PeterR
European Group Buy Coordinator
- Joined
- Apr 3, 2003
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As promised, here's my take on these players. I know you're all spoiled by the high standard Duncan has set, but I hope it's still interesting for some...
[size=small]The Contestants[/size]
Sony D-15/D-25
Most of what you know about the D-25 is also true for the D-15, as the 25 was basically a facelift of the 15, so I won't go into too much detail. The lid had been restyled a little with a differently shaped bulge and window, and on the inside the 25 was upgraded to 4x oversampling. In contrast to the D-25's softbag, the D-15 came with a hardcase that did a much better job at protecting the player. It locks to a keyhole in the bottom, (which accordingly the D-25 doesn't have) and features cutouts for all plugs and buttons, so the unit can stay in the case while in use. The rest is all the same, no distracting features, backlit display (sort of amber on the D-15, more greenish on the D-25), line out, strong headphone out.
Both players are very handsome. My D-15 is white, which may be a little too much 80s for some, but I think it's very striking to look at.
Sony D-33
Striking looks isn't the first thing that comes to your mind when seeing a D-33. Purposeful looking maybe, trusty, cuddly in an odd way. Or just bulky, if you're mean spirited. It's about three jewel cases thick and about 1cm wider and deeper. A lot of plastic was used, however the bottom is metal. On top it features an unlit LCD display and extra large Open, Stop and Play/Pause buttons you just can't ever miss no matter how clumsy you are, as well as smaller ones for Skip/Search, Play Mode (Intro - plays the first few seconds of each track, Single - toggles the repeat mode, Shuffle, Program) and Repeat/Enter. On the front there's a combined hold/resume switch, which allows you to lock all buttons against accidental use or to turn off the resume function. For those who can never have enough bass, there's also a two level Megabass EQ, with switch positions 'normal', 'mid' and 'max', which is Sony speak for 'off', 'too much' and 'kaboom'. Both Megabass settings also boost the treble. On the back there's a line out and a plug for an external 9V DC source, internal power can be provided by 4 AA cells. Under the hood there's a dual DAC with 8x oversampling.
Sony D-35
The D-35 is about the same size as the D-15/25, just a little thicker. What really catches your eye, however, is the XXL display on the lid and the vast number of buttons (no fewer than 30 on the top side, plus Megabass and volume control on the front). To list all features you'd need about 41 pages (at least that's what it took Sony in the user's manual), but basically there's everything you'd expect from your full size home player and then some more. Highlight is certainly the numerical keypad. Want to play track 9? Just hit 9 and there you go (the player has of course already automatically detected the disc and shows the number of tracks and playtime in the display...). There's also a built in clock (buffered by a watch battery), which you can use to program the player to start or stop at a certain time.
Megabass is just like that on the D-33, so not really worth mentioning. Power source is by an internal 550mAh battery (certainly dead by now and seemingly impossible to get anymore), a battery holder for two AA cells you attach to the back, or an external 9V DC source. In addition to the 2x9mW headphone out, there's also a line out. The DAC is a dual one with 8x oversampling.
[size=small]The Sound[/size]
So how's the sound? I did all listening through the headphone outputs driving Sennheiser HD600s, with the levels matched as close as possible using a multimeter. Power was supplied to all players by the same 9V/1,5A regulated wallwart. My stationary system (NAD transport, Perpetual DAC, DIY Zen headphone amp) served as reference. The CDs I mainly used were:
D-15
The D-15 produces a quite compact soundstage, with not too much depth. This is not always a bad thing with solo instruments or small ensembles, as it seems to put you closer to the action. But as soon as there's more going on, things get a little crowded and everything seems smeared together. The audience applauding at the beginning of the Corrs' CD for instance isn't rendered as individuals clapping, but as one single wall of noise. The balance of the sound is somewhat on the dry side. Bass is tight and well defined, but ultimately a little lean. The treble is not too harsh, even a little too polite sometimes. This is however well matched to the bass, so overall the result is quite balanced.
D-25
Basically, the sound is quite comparable to the D-15. What the 25 gives you, however, is some more sparkle at the top. It's sibling would soften up the attack of a concert grand in an effort not to annoy you, but this one gives you the full impact. So I think the 25 is more honest in this regard, but there are drawbacks to this. While there's the right amount of treble energy, it's quality is a little harsh. Violins sound a tad like steel, the soundstage is even a little more two-dimensional, and in combination with the leanish bass you get a balance that's ultimately somewhat more fatiguing.
D-33
This player presents a soundstage that much more covers all three dimensions. Instruments are nicely staggered over the depth of the room and also stay there as the levels go up. Amidst a hurricane set off by a symphony orchestra you can still follow single melody lines if you choose to (or focus on Nick Mason subtly working the high hat if big symphonic classical music is not your cup of tea).
Bass is a little on the warm side, but still tight and punchy. Double basses have plenty of weight, without getting bloated. This player may not do everything perfect, but neither does it do anything so wrong that it would distract you from the music. When comparing the players, I'd listen, take some notes, and go on to the next one after two or three minutes. With the D-33 I found myself having listened for over 20 minutes to the whole Brahms sonata, not having jotted down a single word. What more can you ask for?
D-35
The headphone out seems to be a little less powerful than those of the three others, but at listening levels I'd consider comfortable there was still plenty of headroom left in any case.
The spatial presentation is even better than the D-33, with an enormous realism. You could single out individual people in an applauding audience, the schoolyard scenes from The Wall are almost spooky. Tonally, the bass is tight, yet still has all the punch you wish for when necessary. Treble is crisp without being bright or grainy. Even at low volume levels, there's an amazing amount of detail and nuances that aren't that obvious with the other units, keeping the tension during soft passages before you're hit again with the full impact of its dynamics. Of these four players, this is certainly the one with the most grown up sound.
[size=small]The Conclusion[/size]
So obviously for me the D-35 comes out on top, and at least until I'll have the chance to listen to some of the really famous Sonys I'm very happy with it. To put things in perspective, a competent home setup of course will be in another league altogether, but as far as portables go I really like it. I also can't hide a lot of sympathy for the underdog, the D-33. It really makes music and considering that these players often go for as little as 5-10 bucks on ebay, it's really a massively underrated bargain.
I was a little underwhelmed by the D-25 and D-15, but in absolute terms the sound is still very enjoyable. They also have their looks and build quality going for them.
And of course, this is all just my opinion, purely subjective, and based on the sound of only the headphone output (driving veiled cans at that
).
[size=small]The Contestants[/size]
Sony D-15/D-25
Most of what you know about the D-25 is also true for the D-15, as the 25 was basically a facelift of the 15, so I won't go into too much detail. The lid had been restyled a little with a differently shaped bulge and window, and on the inside the 25 was upgraded to 4x oversampling. In contrast to the D-25's softbag, the D-15 came with a hardcase that did a much better job at protecting the player. It locks to a keyhole in the bottom, (which accordingly the D-25 doesn't have) and features cutouts for all plugs and buttons, so the unit can stay in the case while in use. The rest is all the same, no distracting features, backlit display (sort of amber on the D-15, more greenish on the D-25), line out, strong headphone out.
Both players are very handsome. My D-15 is white, which may be a little too much 80s for some, but I think it's very striking to look at.
Sony D-33
Striking looks isn't the first thing that comes to your mind when seeing a D-33. Purposeful looking maybe, trusty, cuddly in an odd way. Or just bulky, if you're mean spirited. It's about three jewel cases thick and about 1cm wider and deeper. A lot of plastic was used, however the bottom is metal. On top it features an unlit LCD display and extra large Open, Stop and Play/Pause buttons you just can't ever miss no matter how clumsy you are, as well as smaller ones for Skip/Search, Play Mode (Intro - plays the first few seconds of each track, Single - toggles the repeat mode, Shuffle, Program) and Repeat/Enter. On the front there's a combined hold/resume switch, which allows you to lock all buttons against accidental use or to turn off the resume function. For those who can never have enough bass, there's also a two level Megabass EQ, with switch positions 'normal', 'mid' and 'max', which is Sony speak for 'off', 'too much' and 'kaboom'. Both Megabass settings also boost the treble. On the back there's a line out and a plug for an external 9V DC source, internal power can be provided by 4 AA cells. Under the hood there's a dual DAC with 8x oversampling.
Sony D-35
The D-35 is about the same size as the D-15/25, just a little thicker. What really catches your eye, however, is the XXL display on the lid and the vast number of buttons (no fewer than 30 on the top side, plus Megabass and volume control on the front). To list all features you'd need about 41 pages (at least that's what it took Sony in the user's manual), but basically there's everything you'd expect from your full size home player and then some more. Highlight is certainly the numerical keypad. Want to play track 9? Just hit 9 and there you go (the player has of course already automatically detected the disc and shows the number of tracks and playtime in the display...). There's also a built in clock (buffered by a watch battery), which you can use to program the player to start or stop at a certain time.
Megabass is just like that on the D-33, so not really worth mentioning. Power source is by an internal 550mAh battery (certainly dead by now and seemingly impossible to get anymore), a battery holder for two AA cells you attach to the back, or an external 9V DC source. In addition to the 2x9mW headphone out, there's also a line out. The DAC is a dual one with 8x oversampling.
[size=small]The Sound[/size]
So how's the sound? I did all listening through the headphone outputs driving Sennheiser HD600s, with the levels matched as close as possible using a multimeter. Power was supplied to all players by the same 9V/1,5A regulated wallwart. My stationary system (NAD transport, Perpetual DAC, DIY Zen headphone amp) served as reference. The CDs I mainly used were:
- The Moscow Sessions - Shostakovich, Symphony No.1 - The Moscow Philharmonic, Lawrence Leighton Smith (Sheffield Lab)
- Stravinsky, The Rite of Spring - Kirov Orchestra, Valery Gergiev (Philips)
- Brahms, Sonatas for viola and piano op.120 - L.A. Tomter, L.O.Andsnes (Virgin)
- Bach, Partitas for solo violin BWV 1002,1004,1006 - Florin Paul (Tacet)
- Pink Floyd - The Wall
- The Corrs - Unplugged
D-15
The D-15 produces a quite compact soundstage, with not too much depth. This is not always a bad thing with solo instruments or small ensembles, as it seems to put you closer to the action. But as soon as there's more going on, things get a little crowded and everything seems smeared together. The audience applauding at the beginning of the Corrs' CD for instance isn't rendered as individuals clapping, but as one single wall of noise. The balance of the sound is somewhat on the dry side. Bass is tight and well defined, but ultimately a little lean. The treble is not too harsh, even a little too polite sometimes. This is however well matched to the bass, so overall the result is quite balanced.
D-25
Basically, the sound is quite comparable to the D-15. What the 25 gives you, however, is some more sparkle at the top. It's sibling would soften up the attack of a concert grand in an effort not to annoy you, but this one gives you the full impact. So I think the 25 is more honest in this regard, but there are drawbacks to this. While there's the right amount of treble energy, it's quality is a little harsh. Violins sound a tad like steel, the soundstage is even a little more two-dimensional, and in combination with the leanish bass you get a balance that's ultimately somewhat more fatiguing.
D-33
This player presents a soundstage that much more covers all three dimensions. Instruments are nicely staggered over the depth of the room and also stay there as the levels go up. Amidst a hurricane set off by a symphony orchestra you can still follow single melody lines if you choose to (or focus on Nick Mason subtly working the high hat if big symphonic classical music is not your cup of tea).
Bass is a little on the warm side, but still tight and punchy. Double basses have plenty of weight, without getting bloated. This player may not do everything perfect, but neither does it do anything so wrong that it would distract you from the music. When comparing the players, I'd listen, take some notes, and go on to the next one after two or three minutes. With the D-33 I found myself having listened for over 20 minutes to the whole Brahms sonata, not having jotted down a single word. What more can you ask for?
D-35
The headphone out seems to be a little less powerful than those of the three others, but at listening levels I'd consider comfortable there was still plenty of headroom left in any case.
The spatial presentation is even better than the D-33, with an enormous realism. You could single out individual people in an applauding audience, the schoolyard scenes from The Wall are almost spooky. Tonally, the bass is tight, yet still has all the punch you wish for when necessary. Treble is crisp without being bright or grainy. Even at low volume levels, there's an amazing amount of detail and nuances that aren't that obvious with the other units, keeping the tension during soft passages before you're hit again with the full impact of its dynamics. Of these four players, this is certainly the one with the most grown up sound.
[size=small]The Conclusion[/size]
So obviously for me the D-35 comes out on top, and at least until I'll have the chance to listen to some of the really famous Sonys I'm very happy with it. To put things in perspective, a competent home setup of course will be in another league altogether, but as far as portables go I really like it. I also can't hide a lot of sympathy for the underdog, the D-33. It really makes music and considering that these players often go for as little as 5-10 bucks on ebay, it's really a massively underrated bargain.
I was a little underwhelmed by the D-25 and D-15, but in absolute terms the sound is still very enjoyable. They also have their looks and build quality going for them.
And of course, this is all just my opinion, purely subjective, and based on the sound of only the headphone output (driving veiled cans at that
