[ZetsuBozu0012]

Um, so I was more than a little bit disappointed by a recent purchase (Philips GoGear Ariaz 16GB), so I'm thinking of either selling it off or, preferably, having it refunded. 
 
Either way, I'm going to try for the latter ad replace them with something less... irritating. For those of you who want to know exactly how much I detest them, here's a link to a thread I'd posted in: http://www.head-fi.org/t/533124/philips-gogear-ariaz-impressions-thread/30#post_8416115
 
... Apart from the contents of that post, I'd found that it also has an unnerving tendency to freeze for hours on end. The battery being non-removable, you could say that it's a bit of a nuisance.
 
But I digress.
 
Price isn't much of an issue. I'm not planning on getting an HM-801 or anything like that, but I'm willing to pay the equivalent of maybe 15,000 PHP (that's around 340 US Dollars).
 
I don't need or want anything with a touch screen. For the record, I don't count the scroll wheel of an iPod as a touch screen, so Apple products aren't entirely out of the question, excepting the iPod Touch. My primary concerns are sound quality and codec support. To be specific, I need it to be able to play high bit-rate MP3, AAC, WMA, etc., as well as FLAC up to 96/24. Only around 5% of my library is in 96/24 though, so I can concede that if necessary. Capacity is a very close second. It doesn't necessarily have to have 160GB of internal memory, but it'd be nice if it had at least 32 GB; the absolute minimum amount of internal storage I'll allow for is 16GB. 
 
Functions such as FM radio, video playback, voice recording, and *shudder* games need not be included, as that's what I have a smartphone for. 
 
Lastly, I don't mind purchasing a refurbished 5.5G iPod, nor do I mind a used one in good condition, should that particular model prove to be the only one to suit my needs. I have considered brands such as SanDisk, Sony Walkman, Cowon, and Creative. Cowon is a bit low on my list however, as the models with best sound quality are all Android-based, or at the very least touch screens.
 
Thanks in advance, and sorry as well for being a bit demanding and unreasonable.
 
Cheers!

 

[KT66]

Sounds like HIFIMAN HM-601 suits your needs.
 
I dropped mine this week, on a hard concrete pavement with some force, some marks but it still works perfectly
 
so thumbs up for HIFIMAN build quality!

 

[FlatNine]

I have an iPod Touch (3G 64GB) and a Cowon C2. Interface wise, the Touch is king, and the Cowon C2 sucks! Battery wise - the Touch is about 10-12 hours (lossless takes more battery) and the Cowon is about 35-40 hours. (again - lossless eats more battery). As for SQ, when playing them both flat, the Touch wins. But when using Cowon's great hardware based EQ, the Cowon's sound is fantastic! Capacity wise, the Touch's 64GB is hard to beat, but the C2's micro SD capability allow for infinite expansion. As far a a music only player, the C2 is great. But, the interface can be difficult to navigate.

 

[ZetsuBozu0012]

Quote:

Sounds like HIFIMAN HM-601 suits your needs.
 
I dropped mine this week, on a hard concrete pavement with some force, some marks but it still works perfectly
 
so thumbs up for HIFIMAN build quality!

 
That's true, but they're heck to come by unless you have friends or relatives abroad (I live in the Philippines, if my last post hadn't given that away yet). I'd love to get one, but shipping might push me over budget. The whole 340 dollars thing is actually cutting it pretty close for me :/
 
Anyway, I'll consider it. Thanks for the heads up! I'll be going on a diet for the next few months, looks like )

But just to be safe... any other suggestions? Please? >.<;;
 
EDIT:
Cowon C2 — noted. The whole thing with the UI being hard to navigate is a bit of a turn off, though. Oh, and it's a touch screen. Sorry!

 

[tds101]

Check out iaudiophile.net for more info on the Cowon C2,... And there may be flash skins to make the UI easier to use, check for those as well on the site.

 

[KT66]

The 4 gig slim 601 is $199 on Head Direct, no point paying $50 more for an extra 4 gig, just get
lots of SD cards!
 
surely that would fall inside your budget?
 
http://www.head-direct.com/Products/?act=detail&id=121

 

[ZetsuBozu0012]

Quote:

The 4 gig slim 601 is $199 on Head Direct, no point paying $50 more for an extra 4 gig, just get
lots of SD cards!
 
surely that would fall inside your budget?
 
http://www.head-direct.com/Products/?act=detail&id=121

 
Come to think of it, it does. Thanks! My Circadian's a bit messed up from becoming too detached from reality (that was hyperbole, just so there are no misunderstandings). Anyway, I guess the weird "tone" I had in the OP was probably the result of insufficient sleep

I haven't heard much about the HM-601 though, which is a bit of a surprise. How does it fare against its older sibling, the 801? By the way, did HiFiMan run out of 801s a while back? I remember checking out their site several months ago (a long time AFTER the HM-801 was released) only to find that it was unlisted in their Product Sheet. 
 
EDIT:
It doesn't support gapless? That's a bit of a shocker, all things considered. A minor quibble, but that kinda puts me off listening to prog rock. Rather, please tell me that there's a way to enable gapless playback :/
 
P.S.
Forgot to mention that the C2 is still in the running, since it's easier to get.

 

[ZARIM]

The Sony X1060 is great sounding DAPs (better sounding than most DAPs because internal dedicated AMPs) with lots of extra features include WM-Port(has line out signals) to use portable AMPs. The others DAPs like Philips go gears Muse( SA3MUS16S offers great soundquality and wide codec support include AAC, WMA MP3, FLAC, OGG), Sansa Fuze+, Samsung Galaxy player 4.2, Zune HD and iPod Classic are great buy too.

 

[FlatNine]

Quote:

Check out iaudiophile.net for more info on the Cowon C2,... And there may be flash skins to make the UI easier to use, check for those as well on the site.

 
Thanks. Will do.