[palazzo]

Long-time lurker/decider, first-time poster here, because I’ve just taken the plunge and replaced my aging iRiver 120 with a Sony NW-HD5. I was undecided between it and the X5, and have been reading threads here to help me decide, but I just had to have the HD5 when I saw it in a shop. And in the flesh the silver looked sexier than the black I’d decided on based on the photos I’d seen. It is a very nice little thing – I liked the look but in the hand it feels very solid and slim.
After a few days I’d say the sound is better than expected (and my iRiver) and SonicStage not quite as awful as I’d been lead to believe, but it is bad – shockingly so bearing in mind Sony’s resources. Being used to using the file structure on my iRiver I’m finding the Sony’s use of tags and playlists a little bit of a mindmess, but I’m getting there -Ii’s quite quick to navigate through artist.
Also, as a man who rarely gets his volume settings above 3 (out of ten) I’m surprised and worried to find myself listening at near the top of the range. I’m in the UK – has my volume been EU capped, or whatever it’s called? Is there a way of bypassing this, as I think I’ve read with regard to other players?
And let’s hope somebody comes up with an equivalent of the Deltoids tin to make a good case for this thing.

 

[bangraman]

The one I got did not seem to be capped, but it arrived without a box and I have not yet asked whether it was trucked in from Japan or whether it was a European model. It 'feels' like 5mw to me. Either way, going with other uncapped European players in my possession the volume output will be noticeably lower than any iRiver product, but not to the extent you write. It is possible that it is capped.


There are many resources for getting rid of the cap.
Here's one: http://www.avforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=184051


Sonicstage is now very easy to use for basic purposes, and I doubt an iAudio/iRiver user will feel inconvenienced. In fact, compared to iRiver's atrocious offerings in this regard it's a far more polished product... It's just that it doesn't stand up in comparison to iTunes/iPod.

 

[seeberg]

Curious palazzo, what kind of headphones are you using with your new Sony toy? I imagine if they are high impedance(ohms), that possibly could be yor problem as well.

Oh, and welcome to HeadFi, sorry about your wallet. From the looks of the injuries you caused it, it'll be on life support for a while, and hopefully it'll come out of its coma someday

,
Abe

 

[palazzo]

Found the answer (getting into service mode) here at avforums, and it worked!

I'm now on just under two-thirds of max volume (Sony MDR-EX81) which is much more reassuring.

Must just go and throw some more cold water on the credit card though.

 

[Sphinx89]

Ah right, so the HD3 code is the same as the HD5

 

[XP_98]

Is there any trick to uncapp the volume on the Vaio Pocket (VGF-AP1L) ?

 

[seeberg]

Add a headphone amp, hee hee hee!

,
Abe