But if you already have that rig, which sounds like a great setup, why change to something comparably sized but with a primitive UI?
That's all true. I would say it's a very good setup, not great. The weakest link is the Touch for sure. I can't say enough about the Slim, though, but that's another thread I guess. Mainly, I want one device and if it's an improvement in sound quality, all the better. I have a limit to what I'll endure, though, for a so called "portable" rig. An iPod touch and Slim is hardly extreme, especially around these parts...lol. Don't get me wrong about the iPod touch...it's not an enviable music device, but it does everything else, so it will probably stick around for awhile. Not to mention, I'm completely addicted to Slacker and Di.fm
Ok, so my shiny new 602 greeted me when I got home this evening, and although I've spent all of 10 minutes with it, I'll write some initial impressions. First, it's bigger than it looks in photos, and I've probably looked at them all on various sites. It's a chunk. That's not a complete negative though, as this is coming from a guy who immediately put a protector case on his iPod touch because it was too thin
. I also like the retro look. The build doesn't instill the most confidence in the world; it's really plasticky and there is some play in the main buttons. I'm a fairly careful individual though, so I'm not really worried about this. Speaking of UI: Ok, so some will certainly want more, especially those who have been living in the Apple universe for any period of time. My first DAP, years ago, was a Creative something or other (Zen? I could probably track it down if I had to.) and the UI was really, really, REALLY basic. Um, even it was better than the 602. Enough on that. Oh yeah, does this thing not come with a manual?!?!? It's mildly humorous figuring out the buttons for the first time...I won't ruin it for anyone.
Alright, now what really matters: the SOUND!!!
I won't give specifics, that would seem premature. I haven't loaded any of my own music, just listened to what was already loaded. The guy I bought it from has some nice 24bit classical, and some acoustical stuff as well. There is a lot of background noise with my se530's on low gain, obviously. I don't think I own a 1/4"-->1/8" adapter so I haven't tried any full size 'phones, but I'm dying to. A pair of PK1's I picked up yesterday should be arriving next week sometime, so I'll be eager to try those out. If I could sum up the sound in one word: Authoritative. What do I mean by that? Go dig up that Discman that everyone has somewhere in the garage packed up, or wherever, and put on your favorite cd. There is an attack and often bass response that's different than what you get out of an iPod. Even amped, for that matter. There is a fullness, I don't often get with my IEMs probably because of the sensitivity not allowing for higher volumes, that is apparent from the 602. It's not perfect, but it's something I've always enjoyed. The background noise isn't even a deal breaker for me....kinda analogue-y. There it is, the 602: A portable freakin Discman. Cool!
There are my initial impressions. I'll post later if anyone cares, but this is an intriguing little player!
