[Antony L]

ok im more than happy with my sound at the moment but would like to try something else, at the moment its cowon d2 caffine ultra and hfi780s
ok i like the idea(but have never heard)of sonys but keep hearing they lack detail ,is this true? as a radiohead listener i need that detail ,was maybe thinking the 16gb 729 (£70ish) or the new x series but must have good detail wide soundstage excellent seperation and clear vocals

 

[cn11]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Antony L /img/forum/go_quote.gif ok im more than happy with my sound at the moment but would like to try something else, at the moment its cowon d2 caffine ultra and hfi780s ok i like the idea(but have never heard)of sonys but keep hearing they lack detail ,is this true? as a radiohead listener i need that detail ,was maybe thinking the 16gb 729 (£70ish) or the new x series but must have good detail wide soundstage excellent seperation and clear vocals

As a huge Radiohead fan myself, I think you'd be very happy with the X. Soundstage and refinement in detail are what it does best. While it may not be hugely more detailed than the 729 (I have the 829), what it does is present the detail with such smoothness and ease. There's something special to how it does treble and separation. Soundstage seems to be a bit more 360-degree, and not so tied to your ears. The 729 will also seem more 'digital' in its presentation in comparison.

Best of luck in your choice.

 

[HONEYBOY]

I agree completely with cn11. The X1060 is the most detailed player I have while at the same time not being harsh. I also found the Sony S630/730 series players to be very detailed as well. However, I found them to be ever so erring on the side of being strident.

 

[Antony L]

cheers ,the x series is sounding more and more tempting all the time ,i do like the way the cowon handles most music (ok computer sounds amazing as does classical and jazz) but when some music gets complicated it seems to struggle a bit and loses definition and clarity

 

[HONEYBOY]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Antony L /img/forum/go_quote.gif cheers ,the x series is sounding more and more tempting all the time ,i do like the way the cowon handles most music (ok computer sounds amazing as does classical and jazz) but when some music gets complicated it seems to struggle a bit and loses definition and clarity

This congestion is also very evident on ipod touch 1G and 2G. This is one area where I think the sony s730 and X1060 distance themselves. The X1060 does this the best but I think the s730 does this well enough as well.

 

[zenpunk]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HONEYBOY /img/forum/go_quote.gif I agree completely with cn11. The X1060 is the most detailed player I have while at the same time not being harsh. I also found the Sony S630/730 series players to be very detailed as well. However, I found them to be ever so erring on the side of being strident.

That's interesting because I have the S639 and find it not that great in details, that's compared to a Sansa clip (that's both flat with no EQ or effects). The S639 do Bass/ low-mid frequency very well (details and energy) but sound rolled off or is just too smooth in the treble to my ears. The S639 is a great sounding DAP but I prefer the crispiness/sparkle of the clip. I guess it all comes down to sound signature preference and headphone sinergy.
I wanted to get the X1060 but I am worried it will sound to much like the S939 and will lack trebel energy.

 

[dura]

Quote:

I wanted to get the X1060 but I am worried it will sound to much like the S939 and will lack trebel energy.

You might be right there.
Personally, I think details and treble energy are two different things; given the same level of detail, extra treble tends to accentuate transients, which gives an impression of a more detailed sound, without there actually more details being audible.
The X has a very natural detailed sound, but no treble highlight at all. it is definately not rolled of though, treble just misses the "digital" accentuation, the bite, that many of us are used to and some of us actually like.

 

[Antony L]

ok im thinking i may give the x series a try maybe later on in the year (if the zune hd dosnt tempt me) was listening to lotr soundtrack last night and getting goose bumps with the cowon(that very low menecing drum beat is amazing) i think the caffine is getting nearer to being burnt in my whole set up was singing in harmony so to speak ,same with Neil Diamonds home before dark that sounds perfect.
what im saying is the cowon is going to be a keeper and i will only sell if the sony cant equal it on all genres of music

 

[Zalithian]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dura /img/forum/go_quote.gif You might be right there. Personally, I think details and treble energy are two different things; given the same level of detail, extra treble tends to accentuate transients, which gives an impression of a more detailed sound, without there actually more details being audible. The X has a very natural detailed sound, but no treble highlight at all. it is definately not rolled of though, treble just misses the "digital" accentuation, the bite, that many of us are used to and some of us actually like.

Agreed. The Treble on the X is very dry compared to other players I've got/owned. It even made the W3's seem pretty tame, treble wise. I can't imagine how bad something that already had poor treble energy would sound on the X. (UM3X's, SE530's, etc)

 

[Antony L]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zalithian /img/forum/go_quote.gif Agreed. The Treble on the X is very dry compared to other players I've got/owned. It even made the W3's seem pretty tame, treble wise. I can't imagine how bad something that already had poor treble energy would sound on the X. (UM3X's, SE530's, etc)

im thinking my hfi780s are quite bright and would sound ok ,but all in all do you prefer your x series to your cowon d2 as regards sq ?

 

[Zalithian]

At the moment I actually prefer the D2, although the Sony definitely needs some more burn in. The D2 sounds a lot closer (due to the smaller soundstage) and the X sounds distant by comparison. Personal preference at the moment. I'm hoping the

The X does bass better but I'll start running it and see how things change. Right now it sounds too distant for me.

 

[Neeley]

Yep, get a good few hours under the belt of the X and the sound rounds out. It's sonic character remains the same but the player somehow sounds more grown up and fuller.

After owning mine for nearly a month I still love it to bits. What's peed me off is I actually enjoy the sound of the X over my Little dot Mk IV SE, E-mu 0404 combo. That's using HD 580's at a moderate volume.

It's just so nice to listen to with good headphones.