[Caribou679]

Quote:

Originally Posted by konya /img/forum/go_quote.gif IMO COWONs is the worst sounding players...

IMO COWONs are amongst the best sounding players,
...
regards

 

[Assorted]

If you think iAudio is digitalized, so is Kenwood, in my opinion. But between the D2 and any Kenwood DAP, the latter is a step up with a good portable amp.

 

[afternoon025]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Assorted /img/forum/go_quote.gif If you think iAudio is digitalized, so is Kenwood, in my opinion. But between the D2 and any Kenwood DAP, the latter is a step up with a good portable amp.

but kenwood daps get only PO but no LO?

 

[Punnisher]

Cowon players do not sound digitized or even digitalized.

This stems from people using crappily encoded files with bad headphones, IMO. Spend some time with cowon player + good encodings + good headphones and you will see that.

 

[FrederikS|TPU]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Caribou679 /img/forum/go_quote.gif IMO COWONs are amongst the best sounding players, ... regards

x2. I haven't heard the Kenwood players yet since nobody seems to be selling them in Denmark. The Cowons are a major step up compared to iPods.Why don't you just get a 5.5 G iPod (Rockboxed) and a good LOD and an amp? Seems like the obvious choice.

 

[Assorted]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Punnisher /img/forum/go_quote.gif Cowon players do not sound digitized or even digitalized. This stems from people using crappily encoded files with bad headphones, IMO. Spend some time with cowon player + good encodings + good headphones and you will see that.

Have you tried the iMod, or any HDD Sony players (like the HD1, HD5)? Just curious what you're basing your statement on, that's all

 

[DocForbin]

cowon players are usually regarded as among the best sounding available, I think you can safely ignore the last couple comments...

 

[konya]

I have got
*COWON D2 & F2
*SAMSUNG U3 and iTOUCH.



COWONs have unnatural,illbalanced(too bass) and cold sound.

I usually use FLAC and 320kb MP3 (sometimes 192 and 128).
I cant enjoy my COWONs sound.

This is just my opinion.


I am sorry for my English.I am a TURK

 

[qqbingbing]

Go for the kenwood~~~A7,B9 or D9, all of them are really good.

 

[Assorted]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DocForbin /img/forum/go_quote.gif cowon players are usually regarded as among the best sounding available, I think you can safely ignore the last couple comments...

The problem is people who only have the iPod + D2 + Sansa (or some other DAP) are usually the one's making the claim.

 

[FenderP]

Quote:

Originally Posted by afternoon025 /img/forum/go_quote.gif IYO ,is that worth to go gold plating EC model with about 100 more USD than the normal one?

Couldn't tell you. Never heard the other one.

 

[Almoxil]

I have compared my Cowon D2 to my older Creatives (ZV:M and ZV+), Meizus (M6 SP and M3), my brother Sony (NW-S610 Series) and one of my friends Sandisk (e200 Series).

The D2 left them all eating dust when playing the same MP3s (320 kbps CBR or 192 kbps VBR) through the same IEMs (Atrio M5) or cans (Alessandro MS-1 and Audio Technica ATH-ESW9). My brother's Sony comes close a second, my Meizus ranked third and Creatives were the worst. Everything with flat EQ.

As far as sound enhancements go, there's no match in those players for Mach3Bass (and BBE for that matter): Sony ClearBass came close, but no enough; Meizu players bass boost isn't as clear, and the enhancements on my Creatives are utterly crappy (making the sound "veiled"). So, enabling sound enhancements on the players did little difference.

 

[qqbingbing]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FenderP /img/forum/go_quote.gif Couldn't tell you. Never heard the other one.

The D9EC is in white colour and its meant to be hissless.

 

[LostPhil]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Assorted /img/forum/go_quote.gif The problem is people who only have the iPod + D2 + Sansa (or some other DAP) are usually the one's making the claim.

But also others chiming in who've only heard them with miss-matched headphones or not at all are saying that they sound terrible.

I don't think that they sound too artificial. Yes, the D2 lacks the bottom end with low imp. headphones but the X5 with my Equation Audio RP-21's sounds great. Also, with higher impedance headphones (or an attenuator this improves the voices quite a bit IMO), the D2 sounds great too. The voices sound fine and everything seems balanced and detailed with my x3i's.

The problem is, a lot of people (including me) don't actually know what is "natural". They get used to a certain sound and anything different gets put in a negative light because of it. How many people have heard their favourite artist play acoustic, in person?

That's why I don't ever say X is better than Y and don't really pay much attention to people who do.

And to your earlier statement - even if they had heard an iMod, wouldn't the necessary amp give the sound it's characteristics? And who made the HD5 a reference? It's all personal opinion.

 

[Assorted]

I used to think the iPod sounded natural, detailed with great separation and soundstaging before I've had more diversity in my listening experiences.

It's the level of experience that matters more: a person who's had more experience with top quality DAPs, like the iMod, or even the NW-HD5 (a great representation of Sony house sound), the expensive Kenwood line, iPods, iRiver Hxx/Hxxx series, vintage CD players, and various Samsung and Cowon products, would have a more qualified opinion than somebody who's only have had experience with one Cowon product and an iPod.

I'm not disqualifying personal opinion, but I would take the word of a portable audio enthusiast who's been in the market for a while instead.

I haven't said that the D2 sounds bad. Nor is it analytical, it's just a cute little portable player with great memory potential and aesthetics that have been overhyped by a chain of newbies who say: "Cowon products are highly regarded here, you should get those and ignore all other comments."

Edit: An amp would need to give the iMod it's sound characteristic, but since the level is simply above the mainstream portable market, it would need a broken, or a terrible amplifier to make it sound worse than a D2.