Which Portable Music Player

[technobhatt]

Continuing the Offtopic....
I too used to own a iPod 80GB Classic. Despite most of my music used be downloaded 128-192 kbps, I loved its sound long back.
But I could never listen iPod continuously, not more than 1 hour. May be the crappy 128kbps used to create some itching after some duration or may be I wasn't suitable for headphone/earphone listening. I hated listening music at loud sound !
Also, I really hated the part, that we have to do lot of hard work to sync songs in iPod and I used to pull my hair during this lengthy process. And the worst part, I couldn't sync a song from a friend's PC. Damn !!
And one day the iPod went dead and Apple guys refused to repair it as the warranty was over. Instead they asked Rs. 8000 for replacing it, which I had bought in 12500.
I managed to get the iPod repaired in Gaffar Market by paying Rs. 1500, but it lasted for 2 more months only.

And now, I enjoy listening music on my laptop with good headphones. As I have built my collection in FLAC and few of it in 320Kbps; I have deleted all my 128-192 Kbps collection. So I would never willing to be pay for iPod in future, courtesy the trouble I faced in past!
And what I feel now! I can listen these FLAC files at loud sound as well and I feel no itchiness!
If needed, I would also like to go for players which supports FLAC files and Cowon is one of the brand I think of buying.

 

[ukjeyaraj]

Thanks for so many input.

I am ok with the bulk size and no extension card of ipod classic. But I dont want to use itunes, I need to just drag and drop and start listening to music.

Sansa fuze(old model) seems to be best bet. But could not find it anywhere online.

Is transcend mp870 8gb not good? (Its easily available for less than Rs.3500)

 

[esanthosh]

Be warned that I stopped listening to portable devices a couple of months ago and have not touched them since. But, my opinion was formed over a couple of years and remains the same as before.

Before I wander off into my long post, you can buy FLACPlayer for $10 and play FLACs directly on iPod. I do that with my iPad, so see no reason why it should not be possible on the latest gen iPod Touch / iPhone. You just need iTunes for transferring the files using the Apps tab. Among other essential apps, one can get better EQ with Equalizer / eQu apps which cost very little. This would put them on par with Cowon (which has 5 fixed bands) and Rockbox (which has a very good 5-band parametric EQ). My clumsy fingers never learned the fine art of adjusting eQu graphs, but I've not tried them on the iPad yet.

My DAP/PMP path (bolded ones are currently owned):

Creative Zen V+, Cowon S9, Clip+, Fuze v1, Nanite N2, iPod Touch 3G, Sony E353, iPod Video 5G, QLS QA350 Mod V2, RoCoo-P, Cowon X9

Tried HM-601 from a friend too! Have not tried S:Flo2 or the fur-ring Altmann Tera Player. Because of my limited means and interest, may never try the last one.... ever!

While other players came and went, I have almost always owned a Clip+. Owned a couple of Clip+ at one time before selling one to reduce inventory. Did not find the Cowon S9 (normal EQ) or the iPod Touch 3G to be all that great / better next to Clip+. Nanite N2 was somewhat comparable in SQ, but does not score points when it comes to UI and daily use.

I do find QA350 to be better than Clip+ due to it's enhanced driving power. But, it's too cramped a device for everyday use (I may have gained a muscle or two lifting it, but that's beside the point). iPod Video, whose headphone out is not among my favorites (too high output impedance) is enjoyable and fares better than Clip+ once I connect a LOD and a good amp like 2SD / UHA-6S. The only other source I like as much (i.e., better than Clip+) is QA350 -> Digital Out -> UHA-6S MKI.

Clip+ is not the best when it comes to battery life or driving power, but what it has a flat frequency response and low output impedance which makes it consistent across IEMs and headphones. As a user of several IEMs with varying impedance and sensitivity values, this is a very important aspect for me. Even if I reduce my inventory now (as I should), I'm most likely to retain only QA350 (good as a digital transport), iPod Video 5G (good via LO) and Clip+. Nothing is as convenient, tiny and rugged (have dropped it quite a few times) for daily use than the little device.

If all you need is battery life, X9 is unbeatable (110 hrs spec, 72+ hrs in my test with my all FLAC library). It does require 7 hrs to charge, bigger size (a handful) and has a resistive touch screen on the flip side. SQ wise, I find the bass punch to be better on Clip+ and treble to be a tad better on X9. I had few other minor/trivial 'issues' with the sound, but have not listened to it enough to confirm or even state them openly.

iPod Video, IMO, makes a better source if

a) You can find a decent working one within the budget.
b) Rockbox it. Enables Drag & Drop, format support and EQ!
c) It works well! If anything at all fails, you have the means or motive to convert it into iMod / diyMod.
d) You add LOD and a good amp (O2 / UHA-6S / Quick Step) at some point - either stock or iMod.

In terms of DAC chip, iPod Video uses a Wolfson so does QA350 and X9. To my knowledge, iPod Touch 3G and even the recent ones use Cirrus Logic custom DAC chips. But the implementation on Leckerton UHA-6S (what with Nick being an engineer at Cirrus and all) is better.

Just my 2C.

 

[ukjeyaraj]

Wow. Thats a detailed message with plenty of value in it. Thanks santhosh.

Is it safe to assume Sansa Fusion + will be equal in quality like Clip +. Only disadvantage I see in Clip + is its smaller screen size.

I like Sansa Fusion + for look and features(also its told to be equal to clip in sound quality). There is only one concern and that is about its touch control pad, which is reported as sluggish by few in different sites. If someone has the same and can give their opinion it will be nice.

Otherwise I will settle down with sansa fuze+ or need to keep an eye on "For sale" to get an ipod classic, which can be rockboxed for flac capability.

 

[iaudio]

ukjeyaraj,
The only con I saw in Sansa Fuze( not Fuze+) was that it had a proprietary data cable. I stick to standard mini/micro usb whenever possible. Else the Fuze is same SQ as Clip with a tad better power, battery life.
As for the Fuze+, I was put away by the control pad related issues, though I never really verified whether it was as bad as it is made out to be.

esanthosh, back with one helluva post eh( as usual)!

 

[esanthosh]

@ukjeyaraj,

All Sansas more or less sound the same. All Cowons more or less sound the same.

As far as I know, Sansas use a SoC (based on info about the old models). The earlier Clip and Fuze V1 used the same chip, Clip+ and Fuze V2 used an upgraded chip. As far as I can tell, Fuze V1 was less louder than Clip+ (as in Fuze V1 required "0" on Rockbox to attain similar loudness as Clip+ at "-6" -- measured unscientifically by my ears with the same track in same format with the same IEM), but it sounded very similar/same otherwise.

Fuze+ had plenty of issues with the control pad when it was released, which is why I never looked at it seriously. I've read that firmware update fixed issues, but it may still be a risk. Unless screen size is a big deterrent for you, I'd keep Clip Zip as one of the choices to look at instead of Fuze+.

It should be iPod Video 5/5.5G which you should keep an eye out for, not the Classic

@iaudio,

I think that's my first post in 3 weeks on any forum.

Unrelated: I want power maintenance shutdown every day. On normal days, we have 1 or max 2 hours of continuous power and unscheduled cuts through out the day. Today, we had 3, can you imagine? 3 hours of continuous power in the morning, a 9:00-5:30 power cut and now more than 4 hours of power. Imagine the possibilities - typing this message with a tube light on instead of 5W CFL, charge the mobile, laptop and even your inverter for the first time in a month

 

[ukjeyaraj]

@iaudio

Thanks for alerting me on that proprietary port/cable. When I read it for the first time, I decided to keep away from that model, but some how forgot that.

@esantosh

Thanks for correcting what I need to look for. Probably I may take a risk with sandisk fuze + rather than going for used ipod which I need to tweek again for playing FLAC and may still need to pay more than what I need to pay for san fuze +

Alternately I will check(may be listen to them if possible) for some cowon and sansa players before taking the final call.

 

[iaudio]

ukjeyaraj, There is a used Sansa Fuze available for sale in head-fi for some 50 dollars odd. If you can buy from abroad, this is one good option.

 

[lake1988]

@iaudio I'm not a portable music enthusiast..most of the time I listen to sony hifi..not a big fan of sticking headphones in ear more than 30 mins.
Currently using iPod nano..used sony walkman mp3 and creative zen before that.

Even .m4a audio codec will have very good quality if your player can't play flac.

 

[iaudio]

lake1988, I get what you are talking about, when you say you dont like sticking in ear phones. There are times when I feel like that, and prefer my speaker set up whenever I am home.
Besides sound quality, its quite a pain to convert your files to some other format just for portable use, when most of your music is in .flac.
Else the Sony E3xx series(esanthosh has one) would have been good, with the decent sq and amazing battery life, for playing mp3s.

 

[mpw]

howz this ?

Amazon.com: sansa fuze

price is reasonable too..

mpw

 

[metalmickey]

@esanthosh-come on man coimbatore's 12-13hour power cut still sounds better than vellore's 15 hour powercut/day....YAYYYY we win!more sweat/more dengue!/litres&litres of diesel for our generators!....high time i invest on a hp petrol bank franchise

 

[esanthosh]

@esanthosh-come on man coimbatore's 12-13hour power cut still sounds better than vellore's 15 hour powercut/day....YAYYYY we win!more sweat/more dengue!/litres&litres of diesel for our generators!....high time i invest on a hp petrol bank franchise

Hmmm... Power comes back from the usual 5-6 AM power cut, goes out at 7:45, comes back at 2:30, goes off at 4, comes back at 6, goes off at 7 and does not come back till 1 AM till I sleep - that's last Saturday for you (4:15/20:00 of power when I am awake). Still sounds better?

 

[ukjeyaraj]

Precisely for the above reason I am postponing my shift to Chennai for last few years. I expect things to get better before I shift.

 

[ukjeyaraj]

About portable player, I am looking for sansa fuze+ in local market before deciding to buy online.

I will not be getting sansa fuze, reason being its non standard interface and no to sansa clip due to its small screen size

 

[ukjeyaraj]

Saw some reviews on fuze+ in youtube and quiet convinced about the control buttons. Also read that firmware release has fixed the issue of control pad. Probably I may order sansa fuze+.

Also other thought is to look for a mobile with good audio quality and capable of handling flac files. There is a need to buy a mobile, so thought of doubling the purpose of mobile. Is there any suggestion for mobile with good audio quality in Rs.10K range.

 

[iaudio]

These days there are cell phones which double as very good audio players. My Samsung Galaxy S plays flac out of the box. But I still prefer the Sansa Clip when it comes to sound quality.
Another thing with these touchscreen phones is that you are already worrying about whether the battery is going to make it till the end of the day, so you might not always be able to rely on using the phones as your portable music player( though music playback doesn't expend a lot of battery power).

 

[ukjeyaraj]

I have ordered Samsung fuze+ from proaudiohome.com

I will probably receive it today and will post my experience with the player.

I want to buy an in-ear headphone to pair with this. Read some threads is our forum and other places too and could not come to any final choice. I want this new headphone to be an upgrade from my existing Sennheiser PMX-80. Initially identified Soundmagic es18, but with mixed reviews, I am not sure whether to buy this. Some requirements are

1) No boomy bass, but need tight and firm bass
2) Mid and high clear and not missing anything
3) Tangle free cable

What are the options available in a budget of less than Rs.1500/-.

 

[edge111hussain]

I have ordered Samsung fuze+ from proaudiohome.com

I will probably receive it today and will post my experience with the player.

I want to buy an in-ear headphone to pair with this. Read some threads is our forum and other places too and could not come to any final choice. I want this new headphone to be an upgrade from my existing Sennheiser PMX-80. Initially identified Soundmagic es18, but with mixed reviews, I am not sure whether to buy this. Some requirements are

1) No boomy bass, but need tight and firm bass
2) Mid and high clear and not missing anything
3) Tangle free cable

What are the options available in a budget of less than Rs.1500/-.

For all that u want and at a budget of 1500, your options = 0

Prolly look at the soundmagic pl-30/50.

 

[ukjeyaraj]

If budget can be exceeded, what are the other options?

I looked at Pl30 and did not like the look. It was not far away from my budget, IIRC, it was available for somewhere around 1800

Any opinion on soundmagic es18. Some give it double thumbs up and some trash it.

If there is not much option I will continue with sennheiser pmx-80