DAP always sounds worse than anything else

[crimsonadam]

My subject line sounds a bit harsh, but has anyone else found that their DAP sounds better than their PCDP or other dedicated sound source. I have yet to encounter such a situation. My PCDP or stereo (shelf/desk top Aiwa CD Player) always sounds better than the DAP. This is normal right?

I suppose that we are all swapping convenience for sound quality, but i wanted to make sure that i'm not alone.

I have a Dell Dj --> 320 kb LAME 3.96 MP3 --> Headroom Airhead --> Shure E2c/Beyer 770\80 Pro, i understand that's not the greatest, but it should be enough. I'm willing to accept some limitations, i just want to make sure that they are the normal limitations.

 

[Welly Wu]

I've found that HDD DAPs do not sound much better or worse than PCDPs (Apple iPod 2nd generation compared to the Panasonic SL-CT570). They both sound pretty bad compared to a dedicated source component. As such, I avoid them like the plague. For $600 USD plus tax and shipping, I would rather not buy the Apple iPod Photo, but invest that money elsewhere.

 

[kunwar]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Welly Wu I've found that HDD DAPs do not sound much better or worse than PCDPs (Apple iPod 2nd generation compared to the Panasonic SL-CT570). They both sound pretty bad compared to a dedicated source component. As such, I avoid them like the plague. For $600 USD plus tax and shipping, I would rather not buy the Apple iPod Photo, but invest that money elsewhere.

half of that spent on a Philips AZ6832 wouldn't be bad would it.

I keep scouring cash converter stores in Oz hoping to find one of the better CD players for my bedside rig.

 

[NightStalker]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kunwar I keep scouring cash converter stores in Oz hoping to find one of the better CD players for my bedside rig.

Hahaha I know what you mean

That just happens to be where I picked up my NAD for $49 with a few CD's chucked in

 

[mbryda]

Maybe it's the Dell DJ. IIRC that thing doesn't have that good SQ to begin with. (As with all things Dell, they are borderline junk. I'm in the IT indusrty, so I see 'em all.) That alone could be most of the problem.

I know that my 4G iPod sounds awesome through my E2c's. I use 232k AAC's on it and they sound wonderful. The iTunes Music Store downloads sound good, but you can tell they are a little compressed. But that's the same with all the download services. The record companies won't let them supply real HQ files. My MP3's - LAME VBR's from a couple years ago sound quite good too.

If you don't want to drop the cash for the iPod, they say the iRivers, Creatives, and Rios also have great sound quality (but questionable build quality). Not so sure about the Archos machines, but they are another option if you want to view video....

DAP's can sound good - you just have to pick a good one and use HQ files. It's the same old saying - Garbage in Garbage out.

 

[Wodgy]

I've had the opposite experience. Both the iRiver units and iPod sound very good to me, better than most PCDPs. It may have something to do with the elimination of a jittery transport and the clean battery power supplies. Stereophile also rates the iPod as being on par with many standalone CD players, and the measurements bear it out.

I suspect it's just your Dell player. Dell usually aims at the lowest price point; everything else, sound quality too probably, is a secondary consideration. (It's not as if you have much of a chance to audition it anyway before buying, since Dell is mail-order, so I can see sound quality as naturally being less of a priority.)

 

[bangraman]

Isn't the Dell a rebadged Creative? Besides what're you (and Welly) going to do? Lug around a generator and a deck? I wouldn't put it past Welly

, but anyone else?


Have you tried it unamped? Perhaps the headphone out's not reacting well with amping?

 

[Thisp]

I've had a Rio Karma, a Panasonic 800 something player for around $120, and the IRiver iMP550. They all sounded the same, as I expected. Except, when driven loudly... my Rio kicks the PCDP's ass. The Panasonic can go loud, but the Rio can go so much louder it's not comparable, without distortion. They all had the same flat frequency response, high SNR, and low distortion.

Perhaps other DAPs suck or my PCDPs suck, but my Rio's been better than the two PCDPs I remember using.

 

[Kirosia]

I find most DAPs/mp3 platers to sound better than your avg. PCDP. Some the better PCDP are either on par or somehwat better than the DAPs I've tried.

 

[philodox]

My av320 kills most PCDP's... it can't really hold up to a great home setup, but nothing that portable really can. I'm hoping that when I get my portable DAC and custom Amp that might change however.

 

[refault]

My Terratec 24/96 blows away the Karma. Though the Karma still sounds good enough for my ears as a portable with the SR-71 and the HD25-1.

My Karma does sound a lot better than my old school D-111 Sony PCDP and a bunch of Aiwa and newer Sony PCDP's I have heard.

 

[BRBJackson]

My iPod trounces most of the PCDPs I've heard/owned over the last several years. While I'm sure a good vintage portable would do the same to my Pod, I'm willing to forego that last level of fidelity for the convenience of taking 60% of my CD collection to anywhere in the world, on one device.

 

[Tim D]

I sold my Sony DE-J 2000 after owning the Rio Karma for awhile. The headphone out was definitely better, and the line-out was just as good if not better (although to really sound its best in the line-out/dock you need to disconnect the power/usb/network cables).

 

[insomniac]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mbryda Maybe it's the Dell DJ. IIRC that thing doesn't have that good SQ to begin with. (As with all things Dell, they are borderline junk. I'm in the IT indusrty, so I see 'em all.) That alone could be most of the problem. I know that my 4G iPod sounds awesome through my E2c's. I use 232k AAC's on it and they sound wonderful. The iTunes Music Store downloads sound good, but you can tell they are a little compressed. But that's the same with all the download services. The record companies won't let them supply real HQ files. My MP3's - LAME VBR's from a couple years ago sound quite good too. If you don't want to drop the cash for the iPod, they say the iRivers, Creatives, and Rios also have great sound quality (but questionable build quality). Not so sure about the Archos machines, but they are another option if you want to view video.... DAP's can sound good - you just have to pick a good one and use HQ files. It's the same old saying - Garbage in Garbage out.

I believe the Dell DJ was at least in part designed by Creative.
I've found the sound quality to be pretty close to the iPod 3g and 4g.

 

[austonia]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mbryda I know that my 4G iPod sounds awesome through my E2c's. I use 232k AAC's on it and they sound wonderful.

if you're using e2c, you may as well be using 128kbit MP3 (at best). seriously.