Well okay guys, here are my impressions of the Studio V (Dynamic Firmware) compared to the Colourfly C4 (Normal EQ).
Note: I only had around 45 minutes with the C4 unit so please take my comparison with a pinch of salt.
First, lets start off with the highs, the highs on the C4 is clear, detailed but not emphasized much, (perhaps to give the balanced feeling?) Coming from the studio v, the C4's highs sound warm and yet not as detailed as the studio v's highs. The studio v's highs on dynamic firmware tend to be quite emphasized but frankly, i have come to love that aspect of the player.
The mids on the C4 is warm. It has slightly laid-back vocals while the studio v has more forward sounding vocals as well as being much more detailed. The C4 had a more musical feeling then the studio v.
The lows of the C4 has noticeably more impact as well as quantity. It does not have the punchy/tight bass compared to the studio v. One issue i had with the studio v was about it's bass. While bass light, i felt the studio v was lacking in sub-bass. The C4's bass was full and extended deep.
Soundstage wise, Studio V has slightly better depth and noticeably wider as well as more spacious soundstage. Not only that, but i felt studio v had better center imaging. Truth be told, i did not expect the studio v to hold it's own soundstage wise compared to the c4. This was quite surprising.
Hiss was practically non-existent on the C4 while it was quite noticeable on the studio v, especially in quiet passages.
Battery life: C4 has around 6 hours or so of battery while for me, with normal usage the studio v has around 45 hours. A big enough difference for me to look to the studio as a portable player.
Looks wise, the C4 is much much bulkier than the studio v as can be easily seen from the pictures. Weight wise, the C4 is slightly heavier. Overall both has the 'high-end' look but C4-with it's walnut wood and brushed brass, clearly beats the studio v in the department of physical looks.
As of now, i can see why if only Hisoundaudio fixed the studio v's hiss issue, it could be a killer player. Seriously, IMO if it can hold it's own against the C4, this player has the potential to go very very far.