[dj_daniel88]

Hey all,

I own an iPod mini, I've had it for about 5 months now. I upgraded from a Sony NetMD. I really liked the sound from the sony, colourful and bassy, as apposed to the iPods rather 'flat' sound with minimal bass. I'm starting to miss the Sony sound, after listening to my mates NetMD again.

I am considering selling my iPod, and upgrading to a HD1 (already upgraded with MP3 support). I don't know if this is the best thing to do, because I haven't heard the sound of the Sony, and I wont be able to unless I buy one. So I ask how does the HD1 compare to the Sony minidisc range? In volume and sound? I read a lot about the HD1 being rather quiet, is this just the euro-capped ones? I would be buying an Aussie version which I know is not capped.

I really like the iPod mini for its durability, lots of volume, iTunes (god bless iTunes!) and ease of use. I would rather not change players, but if its the only way to get the bassy sound back, then I may consider it. Which brings me to my next question, is there anyway to get more bass out of the iPod? I am using Sennheiser PX200, and I will be buying a pair of Sony EX71 soon. The EQ on the iPod sucks...

The other downside about swapping to a Sony is the horrible SonicStage software... I downloaded it to try it out and it SUCKS compared to iTunes! Its improved from OpenMG however. The main thing that bugged me was how it organized its albums. It doesnt read the MP3 ID3 tags for albums, only songs, so with albums it sets it up thru 'Imported Songs' or 'Album 1, Album 2, Album 3' etc.... Thats really annoying...

Anyway what is ur advice? I appreciate ur input!

 

[bangraman]

I suggest you have a long look at the iAudio M3 if the lack of a main display doesn't bother you.


~the Sony has as uninspired (if not worse) a UI as the iRiver or the M3, so I don't think on this basis it's worth making a distinction.
~The remote is more informative than the RM-MC40ELK and shows nearly as much information as the HD1/s main display. Just as well as this is effectively the main display.
~The core sound of the M3 is not far away from the iPod, but the major difference is that you can layer in as much bass and 'sound enhancement' as you like.
~Has useful things like OTG playlists & voice recording
~You're not beholden to Sonicstage
~Is drag & drop, although I prefer to use it with something like j.River Media Center
~Although not as well built or as small as the Sony, it is practically as pocketable in the standard 20Gb guise
~More powerful headphone amp
~I believe ships with a 2-year warranty in most places.

 

[Naybor]

I also migrated from MD to the NW-HD1. I think the sound character is very similar. If you liked MD, you should like the HD1. You already know the limits of SS, but it is getting better all the time. SS 3.0 is coming out in the next month or so, maybe less as the Japanese version is shipping in a week.

Compared to the mini you get a similar size and build quality but 20 gigs vs. 5. You also get gapless playback. Also, the battery life is fantastic.

The user interface is not as good as the ipod for sure. It runs a little slowly. The random or shuffle play mode is very versatile and powerful, but a little confusing to get used to.

I think the HD1/2/3 series are very good players and deserve a serious look. I have been delighted with mine.

 

[Michael1980]

You don't have to use SonicStage. Vaio Transfer Utility works perfectly.

 

[dura]

After getting rid of my MD-player, I tried a number of players, amongst them theipod mini.
I found the mini to have an unpleasant hard and flat sound no matter what codec or phones I used.
Quite a disappointment, I loved itunes and the hardware (except for the ridiculous short batterylife; I sometimes ran out of steam on the same day I charged it, but the new ones are supposedly better).
For almost half a year I now have the NW-HD1 and must say I'm quite happy with it, despite it's limitations.
SQ is nice, warm with smooth treble and spatial, but not the last word in dynamics and power.
And it's small, durable and pretty, and has really long batterylife.
Sonic Stage is an incomprehensable disaster , but there is hope; Version 3 is expected within weeks if I'm correct.

 

[dj_daniel88]

I did actually consider the iAudio at some stage, but the lack of screen on the main unit bothers me... I never use remotes, I feel they get in the way. Everything else about it would be perfect. Anything else you could reccomend?

So how loud is the HD1 compared to MD?

Do you think Sony will release a new HD player (or another revised one) anytime soon? It would be great if they fixed up SonicStage. I also don't want to buy a HD1 to find a new one out a month later...

Thanks for your help guys!

 

[Naybor]

I find the volume similar to the MD units I have used.

Regarding new units: Sony has been releasing many new products lately. Considering the fact that the HD3 is really just a minor, somewhat cost reduced iteration of the HD1, I would not be surprised to see something new pretty soon. The 30 gig ipod photo has a pretty aggressively low price and the toshiba drive used by the HD1/2/3 series comes in a 30 gig format. Also, Sony has yet to really grab attention with their HDD players since they made the mistake of releasing the HD1 without MP3 support which gave everybody a good excuse to pan it. They lost the chance to build any momentum. They need something big to make a splash with.

Still, this is only speculation on my part.

All that said, I don't mind SS too much, already had tons of music in it from netmd days and love the overall benefits of my HD1. My kids both have ipods and when I have listened to them, I find the same sound quality that you describe. It just doesn't seem as pleasing to listen to. My biggest need would be a bigger HDD: 30 or 40 gig so I don't have to make any choices about what to carry. At this stage, I am not willing to trade battery life or size of the HD1 to get that on another player.