Sansa Clip+ Funclub? Rockbox, headphones etc.

[Ciel_Rouge]

I have recently become a happy owner of a Sansa Clip+ and after hooking it up with Pioneer SE-MJ31 and Creative HQ 1900 headphones I became an addict. Due to its exceptional sound quality, it seems to me that Sansa Clip is becoming THE mp3 player of the classical listeners community - or is it? What is your player/headphones combination? What would you recommend as the perfect Clip/headphone combination for classical listening?

On a side note, what I also like about this little beast is that I can also try alternative software, namely the Rockbox which gives it even more functionality. Have you every tried a rockboxed Clip or any other rockboxed player?

[DavidW]

I have the clip and it's a good player for a portable on the go kind of thing, it's not the last word on mp3 players.  It has a poor battery life, a weak (even for mp3 players) amp, simplistic UI.  You hear alot of hype for it because it's cheap and it is neutral without an audible noise floor and it can be rockboxed.

The clip already supports flac, so for me rockbox gives me much more customizable equalization, improved UI and even worse battery life.  But I don't need or want those.  Since the clip is already neutral I don't really need rockbox.

I currently have an ipod touch, would like a Cowon J3.  My office phones that I use with the ipod is Sennheiser 555 and my on the go phones are the akg k430 (recent purchase).  Not happy enough with the latter not efficient enough, I was mislead by dB/V instead of dB/mW.

[Ciel_Rouge]

Hi DavidW,

Finally another Sansa Clip user In my country it is available but not widely popular among "general" public who are probably often misled with its modest looks. Poor amp? If you mean it is very quiet - well, there is a very simple solution for that - just select "reset factory settings" and then you will have to choose your region. Choose "rest of the world" - that will remove the stupid volume cap which makes many people think that it is quiet. Both with my Pioneer and Creative headphones I use it at about 70 % volume setting and at 100 % it would be uncomfortable and too loud. If by poor amp you didn't mean low volume but something else, I am open to receiving englightenment on this issue.

[DavidW]

Yup low volume.  Your Pioneer has a sensitivity of 105 dB/mW and Creative is 104 dB/mW with low impedance for both.  So those are easy to drive portable headphones, and you still have to crank the volume up to 2/3-3/4.  If you had some unusually soft recordings like some of my Bach cantata recordings you would need to really crank the volume.  And if you had higher impedance, lower sensitivity headphones the clip just can't handle them.  Which is to say not appropriate for anything but portable use. 

I don't expect the clip to handle all headphones, it's to clip on go jogging or whatever.  But, I have daps that can handle my more serious headphones, like the Cowon D2 which can handle all of the headphones at 50% volume excepting my Senn 650s which ends up at closer to 70% volume. My ipod touch can handle all but my Senn 650s and the Sony walkman (sadly ruined in the wash) could also handle all but those dreaded 650s (which are only appropriate for using with a receiver or headphone amp).

BTW I live in the US and don't have the EU imposed sound limit.

[drogulus]

     When people talk about SQ on portables they mean EQ, right? (searches for charitable interpretation)

     I use iGain to keep volume constant between albums (not tracks, you don't want that). It works in iTunes + Pod (don't know if it works for other programs/hardware). It isn't supposed to affect sound and it doesn't seem to.

[DavidW]

     When people talk about SQ on portables they mean EQ, right? (searches for charitable interpretation)

Also noise floor, it really is an issue when so many listen on sensitive earphones.  I have ye olde Klipsch S4 with 120 dB/mW and 16 ohm impedance picks up on noise floors on some mp3 players.  There certainly is a difference.

It doesn't seem like an audiophile thing, but some people really care about the fake bass options on certain players.   Cowon is actually known for their bbe effects.  Which messes with the treble and the bass, here is a link with alot of graphs, it's like nerd porn

http://www.cowonglobal.com/product_wide/product_bbe.php

[DavidRoss]

I love my Sansa clip and its great battery life. Agree the interface is clunky, but with my listening I don't have to use it much.  Stock buds are a damn sight better than my stock iPod buds and perfectly adequate, and I'm more than satisfied by plugging in my Etymotic 6is.