is it me or do laptops sounds better than ipods?
Feb 11, 2010 at 10:24 PM Post #16 of 33
There is no such thing as a "USB > mini cable" - what you need is a USB DAC. There are a lot of portable amps that include USB DAC's (including from ibasso). So you go USB from the PC to the USB input on the DAC/Amp. There are also stand-alone USB DACs - for use in my office (non-portable), I use one of these (a Music Hall 25.2). And yes, I just use iTunes as the player.
 
Feb 12, 2010 at 5:38 AM Post #18 of 33
There's plenty of players that do better than ipod . . . but laptops are hit and miss. My Dell Vostro 1500 for example wasn't grounded properly . . . then include questionable integrated (realtek usually) performance and they're not worth messing with in terms of integrated sound.
 
Feb 12, 2010 at 6:04 AM Post #19 of 33
I remember my G4 ibook sounded better than my 4th gen ipod when i compared them years ago. My very last revision Powerbook 1.67Ghz had particularly good SQ. It didn't sound as good when the combined charge/sound board was replaced- about equivalent to a Santa Rosa Macbook Pro.
 
Feb 12, 2010 at 6:27 AM Post #20 of 33
My sister's Dell Inspiron e1405 sounded terrible in comparison to my, at the time I used both, Zune 8.

Now I have a Samsung Q320 and it sounds better than my Sony E345 (Which sounds better than the Zune 8).

Like someone said above, it's a hit and miss when it comes to laptop audio.
 
Feb 12, 2010 at 6:27 AM Post #21 of 33
The G4 had really quality output other than hiss. If I remember correction, I saw Bur Brown in the signal. Newer MacBooks are pretty rubbish though there is less hiss.

And Shike: everyone will have their preference. iPods have no less power or fidelity than any other DAP, just less emphasis on those spots like bass and lower midrange that everyone thinks is great.

However, I will agree that the EQ is rubbish.
 
Feb 12, 2010 at 6:51 AM Post #22 of 33
Quote:

Originally Posted by shigzeo /img/forum/go_quote.gif
And Shike: everyone will have their preference.


Preference isn't an excuse for cheapening the parts in their players.

Quote:

iPods have no less power or fidelity than any other DAP


Sure they do, Apple's been downgrading them each generation. They take out the few quality parts and keep replacing them with rubbish to the point where an imod is no longer worth it.

The fact is the classics perform empirically worse than the 5G players before them. If you like that sound it's one thing, but in terms of fidelity it's another.
 
Feb 12, 2010 at 7:20 AM Post #23 of 33
When I first purchased my Westone UM3X, I tested it out on my laptop(Fujitsu). It almost made me cry, the sound quality is downright horrible. I then went to use it on my iPod and it sounds WAY better than my laptop.
 
Feb 12, 2010 at 7:37 AM Post #24 of 33
Right, I guess I am just looking at the DAP market. Everyone has cheapened their players, unless they are small manufacturers like HiSound. Everyone else are using worse/cheaper chips.

However, at least iPods now have no or very little bass roll off and no hiss. There is a certain signature lost when the Wolfson went away, but I remember people not liking that one when it was there. It just shows that people want to hate iPods.

When the iPod had bass roll off, that is all that anyone would talk about. Now that it doesn't, no one talks about it anymore. Instead they say something else sucks and that bass roll off doesn't matter. It is just trend in audiophile communities to smack around Apple without any justification other than what amounts to person preferences.
 
Feb 12, 2010 at 8:04 AM Post #25 of 33
Quote:

Originally Posted by shigzeo /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Right, I guess I am just looking at the DAP market. Everyone has cheapened their players, unless they are small manufacturers like HiSound. Everyone else are using worse/cheaper chips.


Yes, but some are still going to be better than others. The Zune uses Wolfson parts and is dead quiet for the most part for example

Quote:

However, at least iPods now have no or very little bass roll off and no hiss. There is a certain signature lost when the Wolfson went away, but I remember people not liking that one when it was there. It just shows that people want to hate iPods.


I don't believe I've ever spoken of the sound signature, just what the measurements have shown?

Quote:

When the iPod had bass roll off, that is all that anyone would talk about. Now that it doesn't, no one talks about it anymore. Instead they say something else sucks and that bass roll off doesn't matter. It is just trend in audiophile communities to smack around Apple without any justification other than what amounts to person preferences.


I'm pretty sure I spoke beyond preference
confused_face.gif



The cost to performance benefit of ipods isn't there for me, and iTunes is a resource monger on Windows which makes it worse. That's why I don't like them.
 
Feb 12, 2010 at 8:35 AM Post #26 of 33
The Zune is a pretty nice player, but then, like iTunes, it requires proprietary software and to make matters worse, only works with Windows. I would probably have bought one if it was available for OSX.

But the wolfson parts in any portable are pretty low end. Maybe 8 years ago when they were first being used, there were decent chips, but by and large, those chips are no better than any other except the fact that they have the name 'Wolfson' on them.

If the Zune used hi-end Wolfson chips, it would be running 8-10 hours of battery and get hot as hell. There is NO mass market player which has a true rung-up on its rivals for SQ. They are all dismal in comparison to real audio gear and in relation to eachother, run the smallest of dividends of difference.
 
Feb 19, 2010 at 1:30 PM Post #28 of 33
Quote:

Originally Posted by aerolord /img/forum/go_quote.gif
When I first purchased my Westone UM3X, I tested it out on my laptop(Fujitsu). It almost made me cry, the sound quality is downright horrible. I then went to use it on my iPod and it sounds WAY better than my laptop.


I'm on a Fujitsu too, T4210.

I can't find the words to express how many times better music sounds with my laptop than my Zen.

In ASIO's WDM Device List, the onboard sound card is registering as "SigmaTel High Definition Audio CODEC". Curious to know what yours say.

And yes, as mentioned earlier, I believe it's not difficult for anything to sound better than a iPod.
 
Feb 20, 2010 at 9:09 PM Post #30 of 33
This is the exact reason I picked up a used iBasso Viper from this very forum - to have a nice and portable DAC for my XPS M1330 notebook. The headphone out isn't bad on it but the Viper is just so much better sounding.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Back
Top