[zacharace]

Having used a Sansa for a year or so as my main MP3 player (no FLAC experience...), I'd agree with the SQ evaluation (neutral) and soundstage quality.
In essence: Go for the Sansa.

 

[ericj]

While I'd agree that the fuze's output is "not the strongest" it's no slacker either.

Sony's output power is among the weakest. They brag about how much battery power this saves.

 

[tstarn06]

Quote:

Originally Posted by hurryup /img/forum/go_quote.gif ^^ How does your amp3 compare with the sony and the fuze/clip?

Completely different beasts. But on SQ alone, as Joe noted, the Clip/Fuze can't compete with well-mastered/recorded tracks on the Amp3. The Amp3 is a special listening experience compared to all my other DAPs, with the right phones (in my case right now, that's the Grado SR-80s. I am still searching for the best in-ear to match up with the Amp3, though the Westones are good, but hissy).

 

[Buckster]

sony power output always seems weakest - but I never find them lacking in that respect - so I'm not sure why

certainly all Sony DAPs I've owned have always sounded punchy and fairly effortless

 

[estreeter]

Quote:

Originally Posted by hurryup /img/forum/go_quote.gif Is the fuze sq equal to that of the clip?

FWIR, they have identical DACs, and every post I have seen claims that the sound is the same - the price, sadly, is very different (at least here in Oz). For those of us who dont want video capability (another area where I believe the Sony 700/800 series has an advantage over its competition), its a case of paying more for the same thing.

 

[ericj]

AFAIK the fuze and the clip have the same SOC (which includes cpu, codec, etc) and just have different storage and display capabilities.

That and the fuze has 8 megs of ram while the clip has 2 - presumably because the clip has far lesser video capability.

I would also be surprised if i learned that sandisk was using different code bases for different players instead of just enabling different options for different targets out of the same code base.

 

[chinesekiwi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by average_joe /img/forum/go_quote.gif Sony doesn't do FLAC. Fuze doesn't have the strongest amp, so not sure how it would drive the ATH AD700.

It should drive it fine as the AD700 (32 ohms) needs very little ampage nor does it benefit much at all from amping. It's far more source dependent for it's sound.

 

[chinesekiwi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by estreeter /img/forum/go_quote.gif but I see no point in buying the Fuze - its overpriced here in Oz.

Just import the thing...cheap as chips on Ebay.com tbh and around the same price for a Fuze vs. a Clip.
That said, the Amp3 = no screen = What!?

I would been sold on it if it had a screen.
$150 US = great price.

I need to see what song's on...what songs are playing etc...
Even a smallish screen with menus would be fine....

AMP3 + screen = would be big win in my book.

 

[midoo1990]

i dont think that the fuze is better than the sony.i have the fuze,zune120 and i listened to one of my friends sony A729 i think.the fuze and the zune SQ wise are exactly the same nothing different exept maybe the fuze has a slightly larger soundstage.As for the sony from my opinion is an entirely different beast,it has wide spacious soundstage,cleaner sound and better instrument seperation if compared to the zune and the fuze.the sony does slighlty hiss with my IE8 and so is the zune when the driver is spining but the fuze is dead silent no hiss at all.i hope that helps

AND REMEMBER THIS IS ONLY MY OPINION. cheers.

 

[ericj]

Oh, I have fuze, clip, and sony nwz-s615f, so if i ever get one of those round tuits, or some of this 'free' time i've heard about . . . .

 

[hurryup]

I'm really tempted by the amp3's phenomenal sq, but unfortunately the amp3 is also 3x the price of the fuze at least.

 

[average_joe]

Yea, the AMP3 does cost much more. But to me, the sound quality is really a big step up, not like listening to the other players that all sound at about the same level, but just different. The AMP3 really is a [big] step up.

But money is money!

 

[hurryup]

Now it is mentioned, my Sonys do sound very digital, artificial, synthetic, even with the sound enhancements turned off. btw, does anyone know if the fuze has an update that gives it something similar to senseme?

 

[Duncan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by hurryup /img/forum/go_quote.gif Now it is mentioned, my Sonys do sound very digital, artificial, synthetic, even with the sound enhancements turned off. btw, does anyone know if the fuze has an update that gives it something similar to senseme?

Hmm...

I find that the Cowon players (very much moreso the D2) sound 'digital' compared to the X1000 (admittedly slightly less so compared to the A818, but that still sounds quite organic in comparison...)

It truly is a case of YMMV...

 

[Zalithian]

One of my biggest gripes with the X was the soundstage seemed unnaturally large. It seemed big just for the sake of being big. Top end was a bit dry for my tastes, but there's no denying it sounded pretty good. I would have kept mine if it cost the same price as the S9.

I prefer my clip to my A818 and never got to compare my clip to the X because I just got my clip. Don't have great headphones to listen with at the moment either.