[soldiersixteen]

i am thinking of buying a new music player.
I currently own a creative vision W(30GB) and its huge so i want a new player with better sound quality.
Would you recommend cowon s9 or something else?
I mostly listen to rap/hip hop and sometimes rock.
Anything over 8GB is fine.
 
I am new to this audiophile world but i would to listen to music in good quality without using an external amp.
 
My budget is lets say around $300 including headphones.
 
My current audio files are in .mp3 format bitrate is between 256 and 320kbps.
I dont know if the quality of sound is dependent on audio file.
 
thanks alot 

 

[Hero Kid]

With such a limited budget you should prioritize roughly 2/3 of your budget towards IEMs or headphones (at least in my opinion).
There are some great threads linked in my signature as well as a break down of sonic improvements - which should give you an idea of how to allocate your budget.
 
As for a player I'd be looking at things such as the Sansa Fuze or Sansa Clip+, possibly even the s:flo2 aka Telecast T51.
They're cheap and offer great dollar/performance ratios.

 

[soldiersixteen]

if i were to buy cowon s9, it is $169, that means i can easily spend around $130 on earphones.
 
Do you think Cowon s9 is a good player and an improvement from my current player?
 
thanks

 

[Hero Kid]

Sure a new player (such as the S9) would sound better and probably give you some more options to improve your listening experience (decent EQ, gappless, etc) , but it's improvement would be minimal for the money you spend. Honestly the more you can spend on 'phones the more improvements you'll see. Try looking at players around or less than $100, rather than $200 and you should end up with a better sounding rig.
 

 

[soldiersixteen]

ok.
At the moment i am thinking of getting

Monster Turbine Pro Copper or(dr dre tour or klipsch image s4) and cowon s9.

is that a good combination?
 
what would you recommend?
i want a good player with video capability and better UI than creative vision W.
 
thanks

 

[Hero Kid]

Oh... you want video! Why didn't you say so? Now it makes sense why you like the S9!
Personally I prefer the J3 to the S9, because the extra work that has gone into its design really shows. The problem is with your limited budget it might not be worth the stretch. In my opinion it would be, but not if you have to trade off how much you spend on IEMs.
 
As for the Monster Turbine Golds. For someone who loves bass those things really slap your head around with it. Another bassy IEM that gets a lot of love is the Sennheiser IE8s but they might be a bit out of your budget. I don't really follow the bassy IEM or headphone scene because it's not to my taste, but other people should be able to help.

 

[soldiersixteen]

does J3 have better sound quality than S9?

 

[violinvirtuoso]

If you can find it in your price range, the Monster Turbine Pro Copper would probably be a great choice for you.
 
For IEM research, check these two threads out:
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/478568/multi-iem-review-115-iems-compared-monster-miles-davis-tribute-added-10-17
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/450407/multiple-iem-shootout-v-3
 
If you can deal with the UI, the S:Flo 2 might be to your liking. Perhaps a Fuze?

 

[violinvirtuoso]

Quote:

does J3 have better sound quality than S9?

 
It is controversial. Some people say the J3 sounds SLIGHTLY better others say they are the same. The J3 does have a flat back, better UI, and expandable memory (and better battery life).

 

[soldiersixteen]

 i think i am going to buy a cowon s9.
I just need to choose an earphone.
 

 

[soldiersixteen]

is monster jamz earphones any good?

 

[Will13]

The S:Flo2 as a micro sd slot aswell, also the S:Flo2 as a deadicated LO, as for IEM's have you had a look at the Brainwavz M3's?, they've been getting good reviews

 

[soldiersixteen]

LO?
also IEM means in ear monitor, right?
 
is brainwavz a good/reliable company?
 
 
 
 

 
 

 

[Will13]

LO= Line Out, dunno about IEM lol, never read what it stands for, all I know is its a term used with decent earphones, and yes Brainwavz's is a good company because its a MP4Nation brand

 

[DJGeorgeT]

In Ear Monitor, a term for a professional noise isolation earphone. And the term IEM has been misused, abused, and super abused by both consumers and manufacturers. The IE8 and Radius earphones are not IEM, but they are often referred to as IEM's. They are not. No freaking way!