[encrypted_trance]

About a year and a half into this game and spending on some fancy gear, today I decided to go for a Sansa Clip 8GB, only 40UKP, to see what the fuss was about the quality of this player, and more importantly realise how crap the iPod as an audio source is.

Gobsmacked. Within 5 second of a sansa and UE TF10's, the difference was so obvious...and I felt gutted for having wasted over a year arsing around with iPod SQ.

Not sure how to describe the difference...the sansa is more musical, doesn't sound 'thin', has a full, rich, 3D sound...whatever...I'm not sure...definitely has strong bass...not sure if its colouration...but what the hell, it really thumps the bass out of the TF10s (which I hiterto thought were a bit thin on bass)

Anyway, my 2 cents of advice to anyone in my position would be to upgrade the source..and the clip is cheap as chips...

 

[immtbiker]

Have you compared the Sansa to the "iMod"?

 

[encrypted_trance]

Quote:

Originally Posted by immtbiker /img/forum/go_quote.gif Have you compared the Sansa to the "iMod"?

I couldn't iMod my iPod as it has the inferior DAC...

 

[sjones]

Ahhh! You've been enlightened. Welcome.

 

[immtbiker]

Quote:

Originally Posted by encrypted_trance /img/forum/go_quote.gif I couldn't iMod my iPod as it has the inferior DAC...

4th or 5th generation.

 

[encrypted_trance]

Quote:

Originally Posted by immtbiker /img/forum/go_quote.gif 4th or 5th generation.

5.5 or 6G - its the 160gb classic

 

[shigzeo]

funny, in hardware tests, the new ipods best the sansa fuze which is based on the same hardware as clip. im sure it is good but im also sure that beside placebo, it is a good dose of apple hatred in these boards that helps

 

[encrypted_trance]

Quote:

Originally Posted by shigzeo /img/forum/go_quote.gif funny, in hardware tests, the new ipods best the sansa fuze which is based on the same hardware as clip. im sure it is good but im also sure that beside placebo, it is a good dose of apple hatred in these boards that helps

Can you please give links to these hardware tests?

 

[tstarn06]

Odd, cause while the Clips sound okay to me (and I have one v1 and one v2), the iPod Touch 2G and the rockboxed 5.5g iPod both sound better (I listen to the latter via LOD and amp, so that isn't really fair). Anyway, I was a long-time iPod holdout. Of course, hp out vs. hp out, I like the Zune80 SQ best with the W3s.

 

[Calexico]

Quote:

Originally Posted by shigzeo /img/forum/go_quote.gif funny, in hardware tests, the new ipods best the sansa fuze which is based on the same hardware as clip. im sure it is good but im also sure that beside placebo, it is a good dose of apple hatred in these boards that helps

Why can't you accept that people like the Clip more than the iPod. You post this everywhere, and whether or not hardware tests prove that the Clip is worse than the iPod, in the end it's all personal preference. Stop blaming the fact that many people like the Clip more than the iPod on placebo and prejudice.

 

[encrypted_trance]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tstarn06 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Odd, cause while the Clips sound okay to me (and I have one v1 and one v2), the iPod Touch 2G and the rockboxed 5.5g iPod both sound better (I listen to the latter via LOD and amp, so that isn't really fair). Anyway, I was a long-time iPod holdout. Of course, hp out vs. hp out, I like the Zune80 SQ best with the W3s.

unfortunately, i do not own an ipod model which can allow me to use rockbox (or the imod as mentioned above)...but maybe the ipod classic with an amp via LOD would be an option soon - albeit a lot more expensive than going clip...which then makes me wonder whether i should just get some new 'phones

 

[panda]

my clip arrived yesterday and i must admit it sounds pretty damn good. it reminds me of the original ipod shuffle but with a sparklier top end.

i wasn't expecting much as i bought it for use when exercising but it packs a punch and for sure sounds better than an ipod.

 

[tstarn06]

Quote:

Originally Posted by encrypted_trance /img/forum/go_quote.gif unfortunately, i do not own an ipod model which can allow me to use rockbox (or the imod as mentioned above)...but maybe the ipod classic with an amp via LOD would be an option soon - albeit a lot more expensive than going clip...which then makes me wonder whether i should just get some new 'phones

I should add that I do like the Clips, but now I have only FLAC files loaded on them, sort of like playlist DAPs. So they should sound pretty good. In other words, it's all good.

 

[leveller1642]

In my opinion, it would be good if people when they compared ipods to other daps they used AAC files on the ipod. AAC is an integral part of the Apple system. There should be no EQ on both DAPs either.

Compare your Sansa clip's unequalised MP3 SQ with the unequalised SQ of an iPod's AAC files.

 

[malldian]

Not a very good test if the files are different...