Quote:
Originally Posted by bangraman /img/forum/go_quote.gif
In terms of 'audiophile' aspects, they're for example already starting from the premise for example that the cartoon sound delivered by BBE et al is 'high quality'. There's no basis of comparison if you're going to set the bar at that nonsensical level.
|
Not quite sure what you're saying here. Do you mean they're automatically putting certain brands like Cowon on a pedestal, saying they're "high quality," but don't really have a "definition" of "high quality" to begin with?
Quote:
| Cnet actually are just as, if not more objective in their briefer mentions of audio quality. They understand who they're reviewing for, but abi et al seem to have have pretensions their reviewers would be hard pressed to support in reality. In terms of readily tangibles, the reviews are usually very good... but in terms of niches which need more preparation to be truly useful in objective terms, I can't really say (for the players that I have/had, which is admittedly most of them) they have any more authority than a much-derided Cnet review. |
Watch their Westone 3 video review. It's basically: they sound really good and are kind of big, but they're lightweight, have a nice cable, and are totally worth it. Their reviews for SE530's and TF10's aren't much different. If people are going to spend that much on headphones, are they really going to trust a review that brief and that vague, especially when all the other high-end IEMs have very similar reviews?
Their DAP reviews seem to go further into the SQ aspect, but I'd feel better if they'd make it clear which headphones and/or IEMs they use to review with all their DAPs. They specify with some, but not all.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cnet 5th gen Nano review
Sound quality is not one of the Nano's (or any iPod's) strong suits. Apple has gone another year without introducing any sound-enhancement settings to the iPod line beyond its traditional slew of EQ presets. To be fair, while the iPod Nano doesn't offer the sonic richness and advanced EQ settings of a Sony X-Series or Cowon S9 player, its audio sounds balanced and should please most listeners. To make a dramatic improvement to any iPod's sound performance, we highly recommend upgrading from the stock Apple earbuds.
|
The iBud upgrade reccomendation is nice, but they're making it seem like the biggest difference between the S9, X, and 5th gen Nano is better EQ settings. Surely the internal components have an impact on sound quality too.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cnet Clip+ Review
The good news is that the Clip+ features the same audio chip found in the Clip, meaning it offers a signal-to-noise ratio of 92dB. In layman's terms, that means this player is capable of providing great sound quality--if you swap out the included cheapo earbuds for something decent, that is. We used the Shure SE310s for the majority of testing and found the Clip+ to be comparable to its predecessor. Music sounds clear and balanced, with plenty of high-end detail and a nice, warm midrange. Bass response is decent, with no distortion, though we think it could use some more oomph. As such, we think that hip-hop and electronica don't shine as much on this player as on something like the Sony S-Series Walkman, but on the whole, all genres perform well, and those with an eclectic taste in music should be satisfied. Also, we're happy to report that the FM radio reception of the Clip+ is better than that of the Clip, which suffered a bit in that area.
|
Here, they go into detail of sound quality, but they make it seem like the Clip+ itself is somewhat bass-lacking. They're making it seem like the SE310s are completely neutral, and what they're hearing is a characteristic of the Clip+, not the SE310s. They do mention some Sony players, so they're doing more research than I thought, but it would be comforting if they used better IEMs for such a review.
Quote:
| I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that abi exists to give attention to things besides the ipod, which gets most of the media attention. |
Honestly, how many people can name another DAP besides something from the iPod line?
