The i7 has shockingy good SQ for its price/size imo.
I recently did a lengthy comparison to my 5.5G 80 GB iPod using my Etymotic ER4P(using P to S conversion) as my reference. No EQ was used on either player. With the higher impedance "S" conversion I did need to use at least 30/40 on the i7 volume. It sounds clean even at full volume(40/40) into my Eclipse HU.
Using the iPod's headphone jack vs. the i7 it was no contest...i7 easily beats it. I find the i7 to have better extension at both ends with a more accurate sound overall (more detail). Even using the Aux. input on my Eclipse HU in my truck (using Eclipse Point Source speakers) I can easily hear the more detailed sound/wider FR that the i7 offers(using no EQ or other sound enhancements). With high quality compression (245~320 kbps) it sounds very close to playing a Redbook CD...which the iPod failed to do using the headphone output.
I do realize that beating the iPod is no huge task for some lesser known DAPs...read on.
My second challenge for the i7 was to compare it to that same iPod using the line-out into my Meier Porta Corda MkIII-USB portable amp. It held up very well. There was a slight difference, a small advantage favoring the iPod->line- out->amp. With the iPod/amp setup there was a slightly wider/more open soundstage with all other aspects(bass & treble extension/detail) being nearly equal if not indistinguishable.
Of course when you get into driving full size headphones with higher impedance ,the portable amp is a must with SQ differences becoming very obvious.
Thanks for reading
I recently did a lengthy comparison to my 5.5G 80 GB iPod using my Etymotic ER4P(using P to S conversion) as my reference. No EQ was used on either player. With the higher impedance "S" conversion I did need to use at least 30/40 on the i7 volume. It sounds clean even at full volume(40/40) into my Eclipse HU.
Using the iPod's headphone jack vs. the i7 it was no contest...i7 easily beats it. I find the i7 to have better extension at both ends with a more accurate sound overall (more detail). Even using the Aux. input on my Eclipse HU in my truck (using Eclipse Point Source speakers) I can easily hear the more detailed sound/wider FR that the i7 offers(using no EQ or other sound enhancements). With high quality compression (245~320 kbps) it sounds very close to playing a Redbook CD...which the iPod failed to do using the headphone output.
I do realize that beating the iPod is no huge task for some lesser known DAPs...read on.
My second challenge for the i7 was to compare it to that same iPod using the line-out into my Meier Porta Corda MkIII-USB portable amp. It held up very well. There was a slight difference, a small advantage favoring the iPod->line- out->amp. With the iPod/amp setup there was a slightly wider/more open soundstage with all other aspects(bass & treble extension/detail) being nearly equal if not indistinguishable.
Of course when you get into driving full size headphones with higher impedance ,the portable amp is a must with SQ differences becoming very obvious.
Thanks for reading