Best SOUNDING MP3 Player?

[Tricks]

I'm in the market for a mp3 player, size is not too too important. What i really want is the best sounding mp3 player out there. It's next to impossible to try out mp3 players at stores so i thought i'd ask here.

1 gig in memory size at least: Any recommendations?

[goofball]

I've always found the creative's to have very good sound.

Of course, you'll be using very good headphones/earbuds for this?

[Riflem@n]

about iRiver or iAudio.

[WLJ101]

and save some money for a good earphones.

I bought a ER-6i for $100 US, still waiting for it to come.

WLJ1O1

[champ91]

too bad you missed out on that samsung 1 gig PM. I got one for a frd and it's really really tiny

[chatbox]

iAudio X5 with Ultimate Ears 10 Pro

[sonick]

http://reviews.cnet.com/Music/2001-6450_7-0.html

Sony NW-HD5

no firsthand experience here... read head-fi

[sleepyguy]

My favourite cheap/quality sound combo...

Rio 64 + 256 MB
Koss PortaPro

Just enough space to fit a few albums for the train ride. I love it!

[hamhead]

get the new SONY NW-E1xx Series. 70hrs battery life and sound is awsome

[radeonboy]

You have never heard great sound if you have never listened through iAudio MP3 Players. Seriously, the iAudio 3 or 4 sounds like the ****. Apple iPods are SOO overated, they sound like ass.

[radeonboy]

iAudio X5 with Ultimate Ears 10 Pro

What this guy said as well. Cnet picked it over the iPod one time :cheesygri

SICK AND SLICK! Must see MP3 player and more.

[Gee]

All things being equal. All players store their music on either RAM or disc. The music is digital, so every player should sound identical.

The difference will be in the headphones. The only other difference will be the quality of the MP3 itself.

[vrus]

All things being equal. All players store their music on either RAM or disc. The music is digital, so every player should sound identical.

The difference will be in the headphones. The only other difference will be the quality of the MP3 itself.


I disagree. Between my iriver and ipod, I can clearly recognize a sound difference even though I'm using the same headphones. The iriver sounds better. Both the unit and heaphone play a role to a better sound environment.

[chgolfs247]

ipod when used with Griffin ear buds. Great sound.

[Gee]

I disagree. Between my iriver and ipod, I can clearly recognize a sound difference even though I'm using the same headphones. The iriver sounds better. Both the unit and heaphone play a role to a better sound environment.

Logically, it shouldn't. If you take both the iPod and iRiver apart, you will find a hard drive. So the way the music is stored is identical in both units. In fact I am sure the drives are interchangable. So that only leaves one other variable, the processor or MP3 decoder.

In the cheap USB based MP3 players, I am sure the processor is more or less manufactured by one company. The disc based units are deifferent, because each manufacturer incorporates different features and will use different processors and decoders.

[radeonboy]

Logically, it shouldn't. If you take both the iPod and iRiver apart, you will find a hard drive. So the way the music is stored is identical in both units. In fact I am sure the drives are interchangable. So that only leaves one other variable, the processor or MP3 decoder.

In the cheap USB based MP3 players, I am sure the processor is more or less manufactured by one company. The disc based units are deifferent, because each manufacturer incorporates different features and will use different processors and decoders.

Electronics design isn't logic. I disagree too on your statement. There are way more things that play a factor such as how big the capacitors are, the DAC, the digital processor, everything.

The music being stored in the RAM (memory) doesn't do jack in determining if it sounds good or not.

You may think you are right, but you are wrong.

[sonick]

Logically, it shouldn't. If you take both the iPod and iRiver apart, you will find a hard drive. So the way the music is stored is identical in both units. In fact I am sure the drives are interchangable. So that only leaves one other variable, the processor or MP3 decoder. uh, heh heh, no....

thats like saying just coz the same CD played through a $100 Radioshack amp will sound as good as a $1000 Denon amp with the same speakers...

just coz the source is the same, there are many other variables OTHER THAN the processor and Mp3 decoder... the main thing is the amplifire and output sections... the quality of the parts (ie capacitors, etc) used, etc will hugely affect the output...

[jed]

What Gee said is true, the music is stored digitally, but is there not a conversion process from digital to analog to convert from stored digital information to sound? And would this not be where the difference may lie between players, in this conversion process? And the headphones of course.

[chgolfs247]

What is the price difference between the iRiver and iPod?

[kqc]

I thought the mp3 chip used in the mp3 player is the key thing...... isn't philips chip better than Sigmatel chip?

[ShadowVlican]

Gee, sorry buddy, you are DEAD wrong, other members have said what i was going to say.

anyways, i think iAudio (now known as Cowon America (http://www.cowonamerica.com/) products have best sound quality

you should also consider buying quality ear/headphones

[chatbox]

And again, like I stated earlier on in the thread...get the UE 10 Pro.

http://www.ultimateears.com/custom/item__view_item__prod-955.html

[Fightguard]

The music is digital, so every player should sound identical.

The difference will be in the headphones.yes, mp3's are stored digitally, but when the sound get to our ears, it is no longer in the digital realm. regardless what your may hear/read/think about digital sound this, or digital audio that, sound itself is not a digital enitity.
within any given mp3 player, it's the quality of the DACs and Amps that determines how good it will sound...not all players are identical in this regard, therefore not all players will sound identical (unless you're comparing 2 units of the same model/player). yes, headphones are a major factor in how good it will sound, but just as others have stated, internally there are differences that can impact how good it will sound from one player to another. in fact, before the signal even gets to the headphones, the music is no longer digital...so your statements disregards everything that happens in between the digital storage and the headphone connector.

[2000fordfocus]

ipod mini

[MrWizard]

You want good quality sound?

- Buy a decently sized mp3 player
- Buy good headphones
- Download/buy quality songs/cd's

[JT94]

Yeah, the DAC is the biggest factor with these players. Creative's experience in the industry is reflected in their better sounding players (keeping all other variables constant).