[GuffMorgan]

Really hate to start a post just for myself, but maybe it'll help someone else down the line...

I sold my 30GB X5 to my Dad and ordered the 60GB version, however, in the time it took ecost.com to process my order they sold out and were put on backorder. So now I sit and wait for them to get more and then I start wondering, is the X5 the way I really should go?

I've looked around and my candidates seem to be the X5 60GB ($365 from ecost.com), Rio Karma (~$210 on compupus.com, the price constantly fluctuates), or an iRiver iHP-120 ($320 new on misticaudio.com, or I can find a refurbed one on ebay, etc., and install Rockbox).

Right now I just use 320kbps MP3, though I'm looking into going all FLAC files, however that's not a really big thing since all 3 players can support FLAC. None are really known for their normal line-out, which is fine as I doubt I'll use it much since I really just want a good headphone out for SR60's, or the Street Styles if they're good. So which has the best sounding headphone out (I know this is a question with an opinionated answer, but I'd like to read them when compared to each other)? Also, the only one that doesn't support Gapless is the X5, which does agitate me at times when I'd want it to have it, however if the X5 is the obvious winner soundwise then I can live with it.

I guess my main worries are that the X5 doesn't have Gapless, however the 60GB HD is quite nice; the Karma is known to be buggy, though, I would spend the money to get a nice Vaja case for it if that's all it really needs to stay safe; and I've read before that the iHP-1X0's headphone out doesn't sound quite as good as the X5's. Video matters not to me, nor does picture capability really, all it is to me is an audio player.

Thoughts? Also I'm completely open to suggestions, and let's pretend price isn't a factor. Thanks.

 

[The D]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GuffMorgan Really hate to start a post just for myself, but maybe it'll help someone else down the line... I sold my 30GB X5 to my Dad and ordered the 60GB version, however, in the time it took ecost.com to process my order they sold out and were put on backorder. So now I sit and wait for them to get more and then I start wondering, is the X5 the way I really should go? I've looked around and my candidates seem to be the X5 60GB ($365 from ecost.com), Rio Karma (~$210 on compupus.com, the price constantly fluctuates), or an iRiver iHP-120 ($320 new on misticaudio.com, or I can find a refurbed one on ebay, etc., and install Rockbox). Right now I just use 320kbps MP3, though I'm looking into going all FLAC files, however that's not a really big thing since all 3 players can support FLAC. None are really known for their normal line-out, which is fine as I doubt I'll use it much since I really just want a good headphone out for SR60's, or the Street Styles if they're good. So which has the best sounding headphone out (I know this is a question with an opinionated answer, but I'd like to read them when compared to each other)? Also, the only one that doesn't support Gapless is the X5, which does agitate me at times when I'd want it to have it, however if the X5 is the obvious winner soundwise then I can live with it. I guess my main worries are that the X5 doesn't have Gapless, however the 60GB HD is quite nice; the Karma is known to be buggy, though, I would spend the money to get a nice Vaja case for it if that's all it really needs to stay safe; and I've read before that the iHP-1X0's headphone out doesn't sound quite as good as the X5's. Video matters not to me, nor does picture capability really, all it is to me is an audio player. Thoughts? Also I'm completely open to suggestions, and let's pretend price isn't a factor. Thanks.

From what I have read the Karma has the best headphone out, then the X5, then the h120.

BTW the X5 can do very near gapless with WAV files (the gap is about 2/1000 of a second)
http://iaudiophile.net/forums/showth...hlight=gapless

 

[LaBreaHead]

I love my Karma, but I doubt that any case, on its own, could make it "stay safe." (I had to get that out of the way. Supposedly, certain past issues are in the past.)

Then again, you show enough hesitation that, if it's fairly certain that you would be the kind of consumer to get a newer DAP within a couple of years, anyway, you might try the Karma -- for the listening experience while it's still available, if nothing else (plus, you've already experienced the Cowon). The Karma certainly sounds sweet on Shure E3Cs using just 192 kbps -- 320 or FLAC on Grados, etc., should sound that much better.

 

[wanderman]

the x5 is the only one of those players that you mentioned that has a crappy line-out. A new h120 is not worth, but rockbox is amazing. If you plan to go lossless those capacity players aren't really acceptable. I would try ogg vorbis out for lossy it is amzing stuff, and if you do get the iriver wavpack is they way to go.

Imo the karma and the x5 have equvialent headphone out. The iriver's headphone out is not as clean as the others but the issue only presents it self when using really sensetive iems. The iriver with the convienence of optical out and analog out is really good. The h300 series is having rockbox ported to it.

 

[wolfen68]

The only thing that would worry me about the H120 is what if you have a warranty issue?

Since it's "old stock" and now discontinued....(if you were even lucky enough to get an RMA from iRiver).....what would they send you back as a replacement unit....an H10? That's a lot of money to end up with an inferior DAP.

Otherwise, I agree that the h120 and X5 are both solid players.