[Noob2]

I've had the Sony NW-E005 2GB that I've been using since 2006. Still going strong, and it doesn't look like it'll ever die. I'm satisfied with the SQ because I don't know any better, but when I read discussions on best player here, it's not even in the conversation, which tempts me to look at models that are

. (And unlike reviews I've read, I like the E005's simple interface, and 3rd party software gets around sonicstage, so accessibility isn't a problem.)
 
So I wanted to ask for opinions from those that have owned or own the E005 if it would be worth it for me to upgrade(?) to clip+ or gumstick for the SQ. I only own two cheapish IEMs (eterna and Xears td100), use VBR lame encoded mp3s, don't use an amp (and don't want to) and am no audiophile (can't tell the difference between VBR and 320kbps mp3s or FLAC). Would I be able to feel the difference if I were to upgrade players, esp. since I'm using IEMs and not full sized headphones?

 

[toughnut]

Clip+ will be better option. Tried and tested.
 
Advantages over your old Sony,
1. Drag and drop, no more SonicStage torturing
2. microSD expansion slot
3. rockbox firmware
4. Perhaps better sound quality

 

[Noob2]

Sorry if I wasn't clear, I'm happy with the E005's functionality. Bigger space would be nice, but I'm used to changing the contents every week. My main motivation for upgrading will be SQ. Have you heard the E005 before toughnut?

 

[toughnut]

Nope, but i do have 3 Sony players before. S205 (bloated bass and veiled, disappointing), S639 (very fun sound) and X1060 (good overall SQ but hiss annoyed me). IMO, all newer Sony SQ a lot better compared to previous SonicStage era players. I havent try Clip+ but will try to get one soon as backup.

 

[fredman22]

I have noob2. I actually have one, but haven't used it in awhile.  To me, the E005 was the 'cold'est sounding of all my Sony portables (3 Hi-MDs, an HDP, 2 flash Atrac players & the A829) and very much like the A829 playing AAC350VBR. All the others were much warmer.  IMO you'll be right at home with a newer AAC/MP3 DAP.  The larger capacity will prove much more convenient, too.  Transfer will be much easier  but you'll have to ditch SS and get a ripper/converter like dbPoweramp (I hope you still have your source stuff and not just a bunch of Atrac files). FWIW I was much more enamored by my E507 (1Gb) which sounded much closer to HiMd. I eventually settled on a nice group of mellow favorites (about 5hrs worth @A3+/352kbps) and still use it now and then. It's got a nice FM too.  Good luck.

 

[Noob2]

Thanks for the info fredman22! Interesting that it sounds similar to A series. Only complaints of E005 I have is the slight hiss and my eterna's trebs don't sound as nice compared to when its plugged straight into my notebook (but the E005 still sounds better than my W995 phone). I use 3rd party software to transfer files, so that hasn't been a problem.
 
Are there any new stick type players that you would recommend? I won't use the DAP for video, don't want touch screen (want physical buttons to operate w/o looking) and like small size to fit in my pocket together with my phone. In terms of functionality stick players are perfect for me, but it seems stick players aren't rated as highly for their sound? I hate the idea of paying for a phone tricked out with functions I don't want. Am I asking for too much?

 
While I've read some good reviews about the hippo gumstick, i'm weary of the build quality of hisound products too (seen pics of masking tape used to hold the insides together) and I understand hippo gumstick is just a hisound rebrand?

 

[ClieOS]

If you are just looking for a small and simple DAP for music, Gumstick is actually quite excellent for that purpose. I have been using it for the last couple of weeks and it certainly doesn't come short compared to my Fuze. While Fuze has a warmer mid, Gumstick is better on both end (treble/bass) and has a stronger output.
 
While I can't confirm on whether HiSound is the OEM or not, for what I know that Gumstick is at least better than the HiSound on the fact that it doesn't hiss. I have seen masking tape inside Sony and Panasonic player before, so that really isn't a big deal at all.
 

 

[Noob2]

Quote:

I have seen masking tape inside Sony and Panasonic player before, so that really isn't a big deal at all.
 

haha! Gumstick sounds perfect then. Will check it out this weekend. Is the "hisound" poster here a rep from for hisound?
 
http://www.erji.net/read.php?tid=891179&page=e

 

[ClieOS]

Yes, he is. So it does seem HiSound manufactures the Gumstick for Hippo. Well at least they correct the hissing problem in Rocoo-A in the Gumstick and makes it more suitable for more sensitive headphone.

 

[david1978jp]

I think you should get Sansa Clip+. After you Rockbox it, you have almost endless settings. Beside, Sansa Clip+ is a mature product. Gumstick is so new, how many bugs (both hardware and software) do you want to deal with? Buttons on Rocoo feel flimsy, I hope they last.

 

[Noob2]

Went ahead and bought the gumstick today. At the shop I thought I was hearing a definite difference, as did my brothers who came along...
 
When I went home though, I realized that the "rock" eq preset was probably on. Whenever I turn the gumstick off and on, it will reset the eq back to "rock". Annoying. On normal setting, I THINK I am hearing a difference, but it's very slight. Sounds slightly brighter than my sony phone and E005. I think. Maybe it's placebo. My brother says the difference to him is huge, but if I wasn't comparing them side by side, and you randomly plugged in one for me to listen, if it wasn't for the hiss on the E005, I don't think I'd be able to name the player. For example, I can hear a much bigger difference from my computer's headphone out than any difference between my gumstick, E005 or phone. It's also possible I've lost a lot of hearing going to loud gigs when I was younger. Will you be reviewing the gumstick's SQ ClieOS? I hope you do one
 
EQ
The custom EQ is pretty good, 5band, goes to +/-12db for each band - nice. The very weird thing about the EQ tho, is custom settings when all set to zero is softer than the "normal" preset.
 
Hiss
No hiss! Hooray. Improvement over the E005. Playing a silent track, I only start to hear some soft crackling with the volume at 26/31. Normal listening for me is between 12/31 to 15/31, so it's not an issue at all.
 
Buttons
You're right about the buttons david1978jp. Not so much flimsy, but compared to my E005, not as responsive, especially the play button. The hippo also needs to be powered on and off, which isn't as convenient as the E005 (pressing pause effectively turns the player off, and turns on instantly when you press play).
 
Navigation
I can't figure out the folder arrangement. It's not listing them alphabetically, neither is it listing them by transfer date. Seems totally random?? Any idea ClieOS?
 
Compared to the E005, skipping albums is easier on the E005, and the nav system seems more intuitive. But the Hippo has  shortcut button to EQ, so if you get used to it, navigation might get faster than E005 if you like to tinker settings.
 
BBE
The instruction paper (note I didn't say booklet ) says it has BBE settings, but I found none.
 
Transfer speed - very fast.
 
Overall, starting to feel it was a bit of an impulse buy. If I could reset today, I wouldn't have bought it, but not regretting it too much either. I don't think the upgrade is big enough to warrant getting a new player, but I feel its still an upgrade. If I didn't already have an mp3 player, at the price I think it's a good buy despite its flaws. Maybe the clip would have been better, but I won't bother testing it out now.
 
edit: Hope this doesn't sound too negative. I don't have any big headphones to test out, and I guess the major feature of the hippo gumstick is its ability to power headphones w/o an amp, so others may find it more useful than I have.
 
My perfect mp3 player would be a souped up (or more bare bones) version of the E005. No radio, no recording, no lyrics, no ebook reader, no transfer software required, no video, no touch pad, no need to switch player on/off. Good SQ, simple navigation and cheap price is all I ask for.
 
edit: After more playing around with, it seems the player remembers the last eq setting used (for the sound coming out), but the display always resets to "rock".

 

[ClieOS]

Actually the 'Rock EQ' reset is a firmware display glitch. It will display Rock EQ when startup but it actually is still the same EQ you selected last time. This means if you are on Normal / no EQ before, it is still no EQ when startup but it will display 'Rock' anyway. If you actually select Rock EQ, you will find the sound is not the same.
 
On SQ, I can easily tell b/w Gumstick and Fuze since Fuze is warmer and more mid centric compared to Gumstick slightly brighter,, cleaner, more extended sound. Another point is that Gumstick has a more powerful output, which is more obvious on difficult to drive headphone. I have been using my RE0 and Sunrise Charm (150ohm earbud) on Gumstick and it drives them better than Fuze's headphone-out. Personally I find Gumstick SQ to be b/w Fuze and s:flo2, but closer (and slightly better) than Fuze.I will probably review Gumstick sometime next month.
 
As for navigation, I use WMP11 to sync so everything is automatically organized in its own folder by artist, then album (and it is how the albums are organized in the Gumstick for me).