[iLol]

My history of DAPs pretty much consists of an iPod Mini (battery died) and a Samsung U2 as a stop-gap solution that I used for quite a bit now that I think about it.

I've lurked around the forums and got the general impression that Clips, D2s, Sonys, i7s, are the good players but which one should I get? I would ideally like a player with a larger storage space (leading into the question, should I just listen to FLACs on a portable or should I convert them into .ogg or another format? And what is the ideal bitrate?)

I may want to be able to play video but that's not a necessity (if getting a player with video playback means getting a player with lower SQ to one that doesn't play video, then I won't worry too much about getting a DAP that plays video), and while I'm at it should I get an amp/dac to listen using my HD555? And I might not use those considering I will want portability; how should I store In-ears on the go? How come the only retractable in-ears I've seen are just the cheap, bottom of the line TDK's?

 

[penartur]

If you want a really high capacity, i'd recommend Zune 120 or Sony NW-HD5 upgraded to a 80GB hdd.
Zune 120 supports AAC and WMA Lossless; NW-HD5 supports Atrac3plus; also, zune 120 plays video.
Also, if you want a portable headphones, i'd recommend Audio-technica CM700; other people there are happy with Yuin PK3. Do not know about yuins; but after recabling you can store CM700 any way you want.

 

[iLol]

Well I wouldn't need too much, I meant that that 1GB-2GB-ish was pretty minuscule and something like 16GB-48GB would be preferable, if there isn't too big a difference between FLAC and mp3/ogg. How big is the difference between a FLAC and say a 320kbps mp3/ogg/an unheard of lossy format?

 

[a_tumiwa]

not big difference

 

[roebeet]

If 32GB-48GB is acceptable, then you have some options. Example: D2+ 16GB plus a 32GB SDHC card will give you the space, plus it supports OGG Vorbis / FLAC. It also does video / FM Radio / voice recording, but music playback is its main strength. An amp can come later - I prefer my FiiO E5, as its small and does enhance the music a bit.

FLAC vs lossy on portables is an old argument - what I would suggest is, after purchasing your player, test a few FLAC files and compare with some lossy files. If you can't hear any difference, then you should use lossy (of course, always keep a lossless source, in case you need to transcode in the future).

As for OGG vorbis vs MP3, again it depends on your needs. OGG Vorbis is a great codec, but its not supported on MS or Apple players (and probably never will). If you think that you might use a MS / Apple player in the future, you'll have to re-encode.

 

[spideyman409]

I just "heard" an epiphany....if that's even possible....

Apple lossless vs FLAC. I don't know if it's b/c of Itunes or Winamp or the actual Apple/Flac difference but the FLAC file sounds way better using the same D10/DT880. (an example of how the whole collection of source/amp/output matters) Anyways, to answer your Question....

If I were you, i'd go for a player that plays FLAC and get something like the D2 where you "have" upgrade ability in storage capacity (due to size issues with bigger files). This would keep you from having to re-encode and all that junk. It might not be that much of an issue (like it was with me when I first started), but once your collection of music grows it starts to become a hassle. You'll save a lot of time by having the hardcopy cd, a ripped lossless file, and the file on your DAP (all interchangeable).

P.S. I just became a non-believer in apple lossless, so if you're an itunes fan, you can disregard my post.

 

[iLol]

I probably won't go with apple or MS anyways, Zunes are hard to acquire in Australia and apple makes money off subpar products even when measured against cheaper, competing DAPs. Hate iTunes, it's a resource hog and is designed to keep people from straying to other DAP brands with DRM and apple only formats.

I'm considering a D2(+) atm, but I'd like to know what everyone thinks of: iAudio 7, iAudio S9, clip (<=4GB, 8GB isn't available in Australia), Fuze, or any other player worth mentioning. I also got the general impression that Sonys were good, but overpriced.

And is it just me, or is it that the more current Sansa products don't perform as well? None of them seem to be recommended and only the Clip and Fuze are seen around these forums.

 

[iLol]

Anyway, back on track...

I had my eyes on the clip but 8GB clips are nowhere to be found in Australia, so now I'm pondering the i7, S9, D2+, and maybe a Sony.

Can anybody help me decide?

 

[Warhawk]

If your not gonna use video, I would rule out the s9, d2+.
For strictly music, I'd say any sony except the new x1000 since the price is way too high, unless if that's no problem for you.
Also, the i7 is good from what I've heard, and of course the clip and fuze like you mentioned.

Also, some players are warm, cold, or neutral.
I'm pretty sure the cowon s9, which I own, is cold.
Sony's are warm, sansas are neutral, and most cowons are cold(based on tons of reviews/comments I've read here).

So make sure you get the opposite in your iem.
Like if you get a sony, get a cold headphone, if you get a cowon, get a warm headphone.

I was stupid and didn't realize this and have 2 cold headphones and a cold mp3 player LOL.
Which is why I use heavy eq(mainly bass).

Also, if you have room enough for your whole library in flac, I'd say just copy it over and not worry about it.
But if not, then imo mp3 v0 is the way to go.

Hope that helps, I can answer more questions if you have any.

 

[estreeter]

Quote:

Originally Posted by iLol /img/forum/go_quote.gif Anyway, back on track... I had my eyes on the clip but 8GB clips are nowhere to be found in Australia, so now I'm pondering the i7, S9, D2+, and maybe a Sony. Can anybody help me decide?

1, Avoid the assumption that the latest (or most expensive) player from brand X has the best SQ of any player in that line.

2. Accept that great SQ and great UI/Nav dont always go hand in hand. I would stack the UI and Nav on my Touch against anything the competition has - this is one thing that Apple got right, IMO.

My Cowon iAudio 7 should be here by tomorrow (ordered Friday, but Australia Post, well - you know how that goes), and I will be posting a comparison between that and my current Samsung, Sony and iRiver players after a few days of living with the new toy. The reality is that you might prefer the Sony's warmth over the analytical Cowon, and a lot of it comes down to your choice of phones, but the iAudio 7 is a good deal for Aussies right now - paid $180 for the 16GB, and thats well under the price of the newer Cowons.

 

[estreeter]

Quote:

Originally Posted by spideyman409 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I just "heard" an epiphany....if that's even possible.... Apple lossless vs FLAC. I don't know if it's b/c of Itunes or Winamp or the actual Apple/Flac difference but the FLAC file sounds way better using the same D10/DT880. (an example of how the whole collection of source/amp/output matters) Anyways, to answer your Question.... If I were you, i'd go for a player that plays FLAC and get something like the D2 where you "have" upgrade ability in storage capacity (due to size issues with bigger files). This would keep you from having to re-encode and all that junk. It might not be that much of an issue (like it was with me when I first started), but once your collection of music grows it starts to become a hassle. You'll save a lot of time by having the hardcopy cd, a ripped lossless file, and the file on your DAP (all interchangeable). P.S. I just became a non-believer in apple lossless, so if you're an itunes fan, you can disregard my post.

If you get a chance, try ripping some of your music in LAME 320K vbr and adding it to a playlist alongside the FLAC versions of the same tunes. I'm an old guy, but I cant distinguish between the two without checking my player to see if I'm listening to the FLAC version. I'm not an MP3 evangelist by any means, but it can save you space on a smaller player - disclaimer is that a really good pair of IEMs may well show up the differences between the 320K versions and FLAC. Apple Lossless file sizes are way too big for anything less than the 120GB iPod, IMO.

 

[iLol]

I guess I'll be going with the 16GB iAudio 7 then (due to its relatively cheap price: $189 on Minidisc; I know there are other online shops but Minidisc appear to be quite established, if anyone knows a better place to get an iAudio 7, please do tell).

If I do decide that I would watch a lot of videos, then the S9 seems pretty good (bigger screen than D2+, and better yet cheaper than the equivalent iPod Touch).

I probably should ask on the headphones boards but just for a general idea, what's a good value IEM to go with the i7? Also, where can I get Altoids in Sydney (or and IEM case, I've screwed many stock earphones from wrapping, and I wouldn't like to see that happen to an expensive pair of IEMs).

 

[RedSky0]

I find it difficult to agree that Apple profits from selling subpar products. They definitely focus overly on meaningless features and UI changes compared to say improving sound quality or user customisation but for 5th generation and down iPods that's not a problem since you can load rockbox firmware on them. Despite that, when it comes down to it they're pretty competitively priced.

I'd recommend grabbing a refurbished 5.5G 80GB iPod off of US eBay or AUS eBay if you can find any in as-new condition. Got mine for around $210 AUS, and they usually go for somewhere between $200-250. As much as I used to bag Apple beforehand myself, now that I've heard it and had a chance to compare it to other Cowon/iAudio, Creative, Sandisk and iRiver players I used to or still own, I have to admit it probably sounds the best of the bunch, especially once you tweak the sound to your liking. Plus, it will also both give you video playback, and a hell of a lot more space for slightly more than the iAudio 7.

For which IEMs, there's someone in the portable headphones section who did a mega review of some 40 IEMs, you might want to check that out. It really depends on what your sound preferences are and what your price range is.

For IEM cases I know Shure sell a nice looking one. Haven't tried it but have been tempted to grab it many times. I'd imagine any small pouch would do, or an altoids tin (hell that's a pretty good idea, I might get one myself ).

Here's what I mean: Shure Carrying Pouch @ HeadRoom