[Starsky5000]

Hello. I am seriously considering purchasing an IAudio 7 or D2 mainly because of their excellent sound quality. But I also heard good things about the Sony Walkmans.

Does Sony support FLAC on any of their Walkmans?

Also which do you prefer the Cowon sound or the sound of Sony? & Why?

Thank You All.

 

[profusion]

I prefer sony for the bassy and wormer sound and got my new A826

 

[i_don't_know]

I like my Sony's warmer, fuller sound for portable use, but I find it lacks just a tiny bit on details compared to my Aiwa PCDP. I haven't heard a Cowon myself, but based on what I've read, it's Sony for fun and Cowon for analytical listening.

 

[Starsky5000]

Okay i have a Cowon U3 & love the sound alot but it's almost dead (battery barely takes a charge) so i need to find a replacement. And that's where your input comes in since i only had experience with a Cowon. I like the sound of the U3 but I've heard "alot" of good things about the Sony Walkmans. And they do describe the Sony sound as "Warm."

 

[abitdeef]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Starsky5000 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Okay i have a Cowon U3 & love the sound alot but it's almost dead (battery barely takes a charge) so i need to find a replacement. And that's where your input comes in since i only had experience with a Cowon. I like the sound of the U3 but I've heard "alot" of good things about the Sony Walkmans. And they do describe the Sony sound as "Warm."

From what I can remember the U3 sounded a little less cold than the d2. Plus the new S series don't sound as warm as other sonys. I think you would be very happy with say an s639, if you don't mind not having flac or ogg. I actually prefer the sony sound over the cowon sound, at least with the new models.

 

[Firefighter]

Well, its all a personal taste. To my humble ears, D2 sounds too un-naturel and harsh while my A828 sounds much warmer and balanced on bass end. But both players are winners. Like I said its a matter of personal taste.

 

[saintalfonzo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Starsky5000 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Okay i have a Cowon U3 & love the sound alot but it's almost dead (battery barely takes a charge) so i need to find a replacement. And that's where your input comes in since i only had experience with a Cowon. I like the sound of the U3 but I've heard "alot" of good things about the Sony Walkmans. And they do describe the Sony sound as "Warm."

why not just replace the battery if you're happy with the sound?

 

[charlie0904]

i owned a A806 and a S9.
sony is warmer, lush, soft, bassy.
cowon is bright, analytical, sharp, tremble+bass hammering.

if u are a casual listener, go for sony
if u are a sound cautious freak, go for cowon

both suit different listeners, both have their own traits.

 

[maxjensen]

I have a Cowon D2 as well as a Sony S638. Both have excellent and detailed sound. If I should compare them to headphones I would day that the Cowon is a pair of balanced armature (ie. Ultimate Ears) with a lot of details but perhaps lacking a little bass and warmth. The Sony would be a pair of Sennheiser's with more warmth and bass. I find myself using the Sony most of the time (or a Sansa Clip actually). Don't get me wrong. I really like my D2 - I just like the Sony sound a little more. But then, I also really love the Sennheiser sound signature - and some people don't. I'd say that charlie0904's posting explains it all.

 

[Artmuzz]

IMHO the Sony S639F has a wider stereo image and more detailed bass, mids and highs than the Cowon D2 has. Both tested with Sennheiser CX300 phones. i also find that my old iRiver iFP-590 sounds better than my Cowon D2.

Art

 

[younglee200]

Another one of those "apple or oranges" questions

To answer the FLAC question, I don't think any of the Sony series support FLAC. Personally, I prefer the Cowon over the Sony because I like its UI better. There isn't too much a difference (not enough to clearly say one is better than the other) in sound quality for me.

 

[Cowon_1]

I have the Sony walkman S616 and the D2 and to me the D2 sounds way better.

The Sony is way to aggressive for my taste..it sounds like the eq is set all the way up all the way across the spectrum, it gets fatiguing to listen to long periods. So much that I don't even use it anymore and doubt I'll ever buy another Sony Mp3 player.

The D2 has more detail, more airiness, a more transparent sound signature and isn't harsh at all. I can easily listen to it for long periods without fatigue. I think the Cowons are for serious listeners.

With that said I love the Sony ui.

 

[Rip N' Burn]

I have the D2 and the S639F. The D2 supports flac for lossless. The sony only supports WAV for lossless. It also has gapless playback for WAV files only. I prefer the sony for the warmer sound and excellent stereo separation.

 

[ChroniCali]

Sonys are warmer and fuller in the bass.

 

[Moldytape]

Would an analytical earphone (PFE) fit well with an analytical player (Cowon) to match both of their strengths or a warmer player (Sony) to balance the sound out?