[Surreal.]

Hello.

As you can see, this is my first post on these boards, though I have been browsing for a little time now.

I have recently decided to take the dive into the audiophile world and have purchased my first pair of "real" headphones, the Grado SR60is. After reading many rave reviews on these boards and other audio boards, I knew that they were the perfect gateway for me into this culture/hobby.

Since I've only owned basic headphones before I never researched on the need for a high quality player, amp, etc. Now I've read the 60is aren't hard to drive and will work as they were meant unamped, but I'd rather ask a forum full of pros.

Now, I just sold my old iPod Touch 2G 8GB in order upgrade to a player with a higher quality of sound (if that exists) and more capacity for my musical needs.

So do any of you SR60i owners/past owners and pros in general have recommendations on a source that created a happy marriage? Is there a player I should look into that would allow me to upgrade 'phones (in the future) with ease and allow for the possibility of an amp, that also works well with the 60s now? (I hope you can follow that train of thought, lol)

Would I be better off with getting a 160GB iPod and just run the 60s unamped. Or should I be thinking ahead and get something like the popular Fuze, and then get a nice beginner amp that would serve the 60s well. And then I wouldn't have to do too much if I get headphones that are harder to drive down that line that shine with an amp.

Money is hard to come by now-a-days and smarter choices in this hobby are key, as many of you will probably agree with.

I know there are a lot of questions but there's a lot floating around now that I've taken the plunge.

What would work for me:
Music first, everything else second. (Videos, photos, etc aren't a necessary feature.)
Not too big something that I can transport with ease.
Creates a happy marriage with SR60s.
The more capacity the better.

I appreciate your time.

Thanks.

 

[bikertrash]

I use a Creative Zen 32Gig with my 60s. Once they got burned in I quit using the equalizer. I don't have a headphone amp, they sound great as is. The Zen has been a rugged player with excellent battery life, especially now that I don't need the equalizer. That's one thing nice about the Grados, I never had a headphone before where I wasn't always tweeking the equalizer.
I had a 4 Gig Zen before. Last winter I went to check out the Classic 160. I took my Koss Portapros with me and gave the Classic a listen at the Apple store. To me they didn't sound as good as my Zen, and that's generally not something I can call without comparing side by side. Anyhow there is a definite differince in sound and you may prefer one over another either way. I really wanted to get the Classic but instead got the 32G Zen. Now that I have my Grados, the sound is just plain awesome.

 

[choka]

I don't have the Grados so I can't answer the amp-or-not part. There are quite a number of headphones that doesn't really need an amp (how should i put it? they are recommended but not absolutely required), but I'd say definitely get the Fuze instead of Ipod if you want a better sounding DAC.

 

[superpiper]

Mmmm.
I'm a bit unsure why you sold the touch....
It's decent enough.

I suppose you need to figure out what you want the player to do, DAPs are so much more than just music players these days.

This hobby is often described as a journey and I think that's a good way to approach it, that way, you can develop what exactly you want.

The touch and the iPhone have been game changers IMHO, and are very good DAP's in thier own right.

That said, I would recommend starting of with a dedicated DAP, as it's something you will always use. If the SQ of the new iPods is as good as the 3GS, then I'd go for one of them. Ot will be a constant on your setup for many years.
You can then build an amp, to see if you like the SQ/portabillity trade offs. I'm sure the Grados would benifit.

Iems , home systems, can all be based around the IPOD.

I've never regreted getting mine.

 

[Surreal.]

Thanks for the input guys.

Quote:

I'm a bit unsure why you sold the touch.... It's decent enough.

I sold the Touch because I've had it for a while now and never really used it for anything other than music. Somewhat of an impulse purchase now that I think about it. I thought that it would be worthwhile to sell it while I can and get a player with more capacity to replace it. I was getting frustrated having to limit my choices of music on the Touch. Sadly, 8GB just wasn't enough.

While I have not received my headphones yet, I'm sure the Touch has the quality to drive a good pair as it's comparable to the 3GS, it wasn't solely because of the quality. If I could get a 64GB one it would be great, but it's a little out of the budget right now.

Though I have read that some of you agree that the iPod Touch is lower down in the chain of players in terms of sound quality. Something along the lines of the companies trying to appeal to everyone now-a-days of adding all the extra bells and whistles that they eventually forget the essence of their equipment, the quality of the musical experience.

I just haven't seen you guys actually mention who has stayed true to the musical path. A device made for the music, with a good chip set, interface, etc. What are these devices?

Quote:

If the SQ of the new iPods is as good as the 3GS, then I'd go for one of them.

Does anyone know?

Quote:

but I'd say definitely get the Fuze instead of Ipod if you want a better sounding DAC

Is this the consensus around the forum? I've read that the Fuze is a great player and which is why many of you have them I guess.

Quote:

I suppose you need to figure out what you want the player to do, DAPs are so much more than just music players these days.

I mean I don't really need something that does it all. I'll primarily use this player around the house. Something I can transport around outside, etc. Just for music. I have a laptop, computer and phone that can do the rest.

Which players focus on the music and the experience? SQ, interface, various audio formats, etc.

Quote:

Creative Zen 32Gig

Thanks, I'll look into it.


Edit - Quote:

You can then build an amp, to see if you like the SQ/portabillity trade offs.

Thanks for the tip. I've looked around and saw a bunch of those DIY amps. Looks like fun.


Thanks for all the help.

 

[stratobeats]

I think the Sansa clip+ has excellent SQ for it's base price. it's a highly portable player which has an external microSD slot and the same audio card as the Fuze. However, having recently purchased a Touch 3g, I can't say it has better sound quality than the iPod.
If you want something with better SQ (for a higher price), I'd personally recommend a Cowon or Walkman DAP.

 

[tohni]

I sold my touch 2G as it sounded rather bad (muddy, hardly any resolution) compared to my Samsung P3 plus the p3 is very affordable: I bought mine, a b-stock model with 32 GB, for 110 Euros (about 150 USD). The sound is just stunning. I had a Cowon S9 to compare it to, and they are very close imo. Moreover, the Samsung supports AAC, which might be an issue considering you're coming from an Apple player.

 

[ZARIM]

Sflo2 is amazing for the price and it has decent capacity 16GB with added micro SD card. It's use dual DAC, great headphone AMPs and quality components in it, so it's sound quality is much better than touch through headphone jack and further enhance it's soundquality if use external AMPs with line out jack. There are few more option like Sony X series walkam which has amazing sound quality and has WM port, it accept ALO WM dock cable for true line out signal for external AMPs use.

 

[Surreal.]

Thanks for the replies.

So after looking at some specs, reviews and impressions.

I narrowed it down to the:

Cowon D2+ (read only difference was software upgrade from D2, worth the step up?)

Cowon S9

Nationite s:flo2 - from the thread on these boards it almost sounds too good to be true. Is the only place you can buy it on that mp4 site? Sounds like they're out of stock now. I was hoping on purchasing a player sometime soon.

Sansa Fuze/Clip+



The Sony X looks great but it is a little over my budget. I'll probably keep an eye out for a good price.

What would you guys recommend based on what you've read above.

Would I be fine with any of these?

Again, I appreciate your help. I know if must be frustrating, but everyone had to start somewhere.

 

[Young Spade]

The Touch is decent but there are better players out there. You could go the Fuze/Clip route. Those are touted as being strong players for a great price + mini SD card slots.

You could also invest in the s:flo2 which is an AMAZING player that, quite frankly, blows everything out of the water (besides maybe an iRiver optical to iBasso D10/ Hifi Man). But yea.... that depends on if you're willing to deal with a low battery rating and an unpolished UI, the SQ is to die for.

Amps... I would say to focus on getting a player now and maybe an upgrade in cans before an amp. You only get a small, marginal increase in SQ with an amp depending on your player and you probably won't notice the difference if the phones don't need the extra power.

Oh and IMO, if you're getting an amp I'd save up for something at least +150 if you can so you don't go and upgrade/sell upgrade/sell later in the future. That depends on your budget though :/

But yea man.... feel free to PM me if you have any questions; I'd be happy to help

EDIT: I just read your post and I can say that the Cowon S9 and D2+ are also great players... but they are still beaten in pure SQ by the s:flo2. They both have great equalizers and audio enhancements as well (exact names of them escaped me at the moment, sorry), and the S9 has a great screen for watching movies (although that's not at the top of your priority list).

 

[theKraken11]

Well, normally I'd recommend the Clip+ or Fuze, but they only go up to 8gb (more with the microSD slot, which integrates with the player's music library). You said space was a big concern so you might want to steer clear of flash memory. Still, as budget options, they're good for beginners.