[Bombo]

I'm starting to feel like I made a mistake ordering the iAudio 7 last night. Impulse buying FTW

 

[itsborken]

Quote:

Originally Posted by oicdn /img/forum/go_quote.gif It's not really a fair comparo to compare an iMod to anything. It's heavily modded, yes, the bottom line is SQ, but if someboy dumped as much money/research into another DAP, do you still think the iPod would be the modded DAP of choice???? Probably not.

That's a good point. Anybody have a hypothesis as to why this isn't being done? Seriously, no fanboy because iPod is **** or my DAP yyyyy is perfect out of the box. I'm looking for a real answer as nothing is perfect and design tradeoffs get made, it's a fact of life.

I know a person who modded their old stock PCDP that actually outperforms the iMod SQ to my ears. OK, I admit, I covet

Unfortunately those old stock PCDPs don't pop up on eBay frequently. The nagging thought is if you do buy one, who's fixes it when the player breaks? My DIY skills will have to greatly improve to take on that path.

 

[StevenBrouwer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bombo /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm starting to feel like I made a mistake ordering the iAudio 7 last night. Impulse buying FTW

Cancel or send back. Buth the i7 most likely will not sound like the x5.

 

[Bombo]

This forum is so confusing

. In this thread "BEST PORTABLE AUDIO DEVICE" and a few others, they're absolutely raving mad about the iAudio 7, whereas here it seems to be the bottom of the crop. Is this extreme fanboy hyperbole? Or has the player somple been overlooked / not tested by the people in this thread?



Quote:

Originally Posted by anadin /img/forum/go_quote.gif I only got my iAudio 7 yesterday and I am so thrilled with the sound quality its simply stunning. I also have a C&C BOX+ portable headphone amp, the sound quality on the iAudio 7 is so good that the amp simply isn't needed. I had a Cowon D2 before I got the iAudio 7 and there was always something not right with the SQ but the iAudio 7 has totally restored my faith in Cowon again. Bottom line is if you are looking for a flash player then look no further than the iAudio 7 its simply stunning and for me to say that about a Mp3 player its got to be good.

Quote:

Originally Posted by anadin /img/forum/go_quote.gif The iAudio 7 sounds so silky and I cannot hear any distortion no matter what EQ settings I use, it sounds so much more life like than the horrible sounding Cowon D2. When I first heard the iAudio 7 my jaw dropped to the floor due to its outstanding SQ and that has never happened to me before when listening to any DAP even with a headphone amp.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pangaea /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yeah, I got it so I wouldn't have to carry an amp anymore. It sounds better than all my daps w/ amps except iMod. Its got some great sound EQ options. I am specifically getting some high end grados customized with a shorter cord so I can use them on the go with the 7. It is worthy of good phones.

Quote:

Originally Posted by lumanogin /img/forum/go_quote.gif I will have to agree with the consensus here. The iaudio 7 has blown me away. I just got it today. I was looking for three things - flash, sq, and battery life. All there. I went with the 8gb and can put 24 or 25 albums (FLAC) on at one time which is enough for me.

 

[StevenBrouwer]

Iaudio's have some jeteffect and eq settings. Some people are IMO fooled by this this and think they are hearing great sq. But having owned 2 iaudio's I can say that without the eq or effects the iaudio sounds best. But on flat it sound still pretty bad.
I can't clearly see if those judgements were made under the influence of eq and jeteffects...

 

[Malakei]

aside from the one guy, sounds like it could just be people who havent tried enough. that really ctually includes me. Ive heard the iriver 120 so ill see what i can compare with the x5 when it comes but i really havent heard the i7 or the kenwood nor can i vouch for the sq. simply relaying what ive heard. if we tread different threads with different opinions, how our opinions form will likely be very different. that being said, only take peoples opinion on here as information and with a grain of salt. With regards to a question that takes personal taste and opinion into account, thats all you can really do. There is simply no player out of the box that descimates all other daps, i think we can all agree on that. So, best chance of you finding the player you want, is by huntingthem down and trying them out. Unfortunately with daps its very hard because you have to use the best source or at least the source media you will be using most ofter on the daps, and short of bringing the thing home, trying it and returning it, theres not alot you can do. This is why i think alot of people turn to forums like these for guidance because its not like trying headphones, much harder to compare. I still say, try it out yourself, if you dont like it, sell it and try something else. You end up spending more money but if your buying used gear from this forum which is usually well treated, you wont loose too much and in the end youll hopefully find the player that suits your needs. Good luck with the hunt

 

[outlaw.bear]

I bought a Zune and a Kenwood HD20GA7 to test them both out and decide which one I like more then sell the other.

The Kenwood sounds noticeably better then the Zune, has a warmer/fuller sound to it with my Audio Technica AD700s.The more I listen to it the more I like it over my zune. How either compares to the other DAPs out there, I don't know, but I like both a lot. Kenwood's software doesnt work with Vista, atleast what comes on the DAP.

That said, I find the UI of the Zune to be better suited for my head (they are both similar, however, so its just a few things that my head assumes that the zune assumes as well). I also like the features, FM Radio + movie playback.

edit: Oddly enough the Zune sounds better through the Aux input in my Mazda3 then the Kenwood.

 

[sharkz]

The thing is its hard to compare the Zune and the Kenwood. The Kenwood costs more than 2x what a Zune would. Both are good players, but the Kenwood is among the best portable players on the market.

 

[outlaw.bear]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sharkz /img/forum/go_quote.gif The thing is its hard to compare the Zune and the Kenwood. The Kenwood costs more than 2x what a Zune would. Both are good players, but the Kenwood is among the best portable players on the market.

but people compare the I-mod with other DAPs ;p.

 

[threEchelon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by outlaw.bear /img/forum/go_quote.gif Kenwood's software doesnt work with Vista, atleast what comes on the DAP.

There is a new version of the software that supports Vista. You can even use XP and WMP 9 or 10 to transfer files.

 

[Assorted]

I find my Kenwood to be more musical but lacking audiophile properties compared to my iMod 4G. By musical, I find the iMod lacking the extra treble extension that gives the enjoyable edge in violins, and the Kenwood has less chunky mids that are at times lacking. Cost effectively, I cannot see myself choosing an iMod over the HD30GB9, but it gives me a nice alternative to my DCP-150 for my transportable rig.

 

[sharkz]

Basically it comes down the fact that if you are spending $400+ on an Imod or Kenwood, you are going to get really good sound. Just different kinds of really good sound. So preferences differ from person to person.