EDIT: Hisound Audio to Release New DAP Product-Line (NOVA with micro SD card support) - Page 50

They use completely different insides. It don't take bat ears . ;-) Good news is that it's hard to go wrong here.

Hi again everyone. My Nova N3 arrived and I have some comments and questions. I had the Cowon D2+ until it finally punked out on me last year, which I know has a much higher quality than  eg the iPod, but this is my first "audiophile" player per se. I don't know audiophile terminology. I'll do my best to explain clearly.

 

First, no surprise and others have mentioned already, the UI is kind of terrible. The buttons are so sensitive I've hit them accidentally even while just trying to flick the hold switch. When the backlight switches off, so do the little LEDs that illuminate the buttons, making it impossible to tell which button is which in the dark. For some reason there's a tactile button on the side for voice recording, which I've hit accidentally a few times, yet no tactile volume control or play-pause. The player's gold color also looks pretty tacky to me.

 

All of these are minor niggles and don't matter much to me compared to sound quality. I have to say, I'm a bit surprised. It hasn't blown me away. I've listened to a variety of songs using my Shure SE-215s and the bundled Wooduos. I've tried the HSA 2.0 and the Wooduo EQ settings. In both cases, I found good clarity and detail. Good instrument separation and I've heard things I haven't heard before in some songs. But the lows are weak to the point of absence. The bass lacks both strength and depth and in some songs I can't hear parts I know should be there. The highs have a sharpness that's almost tinny, so if I push the volume a little higher to try to hear the lows the highs actually hurt my ears.

 

I find the overall sound flat and distant, like I'm looking through aquarium glass instead of swimming in the ocean. I don't know if I'm just used to heavy EQs and maybe this is just what my music really sounds like, or there's something else I'm not aware of. It's really puzzling me, since I had high expectations for this player.

Individual subjects are audiophile, not players...

 

N1's Wooduo setting is very bassy and paired with Wooduo2 the depth is extreme. That's why I prefer HSA V1.0 which has still a good amount of bass. N1 and N3 seem to have a fairly different sound signature.

Pretty much this. He's likely accustomed to BBE which I just can't relate to every time I've tried it.

Edited by goodvibes - 2/28/13 at 3:32pm

I can testify to the statement that n1 wooduo eq is bassy in the way that it can pierce instead of burst like usual, there is maybe a very different implementation on n1 and n3 for them to have a different sound

I have N3 for a few days, I knew I heard N3 before. Finally I digged up my Cowon G3, they sound similar enough. G3 is 10 years old, it's hard to come by. So, comparing G3 to other Cowon: G3 is a blur version of Cowon D2 (I still have); or, even a more blur version of Cowon J3, also lesser treble and lesser bass. N3 sounds like a mellow version of new Cowon if you have to. Of course, Cowon has the famous BBE ( just like RockBox), tons of EQ adjustments, fun to play and pleasant to listen. Many say EQ adjustment is not true to original recordings. If you like what you hear, why not?

More like infamous for me.  I don't like what I hear with BBE. Rockbox doesn't have anything like BBE. It has a VG EQ circuit that I also tend to not use. I have BBE and EQ Apps on my touch as well and still use the stock player without enhancement though accudio sounds interesting.

So everyone else who's heard the N3 likes its sound?
 

I usually try to steer clear of EQ for the fear of possibly enjoying it and then being disappointed by how my earphones sound naturally. That said, I don't ever feel the need to EQ the phones I currently have, so as long as the N3 doesn't make them sound like poo somehow, I'm good.

No need to be afraid of EQ. Hisound also have their own EQ settings, such as HSA 2.0, Wooduo; if you have not tried them yet. There are a few discussions about Rockbox and BBE. It often amazes how much energy and care for some to create their own EQ; often fun and useful.

I suspect hsa is HiSounds attempt at what they feel best but I agree, to each his own. I was simply stating my own take and pointing to why someone may have a certain and different interpretation. .

Is there a way to update the firmware on the N1 on a mac?

Doubt it.