[Shlonglor]

Hi all,
 
My beloved Cowon D2 has finally passed away (or not. it's in the shop, awaiting a replacement amp for one of its channels), and I am somewhat richer than when I had bought it many years ago, so it's time for a nice upgrade.
 
My portable phones are a pair of Ultimate Ears Triple.Fi 10s. I loved them with the D2.
 
I mainly want to have a one-stop solution for a high quality source + built in good amp. I appreciated the relatively good amp on the D2 (not sure why they took it down a level on the C2 and D20... anyone know? 37mW to 29-30mW) and enjoyed its sound quality overall.
My main uses are sports and outdoors + the occasional car ride. I have a great setup at home and so I only use this when on the go, meaning it sits in my pocket or is attached to my pants... yes, just stuffing it around the waistband on the side of my leg/pelvis.
My D2 had a lovely leather coat which made it completely indestructible, even when it fell with great velocity while running or during an intense gym session. 
 
The 250$ range (+60$ for a 64gb Micro SDHC) is where I'm at, although, as is tradition in Head-Fi, I'm willing to spend more if I'm convinced it's worth it. 

 
I don't care much for various line out options. I just need it to have a sturdy stereo jack, be easy to manipulate (preferably even blind, while in the pocket, for navigating tracks and volume), and sound GREAT. I absolutely do not care for fancy screens or video capabilities, as this is strictly a MUSIC player.
 
Am I right in thinking this is the best player fitting this description?

 

[H20Fidelity]

I have the Rocco BA and TF10 combo, it could very well be what you're looking for. the navigation in your pocket wont' be a problem as the buttons allow track change and volume very easily. changing an album blindly won't be as easy. Not sure what cable you're running though I had best results after upgrading the TF10 cable to silver plated. Having owned D2 in the past with TF10 I can tell you straight away you'll be upgrading, The Rocco BA does suffer a small amount of bass roll-offf but nothing that's going to ruin the presentation. I get about 12 hours running FLAC a charge with the BA.

Another option which I wouldn't overlook would be Colorfly C3, which pairs well with TF10 and is only $100 on eBay, but you won't have solid buttons, instead a touch pad interface so using it in yout pocket would be a little out of the question and to be honest can hold ground next to the much more expensive player in SQ. So yes, in short I really do think the Rocco BA will fit your preferences as an upgrade from D2, there'll be a slight learning curve with the UI and you've already stated a small screen does not bother you. I will say though, if you have any spare change left over look into an upgrade cable for the TF10, preferably silver plated for about $70, this will really help extract what the Rocco BA has to offer and create good synergy.

It's a good player the Rocco, Very detailed and rich with good separation, I won't be parting with mine anytime soon, in saying that I also own Studio V, Colorfly C3, Cowon J3, Colorfly CK4. The BA is a strong little player.

 

[Shlonglor]

Thanks for the detailed answer!
 
I looked into the C3 and it seemed like it's not geared towards my needs as well as the RoCoo aside for being somewhat lesser in quality. 
How does the 70$ cable improve things?

 

[H20Fidelity]

Thanks for the detailed answer!

I looked into the C3 and it seemed like it's not geared towards my needs as well as the RoCoo aside for being somewhat lesser in quality. 
How does the 70$ cable improve things?

I found using an upgraded silver plated (SPC) cable helped TF10 and BA synergize well together, it was easier on using higher volumes among extracting more detail, creating a wider soundstage. It's not something you need to do absolute, though something to consider in the future if you become interested. There's a lot of hidden potenail in your TF10, upgrading the cable releases that, more to the point I found the BA really enjoyed the benefits

(just an example) This cable here for $60 is the one I used.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/6N-OFHC-Ultimate-Ears-upgrade-cable-UE-triple-fi-10-SF-3-5-5EB-/321139722434?pt=US_Headphones&hash=item4ac56b48c2&_uhb=1