GhorMaanas
The Vagrant Seeker
Hello everyone!
its been a long time that i have 'survived' now (although it was a refreshing break!) without a PMP, after the sad demise of my last one in a trek. now i want to buy another one. created a WTB thread sometime back, but the response was lackluster, hence have decided to purchase a new one. i need a PMP strictly qualifying the criteria of moderate rough-usage, hence no 'touchscreens', MP4 players, and all that fuss. would be using it while on treks/hikes, travelling, in the gym, running, etc.
below, i would list my choice of players in order of preference (for a budget of 4k), as well as a short description from what i know about each of them. please suggest me your pick among them:
1. Sandisk Sansa Clip+ (3.5k-4k; why is it costlier than clip zip on grabmore.in?! because the former has been discontined but still generates interest?):
- one of the most, if not THE MOST, famous, budget, VFM players among audio-enthusiasts!
-i like its design. its light, sort of minimalist too. don't like the look of its younger brother, the clip zip.
- i understand that there's no difference in SQ between clip+ and clip zip, the difference limited to just cosmetic factors. please correct me if am wrong.
- i had a short audition of the clip+ a long time back. that time, i felt that though the audio was clean, it lacked power (vol. seemed low even at full), and warmth (esp. bass). perhaps that could be rectified through EQing. but am ready to purchase it on the 'assumption' that since that time, i have gained a better taste in music and can get on well with the player.
- also, i read that clip+ isn't very suited to electronica and other similar forms of music. i do listen to some of them occasionally. actually, i listen to roughly all types of music that strikes a chord with me, EXCEPT dark metal, hip-hop, & candyfloss romantic songs.
- i intend to either clip on the player, or make arrangement to tie a lanyard around it and hang it around my neck.
- read that some 'rockbox' FW can do wonders with the battery-life?
1/2. Cowon iAudio E2 (strong contender to the above player, as per me):
- here too, i like the design due to its slick and minimalist design. my first PMP was Apple iPod Shuffle 512MB (stick). E2 reminds me of that.
- SQ is said to be decent, albeit with BBE, it tends to come up better. now what's this BBE?! will have to google that!
- price is pretty good too! 2940/- from pristine note/pro audio home.
3. Sony NWZ-B173F:
- like its sound, although tends to feel too warm or heavy sometimes.
- dislike its cap. it isn't a snug fit (have used the player for a while). feels like can come off in the rigours of daily use easily.
- one major criteria of my usage is, that, if i hang it around my neck, or stuff the player in my pocket, i don't have to take it out everytime to change a song. in this one, the rotating wheel/dial makes that tough! and the vol. button is also not such that can be easily sensed with fingers. this perhaps makes this player a big NO for me (rotating the dial through pocket/shirt is a bit tricky)! but still, await your opinion.
that's it! and not considering philips anymore.
please pour in your suggestions. and it would be very helpful if you could link me to some good deal at any e-tailer site, or even tell me of a site that can give me a good deal!
Update: almost finalised on sandisk!
its been a long time that i have 'survived' now (although it was a refreshing break!) without a PMP, after the sad demise of my last one in a trek. now i want to buy another one. created a WTB thread sometime back, but the response was lackluster, hence have decided to purchase a new one. i need a PMP strictly qualifying the criteria of moderate rough-usage, hence no 'touchscreens', MP4 players, and all that fuss. would be using it while on treks/hikes, travelling, in the gym, running, etc.
below, i would list my choice of players in order of preference (for a budget of 4k), as well as a short description from what i know about each of them. please suggest me your pick among them:
1. Sandisk Sansa Clip+ (3.5k-4k; why is it costlier than clip zip on grabmore.in?! because the former has been discontined but still generates interest?):
- one of the most, if not THE MOST, famous, budget, VFM players among audio-enthusiasts!
-i like its design. its light, sort of minimalist too. don't like the look of its younger brother, the clip zip.
- i understand that there's no difference in SQ between clip+ and clip zip, the difference limited to just cosmetic factors. please correct me if am wrong.
- i had a short audition of the clip+ a long time back. that time, i felt that though the audio was clean, it lacked power (vol. seemed low even at full), and warmth (esp. bass). perhaps that could be rectified through EQing. but am ready to purchase it on the 'assumption' that since that time, i have gained a better taste in music and can get on well with the player.
- also, i read that clip+ isn't very suited to electronica and other similar forms of music. i do listen to some of them occasionally. actually, i listen to roughly all types of music that strikes a chord with me, EXCEPT dark metal, hip-hop, & candyfloss romantic songs.
- i intend to either clip on the player, or make arrangement to tie a lanyard around it and hang it around my neck.
- read that some 'rockbox' FW can do wonders with the battery-life?
1/2. Cowon iAudio E2 (strong contender to the above player, as per me):
- here too, i like the design due to its slick and minimalist design. my first PMP was Apple iPod Shuffle 512MB (stick). E2 reminds me of that.
- SQ is said to be decent, albeit with BBE, it tends to come up better. now what's this BBE?! will have to google that!
- price is pretty good too! 2940/- from pristine note/pro audio home.
3. Sony NWZ-B173F:
- like its sound, although tends to feel too warm or heavy sometimes.
- dislike its cap. it isn't a snug fit (have used the player for a while). feels like can come off in the rigours of daily use easily.
- one major criteria of my usage is, that, if i hang it around my neck, or stuff the player in my pocket, i don't have to take it out everytime to change a song. in this one, the rotating wheel/dial makes that tough! and the vol. button is also not such that can be easily sensed with fingers. this perhaps makes this player a big NO for me (rotating the dial through pocket/shirt is a bit tricky)! but still, await your opinion.
that's it! and not considering philips anymore.
please pour in your suggestions. and it would be very helpful if you could link me to some good deal at any e-tailer site, or even tell me of a site that can give me a good deal!
Update: almost finalised on sandisk!
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