[Onix]

Hi, most folks here probably don't remember me, but I've been a headfier for a long time, left for a while and came back. And boy, when I came back nobody was into PCDPs anymore and it's all DAPs now. I have a Sony Walkman NWZ S764, but I use most of the time my phone, a Motorola (Nextel) i867w, with TTPod as player for FLAC files. But I got bitten again by the audio bug and decided to look for a better player and got a Sansa Clip + and rocboxed it. I kinda liked the sound for while, but in the end the soundstage came too constricted and the sound too harsh. Somebody described it as FM radio, and that was precisely the impression I got at first listening (another one said it was akin to see a woman taking a shower through a keyhole, and I also agree with that apreciation). So I am kinda inclined to confine the Sansa to my drawer and forget about it, but I'll rather ask for help in order to get the maximum sound from it. I've played with the eq and stereo config to no avail and have to wonder if there's something I am missing. Please give a hand here friends.
 
Oh, and I almost forgot, I'll be using the Sony XB500 headphones (the ones that look like monster truck wheels). They sound really nice with my Walkman and phone, so I was expecting the same with the Sansa.
 
Well, folks, that's it.I leave this matter in your kind hands, Thanks in advance.

 

[jnorris]

Up until last month I would have laughed at your comparison of the Clip+ to an FM radio or a keyhole.  Having just purchased a Samsung Galaxy Player 4.2, however, and having done some extensive comparisons between the Clip+, the e280 and the Samsung, I have to say that the comparison is dead on.  I can be fairly tin-eared when comparing source components, but the difference was immediately apparent.  The Samsung is head and shoulders above the Sansa. 

 

[Onix]

Quote:

Up until last month I would have laughed at your comparison of the Clip+ to an FM radio or a keyhole.  Having just purchased a Samsung Galaxy Player 4.2, however, and having done some extensive comparisons between the Clip+, the e280 and the Samsung, I have to say that the comparison is dead on.  I can be fairly tin-eared when comparing source components, but the difference was immediately apparent.  The Samsung is head and shoulders above the Sansa. 

So, I am not alone in this. I just saw a Galaxy Player and was wondering about it. How long is the battery life on it with FLAC files? I really can't use my phone for more than three hours, and my Walkman goes for days without a charge. So if you get a good battery life on the Samsung, I could really consider it. Thanks.

 

[proton007]

^^
If thats what you feel, there's no way to go about it. Use whatever you find best works for the combination. I've never used the Sansa with headphones, don't intend to.

 

[jnorris]

I can't really speak to battery life as I've never really tested it - or stressed it for that matter.  I use a combination of 128K, 160K and 392K MP3's as well as high bit rate FLACs, with some game playing and web surfing and haven't had an issue with having to recharge often.  I do turn off wireless and bluetooth unless I'm using them and the brightness is kept down.
 
And no, you're not alone.  The difference is night and day.
 
How's the weather in Mexico City - SUX here in New York!

 

[H20Fidelity]

There is a way to extract all the Clip+ has to offer.

What you need to do is amp it with rockbox set to 0db, tighten up the entire frequency range, extract all detail a Clip+ has to offer. I'm having good results with this little $100 amp C&C BH as typing this. You'll lose that weak thin sound the Clip tends to steer towards at higher volumes, gain a lot more control and a refined quality across the board. Also, the amp has it's own black space behind the music an atmosphere if you will...something the Clip+ lacks which will mask that FM Radio like tendency.

You need to use a copper interconnect cable though as silver plated or pure silver pushes the pairing over the edge leaning towards cold. You need copper there to push some warmth through, not a must but for best results. Spend $100 on the Clip+ to extract the signal and you'll gain much better results

You can check out the amp here, (runs for 80 hours)

http://www.head-fi.org/t/644363/c-c-bh-portable-headphone-amp-80-hours-from-a-single-charge-buyer-review

And a picture of them roughly for size comparison.

 

[Onix]

Quote:

I can't really speak to battery life as I've never really tested it - or stressed it for that matter.  I use a combination of 128K, 160K and 392K MP3's as well as high bit rate FLACs, with some game playing and web surfing and haven't had an issue with having to recharge often.  I do turn off wireless and bluetooth unless I'm using them and the brightness is kept down.
 
And no, you're not alone.  The difference is night and day.
 
How's the weather in Mexico City - SUX here in New York!

Really bad weather. Sunny and hot one minute, really cold the next one. I loved New York, I lived there for a couple of years and it was lovely, even if winters are too cold. I guess I'll check the Galaxy playnx.er and see if it sounds at least on par to my son's ipod. Tnx.

 

[Onix]

Quote:

There is a way to extract all the Clip+ has to offer.

What you need to do is amp it with rockbox set to 0db, tighten up the entire frequency range, extract all detail a Clip+ has to offer. I'm having good results with this little $100 amp C&C BH as typing this. You'll lose that weak thin sound the Clip tends to steer towards at higher volumes, gain a lot more control and a refined quality across the board. Also, the amp has it's own black space behind the music an atmosphere if you will...something the Clip+ lacks which will mask that FM Radio like tendency.

You need to use a copper interconnect cable though as silver plated or pure silver pushes the pairing over the edge leaning towards cold. You need copper there to push some warmth through, not a must but for best results. Spend $100 on the Clip+ to extract the signal and you'll gain much better results

You can check out the amp here, (runs for 80 hours)

http://www.head-fi.org/t/644363/c-c-bh-portable-headphone-amp-80-hours-from-a-single-charge-buyer-review

And a picture of them roughly for size comparison.

Something else to consider. Probably no a Chinese amp, but something from the U.S. instead, just because it would be cheaper for me. And the rig also looks very nice, congrats.

 

[H20Fidelity]

They were only put together for a quick photo, it's not my main rig. Just an option for you.

 

[proton007]

Quote:

Something else to consider. Probably no a Chinese amp, but something from the U.S. instead, just because it would be cheaper for me. And the rig also looks very nice, congrats.

Why would you want to spend money with the Clip? I think it defeats the purpose of a cheap and value for money solution in the first place. 
 
The clip+ has <1 Ohm output impedance. Thats amp category. Unless your headphones need a lot of power, I doubt there's anything to be gained.
 
Another thing. You've told us what you 'will' be using it with, so you don't have those headphones yet?

 

[Onix]

Quote:

Why would you want to spend money with the Clip? I think it defeats the purpose of a cheap and value for money solution in the first place. 
 
The clip+ has <1 Ohm output impedance. Thats amp category. Unless your headphones need a lot of power, I doubt there's anything to be gained.
 
Another thing. You've told us what you 'will' be using it with, so you don't have those headphones yet?

Yep, I guess it defeats its purpose by using an amp. I am considering getting a Porta Corda with a guy who's selling all his stuff, so I may give it a try with the Sansa, but I would rather like to use the amp with a non portable source like my DVD recorder. As for the XB500, they are my present cans. They sound bassy, but overall very nice.

 

[proton007]

Quote:

Yep, I guess it defeats its purpose by using an amp. I am considering getting a Porta Corda with a guy who's selling all his stuff, so I may give it a try with the Sansa, but I would rather like to use the amp with a non portable source like my DVD recorder. As for the XB500, they are my present cans. They sound bassy, but overall very nice.

Maybe try the sansa with an IEM if you can. That'll confirm where the problem is (ie you don't like the sansa's sound, or headphone/power mismatch).

 

[Onix]

Quote:

Maybe try the sansa with an IEM if you can. That'll confirm where the problem is (ie you don't like the sansa's sound, or headphone/power mismatch).

Good idea. Maybe I'll try some Shure or Klipsh IEMs. I need some anyway for when I use public transportation and the noise gets too loud. Thanks.

 

[kskwerl]

I agree with you about the Clip+ it's very sterile sounding