[Anaxilus]

Quote:

@ClieOS,are you shure about it?did you try yourself?(16G card?).I tried 8G,when it was empty - initialize was 2-3 mins;after I loaded it - it takes FOREVER;the same thing happens in C30(you can use practically:2G only,bigger takes initialize - forever).In Rockoo - I did not have this problem.

All my players use Polaroid branded 16gb by PNY no problem.  Including the Gumstick.  Cheap SD cards are more expensive than you think.  

  Although mine were all $28 for 16gb for fast, reliable performance.  Pretty good deal me thinks.

 

[kiteki]

That is a good deal... have you tried a fake 32gb card on your S:Flo 2 yet?
 

 

[kiteki]

I noticed another reviewer said he listened to his gumstick at 10-15 volume level.  10? what the hell... how can you enjoy music at 10? you can hardly hear it... I listen at 21~27 out of 31.

 

[ClieOS]

Quote:

I noticed another reviewer said he listened to his gumstick at 10-15 volume level.  10? what the hell... how can you enjoy music at 10? you can hardly hear it... I listen at 21~27 out of 31.

Good luck to your hearing then.

 

[Anaxilus]

I agree for the most part 10 is too low for my IEMs.  I don't have anything I use that is really that sensitive.  I think it's more dependent on what you are using.

 

[kiteki]

I'm thinking more along the lines I have a new firmware update that lowers the volume or something?  I don't find the Hippo that loud really, my Hippo at 24/31 is equal to my Sony at 27/30.
 
Firmware version:  V007.023

 

[ClieOS]

Quote:

I'm thinking more along the lines I have a new firmware update that lowers the volume or something?  I don't find the Hippo that loud really, my Hippo at 24/31 is equal to my Sony at 27/30.
 
Firmware version:  V007.023

Interesting thought. Mine is V005.046.

 

[Anaxilus]

Quote:

Interesting thought. Mine is V005.046.

Same.  So their is an update floating around somewhere.  Do you still have to reset your EQ after each power on w/ the new FW?

 

[kiteki]

well, it says "rock" but it's acutally on normal eq... although if I level the custom/user eq to zero values the "rock" ghost won't show up.
 
The eq is strange because it lowers every other freq., so after adjusting custom eq I have to increase the overall volume, and then if I change it back to "normal" eq the volume will be blaring loud, not only does the eq have that glitch, it doesn't sound very good, and I'm an eq kind of person.  I'm speculating it only adjust very narrow bands, like if you increase 5kHz it will do just that... and not slightly pull 4 and 6 up along with it.

 

[shigzeo]

yeah, i don't think the EQ is parametric, so it will only adjust the frequencies that you boost. I don't mind the volume going up and down with EQ loads, but the constant resetting of the EQ is tiring.
 
If you listen 27-30 volume, your ears will die. Even my big headphones never go that loud. 8-11 volume is fine for me and gets painful after 15. 

 

[kiteki]

 
Quote:

yeah, i don't think the EQ is parametric, so it will only adjust the frequencies that you boost. I don't mind the volume going up and down with EQ loads, but the constant resetting of the EQ is tiring.
 
If you listen 27-30 volume, your ears will die. Even my big headphones never go that loud. 8-11 volume is fine for me and gets painful after 15. 

 
 
I think every EQ I've ever used must have been parametric or something, on the Hippo it just sounds different to me and I'm not a fan, I'm a fan of the EQ for about 10 minutes and then I hastily make everything flat again.
In defense of the Hippo, I feel like it delivers a good sound and good resolution, so I feel less inclined to adjust the EQ levers, just like I am with a good amp.  The only exception so far is the A-Jays Three, they sound better on my Sony dap, I'm guessing on the Hippo the higher resolution and power hyperextends the bass-curve on the A-Jays and make them too resonant and annoying.
 
 

---

 
 
Shigzeo.... volume level 8??????
 
Ok hold on a sec.... let me just close the window, turn the TV off, turn the lights off, AIR-CON off, RIGHT, now it's damn quiet here, all I can hear is a slight hummmmm from the fridge in the kitchen (shut that door tight too!) and some cars a few kilometres away, actually I think they're motorbikes, anyway they're damn far away and I shut the window!
Oh hot damn I can hear that 16kHz buzz from the TV in standby mode, wait let me pull the plug out of the socket.
Ok, lucky this silly macbook pro thing is the quietest laptop I've ever heard, ok I just turned off the light in the hallway too, when it's really dark I feel I can concentrate better on sound.
Yep, now I can hear a dog barking a few km's away and helicoptre passing by somewhere above the clouds, all systems are go.
 
Right now to find that blue waterhorse, ok I'm holding down the >|| button to turn it on (always feels like forever).
 
Plugged in my rubbish Sony E804's, I know these are loud, on my Sanyo PCDP I have to use a really low volume.
 
Ok, since this thing doesn't have replay-gain I'll just select one of the pre-installed test tracks "Yesterday once more.mp3"
 
DUDE, I can still hear the dog yapping away, the piano and her voice are so soft it's like an old AM/FM radio at lowest volume about 10 metres away.  This is like an unplugged concert and the pianist has arthritis.
 
Hmm battery just went flat (only the second time this has happened), fetched that cumbersome white usb cable (this is one major plus for the sony or samsung gumsticks, no cables and thus dual-serving as a usb flashdrive).
 
Recharged for a little bit, plugging in the Audio Technica "key" IEM's now (the ones that come with a key, I don't like these very much and I'm giving them away as a gift soon, they do offer good isolation, though).
 
Right, before hitting play, can't hear the hound or cars anymore, all I can hear is microphonics and hiss, yes hiss, even on volume 00 I can hear hiss, on volume 31? it's something like a tap running far away, noticeable, but nothing I'd care about, I don't care about hiss, it tends to fade away in the music, for someone allergic to hiss and wants an ink black background? yes this unit has hiss.
 
*hits play*
ok, at volume 11 [still using "yesterday once more.mp3"] I have perfect decibel comparison, elevator music or restaurant, it's the exact volume of a speaker in an elevator (same music too), or the background music in a restaurant.
 
Time to pump up the volume.
 
Volume 18:  much better, now I can actually hear the music and her voice sounds quite nice.
 
Volume 22:  this is normal volume, like watching TV.
 
Volume 25:  this is the volume you use to enjoy music and hear everything.
 
Volume 28:  rather sibilant and annoying, changing back to E804... hmm pretty loud, about the volume someone would use from a HiFi speaker system.
 
Volume 31:  Bearable, but after 30mins or so at that volume my ears will be ringing when I take the earphones out, like when you've been to a concert or a club.
 
 
I know this was a long post, I'm just bored and would like to get to the bottom of this, people have told me in the past I use high volumes, but when I go to a club or a concert I find the volume to be at the upper-limit, so I am in the high volume level in headphones and in the average volume level in real life (I'm not a dumbass that wears ear-muffs driving a lawnmower).
 
If I use really high volumes in headphones/IEM's and I'm going to hurt my hearing, I want to stop!  If my Hippo (bought it this month) is using a new chip(?) or new firmware(?) that lowers the volume, I'd like to find out about that too.
 
Soon I'll be getting a Teclast T51 / S:Flo 2, when I receive it, I can always plug it in with my R-8's or A-Jays Three and hopefully find out if my volume listening level is decent or dangerous?
 
Peace.
 
 
 
 
 EDIT:  a_tumiwa (we're in the same country =)) told me he uses volume level 1 out of 31 on his Rocoo-A.  What the f? 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

[shigzeo]

I use senssitive iems: Final Audio FA-BA-A1 and FitEar Private 333. Both of those are too loud sometimes on volume 1 with the Rocoo and Volume 10 with the Gumstick is the same. Honestly, with sensitive iems, yes. And you shouldn't try to drown out the sound - if you do that, you are probably going to hurt your ears. Even the DT880 600Ω could get offensively loud with the AMp3Pro, the Rocoo and to a lesser extent, an iPod touch if you have the right elements: new recording, lots of volume, etc.
 
be careful.

 

[kiteki]

 
Quote:

And you shouldn't try to drown out the sound - if you do that, you are probably going to hurt your ears.
 

Nah, I meant with open-air earbuds I've never tried to drown out the ambient sound, I just let it leak in and mix with the music, so the "drowning" theory doesn't click with me, on the contrary I find IEM's more harsh on my ears due to their isolated nature.
 
FAD A1's are 117db right?  In that case I suppose volume level 10 is acceptable.  I still think the gumstick has had some kind of hardware or firmware update though.
 
hej leverpastej

 

[kiteki]

Hippo gumstick for sale.  $77.
 
Sold.

 

[DJGeorgeT]

I thought you loved the gumstick