[floeezy]

 
Cowon's mp3 players have been renown for their sound quality. My 3 year old iPod touch has just died on me, and I have been wanting to get a Cowon J3 (basically an upgraded s9) because of its superior sound quality as a replacement. However, this thought just occurred to me:
 
Since the Cowon J3 does not have a line out function for sound, I am forced to use the headphone out; therefore, my audio signal will have passed through the J3's internal DAC and amplifier. My portable set-up would as a result look like this:

1. Cowon J3 -> mini to mini -> portable amplifier ...

 
On the other hand, my iPod touch does have a line out for sound ; therefore, I will be able to bypass the J3's internal amplification and receive an untarnished audio signal (-EDIT: not a "true" line out). My set-up would like this then:

1. iPod touch -> LOD -> portable amplifier ...

 
So, my question for all you very cunning and knowledgeable head-fiers out there is which portable set-up would sound the best? (by best I imply greater detail, wider soundstage, etc.)
Or would the difference in sound quality be negligible?
 
Cheers

 

[Hero Kid]

Please do not confuse a LO with a LOD from an iPod. A LOD only offers a glorified HO and is not a true LO such as what the s:flo2 offers for example. 

 

[floeezy]

Quote:

Please do not confuse a LO with a LOD from an iPod. A LOD only offers a glorified HO and is not a true LO such as what the s:flo2 offers for example. 

Thanks Herokid, that's what was confusing me. Since the LOD is just a glorified headphone out and the Cowon's headphone out is superior to the iPod's, we can decipher that a Cowon w/ mini to mini is better sounding than an iPod w/ an LOD (although I think the difference might not be that dramatic). Could you verify the latter statement?
Regards

 

[warrior05]

Quote:

Please do not confuse a LO with a LOD from an iPod. A LOD only offers a glorified HO and is not a true LO such as what the s:flo2 offers for example. 

Uh... 'scuse me?  LODs bypass the headamp.  It is picking up the line out signal.

 

[mesasone]

I don't know about the iPod touch, but wasn't it determined that on some models of the iPod the "Line Out" signal is still going through the amp?

 

[warrior05]

At least with the 5th gen iPods (I don't claim to know about all iPod models), the line out signal does go through circuitry and is not direct (which is what the iMod takes care of).  So, yes - in that respect it is not a "true" line out but it still beats going through the built-in headamp which for a number of the iPods is not all that good.
 
Full disclosure: I do own an iMod which I amp through a Pico.  Love it and consider it a top notch mobile source.  I also own a 64gb iTouch which I feel the headamp is pretty decent on.  No - I am NOT an iPod fan-boy.  I hate Apple's eco-system in the PC world (which is where I live).  I'm currently looking to replace my iTouch and I have my iMod Rockboxed. 

 

[floeezy]

Quote:

At least with the 5th gen iPods (I don't claim to know about all iPod models), the line out signal does go through circuitry and is not direct (which is what the iMod takes care of).  So, yes - in that respect it is not a "true" line out but it still beats going through the built-in headamp which for a number of the iPods is not all that good.
 
Full disclosure: I do own an iMod which I amp through a Pico.  Love it and consider it a top notch mobile source.  I also own a 64gb iTouch which I feel the headamp is pretty decent on.  No - I am NOT an iPod fan-boy.  I hate Apple's eco-system in the PC world (which is where I live).  I'm currently looking to replace my iTouch and I have my iMod Rockboxed. 

 
I was confused after reading your first post, but now I understand (at least I think so) what a "true" line out is. However, no one has answered my initial question yet: which set-up would sound the best?
 

 

[Hero Kid]

To be honest I would say there wouldn't be much in it. I'm sure some people will say there is but from what I've read and heard I don't think there will be any major differences.
Personally I'd go the J3 to avoid the apple monopoly but that's just me. To be honest I haven't been following the iTouch so I don't know how they compare so don't really pay much attention to me

 

[feverfive]

Go w/ which ever setups provides the features you want.  IMO, the sound difference would be negligible at best.  TBH, if I weren't tied to the Apple ecosystem, I'd get the J3...but I have all my music in ALAC (& don't want to bother w/ a 2nd library of FLAC).

 

[warrior05]

In terms of what sounds best - personally I think it is rather simple.  I posted a similar response in another thread.  Think of it this way - would you ever take a signal feed from a desktop headamp's HO to feed another headamp?

 

[floeezy]

Quote:

To be honest I would say there wouldn't be much in it. I'm sure some people will say there is but from what I've read and heard I don't think there will be any major differences.
Personally I'd go the J3 to avoid the apple monopoly but that's just me. To be honest I haven't been following the iTouch so I don't know how they compare so don't really pay much attention to me

Freeing myself from Apple's strangling grips is one of the major reasons why I am buying the Cowon J3.

 

[Hero Kid]

Very good. I'm somewhat jealous. If I had more coin I could justify buying one. Sadly being 17, I don't have that kinda money to spend on a player that doesn't really meet all my needs at the moment.
Either way I'm sure you will love it. Everything I read and see appears to be pretty exciting stuff.

 

[floeezy]

I haven't bought it yet; by the way, I'm only 16 and this "likely" purchase will be a hefty blow to my poor wallet

. Oh well, this is Head-Fi

!!

 

[catchedge]

As far as straight out of the box quality without any modification the J3 definitely wins.  I would agree with feverfive that once you bypass everything that makes Apple Apple, it becomes close to the same thing.