stage widens with background singers moving a little farther out (beyond my ears) on the SE535 and the lead singer seeming a little more isolated in the middle of my head. Everything is more crisp/clear with the SGSII /SE535 combo. I use to go back and forth using my HTC HD2 (with PowerAMP or PlayerPro) and all I noticed was the E5c had a slight bass weighted signature (otherwise E5cs and SE535s were the same). I noticed the same non-distinction with the Clip/Cowon/iPhone/iPod.

 

Using the SGSII, I hear stereo effects that I never noticed before. I can hear volume changes in background effects (or singing) in songs that I never noticed before. I can hear sound effects coming across the middle (or circling with depth) more distinctly than ever.

 

And sure, I definitely agree about making one's own ears happy, but there is something else afoot here as well. I think there is definitely something to be said for headphone/source matching. If all I did was plug my Sennheiser IE8s to my SGSII, I would be on the bandwagon that the SGSII sounds like crap.

does Sandisk Sansa Clip + support 64 G Micro SD card?

Some have said the it will support a 64GB micro SDXC card if it is formatted as FAT32. I haven't tried it myself. With the original firmware the player has a song limit of around 8,000, however using Rockbox the limit is higher.

Both the clip/+ and fuzev1/v2 work fine with fat32 formatted 64 gb cards im using the class six one becuase the new class ten ones say newest model in all caps and i was worried about compatability. Fuze and clip have the same hardware. After roxkboxing my wifes clip and using for a day i immedietely shelved my ipod lol much better impact on the bass and less rolled off highs to my ears

Turn all the effects and EQ off and turn dither on. Always works best that way for me with reasonably accurate phones.

Personally I feel the sound quality in Samsung Galaxy S2 is very poor even this is a premium grade smartphone.

My Sansa Fuze can beat Galaxy S2 in term of sound qulity when playing FLAC or high quality MP3.

Galaxy S2 sounds atrocious. It's like the music is being sent through a liquid, muted and distorted weirdly. Clip+ is much much better!

 

Whether Rockbox voids your warranty depends on local law. Given how cheap the Clip is, do you care? And if you do have to return your Clip, do you think that anyone will bother examining it that closely? 

 

Rockbox is not just removeable, it is dual bootable - ie you can start your Clip in regular or Rockbox mode  after it is installed.

Edited by scuttle - 2/12/13 at 11:47am

 

I use the same combination. I'd suggest using Rockbox and using the High Shelf Filter under "Advanced EQ" to suppress eg everything over 15khz. Leave "Q" set to 0.7 and set the gain to a large negative value.