Best DAP's for Ampless Use?

[Jon118]

The Zune always has a good headphone out for a good price. Plus it maintains a fairly small figure, and has a pretty good sized user-bas who could help if you have problems. No lossless though, which never bothered me too much. The newest WMA at 192 isn't terrible, still, lossless would be an improvement. All in all a good player with no amp though.

 

[Ricardo Dawkins]

why not get the Zune and do the rapidrepair mod to 100-120GB HDD drive ?

 

[El Duderino]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Assorted /img/forum/go_quote.gif They however are not known to hiss with Grado's, Atrio M5s, Shure E4c's and its league. The best way to avoid it is to use an impedance adaptor.

They hiss with my Shure E4, although this is only audible when music is not playing or during very quiet passages but it's definitely there.

El Duderino

 

[antonyfirst]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FenderP /img/forum/go_quote.gif I disagree. I owned the XA-HD500 and was underwhelmed.

I have had the JVC for two almost months, and I know its strengths. If I remember well (it's not difficult, since there's a thread with your impressions), you said that it sounded better than your sony (no surprise here, that was Vaio!), and eventually had it for sale, 'cause "it wasn't gapless".
Now you write you were underwhelmed by the JVC. I can't believe you were fooling yourself in the first place, since what I hear now is a great player that compares nicely against the iMod, and another member thought the same. You sold it, it wasn't gapless... it has been 2 years, and now "you didn't like it". Owning a JVC, yours looks like a self convincing effect, to me.

Or, like Headfiers love to say, "we must have different here". Who knows.

 

[mamboman]

iAudio rules if you don't intend to use an amp.

 

[Assorted]

Quote:

Originally Posted by El Duderino /img/forum/go_quote.gif They hiss with my Shure E4, although this is only audible when music is not playing or during very quiet passages but it's definitely there. El Duderino

Oh yes that's right, my bad. It was that other member who claimed his E500s don't hiss with HD30GB9s

 

[antonyfirst]

The Kenwood hiss a lot with the E500, but I think the provided Shure volume attenuator does a good job in getting rid of it, without compromising sound quality.

 

[mamboman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by antonyfirst /img/forum/go_quote.gif The Kenwood hiss a lot with the E500, but I think the provided Shure volume attenuator does a good job in getting rid of it, without compromising sound quality.

Cool... looking forward to receiving mine soon.

 

[Ernie Mccracken]

Quote:

Originally Posted by El Duderino /img/forum/go_quote.gif They hiss with my Shure E4, although this is only audible when music is not playing or during very quiet passages but it's definitely there. El Duderino

Aren't livewires ultra sensitive to hiss?

 

[El Duderino]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ernie Mccracken /img/forum/go_quote.gif Aren't livewires ultra sensitive to hiss?

That's right apparently. I was thinking of buying Livewires to go with my HD30GB9 but am concerned that the hiss with Livewires will be intolerable. Anyone with any experience or advice in this area?

El Duderino

 

[Night Surfer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by oalex /img/forum/go_quote.gif I am sure the Kenwood HD30GB9 are great, but they are a mist, hard to get and way over priced. People always talk about it as my friend's friend said he meet someone that said he heard someone say he has listened to it and was blow away. Just do a search for any first hand review on that DAP, you'll see what i mean.

Hogwash.

Mist?

?

Hard to get? Several well known sites have them (Audiocubes and Pricejapan).

There are several first hand reviews right here on head-fi:

Linky

Linky2

Linky3

Linky4


And that is just the HD30GB9.

The difference in SQ between the Cowon and Zune is not as great as the difference between the Kenwood and Cowon.

 

[SomeIdiot]

I just received my Kenwood a couple of days ago and I am still amazed by the sound it is capable of producing. The iPod is not even remotely close in SQ. Best $400 I have ever spent.

 

[antonyfirst]

I'm very happy for you. Try the Rock eq setting with your ER4P.

 

[Night Surfer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SomeIdiot /img/forum/go_quote.gif I just received my Kenwood a couple of days ago and I am still amazed by the sound it is capable of producing. The iPod is not even remotely close in SQ. Best $400 I have ever spent.

Any hiss/white noise?

 

[SomeIdiot]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Night Surfer /img/forum/go_quote.gif Any hiss/white noise?

There is some white noise with the e500 and less with the etys. It is only audible during quiet passages but it doesn't distract from the listening experience IMO. When I use my U.E. attenuator the background is completely black and the SQ doesn't suffer.