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General discussion

which mp3 can provide the greatest music?

Dec 10, 2010 3:26PM PST

I have 500USD, which mp3 player can output the greatest sound effect, just like in the concert.

Discussion is locked

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Have a look at some iPods
Dec 12, 2010 1:36AM PST

The iPods are able to adjust EQs into concert/live modes. You'll easily get a decent player for your budget.

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anything but IPod
Dec 15, 2010 1:18PM PST

I think any audiophile will tell you that anything is better than IPod. IPod cuts out the highs & lows.

Look to Cowon, Iriver and others for amazing range and crystal clear sound quality.

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Invest in good headphones, don't worry about the player
Dec 18, 2010 12:43AM PST

I've got several different mp3 players, and they all have their differences. Some give more bass, while others are pretty much balanced. What you'll find, though, is that a good pair of headphones or earbuds will make any player sound good.

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Agreed
Dec 24, 2010 11:20AM PST

Cans make more of a difference with SQ than the player does. A player with a great amp section and great D/A conversion will sound better than ones that aren't so embellished, but ultimately the characteristics of speakers--whether for your head, car or room--will make the bulk of the impact on what you hear.

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yup...
Dec 29, 2010 2:08PM PST

Headphone/earbud quality is pretty much everything, which makes me wonder if the guy who doesn't like ipods was listening to his through the 'buds it came with. They do suck, but the ipod itself doesn't.

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But iPods DO fall down on sound regardless
Jan 6, 2011 4:45AM PST

I don't get what's going on with Cupertino; it's not rocket science to make a player that does great D/A conversion. They've already bragged in the past about their internal amp circuitry being able to do a flat 20Hz-20kHz curve (not that this matters that much with STEREO content through STEREO headphones).

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good 'phones are very important but...
Dec 23, 2010 2:31PM PST

a good sound depends a lot on the band and how well they were produced. The Who sounds good at almost any bass-rich EQ setting on my ipod, the Ramones not so much.

But ANY audiophile buying an mp3 player would be like a wine-o-phile buying a jug of thunderbird. They're cheap, portable and hold thousands of songs. That's why we love 'em.

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Any one that will play lossless music formats
Jan 6, 2011 7:09AM PST

Look for a player that can handle FLAC,WMA Lossless,or WAV. These formats do not remove any data from the sound file and record at much higher bit rates. But they require alot of storage space, like up to 10 times that of mp3 and a player that will play at bit rates over 320 kbps.
Headphones make a great difference,too.
Check the specs and invest in the rest in good headphones.