[V3lier]

Alright. I'm still searching for an mp3 purely for music and have a hard time deciding which mp3 to buy. I've recently bought the Samsung P2 and I'm returning it tomorrow. Nice screen, features but I'm not impressed with the sound quality. Nice bass, but many details are left off compared to the Cowon D2. So I was going to get the Sansa Fuze but I'm still confused. I've been reading that the Sony Walkman is good and very warm and bassful, and also that the Cowon I7 is extremely good. So I don't know what to choose.

Sansa Fuze | Pros: Great SQ, MicroSD, extremely cheap, no hiss or bass rolloff | Cons: Bad battery life (24h) compared to competition, Max 8gb, Bad UI.

Cowon i7 | Pros: Best battery life (60h), great sound quality, max 16gb | Cons: Strange controls, thick

Sony Walkman | Pros: Good Warm SQ, bluetooth, okay battery life (36h) | Cons: Expensive, Hisses :|

I would like to know which one has best SQ. Supposedly from reviews they say the Cowon i7 doesn't have better SQ then both other ones. Which one should I get? Also does the Cowon i7 have bass roll off?

 

[tds101]

I'm for the Sony, as the S63X series, in 16gb, gets my vote. They say it's got the hiss nixed!!!

 

[callmevil]

im getting more and more interested with the S-series too.. hmm that 16gb one is not available here yet though..

 

[tds101]

Quote:

Originally Posted by callmevil /img/forum/go_quote.gif im getting more and more interested with the S-series too.. hmm that 16gb one is not available here yet though..

I've been waiting for the S Series to hit 16gb in the US myself. Damn you, Sony!!!! We just have to be patient!!!

 

[Robisan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nywytboy68 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I've been waiting for the S Series to hit 16gb in the US myself. Damn you, Sony!!!! We just have to be patient!!!

I'm waiting for the Sony's to hit 32gb myself ... it's really time for all $250+ flash DAPs to be 32gb. I refuse to lock my high end player at 16gb. For now, a 16gb Fuze for ~$120 is the value play.

 

[goldfinger]

I don't understand...
I think samsung's player has excellent sounds.
YP-P2 particularly has.
DNSe is the best custom EQ system I've heard.

 

[bestnaru]

I only tried DNSe on Samsung U2 and it was anything but good....

 

[pufftissue]

I have the Fuze, ipod 5g, and newest ipod nano.

The ipod 5g with its wolfson sound chip or whatever it is, is still the best by a noticeable margin to my ears. I still remember when I first plugged that puppy in, I was like WOW. I got the new nano b/c they said that the quality was 'identical to the ipod classic', but they both use a Cirrus logic chip or something, and while it's not bad, I guess its sound signature is not what i'm interested in. It is so cold and analytical. The Fuze is pretty good, and I can't fault it, but I'm already looking at the Sony brand to see how it is. Basically I'm after 5g ipod sound in a more portable form.

 

[Inks]

I remember liking the sound of my sony a818 a lot more than my old 5g ipod. It has stronger mids and bass, which suited my needs perfectly.

I'm surprised so few talk about the cowon i7, I'm on the fence between an i7 or fuze.

 

[tds101]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Inks /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm surprised so few talk about the cowon i7, I'm on the fence between an i7 or fuze.

between the i7 or Fuze, I'd go fuze. Yeah, the Fuze sounds good, but the i7 is so much better. Fuze sounds great w/no EQ, put the EQ on and it's horrible. The i7 sounds EXCELLENT regardless of the EQ being on or off. The 2 advantages of the Fuze, IMO, are the expansion slot, and the radio is a better performer. Otherwise, the i7 is the way 2 go.

Here's ABI's Compare section with the i7, Fuze, and A729 up for a quick view: Cowon iAudio 7 vs Sandisk Sansa Fuze vs Sony A720

 

[Calexico]

I'd go S639.

 

[urabus]

No one has mentioned the Sony E43x series yet. It appears to be similar to the S63x series except you don't get nicer in ear buds (but still useless to most people) and the SensMe sorting function. Do you think the audio quality would be the same between the two?

 

[Calexico]

I don't think the audio quality is the same. I think they sacrificed it for a price drop.

 

[Shauntell47]

from what i saw on cnet.com (which i guess doesn't mean much) the price difference is relative to the additional features which the s-series has.... SQ should be the same...

 

[urabus]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shauntell47 /img/forum/go_quote.gif from what i saw on cnet.com (which i guess doesn't mean much) the price difference is relative to the additional features which the s-series has.... SQ should be the same...

That was kind of my thought since we only have the 8gb versions in the U.S. to compare, E = $119 and S = $149. Would Sony actually put in inferior parts to save money or is the lesser selling price due to cheaper headphones & the missing features? $30 isn't that much of a difference but then $30 saved is $30 more to be spent on other stuff.