CC Lemon
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Nov 13, 2009
- Posts
- 280
- Likes
- 21
I've been using my iphone 3GS but, for a few reasons, I'd like to upgrade. I don't have space on my iphone for higher quality files so I'd definitely like to have that option. I only have the 8GB version, so I'm thinking I'd like to get 16GB or 32GB. Of course, expandable is always a nice option as well, though I personally don't think that's a requirement.
I'm a sucker for a nice UI so the Cowon S9 and J3 are really tempting me. The pricing is right about where I'd like to spend, though I'm willing to spend a bit more if I really will see benefits. It definitely seems like this would be a nice alternative to my iphone in terms of audio quality and offers quite a few other features that might be nice for travel.
The other unit I'm looking at is the hifiman HM-601... definitely a different route. I may be wrong, but from what I gather, I might expect better sound quality from this and it might be a better setup for me considering the other parts of my potential setup.
In terms of headphones that I would plan to use:
-Ultrasone HFi-780
-Grado SR-225i
-Etymotic ER-6i
My only amp:
-Headroom Total BitHead
The headphones I have are not exactly difficult to drive, but I've seen quite a few recommendations for having an amp when paired with the Cowon models. It sounds like the hifiman might be a better stand-alone set up. If the Cowon on its own or paired with my bithead would be considered a sufficient pairing, then I'm probably leaning towards that. If I'd have a better setup from the hifiman alone (or paired with the bithead) then I'll have to consider that as well.
So I guess I'm wondering if I'm on the right track and what might work best for me. The $200-ish price range of the Cowon is much closer to what I'd like to spend, but if the hifiman would be better on it's own, then I'd be willing to stretch my budget. I'd rather not have to get another amp at this point in time, but if there would be a better amp-source combo for $300 (max) then please point me in the right direction. I'm not the best audiophile but I can detect moderate differences in quality. If the differences are fairly subtle, I honestly might not notice or be picky enough to care.
Any nudge in the right direction is appreciated! Thanks in advance.
I'm a sucker for a nice UI so the Cowon S9 and J3 are really tempting me. The pricing is right about where I'd like to spend, though I'm willing to spend a bit more if I really will see benefits. It definitely seems like this would be a nice alternative to my iphone in terms of audio quality and offers quite a few other features that might be nice for travel.
The other unit I'm looking at is the hifiman HM-601... definitely a different route. I may be wrong, but from what I gather, I might expect better sound quality from this and it might be a better setup for me considering the other parts of my potential setup.
In terms of headphones that I would plan to use:
-Ultrasone HFi-780
-Grado SR-225i
-Etymotic ER-6i
My only amp:
-Headroom Total BitHead
The headphones I have are not exactly difficult to drive, but I've seen quite a few recommendations for having an amp when paired with the Cowon models. It sounds like the hifiman might be a better stand-alone set up. If the Cowon on its own or paired with my bithead would be considered a sufficient pairing, then I'm probably leaning towards that. If I'd have a better setup from the hifiman alone (or paired with the bithead) then I'll have to consider that as well.
So I guess I'm wondering if I'm on the right track and what might work best for me. The $200-ish price range of the Cowon is much closer to what I'd like to spend, but if the hifiman would be better on it's own, then I'd be willing to stretch my budget. I'd rather not have to get another amp at this point in time, but if there would be a better amp-source combo for $300 (max) then please point me in the right direction. I'm not the best audiophile but I can detect moderate differences in quality. If the differences are fairly subtle, I honestly might not notice or be picky enough to care.
Any nudge in the right direction is appreciated! Thanks in advance.
