[Scot1970]

Hi folks,

I recently bought the UE Super.fi 5Pros. Boy, these babies rock. The problem is, they completely show up the limitations of my source, which is the Sony Ericsson W850i phone.

Should I upgrade to a dedicated music player? And if so, which one?

My main priorities are sound quality and storage.

I have directly compared the new Sony Walkmans with the iPod Classics. The Sony completely beats the iPod in terms of sound quality. However, with only 16GB at £229, it's quite an expensive option for little memory.

The iPod has the storage but it just hasn't got the same rich, warm 'musical' quality of the Sony.

Please can you give me your opinions on which player I should get; an iPod, a Sony, or perhaps hold on 'till Sony release a player with larger capacity, or perhaps there is another player out there with the quality of Sony but with larger capacity?

Thanks.

Be happy

 

[PixelSquish]

i have the super.fi 5 pros and love them.

just paired 'em up with a zune 80 from a zen vision:m and this setup sounds excellent together.

 

[Nicolas2305]

If you want to travel lightweight, you should rather go for a player that match your musical tastes (without EQ) rather than your storage needs.

If you don't mind a more massive rig and have the bucks for it, go for an iPod with good AMP. At that level, it's the amp that you'll be choosing according you tastes.

This is the first choice you have to make, then will come the choice for wires, amp (if you chose the second option), etc.

 

[PixelSquish]

i would describe the sound of the zune with super.fi 5 pros as warm but detailed, crisp yet smooth.

pretty good stuff. i was concerned about no EQ but so far i am pleasantly surprised. i am no audiophile but i do appreciate some things about audio gear after having acquired some better gear like my super.fi's and the akg k501's and comparing it to sub-par stuff laying around. i have gained some appreciation for the nuances of sound, especially clarity while not being cold.

 

[HipHopScribe]

An 8GB Sansa Fuze and 8GB microsdhc card will save you quite a bit compared to the 16GB Sony, that's another option. I haven't compared with the Sony, but while I know some people prefer the Fuze, my understanding is the Sony's have a more colored sound, so it won't have the same sound as the Sony, but definitely better than the Classic in my opinion. Maybe you can test one out and see how you like it.

 

[filipelli]

If you don't have a need for video playback go for a sony A818 or something in that series for portable uses. They are cheaper nowadays and you can save up for something more robust in hd space later on.

You can go for the sony hd series..I forget the model name though. HD nw something or other.

 

[Ricardo Dawkins]

Zune 80: priorities are sound quality and storage

 

[Nicolas2305]

I indeed have a 2nd gen Zune 80 to go with my SE530 and well satisified with it. I can't say it's the best since I haven't tried other sources with the same music I have on my zune.

I do prefer it over iPod for my personnal tastes. (don't want to carry a portable amp)

But if you do search for best sound quality, you should consider going on a player that support LOD to plug into a portable amp (witch the Zune can't offer)