I've loved the Clip+ for a whole but it's got one fatal flaw: the headphone jack is incredibly weak. It likes to disconnect from the logic board slightly causing the left channel to cut out. It hasn't been a problem for a while using headphones with right-angle connectors, but now I'm using new headphones with a straight connector and I've gone through two Clip+s, one of which I've repaired and it eventually failed again (superglue can only go so far).
The thing is, I've never found a player with sound quality that can rival the Clip+'s headphone out. The low output impedance matches my headphones perfectly, the ruler-flat frequency response is sexy, and Rockbox's equalizer is unmatched.
I need something small, cheap and portable that can fit readily in my pocket, that can satisfy this. Ruler-flat frequency response, low distortion (at least as low as the Clip+ is acceptable), good playlist management with true shuffling (not just pseudo-shuffle randomizing), a good equalizer (Rockbox preferred), and an output impedance as close as possible to 0. And I can't be spending an insane amount on it. Under $100 would be greatly preferred.
Space is not a major concern. 8 GB is all I need, but microSD card compatibility would be preferred.
I don't want to carry around a portable amp. This will be driving low-impedance (under 32 ohms, 16 ohms currently) IEMs.
What do you guys recommend?
