reynman
500+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2001
- Posts
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I received my VP Tuesday from eCost (a day early). It’s nice to receive a cardboard box instead of a giant plastic force field that requires brain surgery and very sharp tools to open.
Here are comparison pics with my HD1 and NH900 (hi-MD) pics.
The VP is smaller than I expected, but the HD1 is still has a smaller profile/footprint even with its Vaja case. The VP has a nice weight to it. The G-Sense pad is designed for right-handed use, but I'm sure southpaws will be able to use it. The G-Sense will take some getting used to but it’s a nice use of technology. The screen is an adequate size and has adjustable brightness. The font size and type aids in the clarity of the screen. Accessing the menus will take some time, but once I print the full manual and RTFM I should be able to navigate easily.
The dock is considerably larger than the HD1s dock. One gripe I have is that you have to use some force to attach/detach the VP to/from its dock. The HD1 requires minimal effort and has a button that releases the unit. The metal brace is a nice touch that adds stability when the VP is charging. The brace folds up for a smaller profile. Another gripe, I do not like the line out in the dock. Don't get me wrong I appreciate the line out. It would have been ideal to have a separate line out on the unit a la the famed R50 MDR (how I miss thee!). At the very least the Vaio engineers should have taken a cue from their Walkman brethren and used the combo head/line out.
I rarely use remotes with any of my other DAPs because I use the SR71 in my portable rig and I see no need for them. However, I might have to start using the remote since there is no line out on the unit and I may want to save the G-sense pad some wear and tear. The remote has a bright screen and the same font as the unit, but it looks as though it was designed as an afterthought. The pin is not compatible with any of the other Sony remotes I have. I own the 40elk remote which works flawlessly with the NH900 and HD1. The design of the 40elk is different from the VP, but it would have/should have been easy for the Vaio engineers to pillage the vast Sony parts bin for a "standard" stick remote.
I have SS 3.1 and transferring my 997 song music library took about 5 minutes. No problems. I've downloaded some pics and used the photo viewer. It’s a frivolous feature that eats up battery life, but its nice to look at pics while the music is playing.
OK, but how does it sound? My portable rig is the HD1/SR71/Sensa 2XS. I like this rig for its sound quality, isolation, battery life and portability. These impressions are taken at home without being subjected to the background noises of a train and commuters. The SR71s pot is set at 9 o’clock. Overall, there are minute differences between the HD1 and VP that I would not perceive in my daily commute. I would attribute that to the HD1 being 7 months old and broken in.
Mysteron/Portishead – Pops and clicks engineered into the song are detailed for both units, but I find the bass of the HD1 a bit more visceral.
Narrow Daylight/Diana Krall - The VP seems to have a forward presentation whereas the HD1 is set a smidge back. The details of the guitar pluck the piano keys and the brush on the drums on the VP is a bit fatiguing while the HD1 gets it right. Vocals sound (dare I say) more analog/organic on the HD1.
Be Your Husband (live)/Jeff Buckley – Again, VP seems more forward, but since it’s a simpler track of him singing and clapping it’s not fatiguing. Background noises - phone ringing, girl laughing, and various conversations are detailed for both units and add a nice ambience to the track.
Overall, I am impressed with the design, capacity, UI, and feature set of the VP. I am strongly biased toward the sound of the HD1/SR71/Sensa 2XS, but I can get used to the slightly more forward presentation of the VP.
Things to fix IF there is another version - line out on the unit (preferably separate from the headphone out), build a better remote or at least have compatibility with Walkman stick remotes, customizable EQ settings, maybe a larger screen.
IMHO the VP is not worth paying retail, but for the low 200s, the VP is really a good bargain and a great first attempt by the Sony VAIO group.
Regards - reynman
Here are comparison pics with my HD1 and NH900 (hi-MD) pics.
The VP is smaller than I expected, but the HD1 is still has a smaller profile/footprint even with its Vaja case. The VP has a nice weight to it. The G-Sense pad is designed for right-handed use, but I'm sure southpaws will be able to use it. The G-Sense will take some getting used to but it’s a nice use of technology. The screen is an adequate size and has adjustable brightness. The font size and type aids in the clarity of the screen. Accessing the menus will take some time, but once I print the full manual and RTFM I should be able to navigate easily.
The dock is considerably larger than the HD1s dock. One gripe I have is that you have to use some force to attach/detach the VP to/from its dock. The HD1 requires minimal effort and has a button that releases the unit. The metal brace is a nice touch that adds stability when the VP is charging. The brace folds up for a smaller profile. Another gripe, I do not like the line out in the dock. Don't get me wrong I appreciate the line out. It would have been ideal to have a separate line out on the unit a la the famed R50 MDR (how I miss thee!). At the very least the Vaio engineers should have taken a cue from their Walkman brethren and used the combo head/line out.
I rarely use remotes with any of my other DAPs because I use the SR71 in my portable rig and I see no need for them. However, I might have to start using the remote since there is no line out on the unit and I may want to save the G-sense pad some wear and tear. The remote has a bright screen and the same font as the unit, but it looks as though it was designed as an afterthought. The pin is not compatible with any of the other Sony remotes I have. I own the 40elk remote which works flawlessly with the NH900 and HD1. The design of the 40elk is different from the VP, but it would have/should have been easy for the Vaio engineers to pillage the vast Sony parts bin for a "standard" stick remote.
I have SS 3.1 and transferring my 997 song music library took about 5 minutes. No problems. I've downloaded some pics and used the photo viewer. It’s a frivolous feature that eats up battery life, but its nice to look at pics while the music is playing.
OK, but how does it sound? My portable rig is the HD1/SR71/Sensa 2XS. I like this rig for its sound quality, isolation, battery life and portability. These impressions are taken at home without being subjected to the background noises of a train and commuters. The SR71s pot is set at 9 o’clock. Overall, there are minute differences between the HD1 and VP that I would not perceive in my daily commute. I would attribute that to the HD1 being 7 months old and broken in.
Mysteron/Portishead – Pops and clicks engineered into the song are detailed for both units, but I find the bass of the HD1 a bit more visceral.
Narrow Daylight/Diana Krall - The VP seems to have a forward presentation whereas the HD1 is set a smidge back. The details of the guitar pluck the piano keys and the brush on the drums on the VP is a bit fatiguing while the HD1 gets it right. Vocals sound (dare I say) more analog/organic on the HD1.
Be Your Husband (live)/Jeff Buckley – Again, VP seems more forward, but since it’s a simpler track of him singing and clapping it’s not fatiguing. Background noises - phone ringing, girl laughing, and various conversations are detailed for both units and add a nice ambience to the track.
Overall, I am impressed with the design, capacity, UI, and feature set of the VP. I am strongly biased toward the sound of the HD1/SR71/Sensa 2XS, but I can get used to the slightly more forward presentation of the VP.
Things to fix IF there is another version - line out on the unit (preferably separate from the headphone out), build a better remote or at least have compatibility with Walkman stick remotes, customizable EQ settings, maybe a larger screen.
IMHO the VP is not worth paying retail, but for the low 200s, the VP is really a good bargain and a great first attempt by the Sony VAIO group.
Regards - reynman
