[stevenswall]

Try out something from Cowon, The BBE certification is Hardware+Software (EQ, ect) and should sound more natural. So many options with the EQ you will probably be ale to customize it to your liking.

 

[Anaxilus]

I'll ask this here rather than start a new thread, see what happens. I was planning on using my smartphone running FLAC on my Winmobile OS. However, the iMod to a 4th or 5th gen iPod has really piqued my interest even though I hate, HATE Apple products. Getting a clean signal from those Wolfson DACs is quite intriguing. Anyone have any thoughts if this is the best possible solution.

FWIW, auditioning some Monster Miles Davis and Grado GR8s ATM while I save up for some JH13/16's.

 

[harrypt]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anaxilus /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'll ask this here rather than start a new thread, see what happens. I was planning on using my smartphone running FLAC on my Winmobile OS. However, the iMod to a 4th or 5th gen iPod has really piqued my interest even though I hate, HATE Apple products. Getting a clean signal from those Wolfson DACs is quite intriguing. Anyone have any thoughts if this is the best possible solution. FWIW, auditioning some Monster Miles Davis and Grado GR8s ATM while I save up for some JH13/16's.

You haven't given enough info about your priorities or why you hate Apple so much to give a good answer.

If sound quality is your primary concern, there are probably better solutions like the Hifiman. If convenience and/or storage is your primary concern then then iMod is a very good solution, especially considering you can get it with 240 gig of storage.

 

[Anaxilus]

I don't think my attitude towards Apple matters here, I could write a thesis paper on that. The fact that you can bypass a DAP's internal Amp and Line out by accessing Wolfson DAC's directly does matter. I don't know what kind of Wolfson's Apple uses, if Wolf is like Burr Brown then there are numerous DACs in their lineup, some ok, some good, some great. I've tended to avoid HDD iPods because I dont like spinning platters in a mobile evironment for many reasons. I'm looking for a portable source that can give the cleanest, most accurate source free of any color or degradation the manufacturer may have put along the way to line out.

 

[mrkesu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by harrypt /img/forum/go_quote.gif 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.

That is why I wanted to avoid mp3. Though many could not differentiate wav with 256kbps mp3, I would rather go straight to flac or wav. I am assuming wav output from a mp3 player would be the same as the output from pcdp. Correct me if Im wrong.

 

[harrypt]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrkesu /img/forum/go_quote.gif That is why I wanted to avoid mp3. Though many could not differentiate wav with 256kbps mp3, I would rather go straight to flac or wav. I am assuming wav output from a mp3 player would be the same as the output from pcdp. Correct me if Im wrong.

Though many can't differentiate between mp3 and wav, many can!

I have never heard a portable setup (meaning really portable, not a backpack full of equipment and batteries) that rivals a modest home setup.

Although the digital data may be the same as a CDP, the bits must be transferred to analog and amplified before we listen to them. Portables small size limits them from having large power supplies, capacitors etc. Home units have no such limitations. That is one of the things the iMod attempts to improve upon when bypassing the small iPod capacitors in favor of their larger ones.

 

[xnor]

harrypt, I don't think that it makes sense to buy a worse sounding device just because it has more space for flacs..
With 320 kbps mp3's you get about 95% of the original. Even very good sounding devices like the clip+ cannot deliver the original with higher quality than that (looking at rmaa measurements).

And with 32gigs you get a couple of days playtime.

 

[mrkesu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by xnor /img/forum/go_quote.gif harrypt, I don't think that it makes sense to buy a worse sounding device just because it has more space for flacs.. With 320 kbps mp3's you get about 95% of the original. Even very good sounding devices like the clip+ cannot deliver the original with higher quality than that (looking at rmaa measurements). And with 32gigs you get a couple of days playtime.

You mean, if I intend to play only flac or wav, the clip+ will not be able to deliver those files perfectly?

 

[Anaxilus]

He's saying you will never get "perfect" flac or wav representation in any player because w/o something like an iMod your perfect digital file will get converted into an inferior analog signal along with various internal amping to your headphone out. Its a matter of whether you want to invest in your own portable amp along with the DAP. If not, get the Clip+ or a Fuze gives you the option to do either with a LOD cable. Although I haven't been able to find a comprehensive review of a Fuze w/ such a cable yet. Plus you will be able to rockbox either soon enough which is another matter all together.

 

[xnor]

I wouldn't recommend the iMod. It's not worth it imho. The price of that LOD cable alone is ridiculous.

The clip+ is amazing and pretty much unbeatable for it's price. I'll buy one (or a vuze) next week.

What I was saying is that it makes no sense to get a "random" player just to be able to store lots of flacs if the stuff coming out of the player is worse than what you'd get with highest quality mp3s from a better player with less space.

 

[LFF]

IMHO, you really can't beat the Clip+.

I think only Sansa will beat it when they release higher capacity versions.

 

[stevenswall]

^ I keep hearing how nice the clip+ sounds, but have you heard the Cowon S9? Does anyone know the differences in terms of SQ and equalization ability?

 

[rawrster]

has the cowon s9 improved on the d2+ with the bass? I enjoy my clip+ esp at the cheap price I got it for but not sure how it does against the more expensive stuff like S9, Sony X, etc.

 

[Danneq]

Quote:

has the cowon s9 improved on the d2+ with the bass? I enjoy my clip+ esp at the cheap price I got it for but not sure how it does against the more expensive stuff like S9, Sony X, etc.

 
I cannot comment on the D2+, but apparently it has got a bass roll off issue with lower impedance phones. My experience from the S9 is that it has got bass roll off. I have remedied it after tweaking the EQ a bit. I also feel that the BBE+ effects while being very nice puts a slightly digital/artificial veil over the music and especially vocals. I am not very sensitive to that so I do not mind it as much as the bass roll off, but some people might prefer a more natural sound to vocals.
 

 

[kubus]

You want audiophile Player ?
 
Just buy Nationite S:flo 2 as a source and iBasso T4 as for amp and buy LOD from iBasso.
Its about 300$ and you cant go wrong with it.
 
Sflo2 got dual Wolfson WM8740 - that should tell you everything
 
Btw. Ive tried - iPhone 3g, Nano 5g, Nano 2g, Ihp-140, Touch 2g, Sansa Clip v1, Nano 1G, Sflo2, Nuforce HDP and Nufroce uDac and I can tell you something:
Ive decided to keep Sflo2.
You can see in my user album that ive really had all those at the same moment.