[Ojsinnerz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ċãţ /img/forum/go_quote.gif I compared the Fuze to my S9 (normal) using the Sennheiser IE8's. Other than the volume levels, which i matched, there was no difference. which didn't surprise me. i think with players like these you're going to struggle to find any difference with the sound if you match the volumes. It's not a case of, the more expensive one has better sound quality for your cheap headphones. You're paying for the screen, features, size, logo on the front. The sound qualities are all going to be 99.9% the same, if there was a noticeable difference they wouldn't bother trying to compete.

Well, I'm not really experienced in audio, but I hear a pretty noticable difference when I'm hearing music through the Sansa Clip, and the Ipod touch. In fact, the ipod touch I tested with wasn't even mine. It's bitrate was all in 128kbps, while the Clip's was in V0, 320kbps, or even flac.

The soundstage was larger, and everything sounded a little more refined on the touch. I had my friend change between them and made him selected the songs, etc. In the end, I still thought the touch sounded easily better.

Well, everyone has different ears.....

 

[Jodiuh]

Quote:

Originally Posted by deeman101 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Interface might be a concern if the Cowon's is crappy enough.

I hated using the device. Why no one told me it requires 2 presses to activate a selection in artist, album, etc I will never know. Sometimes it would register my tap, sometimes it would ignore me. On top of this frustration, it's incredibly ugly w/ []'s all over the place. It felt like DOS. The X on the other hand was crazy responsive and very easy to navigate between artists. And you have the ability to change EQ settings from the now playing screen wo/ backing out to the beginning of the menu like on the Cowon. Winner: X

Quote:

Originally Posted by deeman101 /img/forum/go_quote.gif BTW I look for very strong (basshead strong) yet clean & detailed bass with the mids and highs still shining through. I think I have sensitive ears because if the music is too detailed in the highs I find it too harsh.

I much prefer the bass on the Sony along w/ just about everything else. I could listen to the device for hours wo/ eqing anything. It has such an exciting signature to it. The Cowon on the other hand, no matter what EQ I did w/ it came across cold and harsh. I did not like this player at all and couldn't listen to it for more than 30 minutes or so wo/ missing the Sony. Winner: X

Of course this is all my opinion, but there it is. While I'm at it, the S9 felt like a cheap toy made in a dollar store. The X surpassed even the Zune HD feeling as though it had been molded from future itself. It has a definite weight to it that's great in the hand. The device's smaller and easier to operate w/ the side vol buttons IMO as well.

 

[techfreakazoid]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjsoviet /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hi. May I ask if the Cowon S9 will do well unamped with the Sennheiser HD 238 and AKG K518 as well as paired with an iBasso amp? I am purchasing a D2 soon and I am in need of some experience with this audio setup. Many thanks.

The HD 238 is an efficient phone at 32 ohms / 114 dB and does not require an amp. Have not tried the K518 though it seems to be fairly efficient (32 / 115) as well. The S9 has plenty of power to drive these phones and I often pair the less efficient ATH-M50s (38 / 99) with great results. With regards to the D2 setup, search / post in the D2 threads for an answer.


Quote:

Originally Posted by ċãţ /img/forum/go_quote.gif I compared the Fuze to my S9 (normal) using the Sennheiser IE8's. Other than the volume levels, which i matched, there was no difference. which didn't surprise me. i think with players like these you're going to struggle to find any difference with the sound if you match the volumes. It's not a case of, the more expensive one has better sound quality for your cheap headphones. You're paying for the screen, features, size, logo on the front. The sound qualities are all going to be 99.9% the same, if there was a noticeable difference they wouldn't bother trying to compete.

The S9 under Normal sounds dull. Stick with BBE ViVA, Maestro or whatever preset / custom EQ that has the best synergy for your phones and listening preferences. That's the beauty of the S9 in its tweak-ability from sound signature to UI. However, if you're the type that can't be bothered to mess around with EQ settings or install UIs to personalize your media player, then go with the X for its simple out-of-the-box experience. As for the IE8, I did not test the Fuze so can't comment on its synergy. As for the E500, there's not much synergy with the Fuze.


Quote:

Originally Posted by deeman101 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I recently got the Senn IE8s as well and am deciding between the Sony and the Cowon. Taking into account the EQs available, which do you think will do better for alternative, rock & rap/hiphop? Yes I know the difference won't be much, but even if one is slightly better why not get it? I don't care about the Sony's lame WiFi. Interface might be a concern if the Cowon's is crappy enough. BTW I look for very strong (basshead strong) yet clean & detailed bass with the mids and highs still shining through. I think I have sensitive ears because if the music is too detailed in the highs I find it too harsh. ex: I find my Shure e210s way to harsh and completely lacking on the lowend. I actually prefer listening with my v moda bass freqs over the Shures, though the v modas have its own set of SQ deficiencies.

I've spent a brief amount of time listening to the IE8 (and not in ideal conditions) to comment on the S9, X synergy with custom EQs. Going by your sonic preferences, both players have bass boost options that should appease you. If your ears are highly sensitive, then the X's smooth presentation may work for you. The IE8 are darker phones than the C710 so they may balance well with the detailed S9. At the end of day, we all hear differently so I suggest you listen to both players under a controlled environment and make your decision.


Quote:

Originally Posted by soozieq /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hi ċãţ, I don't really understand that theory. If I match the volumes of my Touch, Zune HD and X... I can't get the Zune to sound anything like the X, or the Touch to sound like the X, or any of the other combinations that are available. Matching the levels doesn't give the X the soundstage of the Touch, nor the Zune the same treble sparkle as the X. They all sound very different from each other, no matter what the volumes are. And since I tend to listen to the same loudness on all my daps for most of the time, then they're already volume matched. My Fuze had a smaller soundstage than the Touch and Zune, and no increase in volume could make it sound anything like the other two. I think daps have their own individual charateristics just like earphones, and there are some quite marked differences between certain models. The S9 and X for example have very different sound signatures from each other. I just can't see why playing them at the same loudness levels would make them sound 99% the same as each other.

I agree on the volume commentary. While I did not use an SPL meter in my testing, I did note the comparable volume settings for each player to ensure consistency.

 

[jjsoviet]

Now I'm stuck with the S9 and the X series. So this is the comparison that I get from your experiences:

Cowon S9
+ Feature-rich
+ Lots of EQ settings (BBE, JetEffect, etc.)
+ FLAC and Ogg Vorbis Support
+ AMOLED Screen great for movies
+ Customizable UI
+ Community updates
+ Relatively cheaper
- Cold (harsh?) sound signature
- Bad menu implementation
- Not user-friendly
- Plasticky feel
- No AAC support

Sony X
+ Easy to use
+ Smooth browsing experience
+ Great interface
+ Warm, fun sound signature
+ Impressive bass
+ Non-fatiguing sound
+ AAC and ATRAC support
- Very expensive
- Smaller screen
- No FLAC and Ogg Vorbis support


Correct me if I'm wrong, since I'm new to this DAP thing.

So... I'm now leaning towards the X. Now my big problem is its absurd price, and in the Philippines, its marked-up price reaches about $650. Is there any other Sony or any other player that comes close to the X's sound, without breaking my wallet? $250 is my budget, please recommend me something...

- Up to 16 GB is fine
- Touchscreen or tactile, anything's fine
- Not more than $250, please.
- Almost the same sound signature as the X

Please and thank you!

 

[techfreakazoid]

Sure, to clarify from your list, MY pluses and negatives would be as follows:

Cowon S9
+ Feature-rich
+ Lots of EQ settings (BBE, JetEffect, etc.)
+ FLAC and Ogg Vorbis Support
+ AMOLED Screen great for movies
+ Customizable UI
+ Community updates
+ Relatively cheaper
X Cold (harsh?) sound signature --> not my assertion, it's just not as warm as the X
X Bad menu implementation --> nma, it's not as intuitive as the X, but can be improved by loading different UIs
X Not user-friendly --> nma, see above
- Plasticky feel --> yes, it lacks heft vs. the X, but I prefer the lightweightness esp. for working out
X No AAC support --> nma, my audio files are in FLAC

Sony X
+ Easy to use
+ Smooth browsing experience
+ Great interface
X Warm, fun sound signature --> yes, the X is warmer than the S9, but fun is subjective. I prefer my music to have some edge so the S9 is more fun for me when listening to EDM.
X Impressive bass --> nma
X Non-fatiguing sound --> nma
X AAC and ATRAC support --> nma
- Very expensive
- Smaller screen
- No FLAC and Ogg Vorbis support

It seems like your decision has already been made based on your budget / location. As mentioned in my OP, I suggest you test your phones with the players in consideration and make the choice based on your own ears and listening preferences. Trying demo'ing them at meets, stores, or just purchase both and return the one you're not happy with. Good luck!

 

[jjsoviet]

Too bad I can't demo any of Sony's line. Everything here is "sealed" and thus, cannot be used for an audition. Cowon is nowhere near present, and Sansa is incredibly rare.

Thanks anyway for clearing that up!

 

[Jodiuh]

I've seen the Sony for $250ish on amazon. That's only an extra $50.

You're +/- seems a bit biased there.

Sony has OLED screen and a great EQ as well.

I would toss my +/- up, but pretty much just imagine techfreakazoid's list and reverse it.

Really the best possible solution would be to get them both from easily refundable spots and return the one you don't like.

 

[jjsoviet]

Yeah, I've seen the OLED screen from the X and it's really impressive as well. No one seems to capitalize on its great screen quality.

So... are all Sony Walkman products sound alike? If that's so, I need something of the S or A line, preferably with a lower price but with 16 GB of memory. Anything else would be irrelevant, save for sound quality.

 

[FYJX]

reading the comparison, it seems it's biased towards the S9.

 

[jjsoviet]

I'm actually going for Sony's line more. Does that say something? @_@

 

[FYJX]

Nope, it's just when you're comparing. You have to put aside your personal preference

 

[jjsoviet]

Okay, I'll keep that in mind next time.

Now... will the S series suffice? I think that's the only thing affordable enough for me.

 

[FYJX]

By the way, the comment was to techfreakazoid....Sorry for my confusion? But yes do keep it in mind still =)

 

[jjsoviet]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaoDi /img/forum/go_quote.gif By the way, the comment was to techfreakazoid....Sorry for my confusion? But yes do keep it in mind still =)

Haha, sure. Are there big differences between the X, A, S and E series in terms of SQ?

 

[FYJX]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjsoviet /img/forum/go_quote.gif Haha, sure. Are there big differences between the X, A, S and E series in terms of SQ?

I've only heard the A7XX and the X series, i find the X series offers a more engaging sound experience as it's more enveloping. But i believe there's a new A series player released in Japan that's rather affordable, not sure how it'll sound but it shouldn't be too far from the X series i'm assuming.