[JimBob1971]

Hi,
 
I've ordered a set of JH16s, and was wondering how to improve my portable setup (which is really only an iPhone 4!).
 
I can't afford the HiFiMan (and don't really consider it portable) so was considering the Cowon J3 over my iPhone (with lossless music)
 
1) Will the Cowon sound signifcantly better than the iPhone 4? I'll obviously lose the convenience of using Spotify, but not really a problem as I can just grab lossless music
 
2) I have an RSA hornet kicking about with a Cryo (?) LOD. The LOD no longer works as it wasn't made for the iPhone 4. Can anyone suggest an LOD for the iPhone 4 + Hornet (or a.n.Other) , and how would this combo sound against the J3
 
Thanks for your help!
James

 

[james0195]

id take a look at the hifiman hm-602
$329 preorder price.
 
no idea what it sounds like but worth a look

 

[JimBob1971]

I'll consider it, but given there are no owners out there yet it is a bit of a leap of faith.
 
I'm asking about the Cowon J3 as I can get one for about 25% off RRP, so need to make a decision quick.
 
Just ploughing my way through the Cowon J3 thread........

 

[james0195]

i thinks its personal choice more than anything
i prefer ipods because im on mac & easier to use.
 
am impressed by some of the features of the cowon, up to 32gb + card space is decent, i find them a tad pricey though, after you buy a card and that, but if you can get one for 25% off worth a go i think. 

 

[Bennyboy71]

J3

 

[stevenswall]

Anything by Cowon will sound better than the iPhone

.
 
+1 J3

 

[Hero Kid]

The main reason the Cowon sounds so good compared to a iPod is it's EQ.
 
I would still seriously consider the HM-602, because from what I've read and how I understand it's components it would be very well suited to a JH-16.
But if you don't want to carry around the brick that's fair enough (For me it's not much bigger than my iPod 5.5g in its skin...). Oh and if you are worried about no one hearing one yet, I'm sure there will be people wanting to buy them on the for sale section.
That's why I bought one. To try it, if I don't like it I'm going to sell it or return it within 30 days.
 
I personally think it makes sense to desire better sound quality than these mass produced consumer DAPs (iPods, Cowons, etc) and I do think it's obtainable. (Especially used with JH-16s!)
Whether or not the HiFiMan achieves this is yet to be seen.
 
So if you can't come to like the idea of the HM-602 I think the J3 is the next best thing. It truly is a fantastic player.

 

[stevenswall]

^Though they are both mass produced, it makes me frustrated that a Cowon would be thrown in with an iPod... Two very different players, the iPod caters to simplicity and restriction, along with a huge array of uses, whereas a Cowon S9 or J3 cater to whatever the user wants through customization, are completely unrestricted, and actually sound good... they focus on multimedia, instead doing everything halfway with restrictions the Cowons do fewer things better than most other DAPs or PMPs.

 

[Hero Kid]

Hey I'm with you on the Cowon thing, wholeheartedly. I'm was just trying to illustrate how the HiFiMan caters to a different market to the many other (could I say) "average joe" orientated DAPs.

 

[violinvirtuoso]

Even for the pre-order of the HM-602, isn't there a 30 day money back guarantee.

 

[Hero Kid]

^ Yep.

 

[marvinong]

I personally use my JH16s with my Cowon J3 and they definitely sound great. 
Plus, the EQ customization will really help you if you want to tweak the sound to your liking.
I haven't heard the HiFi Man players although I've heard good things about them.
 
I would put my vote on the J3 though since I really value portability and battery life.
The HiFi Man doesn't seem too big at all although I don't think I could live with its 7 to 8 hour battery life compared to the J3's (advertised) 64 hour playback.
 
+1 to the Cowon J3!

 

[stevenswall]

+1 Cowon, I wasn't too impressed with the HiFiman at CanJam.

 

[Darksyde]

Quote:

+1 Cowon, I wasn't too impressed with the HiFiman at CanJam.

This is not good news for us waiting in anticipation!