Needing some help with a budget mp3 player
May 13, 2011 at 7:31 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 9

metllicamilitia

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I had a Sansa Clip+ a while back, rockboxed. However I don't understand parametric equalizers so it made it rather difficult to use. I had a Fuze as well, but I gave that to a friend who needed a new mp3 player. Now I am currently using a cheap Sony mp3 player that is buggy and falling apart. So far my favorite mp3 player has been my old Cowon D2, but the screen cracked twice, both after warranty. I need to have at least 16GB of storage. I would like to spend no more than about $100USD and if musical preference makes a difference, I mainly listen to melodic death metal (In Flames, Dark Tranquillity), but go as soft as Beethoven and Paul Simon. Any help is greatly appreciated.
 
May 15, 2011 at 3:49 PM Post #3 of 9
The only problem with the Clip+ is that the stock EQ sucks and the only way to make it better is by Rockbox'ing it, and I don't understand parametric EQ's. So I spend days messing around with the EQ and everything else and it still doesn't sound right to me and I just get upset and go back to stock OS and am still upset with that EQ 'cause it's not sensitive enough. I can go up to about $100USD or so, but I don't think I can get much more than that. 
 
May 15, 2011 at 4:17 PM Post #4 of 9
And it if makes any difference, I am using the Phonak Audeo PFE-112's for earphones and Grado SR-80's for headphones. I listen mostly to very heavy metal (In Flames, Dark Tranquillity, etc.) According to the Phonak filters, I prefer mids over bass and highs. I've found that guitars too out front fatigue my ears and too much bloated/heavy bass fatigues my ears as well. But if I could have mids out a bit more, still have guitars be prominent and have a prominent tight punchy bass that would be perfect. I don't think I can get that with what I have, but if it helps with suggestions.
 
May 16, 2011 at 1:32 PM Post #5 of 9
Not too sure what you are actually asking... An MP3 player for under $100 dollars?

Tons of choices.

If you wanted decent quality audio and don't mind used, why not buy the very best 4th Gen classic that you can find.
 
May 16, 2011 at 6:45 PM Post #6 of 9
Well, just up to and around $100 that has both good SQ and EQ, but as of last night it's looking I might have to wait to get one so I might just go for a Cowon J3, I'll have to see how things pan out. 
 
May 17, 2011 at 12:31 PM Post #7 of 9


Quote:
Well, just up to and around $100 that has both good SQ and EQ, but as of last night it's looking I might have to wait to get one so I might just go for a Cowon J3, I'll have to see how things pan out. 


There is no better option under $100 than the Clip+/Fuze with Rockbox. I don't see what's so difficult about the EQ. You can learn what frequency sounds like what by playing around with foobar2000......tinker with its EQ and look at the spectrum analyzer to see what you're emphasizing. From there, it is simple to determine which frequencies need adjusting for your headphones and ears, then you adjust the frequencies in the Rockbox EQ accordingly.
 
 
May 18, 2011 at 1:15 AM Post #9 of 9


Quote:
All right, I'll mess around with foobar and if I can figure out what I like on it then I'll go Clip+/Rockbox route again.



It's not just what you like.....it's also what your headphones need or don't need. The Rockbox EQ allowed me to make my old Sennheiser PX100's sound almost the same as my Grado SR60i's, or vice versa.....but if you listened to those two without EQ, they are very, very different.
 

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