[mrkesu]

Good morning,
I was going through this forums hunting for a player that sounds 'Exactly how it was meant to be in the recording studio'. I do not need extra bass, extra midrange, extra highs or whatsoever. Just purely the sound how it was meant to be.
I also do not need video, touchscreen etc etc etc.
Since mp3 is having quality lower than wav or any lossless, i do not need that as well. I am willing to go on with just wav eventhough the space will be limited.
But then lastly (i hate to tell this), my budget are limited to US300.

Many impressions and reviews on this forums talks about a player better than the other, but then I found the commenter prefers higher bass, wider soundstage and so on. I end up confused. I hope I can get a good suggestion on player that brings the sound as original as possible.

Thank you very much in advance.

 

[shigzeo]

I will just post a mini-rant with the aim of deflating your hopes. There isn't an 'audiophile' player which sounds just like the recording - not really. In the end, it depends more on your headphones. Find out what headphones (if they even use headphones in the studio) the engineer uses and then, depending on how hard those headphones are to drive, think about the source and maybe an amp.

No DAP will sound 100% what it is supposed to and not a single one will be able to uphold the soundwave. Some are closer than others, but none will sound like you need/want it to. Most are optimised for battery life/performance while a select few are optimised for power, but all have idiosyncrasies which hold them in unsteady performance whilst driving headphones.

For instance, hard to drive iems like the Earsonics SM2 will force bass suck out in 99% of the players on the market. They will also introduce noise, and crosstalk. Using an iem amp is probably closer to reality. But then again, very few engineers use iems for studio recordings.

But even if they use easier to drive full-size headphones, they are listening from professional gear with professional power supplies and mixers. It is completely different and even the best (if there even is one) audiophile DAP.

 

[LFF]

Shigzeo is right. The sound will greatly depend on the headphones you use.

That being said, I did a lot of research before buying my new digital audio player. I like natural, dynamic and organic sound. It seems that the best player out there that outputs the best sound without affecting the sound coming out is the Sansa Clip+ and Sansa Fuze. No bass bump, no bass roll off and the same goes for the high frequencies with great measurements all around.

The sound quality imho, is top notch, especially if you rockbox the Clip+.

EDIT: YMMV, but I would highly recommend you do your research first and then narrow it down to a few players and listen to them yourself before you decide to buy one.

 

[webbie64]

I have to concur with most of the previous info. All of the equipment you use, particularly with your budget, will have a sound signature associated with it. And what synergy of equipment (ie combinations of those sound signatures) works for your ears, your preferred music, and your preferred taste is, as LFF indicates, only something you'll determine by trying a few out.

Certainly learn from these forums and, as you yourself identify, try to determine who has similar preferences to you, particularly if you listen to the same musical styles as they do. That will narrow down your choices before you do your own listening.

I've also read other respectable HeadFi-ers indicate the Sansa Clip+ and Sansa Fuze as good examples of a DAP to use. I've seen positive (yet also some mixed info) on the sflo as well.

And since it sounds like you're looking predominantly at portability then it might also be good to determine if you're an IEM or Headphones person for that use.

Have fun with the search (seriously - enjoy the journey - because as the others have indicated it will be a journey for you to discover just what compromises will work best for you).

 

[Uncle Erik]

I also agree with the previous posts.

Despite running some high end gear, my DAP is an iPod. Like my car stereo, my expectations of a DAP are fairly low. No matter what I choose, it will be somewhat compromised. So I go for durability and convenience. Despite getting some negative remarks here, I find the iPod eminently "good enough." Other DAPs are good, too, and I'm sure I'd be happy with any number of them, but the iPod works for me. Instead of fussing with portable gear, I'd rather focus on the home rig.

 

[Spareribs]

I agree with all the previous comments. Some DAPs seem fuller in sound like my iRiver but I think it has larger internal amp since it is bulkier in size compared go an iPod.

Recently I played my iriver with a desk top hybrid tube amp and it sounded really good. It wasn't portable but it was transportable and fun at work.

A few years ago, I used to play my portable Sony mini disc player and I really liked it and it seemed go have a warm sound signature. Then I bought a used big bulky 20 gb Creative Labs nomad MP3 player from the early 2000's and that had a really good sound too.

 

[Deep Funk]

A simple Clip + is enough really. Sony DAPs can be good. It depends on the set up combined with your music files which result in a sound that either pleases you or not.

In my opinion my phone has very pleasing sound and the Clip + has a slightly better sound whilst carrying my FLAC files, that counts too. It depends on your set up combined with your music files...

 

[Tidus]

Hifiman

 

[nickosiris]

Like Uncle Erik, I think it's healthy not to expect an uncompromised sound from a DAP. The best headphones you can afford are the biggest step in the right direction you can take (I only worked this out for myself recently), but as for the player I would suggest trying out as many as you can. The Sansa players have a lot of fans on this site but I'm not one of them. Neither do I like any iPod I've ever tried, but that's just my personal taste. Happy hunting!

 

[cswann1]

The Audiophile portable source is a pretty new animal. Most of what I see in this niche market is coming from China.

One of the really exciting products I've seen in a long time is the Nationite S:Flo2

It's packed full of electronic wizardry aimed at making the sound reproduction higher in quality than your average consumer DAP. But what I think is really remarkable is how inexpensive it is. The only other Audiophile portable that comes to mind is the HiFiMan, which carries a hefty price. Much more heft than I'm willing to accept. I ordered a S:Flo2 today, mostly due to the positive feedback it has received here on Head-Fi.

 

[mrkesu]

Thanks for all the feedbacks. Really appreciate that.
Looks like I can't ask for an audiophile sound on portables without some sacrifices.

I will do this: will look for a good headphone or iem for my budget, grab the clip+ or fuze for now and see how it goes. If thats not satisfying, then I will grab the sflo:2.

 

[pmartel]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deep Funk /img/forum/go_quote.gif A simple Clip + is enough really. Sony DAPs can be good. It depends on the set up combined with your music files which result in a sound that either pleases you or not. In my opinion my phone has very pleasing sound and the Clip + has a slightly better sound whilst carrying my FLAC files, that counts too. It depends on your set up combined with your music files...

I'm inclined to agree.

Having just bought a refurbed Clip 2GB player and running through my Electric Avenues PAV2 headphone amp AND transferring music at AAC 256kb, this is THE CLOSEST thing I've heard to my old Kenwood portable cd player with the PAV2.

My only real limitations are my headphones, a cheap pair of Magnavox with a nasty HF glare, but in many respects a clone of the Sennheiser HD497's.

Listening to Enigma III on the way to work this morning was so close to my Kenwood PCDP it wasn't funny.

 

[mrkesu]

pmartel quates:
"Listening to Enigma III on the way to work this morning was so close to my Kenwood PCDP it wasn't funny."

Enigma was the first cassette that I bought to be played on my new AIWA gold cassette player in 1992.
Now they are with Enigma III? I should repeat the same thing. I have ordered clip+ and Enigma III will be the first song to be played on it!!!!

 

[shigzeo]

Well, if you are up for an Audiophile DAP, look no further than the HiSound Studio PDAA-1 Studio. I actually like it...

 

[harrypt]

As I see it "audiophile" and compression are not really compatible. If the biggest SQ factor is headphones, then I believe the second biggest factor is file compression. Therefore most of these players, no matter how good they sound, are not really adequate due to their memory limitations.

I do hear differences in all these players, and descriptions from those on the forum generally agree with my impressions, but file compression kills SQ. With the at best, 32gig limitations of many of the better sounding players, or the need to carry lots of memory sticks, the portability is killed for me. I travel for a living, lots of planes and hotel rooms so 32gig isn't that much when using flac or alac.

For this reason, the hard drive based iPod is still the only solution. Is it the best sounding? Definitely not. The point is that this is a portable hobby and compromises must be made. I have not heard a DAP that comes anywhere close to my home playback. You have to analyze the compromises to assess which you can live with. If you really want audiophile, you should look to a home based solution.