[Fingerling]

Hi there,
 
First of all, sorry for my poor English and maybe it's the wrong forum's section for this sort of thread.
 
I simply want to offer to my girlfriend her first quality audio equipment (portable music player + headphone).
She hasn't golden ears, she's not a musician or whatever. But the sound and use of my iBasso DX50 and Bowers&Wilkins P5 make her feels displeased with her lower-end MP3 portable music player and big headphone.
 
The idea here is to find a nice and pratical portable music player full of FLAC music with a good, elegant, discreet headphone for 200-250$.
 
The Bowers&Wilkins P3, despite its high price, is the loveliest headphone I have seen in this range but I wonder about its confort and isolation?
 
For the portable audio player, I first look on Cowon (audio quality/price, style and espically their battery life), but their resistive touchscreens seem very incommode.
Then I look on the Fiio X1 which looks well-fitted, but its low battery life, non removable battery and my ignorance about Fiio firmware make me hesitate.
 
So what are you thinking about my choice?
 
Thanks in advance

 

[lostpapers]

I had the same adventure with my wife, as she got displeased with her old sony mp3 player. So, I got her a Fiio X1. Just note that this DAP has really excellent sound, and as the X3-II, will require that you couple it with a decent headphone that match her signature tastes, as headphones really express themselves with this source.
 
For my wife, I took a Hifiman IE400 Waterline, which is for my part too V-Shaped for my taste, but is ok with her. So, you'll definitely heve to find a headphone with her help. You cannot do it blindly (or deafly?)
 
Cheers

 

[H20Fidelity]

For the player I'd say X1 is your honorable choice, you're going to need leeway for the headphone and X1 sounds nice with a decent headphone. As for the headphone I'd say the Vmoda M80 is a good place to start. Providing you're in USA the M80 can be had for $79 on Amazon, the X1 $99. I say Vmoda because they're very much about style, build quality and sound.

 

[Fingerling]

Thanks both of you for your answers.
 
I haven't consider earphones, why not but besides audio quality they need to be confortable and sturdy: earphones are easily breakable and my girlfriend is not always careful about her things. 
 
The Vmoda M80 saves me 30$ but it looks big and ugly to me in comparaison of B&W P3.