Are there any good AAC/MP3 CD players out besides eXpanium?
Reply #8 – 2002-06-30 12:17:02
I'm new to this site, but have been looking for a 'good' portable device for listening to all my music collections, but as yet I haven't found that one 'perfect' product.. I notice that the main critieria for your choice is the AAC bitrate, and as we know VBR gives the best quality/size trade-off. Unfortunately, no-one mentions a problem I'm finding trying to get a decent portable player, and thats the quality of the audio produced from the DAC onwards.... If I voice my concerns, perhaps if I'm mistaken, you can tell me, and it might help me find something as well... If you look at the Sony MZR N1, there top of the range Network Minidisc player, and listen to a native 260Kit ATRAC recording, the actual listening experience is awseome, even with the supplied 'ear-buds' its absolutely spot on... Now granted the max bit rate transferable via the USB is 130Kbit, which seems pretty lame (No pun intended), but the listening experience is still enjoyable, and the music still sounds good. My mate has just got one, and even though I was very sceptivle of it, the listening quality is outstanding... Now this is where my problem lies, I've listened to quite a few prtoable Digital Audio Players, and have to say that not one actually reproduces the track like the MZR-N1, even when playing 320Kbit CBR MP3's... I think its the age old problem of "A system is only as good as its weakest link".. and if you look at the specs of the players, its hardly surprising they struggle.... the EXP401 for example, has a weighted SNR of 80db!!! thats pretty low, and I bet does not give a good rendition of any music.... THe last player I listended to was an Archos Jukebox with a 90db SNR, and I used my reasonable seinheisser head phones, and even then the quality was awful, I made the owner download a fresh 320Kbit CBR LAME 3.89 encoded CD Track that I also got encoded @ 130Kbit ATRAC on the MZR-N1.. Well, the Archos sound quality did not improve at all, its clearly useless in the audio department, no matter what adjustments we tried, yet the MZR-N1 on the same headphones sounded a league higher in quality, even @ 130Kbit.... The only saving grace so far seems the Creative Labs Jukebox 3 with a 96db SNR on headphones, and 98db SNR on line-out... if this translates to what reviewers say is hi-fo quality, I think this may be the 'expensive' winner, bu them 40Gb's of music on the move may make me save up... But then I'll have to hear it with my own ears to believe it... At this moment in time, I'd much prefer the 130Kbit(Against all my instinct) AAC on the Minidisc to 320Kbit CBR on a naff DA player.... so please let me know if any of the portables can match the soundstage, stereo speration and overall presentation of something like the SONY MZR- N1.. (or any of there $150+ players) Please don't flame, I'm just as interested in getting the best sound quality as possible...