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General discussion

Apple or Sony

Aug 14, 2009 6:22AM PDT

Iam about to buy a new mp3 player, but I can't decide which one. On the one hand there is the Sony NWZ-S738F, which has great sound quality, but has less features, on the other had there is the Ipod nano 4g with a lot of cool stuff, but with avarage sound quality.My question is that if i buy a high quality earphone, will the ipod sound good enough to buy it intead of the sony?

Discussion is locked

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Logically....
Aug 14, 2009 7:27AM PDT

....better headphones will show up poor sound even more than the sorry bits of plastic Apple supply.

Having said that, some Sony models come with better phones than others.
If your model includes decent phones, you've saved the cost of buying replacement.

Of the two, I would choose Sony because Apple force you to use annoying iTunes and severely restrict how you use the player and your music.

Sony don't.

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Not true
Aug 14, 2009 11:25AM PDT

You have a LOT of options other than iTunes with most iPods.

That said, unless you want access to A LOT of accessories for your PMP, I'd get the Sony. It seems like audio SQ is a highly important factor for you, so why handicap yourself by settling for a current-gen iPod if that's the case? Will it irk you to know that your extra-cost aftermarket cans bought specifically for improving the sonic quality of that nano will still sound better on the Sony? If not, then you should be able to live with the fact that the iPod will sound "good enough", and you can enjoy all the extras that come with being an iPod owner.

However, if VIDEO is important to you then you should probably get the nano; Walkmans are just not that fun to deal with when getting compatible vid content loaded on them.

Your priorities, your call...

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Sound
Aug 16, 2009 10:47AM PDT

I wouldn't worry about sound quality on iPods. I have a 1st gen iPod touch, and the new apple in-ear headphones listening to 320kb/s mp3s, and it sounds awesome to me. I think you'd have to have uncompressed audio for the sound quality of the player to effect the quality of what you hear.