[SACD-Man]

Its coming...

I have the Rocoo now. I just need time to breath in order to ship them out!!

Craig

 

[sbulack]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Felsham PO /img/forum/go_quote.gif It has been well reported elsewhere that Hisoundaudio have been promoting their own products. Many of them signed up to this forum at the end of last year. It is no coincidence that many of them use the same broken english that is used on the Hisoundaudio website! I hope that despite all the bulls**t eventually the studio and rocoo will be released and actually play music. ...

The observations and assessments offered in this post are not really a response to Felsham PO's post, singled out. I'm quoting this post as a recent, conveniently-quotable and representative example of an increasingly negative (as in PO'd) criticism in posts about HiSoundAudio, and at times by implication, customers who are expressive in their satisfaction with HiSoundAudio products.

I'm posting to offer another, more satisfied, experience with the HiSoundAudio products - just as a reminder that such experiences are, as well, a part of the background to this ongoing discussion.

There are, among those of us who are excited about the AMP3 (already released and playing music) and expectantly waiting for the release of the Studio to be shipped (the release with its evaluation rough edges smoothed off - A Thanks to Craig at Whiplash Audio for that), Head-Fi members of substantially longer tenure than a year, and whose posts reflect a credible interest in headphone audio and supportive Head-Fi community involvement. As one such Head-Fi member, I too very much look forward to the imminent release of the Studio.

For me, however, the release of the Studio is not a chance for HiSoundAudio to prove or redeem itself. That's already been done, to me, with the AMP3 (Pro.1 and Pro.2). With the two AMP3 units that I own and regularly use, my assessment is that they both function well (with each running the latest FW released for it by HiSoundAudio). They don't hang up, every button works every time it is pressed (with rare exception), and the ergonomics of how they store music for access works well with how I use these units. With both 4GB Internal and 16GB External storage 90% full, they boot up in about 35 seconds. I don't use a low impedance, high sensitivity IEM with them, so I hear no hiss. I'm amazed, really, at how many thousands of dollars of equipment I had to put into my other (stationary) rigs, done in steps over the years, to get their sound quality to first match and then exceed that of the AMP3 units. I sympathize with Head-Fiers who have reported persistent issues with their AMP3 units, and whose posts reflect a corresponding level of frustration and dissatisfaction. Such issues and frustrations, however, are not part of the experience of every AMP3 owner, thankfully at least, not mine.
But I sympathisize with the frustrations of others, and I have contributed efforts to help other Head-Fiers to resolve some of their issues and frustrations along the way.

The Studio represents to me another step from HiSoundAudio toward seeing just HOW high they can take the sound quality in a small, convenient, battery-powered single unit. Even in the face of the criticisms that I've been reading of the AMP3 units since August of 2009, and of the upcoming Studio unit in 2010, given my own highly satisfying experience with the AMP3, I'm quite excited as I wait for the Studio unit I ordered in late January, 2010. I'm very much looking forward to hear for myself just how much higher than the AMP3 the Studio has taken the bar of high quality portable sound, and improved the ergonomic functionality, in the HiSoundAudio line of products.

 

[HiFlight]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Felsham PO /img/forum/go_quote.gif It has been well reported elsewhere that Hisoundaudio have been promoting their own products. Many of them signed up to this forum at the end of last year. It is no coincidence that many of them use the same broken english that is used on the Hisoundaudio website! I hope that despite all the bulls**t eventually the studio and rocoo will be released and actually play music. Or am i compared to the best other audio players have honoured us by hisoundaudio generous perfected on the eve of new dawn that can be explained for we have more than is best. We get perfect player soon!

Hopefully, the real thing will arrive soon, and a better product for the wait.

 

[acroyear]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sbulack /img/forum/go_quote.gif The observations and assessments offered in this post are not really a response to Felsham PO's post, singled out. I'm quoting this post as a recent, conveniently-quotable and representative example of an increasingly negative (as in PO'd) criticism in posts about HiSoundAudio, and at times by implication, customers who are expressive in their satisfaction with HiSoundAudio products. I'm posting to offer another, more satisfied, experience with the HiSoundAudio products - just as a reminder that such experiences are, as well, a part of the background to this ongoing discussion. There are, among those of us who are excited about the AMP3 (already released and playing music) and expectantly waiting for the release of the Studio to be shipped (the release with its evaluation rough edges smoothed off - A Thanks to Craig at Whiplash Audio for that), Head-Fi members of substantially longer tenure than a year, and whose posts reflect a credible interest in headphone audio and supportive Head-Fi community involvement. As one such Head-Fi member, I too very much look forward to the imminent release of the Studio. For me, however, the release of the Studio is not a chance for HiSoundAudio to prove or redeem itself. That's already been done, to me, with the AMP3 (Pro.1 and Pro.2). With the two AMP3 units that I own and regularly use, my assessment is that they both function well (with each running the latest FW released for it by HiSoundAudio). They don't hang up, every button works every time it is pressed (with rare exception), and the ergonomics of how they store music for access works well with how I use these units. With both 4GB Internal and 16GB External storage 90% full, they boot up in about 35 seconds. I don't use a low impedance, high sensitivity IEM with them, so I hear no hiss. I'm amazed, really, at how many thousands of dollars of equipment I had to put into my other (stationary) rigs, done in steps over the years, to get their sound quality to first match and then exceed that of the AMP3 units. I sympathize with Head-Fiers who have reported persistent issues with their AMP3 units, and whose posts reflect a corresponding level of frustration and dissatisfaction. Such issues and frustrations, however, are not part of the experience of every AMP3 owner, thankfully at least, not mine. But I sympathisize with the frustrations of others, and I have contributed efforts to help other Head-Fiers to resolve some of their issues and frustrations along the way. The Studio represents to me another step from HiSoundAudio toward seeing just HOW high they can take the sound quality in a small, convenient, battery-powered single unit. Even in the face of the criticisms that I've been reading of the AMP3 units since August of 2009, and of the upcoming Studio unit in 2010, given my own highly satisfying experience with the AMP3, I'm quite excited as I wait for the Studio unit I ordered in late January, 2010. I'm very much looking forward to hear for myself just how much higher than the AMP3 the Studio has taken the bar of high quality portable sound, and improved the ergonomic functionality, in the HiSoundAudio line of products.

x2. No broken English there! I don't work for Hisound either, and I like my Amp3 as well. Once in a while it'll lock up, and I have to stick a pin in the reset hole. It doesn't happen that often, and the thing sounds great. I pre-ordered the Studio back in October based on my positive experience with the Amp3. I don't care what chipset it uses, as long as it sounds the way it's supposed to.

 

[average_joe]

I also like my AMP3, as I have stated previously. I actually think it is awesome with portable headphones and most dynamic IEMs. Of course, some of those dynamics benefit from an impedance adapter, but the AMP3 is great in a lot of ways, as well as having some shortcomings. I am happy I have it!

 

[Felsham PO]

I also enjoy the sound quality of the AMP3 and have preordered the Studio (and Rocoo) in anticipation of them being great players. Lets hope soon we can all be doing what we ultimately want and listen to some music!

 

[david1978jp]

sbulack,
Now I truly don't understand, you obviously care about good sound - quoted "many thousands of dollars of equipment I had to put into my other (stationary) rigs". But, you showed no interest in Cowon S9, HiFiMAN HM-801, Ipod Classic, Sandisk Clip/Fuse, Sony X series and S:flo2/ Teclast T51 ? Those mp3 players don't cost a lot of money, except HiFiMAN; did you try them and they all disappoint you? Can you please share your reasons? If other players don't deserve my time and money, I want to know. Thank you.

 

[Woody469]

Originally Posted by Woody469
Hi Craig,

Whats the chances you sending the Rocco now to help make the wait (for the Studio) easier? I have needanewtoyitus.


Quote:

Originally Posted by SACD-Man /img/forum/go_quote.gif About as much as my wife cooking for once... So ..... LOL Craig

Craig, Is she making you anything good?

 

[sbulack]

Quote:

Originally Posted by david1978jp /img/forum/go_quote.gif sbulack, Now I truly don't understand, you obviously care about good sound - quoted "many thousands of dollars of equipment I had to put into my other (stationary) rigs". But, you showed no interest in Cowon S9, HiFiMAN HM-801, Ipod Classic, Sandisk Clip/Fuse, Sony X series and S:flo2/ Teclast T51 ? Those mp3 players don't cost a lot of money, except HiFiMAN; did you try them and they all disappoint you? Can you please share your reasons? If other players don't deserve my time and money, I want to know. Thank you.

Hi david(1978jp).
Thanks for your interest in what I've posted - that you'd ask for clarification.
I'll be happy to make an attempt to clarify what I've posted above in light of what you've asked me about it.
This attempt is a little rambly and may contain redundancies, but I don't have the time now to edit it into a better constructed form, and I think it contains what you may be finding to be missing from my post above. (The Chef thinks the soup is tasty. Feel free to send it back if you don't agree.)

I think that what may be missing from your understanding of my post above is that you might be misinterpreting my not mentioning other DAPs in it.
Each of the many DAPs that are available is a listening tool - with its own set of capabilties and limitations. I view selecing a DAP as choosing the best tool for the listening application at hand. I have many different listening applications, and I find different DAPS to be best suited to various of those applications. Rather than attempting to pick one DAP as the best one to fulfill all of my DAP needs, I select multiple DAPs, including a few of those in your list of non-HiSoundAudio DAPs, each one used where I find it to work best.

I do not mention any DAPs other than the AMP3 in my post above because to do so does not fit the purpose of my post. The purpose of my post is to add to a discussion, which seems to me to be getting increasingly negative (impatient and "ticked-off"), even suspicious, toward HiSoundAudio my very satisfied experience with their AMP3 and the positive expectations for the Studio based on that experience. I compare the sound quality, in that post, to my very nice stationary rigs - rather than to other DAPs, because I have no interest in getting involved in the "which DAP is The Winner" contest that I've seen play out in less-than-productive ways in a variety of threads discussing various DAPs. Yet I want to express my amazement at the sound quality of the AMP3 relative to other audio equipment with which I am well familiar costing many times more. I post this to remind folks that there are reasons to remain positive about what we're waiting for, even though the wait may be wearing us (and perhaps our hopes or expectations or willingness to give someone else the benefit of the doubt) a little thin, and understandably so.

The hypothesis that I showed no interest in other DAPs or the concerns expressed that I might be disappointed by them or that I might not consider them to be deserving of peoples' time or money are not correct interpretations of my not mentioning them. I don't mention them simply because it does not fit my purpose in that post or in this thread to mention them. But now that you've asked me about it, I do own several of the other (non-HiSoundAudio) DAPs you mention in your question to me. I use them regularly and find them to be very useful and enjoyable in listening applications to which I find them to be best suited. In fact, I'm in the midst of investing in an upgrade for one of them to make it even more useful to me in that particular application. I think that other people, including you, would be well served to consider the DAPs you mentioned, as well as the AMP3, for purchase and use, choosing the best suited tool in the bunch which gives the best bang for buck in the listening application(s) for which it will be used.

The AMP3 has some uses for me for which I find it best suited, having to do with what I'll call "optimal transportability and ease of setup and maintenance with minimal loss of Sound Quality", which is not the same as portability. I have a realistic expectation that the Studio will be even better suited for these particular uses than the AMP3 based on the following:

1) giving HiSoundAudio the benefit of the doubt as to their motivations for releasing a higher-cost player - I'm taking it to be to release a player that customers will listen to and use and say, "I like this better." I give them this benefit of the doubt because of my satisfaction with the AMP3. Giving HiSoundAudio this benefit of the doubt, I'm expecting that the extra dollars are going into putting into the Studio aspects of hardware and firmware technology (and product development time) that were compromised out of the AMP3 to put it at a lower price point.

2) Craig's evaluation of the Studio relative to the AMP3. Yes, I know he's selling them. I think that he's smart enough to know that it would not serve his long term business interests to get a short-term run of sales by just saying that it sounded better to him if his first customers would be expected to disagree with his assessment in a public forum. Head-Fiers (whose ears I trust and know to be compatible with mine) speak well of Craig's headphone recabling offerings, which shows me that he has an ear which agrees with theirs, and mine. And he has a LOT of equipment available to try it with and to compare it to.

If the Studio is as much improved in SQ over the AMP3 as I would expect based on the above, then it will be even better suited to my uses based on "optimal transportability and ease of setup and maintenance with minimal loss of Sound Quality" than the AMP3. At the same time, I will continue to use each of my AMP3 units and my other (non-HiSoundAudio) DAPS for my other applications for which I find each to be best-suited.

As I mentioned above, I think this clarification is on the rambly and redundant side, but I think it contains what you may be finding to be missing from my post above. If something still seems to be missing or confusing, please feel free to point it out, and I'll do my best to add or clarify it.
Thanks again for your interest,
Steve (that's what the "s" in sbulack stands for).

 

[Woody469]

Hi Craig,

Are you sending the Rocoo now or waiting and sending it with the Studio?

I am interested in the versions of each that are meant for high sensitive phones.

 

[KonaRichard]

1. I read someplace in the earlier thread about the amp3 2 that a 16gb external memory card was causing no problems it was I think a Transdance micro sdhc class 4 but I lost it and forgot in what post it was recommended. Is that the one or what do I have wrong I want to get that card.

2. Also I had a problem with my AmP3 2 when I tried charging it in a car after it stopped playing. when I came home I puled out the USB plug and tried to continue it, in my computer. There was a red light on so I tried to continue charging it with no avail. so I let the red light wear down the battery for 2 days and then it turned off the red light and let me chard again. I did not know I could reset it. Maybe that would have worked.
Now I am trying to play flack files and see if I will have any problems I use the JH13s.
3. I own the HD 800 and read that the new players have enough power to drive the HD-800 so I am interested in that too.

Richard from Kona Hawaii

 

[acroyear]

Yes Richard, that was my post. You have it right, it was the Transcend class 4 16gb card, works perfectly for my Amp3 Pro2. Hope this helps..

 

[sbulack]

Quote:

Originally Posted by KonaRichard /img/forum/go_quote.gif 1. I read someplace in the earlier thread about the amp3 2 that a 16gb external memory card was causing no problems it was I think a Transdance micro sdhc class 4 but I lost it and forgot in what post it was recommended. Is that the one or what do I have wrong I want to get that card. ... Richard from Kona Hawaii

I have purchased two 16GB micro sdhc cards (both class 6), each from a different manufacturer, and both of which work without any issue with my AMP3.Pro-2. One is by Transcend (which cost me about $70 on Newegg) and the other is by RiData (which cost me about $50 on Newegg). I've got each of them filled to about 90% of their available capacity.

 

[acroyear]

Quote:

Originally Posted by acroyear /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yes Richard, that was my post. You have it right, it was the Transcend class 4 16gb card, works perfectly for my Amp3 Pro2. Hope this helps..

Ooops. I'm sorry, it is in fact a class 6 Transcend card, not a class 4. First time I had to buy one, and it was almost 6 months ago. Don't have any idea how a class 4 would perform.

 

[Woody469]

So, Craig, do you have any good news for us? This thread seems eerily quiet.