[PsiCore]

I know the pro's and cons of the two players except one but the most important thing - sound. Is here anybody who heard both players? Which one would fit better with my Westone UM2 (at the moment I have only iRiver T10).

 

[Jon L]

Yes, this is the exact question I've been pondering as well. The two most eligible candidates at 12 Gig range...

Interestingly, it looks like my choice is going to come down to something very superficial, i.e. whether I can find a decent belt-carrying case for either one for the gym

 

[calyx]

Actually even though they are players miles apart I am torn in between as well. I would like to have a Kenwood but not possible from where I live.

I did not touch to any of two but what I read had an impression on me that Trekstor Vibez is definitely better in sound quality department. Also it has many features such as gapless playback, pitch control, crossfading, on-the-go playlists, UMS/MTP, true equalizer.

Cowon D2 is a technological toy with excellent touchscreen bringing a personal video experience and a new interface but the most innovative feature of this player is the ability to use SDHC cards. So you can have your audiolibrary, a 8 GB SDHC card for each genre for example. Classical, jazz, rock, ambient etc. There is no limit to it and switching between cards is easy.

I was almost buying D2 if Jetmall accepted credit cards from non-North American localities. They accept paypal but when I signed up I have seen that it takes a long while for activating it.

Now after the impulse is absorbed, I incline for Vibez. Better sound is what I need. Actually having a lot of features and a lot of choices usually means less satisfaction. Trekstor is kinda more serious player to me.

 

[rockin_amigo14]

I unfortunately have not heard the Trekstory Vibez, though if it does get another capacity increase, I may be tempted to sell my ZVM away for one.

My Cowon D2 sounds excellent through my E4c's unamped. I feel the E4c's fall short in the lows, but the D2 has a very customizable sound, and it made up for what my Shure's lacked. I love the EQ on the D2, as it's one of the best I've use.

With no effects, the D2 sounds only slightly better than your average player.

 

[cn11]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rockin_amigo14 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I unfortunately have not heard the Trekstory Vibez, though if it does get another capacity increase, I may be tempted to sell my ZVM away for one. My Cowon D2 sounds excellent through my E4c's unamped. I feel the E4c's fall short in the lows, but the D2 has a very customizable sound, and it made up for what my Shure's lacked. I love the EQ on the D2, as it's one of the best I've use. With no effects, the D2 sounds only slightly better than your average player.

How tunable is the eq? Can you specify what band each of the five adjustments affects? eg: on the Trekstor Vibez you can change the bass band from anywhere to 20hz up to 180hz I believe. I love the fact that this is adjustable down that low- it gives a kick in the very low subtle bass area, so that it doesn't overwhelm the rest of the freq. range.

 

[rockin_amigo14]

hm. about 3 months too late. my d2 is long gone.

i'm pretty sure most 5-band equalizers are the same. if you need exact info, i'm sure there are plenty of screenshots abound of the eq

 

[RubenNYC]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rockin_amigo14 /img/forum/go_quote.gif i'm pretty sure most 5-band equalizers are the same.

I don't think so. The only players I've ever heard of that actually let you customize the center frequency and octave width of each band are the Karma and vibez. I understand Rockbox adds the same to whatver players it supports.

I don't know of any other players that offer this.

 

[StevenBrouwer]

Correct me if I am wrong, but a good eq does not define good sq.
Anyway I hate my D2 I wouldn't advise it any1.

 

[cn11]

Quote:

Originally Posted by StevenBrouwer /img/forum/go_quote.gif Correct me if I am wrong, but a good eq does not define good sq. Anyway I hate my D2 I wouldn't advise it any1.

Ha ha, point noted, will not go near it.

 

[bangraman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PsiCore /img/forum/go_quote.gif I know the pro's and cons of the two players except one but the most important thing - sound. Is here anybody who heard both players? Which one would fit better with my Westone UM2 (at the moment I have only iRiver T10).

I own both - and the D2 trumps the Vibez slightly in terms of unEQ'd sound quality. By quality of course I'm referring to the fidelity to the original signal, not how it colours the sound to your particular 'Fast & Furious' tastes.


In terms of EQ'd, the vibez's EQ is quite buggy (as was the Karma) and the sum benefits of the parametric EQ is debatable, especially if you consider that it results in slightly more sonic 'graining' than the D2's implementation.


The Vibez is gapless, while the D2 is not. However the Vibes suffers from the same problem that the Karma did and bizarrely is not talked about by Karmaholics, in that it is possible to hear the HDD noise bleeding into the headphone audio stage when the HDD is powering up and down. The HDD power-up noise is less evident in the Vibez than the Karma, but it is still noticeable... and the bigger issue is that the sound is noticeably (to me and my instruments at least) distorted during the time the HDD is on. This is far more evident when you're listening with highly isolating in-ears, so certainly merits a warning from me if you're using it with Westones.


Both players have some holes in the FLAC implementation. The D2 does not support the latest version of FLAC fully, while the Vibez has gapping problems (and not between tracks but actually IN tracks) with certain FLAC compression / versions... and I've noticed on a couple of occasions even with high-bitrate MP3 files. Of the two however I would say that the D2 is a more stable FLAC platform if you don't mind not having gapless. If you do, well, you'll have to take a risk with the Vibez. The bigger issue with the Vibez might be battery life: Real higher-bitrate life is already down quite a lot from the quoted battery life, and FLAC life is practically down into single digits. The D2 on the other hand is the Energizer Bunny of players.


The DJ feature is a real nice to have on the Vibez, while the D2 only as an on-the-fly playlist. The Vibez has however lost the flexible playlisting options of the Karma, so the playing field is not as in favour of the Vibez as it might have been had the Karma feature-set been kept intact. Controls wise both have their oddities but I would say that the D2 is the slightly less counterintuitive... as I've said before, integrating the Karma's wheel and stick into a wheel-stick is IMO not a huge success. The Vibez with the current firmware also has a habit of switching off in the pocket when Hold mode is activated. Both are self-databasing in UMS mode and do a good job in this respect, and both support MTP mode. The D2 comes with radio of course, while both come with voice recording. Qualitywise, both generate approximate the same results in voice.


I like both in different ways, but soundwise reports to the Vibez being a superior source is pure hype. It is good, but no better than many other players on the market. As someone else has already said, a more convoluted EQ does not equal superior SQ.


Build quality of the Vibez is OK, although the Cowon quality is higher despite the player being uglier. As for the outstanding faults with the players, it's worth noting that the last firmware update for the Vibez was in November of last year, while the D2 had it's latest update last month.


Me, I use the D2 more at this point in time. I am however also spending more time with the Sony NW-A808. The Vibez is currently the least-used player in my collection (and is the second Vibez, having sent the first back to see if a replacement would fix the headphone bleed / FLAC issue. It hasn't), and I'll keep an eye out for a firmware update for a couple more months before passing final judgement on it. And hopefully, the cradle will arrive before I decide to call it a day for the Vibez.

 

[plywood99]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bangraman /img/forum/go_quote.gif I own both - and the D2 trumps the Vibez slightly in terms of unEQ'd sound quality. By quality of course I'm referring to the fidelity to the original signal, not how it colours the sound to your particular 'Fast & Furious' tastes. In terms of EQ'd, the vibez's EQ is quite buggy (as was the Karma) and the sum benefits of the parametric EQ is debatable, especially if you consider that it results in slightly more sonic 'graining' than the D2's implementation. The Vibez is gapless, while the D2 is not. However the Vibes suffers from the same problem that the Karma did and bizarrely is not talked about by Karmaholics, in that it is possible to hear the HDD noise bleeding into the headphone audio stage when the HDD is powering up and down. The HDD power-up noise is less evident in the Vibez than the Karma, but it is still noticeable... and the bigger issue is that the sound is noticeably (to me and my instruments at least) distorted during the time the HDD is on. This is far more evident when you're listening with highly isolating in-ears, so certainly merits a warning from me if you're using it with Westones. Both players have some holes in the FLAC implementation. The D2 does not support the latest version of FLAC fully, while the Vibez has gapping problems (and not between tracks but actually IN tracks) with certain FLAC compression / versions... and I've noticed on a couple of occasions even with high-bitrate MP3 files. Of the two however I would say that the D2 is a more stable FLAC platform if you don't mind not having gapless. If you do, well, you'll have to take a risk with the Vibez. The bigger issue with the Vibez might be battery life: Real higher-bitrate life is already down quite a lot from the quoted battery life, and FLAC life is practically down into single digits. The D2 on the other hand is the Energizer Bunny of players. The DJ feature is a real nice to have on the Vibez, while the D2 only as an on-the-fly playlist. The Vibez has however lost the flexible playlisting options of the Karma, so the playing field is not as in favour of the Vibez as it might have been had the Karma feature-set been kept intact. Controls wise both have their oddities but I would say that the D2 is the slightly less counterintuitive... as I've said before, integrating the Karma's wheel and stick into a wheel-stick is IMO not a huge success. The Vibez with the current firmware also has a habit of switching off in the pocket when Hold mode is activated. Both are self-databasing in UMS mode and do a good job in this respect, and both support MTP mode. The D2 comes with radio of course, while both come with voice recording. Qualitywise, both generate approximate the same results in voice. I like both in different ways, but soundwise reports to the Vibez being a superior source is pure hype. It is good, but no better than many other players on the market. As someone else has already said, a more convoluted EQ does not equal superior SQ. Build quality of the Vibez is OK, although the Cowon quality is higher despite the player being uglier. As for the outstanding faults with the players, it's worth noting that the last firmware update for the Vibez was in November of last year, while the D2 had it's latest update last month. Me, I use the D2 more at this point in time. I am however also spending more time with the Sony NW-A808. The Vibez is currently the least-used player in my collection (and is the second Vibez, having sent the first back to see if a replacement would fix the headphone bleed / FLAC issue. It hasn't), and I'll keep an eye out for a firmware update for a couple more months before passing final judgement on it. And hopefully, the cradle will arrive before I decide to call it a day for the Vibez.

Well, I have owned two Vibez now. The first one did have hardrive noise and other electrical problems. The replacement I received has been flawless. And the parametric eq is excellent. Found just one bug so far with the eq. Setting a band to increase freqs at 20khz actually decreased the highs. Dropping it down to 16khz and all is well.

I think maybe with the Vibez there were build quality issues, just my personal opinion though, nothing I've read...


Ply

 

[majkel]

OK, I owned D2 for a couple of weeks, went thru its sound features focusing especially on flat setting SQ. I will NEVER understand people saying this player plays songs close to original. It's much further from this than any ifp 700 or 800 series iRiver or even clix2. Unchanged D2 sound signature is thin, very well articulated but shrilling in highs, especially on a complex music material. Second thing is soundstage - this player gives no feeling of presence in the music world. Everything starts behind an invisible glass barrier. Good sounding players like Rio Karma or Philips codec based iRivers let you experience a feeling you are the part of the game. Listening to a D2 is like a boring session of analysing music. It's bass is very short, with good pulse but empty body. EQ in older firmware versions (2.41) was a set of missed shots regarding frequencies. Lowest - 80Hz, this is to high. Highest - 12.5kHz - too low. Good Cowon has corrected it. Last word - D2 filled up with FLAC files loses more of the original than iRiver ifp-799, Rio Karma or iRiver clix2 loaded with mp3 320kb/s files. That's what my ears say, especially when comparing the ripped music to the original played from my desktop CD player. Overall, D2 sounds good and sometimes enjoyable but for demanding people there will be more and more of disgust and irritation each day IMHO.

 

[bangraman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by majkel /img/forum/go_quote.gif OK, I owned D2 for a couple of weeks, went thru its sound features focusing especially on flat setting SQ. I will NEVER understand people saying this player plays songs close to original. It's much further from this than any ifp 700 or 800 series iRiver or even clix2. Unchanged D2 sound signature is thin, very well articulated but shrilling in highs, especially on a complex music material. Second thing is soundstage - this player gives no feeling of presence in the music world. Everything starts behind an invisible glass barrier. Good sounding players like Rio Karma or Philips codec based iRivers let you experience a feeling you are the part of the game. Listening to a D2 is like a boring session of analysing music. It's bass is very short, with good pulse but empty body. EQ in older firmware versions (2.41) was a set of missed shots regarding frequencies. Lowest - 80Hz, this is to high. Highest - 12.5kHz - too low. Good Cowon has corrected it. Last word - D2 filled up with FLAC files loses more of the original than iRiver ifp-799, Rio Karma or iRiver clix2 loaded with mp3 320kb/s files. That's what my ears say, especially when comparing the ripped music to the original played from my desktop CD player. Overall, D2 sounds good and sometimes enjoyable but for demanding people there will be more and more of disgust and irritation each day IMHO.

Actually, the D2 sound signature is dulled in comparison to some other players you mention, as the treble doesn't stick out so much. It pays to truly compare like for like.

 

[comen]

don't need to discuss any more, vibez can easily defeat the D2.

 

[shigzeo]

the d2 as a machine is okay, but i abandoned the software long ago. it is terrible and does not even record video of over 30 seconds unless you own the one from yonks ago. i use ffmpegx now and it is great for movies - that i watch rarely.

what is the biggest upset is that eq is only 5 band and though they are customiseable for bands, it is still very limited as well as the fact that the firmware is rubbish and if my computer gets skype kernal panic and then i need to hardware reboot, my cowon then needs to have a firmware reboot as well.

the software development team at cowon are amateurs who cannot put something solid together. however, i have not owned or seen a non-ipod with a proper firmware from the company.