iPod Clones

[Hawks]

I've got a $50 4GB Sansa Clip that's lasted longer than the headphones I bought with it (a pair of 2XL hanger buds... cord is dying on them). It's nice, has an FM tuner and a customizable equalizer which is apparently a really great feature. The buds that come with it are crap though.

[Bauke]

Quality, as you state, is almost always observed from the player's audio output. Because it is possible to amplify these signals though both software and hardware, there is little need to express definitive quality from any single player. It can then be concluded that external means (headphones, speakers, etc) determine a larger position of the quality experienced. In addition, it's almost meaningless to argue player quality in terms of MP3 files because MP3 files aren't a lossless format to begin with, favoring data consumption instead. Any other format beside MP3 should not be recommended for the average user, as MP3 files have dominated the music industry for years now.

 

 

 

OP, a cheap MP3 player from someone like SanDisk would suit you well (although that Cowon iAudio D2 looks really neat).

 

Well, yes, you can use a portable amp for your iPod. Though I doubt a lot of people will have an extra package on their player. It is true that headphones and quality of the file play an important role, though the quality of the player itself is not to be underestimated. If you want "perfect" quality, you need to look at the whole package. That means, good headphones, a good player, and high quality files.

 

 

 

Mostly, it's the headphones that limit the quality. But that's because stock earbuds are usually crap. Though, Sony, Microsoft and Creative are recently stocking their player with decent earbuds.

 

 

 

Next to "pure" quality... one might want to customize audio to their preferences. For me, I like to lower the bass a bit, and have a little bit more mid-high. That's where the equalizer comes in. The iPod lacks a good one. Cowon and iriver have plenty of audio customizing settings.

 

 

 

I've got a $50 4GB Sansa Clip that's lasted longer than the headphones I bought with it (a pair of 2XL hanger buds... cord is dying on them). It's nice, has an FM tuner and a customizable equalizer which is apparently a really great feature. The buds that come with it are crap though.

 

Ah, the Sandisk Sansa Clip. Small sized, though one of the best sounding players on the market. You wouldn't expect it from such a small device, but it's true. I have one myself.

 

 

 

The equalizer ain't all that great though. Yet, I do manage to customize the sound to my liking. If you want really good audio customization, get a Cowon. Though, don't toy around with useless stuff like "Mach3bass" and "SRSwow". Just use the equalizer. It's the little tweaks that improve the sound.

[dave0293]

If you're getting an ipod, wait until September after they release new ones.

[das1330]

 

That's not true. Different players use different audio chips, and using the same (good quality) ear buds, differences can certainly be observed between them. I always find that the iPod lacks dynamics. It sounds quite flat. Compare it with a Cowon iAudio D2, for example. A much more clear bass sound and the high tones are much more defined.

 

 

 

While there is slight differences in the sound reproduction of MP3 players, the differences are so small as to be irrelevant to a regular user. First of all, if you use anything less then a lossless audio source such as FLAC, you won't be able to tell a difference (which are much less common then lossy formats such as MP3). Second, you need a VERY high end sound system for any differences to be discerned - earbuds or headphones just can't do it. I have personally tested an ipod against a friend's Cowon player, and even with a 500 dollar pair of Shure E5C buds there was no difference - to be able to identify ANY difference at all, I had to plug the players into the ~5,000 dollar Alpine system in a car. The Ipod sounded better.

 

 

 

 

The mp3-player you use for listening also affects quality. And the iPod can't match the top players, like Cowon or iriver. The iPod is really a mediocre music player. And it lacks audio customizing options. It doesn't even have a custom equalizer. And the presets are rubbish.

 

 

 

With good speakers and a good recording you shouldn't NEED to play with any equalizer settings - when the music was created it was adjusted as the artist wanted it to be. The on-board equalizer on just about any mobile player is designed to help compensate for low quality earbuds.

[Bauke]

 

That's not true. Different players use different audio chips, and using the same (good quality) ear buds, differences can certainly be observed between them. I always find that the iPod lacks dynamics. It sounds quite flat. Compare it with a Cowon iAudio D2, for example. A much more clear bass sound and the high tones are much more defined.

 

 

 

While there is slight differences in the sound reproduction of MP3 players, the differences are so small as to be irrelevant to a regular user. First of all, if you use anything less then a lossless audio source such as FLAC, you won't be able to tell a difference (which are much less common then lossy formats such as MP3). Second, you need a VERY high end sound system for any differences to be discerned - earbuds or headphones just can't do it. I have personally tested an ipod against a friend's Cowon player, and even with a 500 dollar pair of Shure E5C buds there was no difference - to be able to identify ANY difference at all, I had to plug the players into the ~5,000 dollar Alpine system in a car. The Ipod sounded better.

 

 

Err, an iPod sounds better? That seems like impossible, lol. I already notice differences with semi-decent earphones. With high end stuff it becomes clear that the iPod lacks all forms of a decent bass or decently sharp high tones. Maybe our taste in sound just differs. Though I've never heard anyone that an iPod is even remotely decent, lol.

 

 

 

Imo, the sound production of different players is quite obvious. With decent earphones, that is.

 

 

With good speakers and a good recording you shouldn't NEED to play with any equalizer settings - when the music was created it was adjusted as the artist wanted it to be. The on-board equalizer on just about any mobile player is designed to help compensate for low quality earbuds.

 

No, no, no. It doesn't matter how brilliant the sound is. The equalizer is there to refine the music to your personal taste. Unless an audio system is perfectly adjusted to my liking. But that's not something you can trust on. You can't compensate with an equalizer. If something sounds bad, you can't make it any better with adjusting the DB's of the different tones.