[Nielo TM]

One of the well known store in the UK is selling the A829 for the price of the S693 (£99.99) Before it runs out of stock, could you please answer the following so I can order it ASAP.

Out of two, which has the best:

Soundstage?
Lows, Mids and Highs?
Over-all definition?
WMA performance?


Is there anything else I should know about the players that might be of use?


Thanks

 

[walkingman]

The S639 obviously have iPlayer support and the A829 has Bluetooth playback. SQ wise I believe that they have very similar performance. I've only heard the A820 very briefly so I won't comment, but comparing the S630 to the A810 (which some has said here is similar to the A820), they sound alike with the primary difference being the S630 having far less hiss.

That's a good price. If given the choice I rather have Bluetooth playback than iPlayer support. You can also get the none-Bluetooth version A729 for £97 at Argos.

 

[soozieq]

The S639 doesn't sound like the A829 at all to my ears. The 829 has a bigger soundstage with a warmer tone. The 639 is brighter, more neutral and sounds much closer to the A808/818.

EDIT: The A818/808 is the same player, but one used SonicStage/Atrac, and the other was drag and drop. The 829 is the warmest sounding Sony I've had to date, and some say the midrange sounds 'hollow', but I don't hear it like that at all. Oh, the 829 has a bigger screen, and the 639 has FM radio.

 

[Nielo TM]

So I'll take the A829, but I am worried about the hiss. Is it really that bad.

On my A816, I can only hear small amount, but only when using EP-830

 

[Nielo TM]

Forgot to add, the offer is via Play.com

The problem is, if I don't like it, it's gonna be a somewhat of a pain tbh. Unlike Amazon, I have to pay for the pickup and the unit has to be unopened/unused for them to refund. I can quote the consumer rights act, but I really don't want the hassle.


So I suppose the question now is, is the A829 worth the risk? By risk I mean the hiss.

 

[soozieq]

Well, I'm quite tolerant of minimal hiss, and I didn't notice hiss with the 829 no matter which earphones I used with it. And if you buy it online, you'll get 7 days to decide if you want it or not under UK DSR's, so you have nothing to lose by buying it, except the return postage.

EDIT: Your post appeared as I hit 'submit', so I didn't see what you said about not wanting to mess around with Play.com and refunds. The only other thing to do is ask other A829 owners if they hear any hiss with it, maybe change the thread title? Quite a few people have that model so you should get plenty of answers.

 

[walkingman]

The hiss isn't a huge problem with me either (on the A818), but some may be less tolerant. Less sensitive IEM will not be a problem either.

As for play.com, Amazon UK has a similar returns policy where the customer has to pay for returns (they only pay if it is faulty, missing stuff). But it is nasty that they won't accept returns for opened products.

 

[dissembled]

EDIT: Googled the EP830s and it turns out they're quite similar. Impendance & Sensitivity ratings are practically identical.

EDIT 2: Turns out there's hiss after all.

 

[Nielo TM]

I've changed the thread title

I've actually returned several items to Amazon simply because I wasn't satisfied with the performance. All I had to do is fill-in the return form and print the prepaid postal stamp. They offered full refund every time.

 

[Nielo TM]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dissembled /img/forum/go_quote.gif I don't hear any hiss with the EP630s. EDIT: Googled the EP830s and it turns out they're quite similar. Impendance & Sensitivity ratings are practically identical.

Is that with the A820 range?

 

[dissembled]

Yes, the a729 (that I own) and the a829 are virtually identical. Only difference? Bluetooth.

 

[dissembled]

WhOOPs. Turns out there is hiss with the EP630s when music isn't playing. Audible in the quieter songs. Sorry for the confusion.

 

[walkingman]

Have you tried testing them at a local Sony store. Some of them have demo A820s and/or S630s.

 

[Nielo TM]

I may do it if possible tomorrow.


Also, I've just found out that it's possible to configure the highs and lows via the service menu (rather than enabling the EQ). Now, I just need the access code.

PS: I've just ordered the A829 from Play (just in case)

 

[Nielo TM]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dissembled /img/forum/go_quote.gif EDIT 2: Turns out there's hiss after all.

How bad is it at vol level 18? Also, what happens when you enable/disable the EQ

PS: You may also find this interesting

A729 service menu? - Walkman Generation 3 - abi>>forums