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Originally Posted by geekchic /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Hi, would the NW-806 be a good player in the Sony series (link below?) And how would it be different from the 820?
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I have the 808 and the 829 and I don't think the 808 sq is superior. It's still very very good, but the 829 has a slightly bigger soundstage, and that gives better instrument separation. And I don't know that the 808/818 is considered to be top of the line anymore since the 82x was released.
You honestly wouldn't be unhappy with either of them. They're both fantastic little players. And as for the comments about the 829 sounding 'processed', well, I think it's a matter of opinion. Someone (earlier), posted a link to a review which said the 829 sounded processed with the
Shure SE530, but no other specific earphones/headphones were mentioned. As the SE530 is often described as warm and bassy, and the Sony is also warm and bassy, it may not have been a good combination for the reviewer to use.
I use my 829 with the Triple.fi's and I much prefer it to my 808. I like it so much that I didn't bother to keep any of the DAC adjustments I played around with, it sounds just fine as it is. I
also tried the S618 (when it was on sale at Argos), and sold it the following week because I like the 829 better. The differences between all three aren't dramatic at all, except that the 829
does have a bigger soundstage than the others. At this level of Sony players, there's no real winner' - they're all good. If you want FM radio, get the S618. It's cute, and quite a bit smaller than the other two.
EDIT: Geekchic - the 81x/80x series are the same. The 818 is just the drag and drop Atrac/SS-free version of the 80x.