Pangaea
Headphoneus Supremus
- Joined
- May 7, 2007
- Posts
- 2,980
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- 12
My new DAP arrived yesterday and since there is a lot of anticipation surrounding the iAudio 7 and not much in the way of reviews I thought I would start. This is my first non-apple DAP in a long time. I am def a fan of Apple gear, love their computers and still think the interface of iTunes and iPods is second to none. But lately the sound (unamped) just isn't doing it for me and I wanted a rig that did not require an amp. Basically my search for a new DAP began when I brought my Nano/T-1 to work and realized the amp's battery died. I tried using the HP out and just shut it off after a couple minutes.
So once again HF pointed me in some new directions and finally I decided the new iAudio 7 was the one for me. My REQS: Small, at least 8 gigs, compatible with Macs, and a solid HP out SQ. All of these features I could verify prior to buying EXCEPT the SQ. I am happy to say the SQ is very good- no great.
I have paired it with 3 different HPs at this point (SR-60, X3, and ATH-SJ5). Surprisingly the Grados paired the worst, they still sound good but I was much more impressed by the X3s and the AT. I am not a fan of Canal/ IEMs but this DAP may change my mind. I may even dig out my e4Cs. Burned by the iPods EQ I was a little nervous playing around with the 7's sound effects but they work great. You can customize this thing to the hilt. And if you find a sig you like you can save it to preset. I could write a novel explaining all of these features but the best advice would be to just play with it. You will find your sound.
Once I found my sound, it was pure bliss. Great soundstage (even w/ X3!) the bass is very tight (I am not a
so I keep mine tucked in but its there) and the overall sound is so sharp. Not harsh, but the opposite of what I did not like about the ipod, which was SO flat. It is very exciting to listen to and even more grin inducing when you realize all you got with you is slightly larger than a pack of gum player and some canal phones.
I have an iMod and it is NO iMod. The sound of the iMod is too honest to ever be replicated by a more trad DAP but you will feel the music in the same way as the iMod. It is super clean, crisp and fun.
The interface is a little tricky at first. Set the touch control to slow, that will help. Also if you are using a Mac like me it a bit more time consuming to get your music on the 7. What I did was find the Apple Lossless files I wanted on the DAP, then convert to 320 MP3. Add a (MP3) tag to the album title (so I can find it easily in my folders) then go into my music (under iTunes) and drag and drop. Certainly not as easy as the iTunes sync but not painful enough to avoid looking into the 7.
That brings up another point, I generally always listen to lossless music out of my iPods. Until I can find an easy way to convert to FLAC I am forced to use high BR MP3 and I am still finding the SQ that MUCH better than the iPod HP out. There is an option on the 7 that enhances the warmth of MP3 files and it works marvels IMO.
In closing this DAP fits its purpose for me- a portable player that does not need an amp. I will also add that I did a quick comparison between just the 7 and the iPod video with a Total Airhead (from line out) and the 7 was alot more fun/ crisp/ clean. The iPod sound sig is just so darn dull, even amped.
So once again HF pointed me in some new directions and finally I decided the new iAudio 7 was the one for me. My REQS: Small, at least 8 gigs, compatible with Macs, and a solid HP out SQ. All of these features I could verify prior to buying EXCEPT the SQ. I am happy to say the SQ is very good- no great.
I have paired it with 3 different HPs at this point (SR-60, X3, and ATH-SJ5). Surprisingly the Grados paired the worst, they still sound good but I was much more impressed by the X3s and the AT. I am not a fan of Canal/ IEMs but this DAP may change my mind. I may even dig out my e4Cs. Burned by the iPods EQ I was a little nervous playing around with the 7's sound effects but they work great. You can customize this thing to the hilt. And if you find a sig you like you can save it to preset. I could write a novel explaining all of these features but the best advice would be to just play with it. You will find your sound.
Once I found my sound, it was pure bliss. Great soundstage (even w/ X3!) the bass is very tight (I am not a
I have an iMod and it is NO iMod. The sound of the iMod is too honest to ever be replicated by a more trad DAP but you will feel the music in the same way as the iMod. It is super clean, crisp and fun.
The interface is a little tricky at first. Set the touch control to slow, that will help. Also if you are using a Mac like me it a bit more time consuming to get your music on the 7. What I did was find the Apple Lossless files I wanted on the DAP, then convert to 320 MP3. Add a (MP3) tag to the album title (so I can find it easily in my folders) then go into my music (under iTunes) and drag and drop. Certainly not as easy as the iTunes sync but not painful enough to avoid looking into the 7.
That brings up another point, I generally always listen to lossless music out of my iPods. Until I can find an easy way to convert to FLAC I am forced to use high BR MP3 and I am still finding the SQ that MUCH better than the iPod HP out. There is an option on the 7 that enhances the warmth of MP3 files and it works marvels IMO.
In closing this DAP fits its purpose for me- a portable player that does not need an amp. I will also add that I did a quick comparison between just the 7 and the iPod video with a Total Airhead (from line out) and the 7 was alot more fun/ crisp/ clean. The iPod sound sig is just so darn dull, even amped.
