[danielghofrani]

Hi there everybody!
I have gotten myself a Sansa clip+ and I appreciate that it can play flac, and I can put micro SD music in it on the fly. 
however I think it sounds very weak and flimsy and feeble. 
I am a broke student and my financial situation does not allow a pair of Shure SRH 840s and a fancy amp. 
I want a cleaner, more powerful sound. 
currently I am using Sony MDR-J10 earphones and no amp. 
what do you guys think I should do to get a good sound from my little sansa?!
 
does a Cmoy help?!
Thanks.
Happy New year!

 

[Anaxilus]

Clip+ and Brainwavz ProAlpha/M1 would be my $48 ($28+$20) goto setup.  Skip the amp considering your gear/conditions.  

 

[danielghofrani]

Quote:

Clip+ and Brainwavz ProAlpha/M1 would be my $48 ($28+$20) goto setup.  Skip the amp considering your gear/conditions.  

Thank you but I dont really get it, where is the 28$ and 20$?

 

[ClieOS]

Agree with Anaxilus. You will be better off with a better sounding earphone than an amp.

 

[Anaxilus]

Quote:

Quote:

Clip+ and Brainwavz ProAlpha/M1 would be my $48 ($28+$20) goto setup.  Skip the amp considering your gear/conditions.  

Thank you but I dont really get it, where is the 28$ and 20$?

 
You can buy a Clip+ 2gb for $28.  You can buy an M1/ProAlpha on special for $20.  The promotions come and go.
 

 

[danielghofrani]

Quote:

Quote:

Quote:

Clip+ and Brainwavz ProAlpha/M1 would be my $48 ($28+$20) goto setup.  Skip the amp considering your gear/conditions.  

Thank you but I dont really get it, where is the 28$ and 20$?

 
You can buy a Clip+ 2gb for $28.  You can buy an M1/ProAlpha on special for $20.  The promotions come and go.
 

but I have a clip+ already, and I dont really like it. currently I am using Sony MDR-J10. it is OK for classical / opera, but it does not have the bass response that I want for pop trance and techno. 
is an M1 really THAT much better than the sony earbuds? is it going to give me strong and accurate bass?!
 

 

[Anaxilus]

I understand you have the Clip+.  Did you want a different player?  Get the Pro Alpha for more bass and better synergy over the M1 w/ the Clip+.  Read Joker's reviews, they compete w/ $100 IEMs.  Otherwise for sources check out the MP4nation N2/Gumstick or Sflo2.  Check out this preorder:
 
http://mp4nation.net/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=36_54&products_id=478

 

[rroseperry]

Anaxilus is right, you're better off finding a pair of headphones that have better synergy with the clip+ (or getting a different player) than getting an amp. I think the clip+ does well with better buds. I use TF10s with mine and electronica (mainly house or drum-n-bass) sounds great. I hooked my clip+ up to my PA2V2 and didn't notice any particular difference.

 

[danielghofrani]

OK guys, so then that means I should just get a pair of earphones. 
Pro alpha is it?!
 
right now if I listen to classical music, it is not transparent and accurate, the soundstage is way too narrow.
and when I listen to pop hits it sounds so muddy and scratchy, compressed, weak,... ok you get the idea  
for example in "We are who we are" I dont hear a clear and clean and thumping bass. it sounds like crap and if I turn it up it sounds like loud crap!!
 
I am not going to buy Sflo2 because I am suspecting that is it not that crazy good either.
If I have the money, I will go for a Hifiman HM-801, or I will go for a good desktop setup, because I do believe that desktop setups give me a better sound for the money and it is all about the sound for me. 
 
 
 

 

[Anaxilus]

What's your budget exactly?

 

[danielghofrani]

there is no exact budget, I have just got the clip+ but I am going to get the other things later. 
could be anything from 100$-200$

 

[rroseperry]

I'm wondering if you could lay out your priorities a little clearer because it seems like you're thinking along several different axes at once. At the very least, it sounds as though you'd be happier with a different player than the clip+.
 
If it's all about the sound and you don't need the portability, you might be better off saving up to get a good DAC/amp and really good neutral headphones. This is completely outside my expertise so you'd be better off exploring the threads that talk about these components. 
 
I have read that people are very happy with the Fiio E7/E9 combo.

 

[5370H55V]

If you're trying to look for better sound, I suggest going from small to big in terms of changes. Since you're budget-concious, try installing Rockbox on your clip+. Its free and tweaking the EQ might give you the sound you want. If that isnt enough, getting a new pair of phones should be next. There are many choices depending on your budget, look around in the IEM section. If you want cheap, the meelec m6/m9s are great choices for bass. If you're set on an amp, the fiio e5 is decent enough with bass boost and it pairs well with the clip+. Better amps can be had, but most are several times the price of an e5. I would suggest changing the clip+ last, as I find that the choice of headphones influence the music more than the DAP and upgrading it is probably the most expensive given all your available options.

 

[danielghofrani]

Thank you very much that makes sense. 
the thing is, I care a lot about my budget , but that does not mean I am not going to purchase pricey things when they are called for. 
I would rather get myself a good pair of headphone than buy 3-5 headphones in under 50$ and 100$ category, because I would eventually want to move forward.
you get my point?! I dont like to spend money on something that will be obsolete in a short amount of time. thats why I dont like to buy sflo2.
the reason I am keeping the Sansa is that I clip it to my shorts and work out, and it does not fall out.
 
some of my friends have Shure SRH840 and ATH AD700 and sony extra bass headphones. 
I am going to try those headphones with the clip+ to see if it makes any difference in the audio quality. 
 
   

 

[Sonic Atrocity]

 
See, I currently have a PA2V2 between my Pro 900 (32 ohms) and Clip+ (Rockboxed). I was concerned about double amping in this situation by either screwing up the frequency response (as far as I know the PA2V2 is flat just as the Clip+ is) or creating distortion and whatnot. 
 
Any thoughts on this matter?