[quisxx]

Sorry to beat this topic to a pulp but i really need help here. I need you guys to recommend me a new mp3 player, best part is I DO NOT CARE ABOUT ANYTHING EXCEPT SOUND QUALITY. I do not need video, wifi, internet, resolution, blah blah.
Also formats and storage space do not matter (I don't know how to convert to the fancy types that take like a million gigs per file, 8gb is almost double what I need for 900 songs)
 
My ipod touch just broke and I was browsing and found out ipod is not the greatest sounding mp3 player (I'm not being sarcastic I just honestly thought out of all the players it had the best sound quality, and i have been buying nothing but ipods since release).  I have read many threads via google and this forum and think I have it narrowed down to what I read as the best.
 
Sony walkman (A series. newer ones I think A864, seeing as I can't find the highly praised x series)
Cowon s9
Zune HD
Samsung p3
and some hybrid "ericsson mix walkman" (I know it's a phone but it has walkman in the title so maybe the sound quality is worth comparing?)
 
My headphones of choice (not that they matter) are V Moda: crossfade lp, vibe, and soon to be vibrato.
 
Thanks so much in advance for those of you who chime in. If there are others good players besides the ones I listed please list them
 

 

[Head Injury]

Sounds like you need a Sansa Clip+.
 
Or that newfangled Zip.

 

[quisxx]

Really? I can't imagine sansa beating it's competitors at 5x the price in sound quality

 

[ZARIM]

I will recommend the X1060, HM-602, J3 and S:Flo 2.

 

[milford30]

Quote:

Really? I can't imagine sansa beating it's competitors at 5x the price in sound quality

 
The extra cost USUALLY comes because of the brand, optional features. i havn't heard the clip but i'm using the fuze which is quiet similar, so i second his opinion.
 
the fuze/clip may not beat X1060, HM-602, J3 and S:Flo 2, but atleast the dap part can match them, without using upper mid-high end headphones you can hardly tell.
 
if you look here:
http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/reviews/entry/v-moda-vibrato/
and the review for vibe 2 here:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/478568/multi-iem-review-200-iems-compared-hifiman-re272-added-10-14-11#post_6492051
 
you will see that the earphones you mention are not highly regarded, and you will get a much better value in money going with a decent player like clip or fuze (which could be obtained at the $60 range) with nice sound quality + higher end earphones then an expensive player (X1060, HM-602, J3 and S:Flo 2) + lower end earphones, just as you are not going 2 great audio quality with thousands of dollars worth of source and amp then just plugging it into a $200 speaker.

 

[quisxx]

Ok zarim thanks, but I need to ask you somethings.
 
1. The hm-602 I can't seem to find, but I can find the 601. Is it any good?
2. You recommend the cowon j3 (really liking this because it's available in white), do you recommend it over the s9?
3.Having trouble finding the nationite sflow as well as the sony x series. Any suggestions where to buy?
 
Thanks, and keep the advice coming you guys

 

[quisxx]

milford30, I know nobody likes these headphones and I just can't figure out why. I love the sound these things make, but yes I know they aren't the greatest and there is better out there to be sure so thank you for trying to lead me in the right direction.  
 
" just as you are not going 2 great audio quality with thousands of dollars worth of source and amp then just plugging it into a $200 speaker."
makes sense, thanks for the insight
 
also what is "DAP" you mentioned?
"the fuze/clip may not beat X1060, HM-602, J3 and S:Flo 2, but atleast the dap part can match them"

 

[lee730]

Ok zarim thanks, but I need to ask you somethings.
 
1. The hm-602 I can't seem to find, but I can find the 601. Is it any good?
2. You recommend the cowon j3 (really liking this because it's available in white), do you recommend it over the s9?
3.Having trouble finding the nationite sflow as well as the sony x series. Any suggestions where to buy?
 
Thanks, and keep the advice coming you guys

The Hifiman 602 is the more expensive version of the 601. The 602 has a NOS DAC so you can also use it on your computer. The 602 is also warmer than the 601. You can get both the 601 and 602 from Head Direct with free shipping. MP4Nation no longer carries the Sflo2 but you can get the same player (just differently named) from House of DAP. The player is called Telcast T51 and it's the exact same player except the Sflo2 was available up to 16GB capacities. If you are mainly concerned with audio quality you'd be hard-pressed to find anything better than the T51 or Hifiman 601. I'd recommend you become friends with higher bit rate songs though as these players are very revealing. If you are concerned with price, usability and batterylife I'd recommend a Sansa Clip+. The Sflo2 is brighter and digital sounding while the Hifiman is smooth, laidback and analog sounding.

 

[ostewart]

did you ever try a line out dock on your iPod? If not, i suggest you just get an iPod as your used to them, then get a fiio L3/L9 LOD and a fiio E6/E11 amp. I got let down by the build quality of my sansa clip+ (headphone jack became loose, fixed it a couple of time before one of the capacitors came off) i have an iPod classic with a fiio L3 LOD and can say i dont miss the sound of the sansa, the sound of the iPod is either on par or better than the clip+

 

[LizardKing1]

For sound quality only, screwing the other features, Sansa Clip. However since the headphones you mentioned are 32-ohm, you might benefit from a portable amp. Since the Clip doesn't have a line-out, it's not the best choice. But your iPod does have one, and if you get a LOD cable and a portable amp, you get yourself a very good DAP (digital audio player). SO:
 
Option 1: You get a Fiio L3 (iPod LOD cable) and a Fiio E10 (portable amp and DAC, so you can use it at home as well), plug that into your iPod and you're happy
 
Option 2: You get a Cowon J3 or some other player that already has a decent amp in it, not requiring a portable amp (I HAVE NOT TRIED THE J3, I am basing this on other reviews and technical specs. This is just a guideline) and use that alone as your DAP.

 

[andrewberge]

 
Quote:

also what is "DAP" you mentioned?
"the fuze/clip may not beat X1060, HM-602, J3 and S:Flo 2, but atleast the dap part can match them"

DAP means Digital Audio Player.
Oh, and just in case, since people are mentioning them, LOD means Line Out Dock
 
EDIT: By the way, though i haven't tried the S9, i would recommend the J3 over it for the extra features, such as a microSD card slot.

 

[quisxx]

Thanks, really helpful guys, keep the posts coming!!
now where to begin......... WTH DO ALL THESE TERMS MEAN!!!!! lol
 
I'm a total tech, sound, audio w/e you will call it noob.
"NOS DAC, higher bit rate songs, line out dock, fiio L3/L9 LOD, DAC" MAJOR HEADACHE!!!!!!
I'm sorry but i'm a total tech retard, i'm not saying I don't value this info I just can't understand/process it
 
To make this a bit easier (for both of us lol), I'm used to just putting in my headphones and rocking my music. (if I had an EQ option i'd likely just put everything on max, especially bass lol. I have no idea what the terms mean). I have absolutely 0 understanding of all the options except bass (it goes boom, boom lol).
 
If that helps in any way? So I guess I need something that has awesome pre set quality, I'll probably pick up a portable amp if it's not too big. O and price and battery aren't a concern to the person that suggested price as reason for a sansa. I just need something thats gunna blow my ears off without me having to take a 5 year audio course to learn how to use it correctly lol

 

[quisxx]

So..... DAP, and MP3 player aren't the same?

 

[noxa]

I just got a HM-601 and it's the only DAP i've ever been happy with, i don't want any gimmicks, just sound quality and the hifiman is the best i've heard by a mile. The biggest plus for me is it runs so many headphones so well without an additional amp, so much so that i have put my Graham Slee Voyager up for sale. It all depends on the sound you want from your player for me the warm, smooth, rich HM-601 is perfect but many seem to like the Clip+ which i owned briefly and hated, so it's different strokes for different folks.

 

[andrewberge]

They're pretty much the same thing, DAP is just more accurate, since they can usually play more than just mp3.
 
The J3 (and S9, i believe) have great, distortion-free equalizers. They aren't the most intuitive players to use, but it's definitely not bad.
 
EDIT: Looks like we posted at the same time. The E10 just came out and isn't available everywhere yet.