[x3dnd3x]

How about Sony X series / Cowon ?
 
Currently sold my Cowon S9 for a Clip+ due to it's complicated EQ . Rockboxed the Clip+ and enjoying it .
 
Quote:

My portable sources (line out) subjectively rank by sound quality based on my experience goes like this:
1) iMod w V-CAP dock
1a) DIY iPod w/film caps
 
2) S:flo2 (supposed to be better with the 2.3 firmware)
2a) iMod with standard dock
2b) Fuze via LOD with film cap dock
 
3) iPhone/iPod Classic/Touch
3a) Fuze via LOD with Aluminum electrolytic caps
 
4) Fuze/Clip HPO to amp
 
To me the difference is in the detail and space of the sound, which can be heard with better equipment, at least for me. 
 
If you want a large player and don't want to either spend a fortune (iMod) or DIY (my 240GB setup), your choices are the iPod Classic, an old Zune, or the 128GB Touch.  Of course, you can get something else like an Archos but per these forums the Archos lacks SQ.  Anything I missed or any other thoughts?

 

[average_joe]

Quote:

Problems gone after inserting 9v battery .
 
Any IE8 users pairing this with Stepdance ? Do you guys use low / high gain for it ? Currently i'm using low gain .
 

 

Glad to hear the problem is fixed...must be the headphone jack?  Or the power supply not supplying clean power?  Does it occur when you have the battery in + the power supply hooked up?
 
And on high gain the lowest listening volume is too loud with my IEMs.  I do leave it in the high current mode, though, but really haven't heard a difference in the low current mode at the low volume levels I usually listen at.

 

[cooperpwc]

Quote:

Hey cooperpwc,
 
let us know how the line out of the classic compares to your iphone..
I'm sort of in the same situation, debating whether to get the classic or new touch...
160gb would be great as I have already filled up my 6th gen 80gb classic. but from what I have read here people are either strongly for or against the classic sound..

LevA, I will let you know what I think down the road. My understanding is that the iPhone 3GS has the best Apple headphone out. (Opinions on the iPhone 4 are still scarce.) It is indeed excellent and quite a bit better than my 5.5G IMHO. I still plan to use my ES5s plugged into the 3GS as my uber-portable rig.
 
I also understand that the newest Classic is meant to have the best Apple native (unmodified) line out. There is no way to mod it because there is no trash in the signal path. Steve Jobs moved to shut down the iMod just as he shut down Rockbox. Or we could more charitably say that that "he learned".
 
You do hear claims the the Wolfson DAC in the Photo and Video was better than the Cirrus Logic DAC in the Classic. However those claims originated with those that have, how shall we put it, a "vested interest" and they were not so strident in the early days. (I monitor these things.) Anyway CL is no slouch. The key issue for me is the clean signal path. The iMod may indeed still be better but at a much higher price, especialy for the large capacity that I seek. The comparisons from people that I trust is that the difference is now small. (I also love my tiny Micro TWag LOD - not an option with the iMod or WhipMod.)
 
We will see how the Classic performs with the Stepdance. I like the construction and features. The on-the-fly Genius mixes with my entire collection should be fun. Most of all, I am pleased to have all my music (in Lame V0 vbr~new) in one place.

 

[average_joe]

I have not heard the Sony X, but from people I know, it does sound good and offers a line out.  Not sure the signal path of that line out and where it ranks vs. the iPod Classic or Touch, but I am sure it isn't all that bad.  And for me, the Clip/Fuze is good, but you don't know how good until you hear something better/worse.
 
The Clip is on par with the older Sony players, but I preferred the sound sig of the Clip.  And Rockbox does improve the sound a little.

 

[LevA]

Quote:

Quote:

LevA, I will let you know what I think down the road. My understanding is that the iPhone 3GS has the best Apple headphone out. (Opinions on the iPhone 4 are still scarce.) It is indeed excellent and quite a bit better than my 5.5G IMHO. I still plan to use my ES5s plugged into the 3GS as my uber-portable rig.
 
I also understand that the newest Classic is meant to have the best Apple native (unmodified) line out. There is no way to mod it because there is no trash in the signal path. Steve Jobs moved to shut down the iMod just as he shut down Rockbox. Or we could more charitably say that that "he learned".
 
You do hear claims the the Wolfson DAC in the Photo and Video was better than the Cirrus Logic DAC in the Classic. However those claims originated with those that have, how shall we put it, a "vested interest" and they were not so strident in the early days. (I monitor these things.) Anyway CL is no slouch. The key issue for me is the clean signal path. The iMod may indeed still be better but at a much higher price, especialy for the large capacity that I seek. The comparisons from people that I trust is that the difference is now small. (I also love my tiny Micro TWag LOD - not an option with the iMod or WhipMod.)
 
We will see how the Classic performs with the Stepdance. I like the construction and features. The on-the-fly Genius mixes with my entire collection should be fun. Most of all, I am pleased to have all my music (in Lame V0 vbr~new) in one place.

thanks cooperpwc, look forward to your impressions as you get to know the sound better. 
like you, for me the line out is more important than the headphone out as i will be pairing it up with a portable amp (otherwise, what's the point in having lossless files, right?)
atm, looks more likely that I will go for the classic and after my move to Japan just get an iphone (march next year). I feel it would be a waste to carry touch and iphone, when they are so similar and still have the storage problem....of course the big problem is to resist the temptation of instant gratification...

 

[cooperpwc]

LevA, instant gratification is difficult resist. It dragged me out of bed and to Best Buy this morning.
 
I use lossless for my home rig where I have a terabyte external HDD (and also some fine kit). For portable use, I re-encode everything using Foobar and Lame to V0 vbr~new. It is still high quality and serves my needs well but to each their own.

 

[LevA]

Quote:

LevA, instant gratification is difficult resist. It dragged me out of bed and to Best Buy this morning.
 
I use lossless for my home rig where I have a terabyte external HDD (and also some fine kit). For portable use, I re-encode everything using Foobar and Lame to V0 vbr~new. It is still high quality and serves my needs well but to each their own.

I'm too lazy to re-encode them again, since I want to keep a copy of all my music lossless as backup and for home setup. 
just a quick question, you mentioned you were sure your new classic was the 7th Gen because it was produced in 2010. Are both 6.5gen and 7th gen look the same? I thought the 6.5 Gen 160 gb was thicker than the newer classic, so it should be easy to tell the difference, no?

 

[cooperpwc]

I definitely have the newest Classic, what Wikipedia refers to as the Sixth (classic) (second revision) and what is referred to here as 7G. It is the 160 GB single-platter version with the Genius feature. I wanted to be sure that I had a newer 2010 model because of some crackling issues with the very earliest 7G release (although I believe that this were solved by a firmware upgrade)
 
EDIT: I will add this as an edit so that we can minimise this threadjack (although it is all about feeding the Stepdance). Foobar will do all the heavy lifting for you if you want to re-encode using Lame. It will do your entire collection overnight while you sleep, creating folder structures for each artist and album, creating the files and even scanning for replay gain after if you so choose. Only compilations require iindividual treatment. PM me if you want the instructions and coding strings.

 

[x3dnd3x]

I believe it should be the headphone jack . I just went to try with battery in + power supply hooked up , no problem .
 
I'm at about 1300hrs on the amp . - 32db on my Clip+ . 
 
Quote:

Glad to hear the problem is fixed...must be the headphone jack?  Or the power supply not supplying clean power?  Does it occur when you have the battery in + the power supply hooked up?
 
And on high gain the lowest listening volume is too loud with my IEMs.  I do leave it in the high current mode, though, but really haven't heard a difference in the low current mode at the low volume levels I usually listen at.

 

[LevA]

thanks cooperpwc,
If I do get the classic, will make sure to check the box for date. 

 

[kostalex]

subscribed
 
I hope you guys will return to the Stepdance discussion, leaving portable sources for other threads.

 

[wuwhere]

Quote:

@cooperpwc: Is that the latest Classic (7th gen)?  Should be a nice match.
 
@wuwhere: why are you looking at 30V power supplies?  The one I linked to is 18V, much lower priced, and I think fine for the Stepdance.

Its variable, 0 - 30vdc, just the set it to 15vdc. It is more expensive because it is a better power supply, just read its specs.
 
Here's one, 0 - 18vdc, less expensive.
 
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=360233230632&rvr_id=134614104318&crlp=1_263602_263622&UA=WXF%3F&GUID=d9fed95b12a0a06c1d9108a1ffe4e672&itemid=360233230632&ff4=263602_263622
 
BTW, here's a paper on voltage regulators if you care http://www.national.com/appinfo/power/files/f4.pdf

 

[average_joe]

Portable sources, power supplies, and the Stepdance.
 

 
This is my setup: 240GB DIY modded iPod (internal film caps) with a mini LOD; no large external caps!  It is connected to the T1 in this pic, which it powers quite well I might add, and the LCD-2 sound great as well as my various other headphones/IEMs.  And the 2nd pic is with the S:flo2 (now with 2.3 firmware) which also sounds really good.  It is really a punchy amp and does spectacular with my electronic music. 
 
I think I am set with my 12V power supply, but might pick up another power supply for work.  I am actually thinking of picking up a 2nd Stepdance...maybe after I get the Pico Slim I paid for so many months ago and decide if it is worth it to me.
 
This is one of the best sounding amps I have heard, portable or not!

 

[kostalex]

What are these caps, how did you jammed them in, is there any tutorial available specific to this exact mod (not for general DYImod)?
 
Quote:

This is my setup: 240GB DIY modded iPod (internal film caps) with a mini LOD; no large external caps!

 

[average_joe]

If you want to DIY your iPod PM me and I will let you know how to do it.